How to Clear Cache on Xiaomi 9 Pro: 5 Proven Ways (2026)

The cache on the Xiaomi 9 Pro is a temporary file that speeds up applications but over time takes up gigabytes of memory and can cause lags. If your phone starts to slow down, overheat or emit errors like “Not enough memory”, it’s time to clean up. In this article, we’ll look at all possible methods, from standard to advanced, including cleaning through recovery and ADB, and also tell you which files can be deleted without risk and which should not be touched.

Xiaomi 9 Pro

raphael

MIUI 12/13/14

Before proceeding, check how much space the cache takes up:

1. Open the settings → About the phone → Memory.
2. Click "Other files" - there is a display of the cache volume of applications.
3. If the figure is more than 1-2 GB, cleaning is required.

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1. Clear cache through MIUI settings

The easiest and safest way is to use the built-in MIUI tools, which are suitable for beginners and do not require super-user rights.

Step 1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.

Step 2. In the upper right corner, click three dots and select "Sort by size." This will show the apps that occupy the most cache space.

Step 3: Select the application you want (like Google Chrome or Facebook) and click "Clear Cache." For complete cleaning, you can also click "Clear Data", but note: this will reset all application settings (logins, saved files, etc.).

• 📱 Pros: No reboot, safe for the system.
• ⚠️ Cons: Clears the cache of only selected applications, not the entire system.
• ⚡ Advice: Repeat the procedure once in a while 1-2 month-long maintenance.

⚠️ Warning: Do not cache system applications like com.miui.home or android.process.media unnecessarily. MIUI.

Social media apps (Facebook, Instagram)|Messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp)|Browser (Chrome, Mi Browser)|Games (PUBG, Genshin Impact)|Photos/video editors (CapCut, Snapseed)

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2. Automatic cleaning through "Safety"

The Xiaomi 9 Pro features a built-in “Security” tool that can analyze and clean garbage automatically, a method that is suitable for those who do not want to manually browse every application.

Instructions:

1. Open the Security app (the shield icon).
2. Go to the Cleanup tab (or Accelerate in new MIUI versions).
3. Click "Verification" - the system will scan the device for unnecessary files.
4. After analysis, select "Clean" (it is recommended to leave ticks only on "Cash" and "Residual files").

This method removes up to 500MB — 1GB of garbage at a time, but does not affect deep system files. If the phone still brakes after cleaning, move on to the following methods.

Important: In some versions of MIUI (e.g. MIUI 14 for global firmware), the Cleanup option may be called Optimization. If you don't find it, update the Security app via Google Play.

Once a week | Once a month | Only when the phone starts to brake | Never cleaned | I don't know what it is

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3. Clean Dalvik-cache and system cache via Recovery

If standard methods don't work, it's time to move to "heavy artillery" - cleaning through recovery, which removes Dalvik-cache and other system temporary files, which gives a noticeable increase in performance. But there's a caveat: after the procedure, the phone will restart, and the first turn on can take up to 5-10 minutes (this is normal - the system recovers the cache again).

Step-by-step:

1. Turn off the Xiaomi 9 Pro.
2. Press the Power + Volume buttons up at the same time and hold them for 10-15 seconds until the Mi logo and the recovery menu appear.
3. Use volume buttons for navigation and power button to select the item.
4. Choose a language (usually English or English).
5. Go to Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache.
6. Confirm the action by selecting Yes.
7. Once you have finished, select Reboot → Reboot to System.

⚠️ Warning: Don't confuse Wipe Cache with Wipe Data! The second option will completely reset the phone to factory settings, deleting all your data.

This method is particularly useful if:

• 🐢 The phone is slowing down after the update. MIUI.
• 🔄 Applications are constantly being crashed with the error "Application is stopped".
• 📱 The memory is filled with unknown (in Settings) → Memory shows busy gigabytes, but you haven't installed anything new).

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4. Advanced cleaning through ADB (for power users)

If you're familiar with the command line, you can clear the cache through ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which allows you to delete the cache of all applications at once, including system applications, without going into recovery. You need a computer with Xiaomi drivers installed and USB debugging on the phone enabled.

Step 1: Preparation

1. On the phone: Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times to activate developer mode).
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable “Debugging by USB”.
3. Connect Xiaomi 9 Pro to PC via USB-cable (original!).

Step 2. Cleaning through ADB:

1. On the computer, open the command line (Win + R → cmd).
2. Enter in order: adb devices (should appear device with serial number). adb shell su (if there is root-rights, a request will appear on the phone - allow). pm clear --all (Clears the cache of all user applications. rm -r /data/dalvik-cache/* (Remove Dalvik-cache as in recovery).
3. Reboot the phone: reboot

Warning: pm clear --all will reset all application settings (including the usernames in instant messengers and games) and only use it if you're ready to reset it!

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5. Clearing the cache of Google Play Services and other system applications

Some system applications, such as Google Play Services or Mi Account, actively use cache, but do not appear in the standard list of Application Management.

• 🔄 Continuously restarting Google services.
• 📱 Freezing when logging into your Mi Account.
• 🚫 Errors like Google Play Services have stopped".

How to clean:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Press three points. → "Show all applications".
3. In the search bar, type the name of the service (for example, Google Play Services).
4. Open the application → “Storage” → “Clean the cache”.

⚠️ Note: Do not clear data (clean all data) from Google Play Services – this may disrupt Google services, including synchronization of contacts and push notifications.

If after cleaning the cache of Google Play Services, the phone began to consume more battery, do not panic: the system restores the cache in the background, which temporarily increases the load on the processor. After 1-2 days, the consumption normalizes.

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After clearing the Google Play Services cache, restart your phone – this will speed up the recovery of necessary files and reduce battery load.

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6.How to avoid quickly filling the cache in the future

Cleaning up the cache is good, but it’s even better to prevent it from accumulating quickly. Here are some tips for the Xiaomi 9 Pro:

• 📵 Limit background activity: Go to Settings → Battery → Power saving mode and enable background process limitation for unnecessary applications.
• 🚫 Turn off autoload media: In WhatsApp, Telegram and other messengers, turn off automatic downloading of photos / videos (chat settings) → boot-up).
• 🔄 Update apps regularly: Older versions of programs often create redundant cache. Update them via Google Play or Mi App Store.
• 🗑️ Use "Lite" versions of apps: For example, Facebook Lite or Messenger Lite are borrowed in the Internet. 2-3 less space than their "full" counterparts.

You should also pay attention to the MIUI settings:

1. Open Settings → Special Options → System Acceleration.
2. Turn on the option “Clean up memory when locking the screen” – this will automatically free RAM and part of the cache when the display is turned off.

If you frequently install/remove games or heavy apps (like Genshin Impact or AutoCAD), consider using a memory card (if supported by your Xiaomi 9 Pro model).

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Regular cleaning of the cache (once every 1-2 months) and limiting background processes can extend the battery life by 10-15%, as the load on the processor is reduced.

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FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning the cache on Xiaomi 9 Pro