Xiaomi smartphones, which are powered by the MIUI shell or the new HyperOS, are famous for their functionality, but even they are not immune to the accumulation of digital garbage. Over time, the system is becoming increasingly endowed with temporary files that can take up gigabytes of precious space. This often leads to slowdowns, long launches of programs and sudden freezes. Understanding how to manage this data effectively is key to maintaining high performance of the device.
Many users confuse cache cleaning with a complete reset, which is a gross mistake. Cache cleaning is a safe procedure for removing temporary files created by applications to quickly download content. Unlike reset, your personal photos, contacts and correspondence will remain intact. It is important to distinguish these concepts so that you do not lose important data when trying to just speed up the phone.
In this article, we will take a look at all the available methods for deleting temporary files, from standard system tools to advanced methods through the recovery menu. You will learn which folders you can touch without fear and which are better not to touch. A competent approach to memory maintenance will allow your Redmi or Poco to work like the first day after purchase.
Standard cleaning through the Security app
The easiest and safest way to remove accumulated debris is to use the built-in Security app, which is pre-installed on all devices of the brand and is optimized specifically for working with the MIUI file system. This method is suitable for regular maintenance and removal of the surface cache, which takes up the most space.
Launch the app and click on the large green Cleanup button. The system will scan and show the amount of files that can be deleted. However, standard cleanup often does not affect the deep files of some applications. For a more thorough check, click on the Cleanup after scanning button to see the detail by category.
- 🗑️ App cache: temporary files of social networks and browsers that can be deleted without consequences.
- 📦 Residual files: data from remote programs that often forget to erase their tracks.
- 📸 Sketches: miniatures of images from the gallery, which take up a lot of space with a large volume of photos.
- 📥 Downloads: files from the Download folder that you could download a long time ago and forget about them.
⚠️ Note: Before clicking the "Clean" button, carefully review the list of files in the "Downloads" section. Sometimes there may be important documents or photos that the system mistakenly classified as garbage.
☑️ Checklist of standard cleaning
Using regular tools is a basic level of smartphone hygiene, which requires no root rights and is safe for inexperienced users, but if your phone is slow even after such a procedure, you will need deeper interference with the file system.
Deep Cache Cleaning of Individual Applications
Some programs, like Telegram, Instagram, or TikTok, have their own caching mechanism that ignores standard cleaners. They can store gigabytes of videos and images viewed in hidden folders. To get to them, you need to use the application management menu in the system settings.
Go to Settings → Applications → All applications. Find the “heavy” program that consumes the most resources. Click on it and select Memory. Here you will see the Clear or Clear cache button. It is important not to confuse this button with the Reset option or Clear all data that will delete your authorization and settings within the application.
Why is the app cache growing so fast?
In Telegram, for example, it is better to use the built-in cleaning through Settings → Data and memory → Memory Use. There you can set an automatic timer for deleting the cache, for example, in 3 days or a week, which will save you from having to do it manually.
- 📱 Social networks: cache news feeds and viewed stories.
- 🌐 Browsers: save copies of visited pages for instant download.
- 🎮 Games: Store time resources and textures for fast loading levels.
Regularly checking for heavy applications keeps the system on track, and if you notice a particular program starting to run unstable, cleaning its cache often solves the problem without having to reinstall it.
Cleaning through the Recovery Mode menu
For more advanced users, there is a way to clean the system cache through Recovery Mode, which removes temporary files from the Android operating system that are not accessible through the normal interface, which is especially useful after major firmware updates or if the phone is behaving strangely.
To get into the recovery menu, turn off your smartphone completely. Then press the Volume Up and Power buttons simultaneously. Hold them until the Mi logo appears, then release the power button, while continuing to hold the volume. When the menu appears, use the volume buttons to navigate up and down and the power button to confirm the selection.
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If the volume buttons don’t work, try connecting the phone to your computer via USB-pre-enabled cable. On some models, it's a prerequisite for entering Recovery mode.
In the menu, select Wipe Data. In the submenu that opens, you need to choose Wipe Cache. Don't confuse that with Wipe All Data, which will wipe your phone completely! The system will ask for confirmation, you usually need to select Confirm and press OK. It takes a few seconds.
⚠️ Note: Recovery interface may differ on different versions MIUI. If you only see the option "Wipe All Data" without the ability to select a separate cache, it is better not to take risks and use other methods described in the article, so as not to lose personal data.
Once you've cleaned it successfully, select Reboot and then Reboot to System. The phone will reboot, and the first run may take longer than usual, as the system will reassemble the necessary temporary files again. This is normal behavior.
Using the Developer Mode to Clean
Android has a hidden menu for developers that gives access to advanced memory management features. While a direct clear all cache button may not be there in new versions of Android, this section allows you to control the processes that create garbage and force services to stop.
To activate the menu, go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click 7 times on the MIUI Version (or OS Version). After the message "You became a developer" appears, go back to the main settings menu, to the Advanced Settings → For developers. Here you can find the option Do not save logs or manage background processes.
| Function | Description | Cache impact |
|---|---|---|
| Limit of background processes | Limits the number of applications working in the background | Reduces the rate of time data accumulation |
| Don't save magazines. | Disables logging of system events | Prevents the growth of system logs |
| Window animation | Manages visual effects | It does not affect the cache, but speeds up the response. |
| Data uploading | Background synchronization | Control of traffic and synchronization cache |
You need to be careful about these settings, and changing parameters like minimum memory or process limits can cause some programs to run in an unstable way, and you should only change those settings that you understand.
Third-party utilities for cleaning: benefit or harm?
There are thousands of apps on the Google Play store that promise to “accelerate your phone in one click.” Popular titles like Clean Master, CCleaner, or Files by Google are often top downloads, but their effectiveness on modern Xiaomi smartphones is often exaggerated and sometimes even harmful.
The current Android operating system is very good at managing memory. Third-party cleaners often work on the principle of "start the cleaning process → show ads → complete the process." They can aggressively unload applications from RAM, after which the system immediately launches them again, consuming even more battery power.
- 🛡️ Files by Google: the only third-party app that can be recommended.It securely removes duplicates and temporary files.
- ⚠️ Aggressive Cliners: Can delete necessary authorization files, forcing you to re-enter passwords.
- 📢 Advertising junk: Many free cleaners become a source of advertising and notifications themselves.
⚠️ Warning: Avoid installing applications that require suspicious permissions, such as accessing contacts or calls, if their primary function is to clean up memory.
If you do decide to use third-party software, choose time-tested tools from well-known vendors, but remember that the security tool built into MIUI is enough for 95% of memory maintenance tasks.
Prevention: How to reduce cache volume in the future
The best cleaning is the one you don't need. To keep your Xiaomi from getting trashed, you just need to change a few usage habits, first of all, when it comes to settings for multimedia apps, and turn off auto-save photos and videos from the gallery in WhatsApp and Telegram settings.
Check the Download folder regularly, often with APK installation files that you don't need after you install the program, or documents you saved a month ago, which make room instantly, and it's also helpful to browse the list of installed apps once a month and delete those you don't use.
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Regular manual check of the Download folder and disabling autosave in messengers prevent 80% of memory problems.
Use cloud storage for photos and videos. Services like Google Photos or Yandex.Disk allow you to free up space on your device by storing originals in the cloud. Google Photos' "Free up space" feature automatically removes photos from your phone that have already been uploaded to the cloud.