How to Clear Cache in Xiaomi Phone: The Complete Guide

Xiaomi smartphone owners often face a situation where the once-wieldy device is slowing down and memory shortage notifications are increasing. The main reason for these problems is the accumulation of temporary files that the system and applications create to speed up access to data. This process is natural, but without regular maintenance, it leads to “bloating” the system and reduces performance.

Cache cleaning isn't about removing your personal photos or contacts, it's about getting rid of digital junk that's no longer useful. Android, which is based on the MIUI or HyperOS shell, has powerful built-in tools to do this. You don't have to be a programming expert to do a good device optimization.

In this article, we will discuss all available cleaning methods, from standard settings to the use of engineering menus, you will learn which folders can be removed painlessly and which should not be touched. Proper memory maintenance will allow your gadget to work as fast as on the first day after purchase.

What is cache and why does it take up memory?

Cache memory is a buffer exchange fund that stores temporary files to quickly load frequently used items. When you open an application, the system reads data from this fast buffer, not the main storage, and this greatly speeds up the launch of programs and display content, reducing the load on the processor.

But over time, these temporary files can be as large as gigabytes, and app developers often don’t set limits on cache, so it grows uncontrollably, especially on social media, messengers, and browsers that store thousands of thumbnails of images and videos.

There are several types of cache that need to be distinguished:

• 📱 Application cache: temporary data of specific programs (for example, avatars in Telegram).
• ⚙️ System cache: files required for the shell itself to work MIUI and Google services.
• 🌐 Browser cache: saved copies of web pages for instant download when you visit them again.

The accumulation of redundant data not only takes up space, but can also cause file version conflicts. If the application is updated and old scripts are left in the cache, this can lead to crashes or incorrect interface operation. Regular cleaning helps to avoid such logical errors.

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Use the Cleanup feature in the standard Security app once a week to keep the amount of trash under control without diving deep into the settings.

Basic cleaning through the Security app

The easiest and safest way to delete temporary files is to use a regular app from the manufacturer. Every Xiaomi smartphone has a tool called Security preinstalled, which automatically scans the device and suggests that you delete unnecessary files.

To get started, you have to launch the app and click on the big scan button, and the system will analyze the storage and report, and pressing the Clear button will remove the cache files, the residual files of the remote apps and the advertising debris, which is ideal for rapid prevention.

But standard cleaning often only touches the surface level, so to do a deeper job, you have to go to the Cleanup in-app section, and you'll see the categorization of the big files, the unused apps, and the duplicates, and you can selectively remove the content, freeing up a lot of space.

It’s important to understand the difference between clearing the cache and cleaning the data. If you choose the Clear Data option for an application, it will return to the state immediately after installation, and you will lose logins, settings and progress in games, while Cash only deletes temporary files, saving your authorization.

Removing the cache of individual applications manually

Sometimes you just need to clear the cache of one particular program that is unstable or takes up too much space. In Android, you can do this through the settings menu without affecting other phone data, and this is especially true for messengers like WhatsApp or Viber.

To do this, go to Settings, then select the App and find All Apps. In the list that opens, find the program you want to use. For example, if YouTube is slowing down, search alphabetically or search for it.

Inside the app menu, you'll see the Clear Data button.

A drop-in window with two options: Clear cache and Clear everything. Choose the former to save your accounts. The latter will reset the app completely.

⚠️ Warning: Do not use the Clear Everything feature for banking applications or instant messengers if you do not have passwords saved.

For advanced users, there's a hidden storage management section available. Go to Settings → About Phone → Storage. You can see a visual memory diagram here. By clicking on the Apps category, you'll get a sorted list by volume, which will help you find the main memory eaters.

Using Developer Mode for Deep Cleaning

There is a hidden menu on Android that is designed to debug, which allows you to manage your cache more aggressively, so you can activate this mode by going to About Phone and clicking on MIUI or HyperOS seven times quickly, and then you can see a new option on the settings menu called Developers.

Inside the developer menu, find a debugging or monitoring section that may have Don't keep activities, but we're interested in cache cleaning. Some firmware versions have a Dalton/ART cache forced clear command, but it requires rebooting.

A safer method through the developer's settings is to limit background processes. By setting a limit on the number of background processes, you prevent the accumulation of cache in RAM, select the option of the Background Process Limit and set the value of "No More than 2 processes".

Settings → Advanced settings → For developers → Limit of background processes

This method doesn’t remove files from memory directly, but it does make the system more actively reset the cache from RAM, which has a positive effect on the performance of older models, but it is worth remembering that frequent downloading applications from memory can increase battery consumption when they are restarted.

Storage analysis and search for hidden files

Often users don’t understand where the free space goes. Xiaomi has folders that aren’t cleaned by standard means, including the Download folder, where all files from the Internet are saved, and the DCIM folder, where deleted photos are stored (basket).

Use the built-in Explorer to analyze. Open the Files app and go to Documents or Downloads. Sort files by size. Often you can find forgotten APK installation files or heavy video files from messengers that are automatically saved to the gallery.

Special attention should be paid to the Android/data folder, which stores cached data from games and heavy apps, and inside this folder you can find directories with packet names (for example, com.tencent.ig for PUBG), removing the contents of these folders is like reinstalling an application, but sometimes it is the only way to free up space if the regular cleanup doesn’t work.

Below is a table describing the main folders that can be safely cleaned:

Deleting files from these directories won’t affect your system, but it will give you back precious gigabytes, and before you delete them, make sure that there are no important documents or saved checks.

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Manually analyzing folders through Explorer allows you to find and delete files that are ignored by automatic cleaners, freeing up to 30% of additional space.

Special features and cleaning through Recovery

If the phone is extremely slow or freezes during the boot phase, it may be necessary to clear the cache through Recovery Mode, a deep system procedure that deletes temporary update files and system cache, but does not affect the user’s personal data (photos, contacts).

To enter this mode, you need to turn off the smartphone completely. Then press the volume button and the power button at the same time. Hold them until the Mi logo appears, then release the power button, while continuing to keep the volume. Recovery menu opens.

Navigation on this menu is done with volume buttons (up/down), and the choice is confirmed by the power button. You need to find the Wipe Data item and choose Wipe Cache. Be careful: do not confuse this with the Wipe All Data item, which will completely erase the phone.

⚠️ Note: In the new versions of HyperOS and MIUI 14 The option of cleaning only the cache in Recovery may be missing or hidden, in which case only a full reset is available. If you don't see "Wipe Cache," don't experiment.

After a successful cleanup, the system will prompt a reboot (Reboot) that may take longer than usual to run, as the system will need to re-form cache files to work properly, a method that is recommended to be used only if there are obvious performance problems.

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If the screen doesn't respond to touch after you log in to Recovery, use volume buttons to navigate. The sensor is often turned off in this mode.

Prevention and optimization of memory

To avoid having to manually clean your phone, you need to implement a few habits: first, disable auto-save media files in the messaging gallery. WhatsApp or Telegram settings can prevent you from saving the images you receive to the main gallery of the phone.

Second, use lighter versions of apps, and for social media, there are Lite versions (like Facebook Lite or Google Go) that consume less resources and create significantly less cache, which is critical for devices with little internal memory.

Regularly restarting the device also helps to reset the system memory cache. Just reboot the Xiaomi smartphone once every 3-4 days. This is a simple procedure that closes the suspended background processes and updates the system services.

Compliance with these simple rules will allow you to maintain a high speed smartphone throughout its life. Memory is a resource that requires management, and Xiaomi provides all the necessary tools for this.