Modern Xiaomi smartphones running on the shell of MIUI or the new HyperOS are high performance, but over time, even powerful devices can start to work slower. One of the main reasons for the slowdown is the accumulation of temporary files, known as app cache. This data is created to quickly load content, but over time grows to gigabytes, taking up precious space and causing malfunctions in programs.
Understanding how to clean the cache of apps on shaomi is a basic skill for any smartphone owner. Regular maintenance not only makes room for new photos and games, but often solves problems with freezes, spontaneous program closures and authorization errors. In this article, we will take a detailed look at all available cleaning methods, from standard settings to advanced developer tools.
Don't be afraid of the word "clean" because in most cases you won't lose your personal data, logins or passwords. Cache is temporary files that can be recreated, unlike user data, which is dangerous to delete without a backup. Let's look at how to safely and efficiently manage your device's memory.
What is cache and why it should be cleaned on MIUI
Cache is a buffer memory in which apps store temporary files to speed up their work. For example, Instagram stores thumbnails of photos viewed, and the browser stores copies of web pages visited. This allows you to re-refer to content instantly without consuming Internet traffic. However, if the cache is not cleaned, it can take up 30-40% of the entire internal memory of the device.
On Xiaomi devices with MIUI shell, the process of accumulating junk files is especially intense due to aggressive work of background services. Overcrowded cache can lead to applications starting to work incorrectly, display old data or even fly out at launch.
There is a common misconception that constantly cleaning the cache harms the device. In fact, deleting temporary files is safe for the hardware of the smartphone. The only effect you notice immediately after cleaning is that applications can load a little slower the first time, as they will have to re-form the cache. However, this short-term discomfort is more than paid off by the stability of the system.
What is the difference between cleaning the cache and resetting the data?
Basic cleaning through the standard Security application
The easiest and safest way to clean the cache on shaomi is built into the default system. Xiaomi preinstalles Security, which combines antivirus and memory cleaner, which is ideal for quick prevention and removal of obvious debris without diving deeply into the settings of each application separately.
To get started, you need to find an icon on your desktop called Security or Security (green shield). When you run the application, you will see a circular indicator showing the current state of the system. Clicking on the Cleanup button will start a scan, during which you will find temporary files, remnants of deleted applications and, of course, cache.
- π± Open the Security app on the home screen.
- π§Ή Press the large Cleanup button and wait for the analysis to be completed.
- β After scanning, find the Cash (or Garbage) item and press the cleaning button.
- π Confirm action if the system requests permission to delete files.
It's important to note that a standard cleaner often doesn't delete all files. Some applications, like Telegram or TikTok, store their cached data in secure directories that the system cleaner can ignore, so it's worth using as a regular procedure, but not as the only solution to memory shortages.
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Run a standard cleanup through the Security app at least once a week to prevent critical memory filling with junk files.
Deep cache cleaning for a specific application
If the problem is only in one program (for example, only YouTube is slowing down or photos are not loaded in Viber), then global cleaning may not help, in such cases, you need to perform an individual cache cleaning for a particular application. This method allows you to point-to-point delete problematic files without affecting them.οΏ½The rest of the system.
To get into the app management menu, go to your smartphone Settings. Find the Apps section, then select All Apps. Find the program you want in the list that opens. MIUI may vary slightly depending on the version, but the logic remains the same: we need a storage management menu.
Inside the app menu, you'll see two important buttons: Clear cache and Clear (or Delete data). Be careful: the first button deletes temporary files, the second button resets the app to factory state. The first option is usually enough to solve performance problems.
βοΈ Deep cleaning algorithm
Once cleaned, it is recommended to completely close the application (unload from RAM) and run it again, which will allow the system to re-initiate processes and create new, correct temporary files, if the problem persisted due to a broken cache, it should disappear.
Cleaning through storage menu and memory management
Newer versions of HyperOS and recent MIUI 14 updates have introduced a more detailed memory management tool that lets you see exactly what types of files are taking up space, and lets you sort applications by cache, which is especially useful when the memory is full and you don't know where it went.
Go to Settings β About Phone β Memory (or Storage) where the system will provide a visualization of occupied space, you can see the category "Apps" and the details by data type, clicking on the list of applications, you can sort them by the size of the cache, which immediately reveals "eaters" of memory.
| Annex | Size of the annex | Size of data | Cache size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telegram | 250MB | 1.2 GB | 4.5 GB |
| TikTok | 180 MBB | 300MB | 2.1 GB |
| Chrome | 120 MB | 150 MB | 800MB |
| 200 MB | 400MB | 1.5 GB |
As you can see from the table, social media and instant messengers often accumulate gigabytes of cache. In the storage menu, you can click on a specific application and select the cleanup option right from there without going into general settings. This saves time and allows you to quickly free up several gigabytes of space.
Cleaning the cache of system services and Google Play
Sometimes problems with installing updates or running the app store are associated with overflowing cache of Google system services. Google Play services are responsible for installing and updating all programs from the official store. If this cache is damaged, the phone may stop seeing updates or give errors when downloading.
To clear the cache of the Google Play Store, go to Settings β Apps β All apps. Find the Google Play Store list. From the menu that opens, select Storage and click Clear Cache. A similar procedure is recommended for Google Play Services (Google Play Services).
β οΈ Warning: Donβt confuse cache cleaning with deletion of data for Google system services. Deletion of data can temporarily disrupt the synchronization of contacts and other Google services, requiring reconfiguring the account.
Once the Google cache is cleared, it is recommended that you restart the device, which will reset the back-end sync and update the lists of available apps, often solving problems when the phone writes βdownloadβ endlessly or canβt download the application.
Using Developer Mode for Advanced Users
For power users who want to have complete control over how to clear the cache of applications on shaomi, there is a hidden developer menu that allows not only to clear the cache, but also to limit the background processes, which dramatically affects the performance of the device, but use these tools with caution.
To activate the developer menu, go to Settings β About Phone and quickly click 7 times on the MIUI Version (or OS Version). After the message "You became a developer" appears in the settings menu, a new section will appear Additional β For developers.
Inside this menu, find a section that is associated with memory or applications, which can include the option to force all background processes to stop or more detailed cache management, and limit the number of background processes, which automatically reduces the amount of cache generated in real time.
β οΈ Warning: Changing the settings in developer mode can lead to unstable system operation. Do not change the settings, the purpose of which you do not know, and do not turn off system services unnecessarily.
This is a good way to use it if you're Android-savvy and you want to fine-tune your system behavior. For the average user, the methods described in the previous sections are enough. The developer mode is a tool for diagnosis and deep optimization, not for everyday use.
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Developer mode provides powerful tools, but requires knowledge, and it's best to use standard MIUI tools to clean up the system so that you don't disrupt the stability of the system.