Cache Cleanup on Xiaomi Mi 9T: A Complete Guide to Accelerating Your Smartphone

Xiaomi Mi 9T (also known as Redmi K20 in some regions) is a popular smartphone with powerful hardware, but even it eventually begins to slow down. One of the main reasons is crowded cache. In this article, we will discuss how to properly clear the cache on the Mi 9T to return the device to performance without risking losing important data.

Cache is a temporary file that creates applications and a system to speed up work. However, over time, they accumulate, taking up gigabytes of memory and slowing down the smartphone. On the Mi 9T with its 6/8 GB of RAM and 64/128/256 GB of ROM, the problem is especially noticeable if you do not monitor the purity of the system. We will look at all the ways of cleaning, from standard MIUI tools to manual methods through Recovery Mode.

It's important to understand that cleaning the cache is not a panacea, and if the smartphone is lagging because of a worn-out battery or an overloaded processor, other measures will be required, but in 70% of cases, it is the cache that is clogged that is to blame for the slowdowns, and then detailed instructions for different scenarios.

1.What is cache and why should it be cleaned on Xiaomi Mi 9T

There are three types of cash:

• 📱 App cache – temporary files that create instant messengers, games and social networks (such as WhatsApp or Instagram) to quickly download content.
• ⚙️ System cache - data that MIUI uses to speed up the interface (animations, icons, fonts).
• 🔄 Dalvik cache – optimized files for the virtual machine ART/Dalvik, operative.

On Mi. 9T cache may take from 500 MB to 3-5 GB, depending on the intensity of use. For example, Genshin Impact, after a few hours of gameplay, creates up to a few hours of gameplay. 1,5 GB cache, and Telegram - up to 300 MBT per month of active use.

Signs that it is time to clean the cache:

• 🐢 Smartphone began to “hang” when opening applications.
• 📉 Free memory is reduced for no apparent reason.
• 🔋 Battery goes down faster (cache increases the load on the Snapdragon 730 processor).
• 📱 Applications suddenly close or issue errors.

⚠️ Warning: Clearing the cache of apps (such as YouTube or Google Maps) will cause the data to be reloaded the next time it runs, which can temporarily increase traffic consumption.

2. Clean the application cache through MIUI settings

The easiest way is to use the built-in MIUI tools. This method is suitable for deleting the cache of individual applications without losing personal data (photos, messages, accounts).

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the app you want (like Facebook or Chrome).
3. Press Warehouse. → Clear the cache.
4. For a complete cleanup (including app data), choose Clear All Data, but this will delete accounts and settings!

For mass cleaning:

1. Go to Settings. → Warehouse.
2. Select Cache Data (under "System Memory").
3. Confirm the cleanup – this will remove the cache of all applications at once.

Once cleaned, some apps (like Google Play Store or Mi Video) may run slower on the first run – this is normal as they recreate cache.

3. Clean the system cache through Recovery Mode

If the smartphone is slowing down a lot and standard methods don't help, try clearing the system cache and Dalvik cache through Recovery Mode.This is a deeper cleaning that doesn't affect user data, but requires caution.

Instructions for Xiaomi Mi 9T:

1. Turn off your smartphone.
2. Press the Power button + Volume up until the Mi logo appears.
3. From the Recovery menu, select the language and go to Wipe & Reset.
4. Select Wipe Cache (Cache Clearing) and confirm.
5. To clear the Dalvik cache, select Advanced → Wipe Dalvik Cache.
6. Reboot the device (Reboot).

⚠️ Warning: Don't confuse Wipe Cache with Wipe Data (full reset)!The second option will delete all your files, photos and apps.

After cleaning through Recovery, the first MIUI run can take up to 5-10 minutes – this is normal, as the system recovers the cache again.

4. Automatic cleaning of cache using applications

If you don't want to manually clean the cache, you can use third-party utilities. For Xiaomi Mi 9T, you can:

• 🧹 CCleaner – cleans cache, junk files and optimizes RAM.
• 📱 SD Maid – Finds and deletes unnecessary files, including residual cache after deleting applications.
• 🔍 Files by Google is a simple tool from Google to clean up memory.
• 🛡️ AVG Cleaner – additionally checks the device for viruses.

Example of working with CCleaner:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Open it and press Analysis.
3. Select the Cash section and click Clear.
4. For deep cleaning, go to Tools → Clean Apps.

The advantages of third-party utilities:

• ✅ Automatic recognition of “junk” files.
• ✅ The ability to set up regular cleaning on schedule.
• ✅ Additional functions (optimization of RAM, search for duplicate photos).

⚠️ Note: Some applications (such as Clean Master) can aggressively delete files, including those you need. Before mass cleaning, check what exactly will be deleted.

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If an app (such as Spotify or Netflix) is slower after cleaning the cache, give it time to re-caching the data. Usually 1-2 runs are enough.

5. Clearing the cache for specific applications (instructions)

Some applications require a special approach to cleaning the cache.

For games (like PUBG Mobile or Call of Duty), it can take up to 5-10 minutes to clear the cache, as their cache often exceeds 1 GB. Once cleaned, the game may require you to download additional files on the next run.

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Clearing the Google Play Services cache can cause temporary sync errors on your Google account. If notifications stop coming after cleaning, restart your smartphone.

6. How to clear the cache without losing data (safe methods)

If you are afraid of losing important data, use these methods:

• 🔄 Rebooting the smartphone: Sometimes it is enough to restart the Mi 9T, So the system automatically clears some of the cache.
• 📁 Manual cleaning of the cache folder: Connect your smartphone to your PC via USB (In file transfer mode. Go to the Android folder → Delete the contents of the cache folders for specific applications (e.g, com.whatsapp/cache).

ADB

adb shell pm clear --user 0 com.example.app

Replace com.example.app with an app package (e.g. com.whatsapp).

For manual cleaning through the PC, it is recommended to use a file manager with root rights (for example, Root Explorer), but on the Mi 9T, you need to unlock the bootloader and get root access, which cancels the warranty.

On the Xiaomi Mi 9T with MIUI 12.5+ firmware, the /data/cache folder is protected, and you can’t delete its contents without root, in which case only cleaning through Recovery or settings will help.

7. Frequent errors in cleaning the cache and how to avoid them

Many users make mistakes that lead to data loss or performance impairment, and consider the most common:

• 🚫 Clearing the cache of system applications (such as the Miui System or Google Services Framework) can cause malfunctions. MIUI. It is better to clean only user applications.
• 🔄 Frequent cache cleaning (e.g., once a day) causes applications to constantly recreate temporary files, which increases the CPU load and reduces battery life.
• 📉 Ignoring backup: Before clearing a Dalvik cache or resetting through Recovery, be sure to backup through Settings → Additionally. → Backup.
• 🔧 Using “cleaners” with aggressive algorithms: Some applications (such as 360 Security) delete not only cache, but also important files, which can lead to the collapse of applications.

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If the Mi 9T cache is getting warmer after cleaning, check the CPU in the CPU Monitor app. It is possible that background processes overload the system due to the lack of cached data.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions