How to Clean Cache on Xiaomi Mi 8: A Complete Guide with 5 Working Methods

Xiaomi Mi 8, released in 2018, is still a popular smartphone thanks to the powerful hardware and flexible firmware MIUI. However, over time, even this flagship begins to “brake” – the fault of the cache that takes up precious space in memory and slows down the system. Unlike the new models, the Mi 8 has a limited amount of internal memory (64/128/256 GB without support for microSD cards), so cleaning the cache here is especially relevant.

In this article, we will discuss 5 Proven methods of cleaning cache on Xiaomi Mi 8 — standard-tool MIUI You will learn how to delete unnecessary temporary files without losing data, what types of cache exist (system, Dalvik, applications), and when to resort to radical measures like resetting before factory settings. Special attention will be paid to cleaning the Dalvik cache, a procedure that many miss, although it can speed up the phone on the phone. 15-20%.

1.What is cache and why should it be cleaned on Xiaomi Mi 8

Cache is a temporary file that creates applications and a system to speed up its work, for example, when you open Instagram, the app caches thumbnails of photos so that it can show them faster the next time it runs, but over time, these files accumulate and take up gigabytes of memory, which leads to:

• 🐢 Slowing down the smartphone (lag when opening applications, hanging animations).
• 📉 Lack of space (especially relevant for the version of Mi 8 64 GB).
• 🔄 Frequent system reboots due to lack of RAM.
• 📱 Overheating of the device (clogged cache makes the Snapdragon 845 processor work harder).

On Xiaomi Mi 8, the cache is divided into three types:

Important: Don't confuse cache with user data! Deleting WhatsApp cache won't lose correspondence, but if you clear the app data, the messages will disappear. On the Mi 8, the cache usually takes between 500MB and 3-4GB depending on the intensity of use.

⚠️ Note: If after cleaning the cache, the application starts to work incorrectly (for example, Google Maps does not show maps offline), just restart it - the system will restore the necessary files automatically.

Method 2: Clearing the cache of individual applications through MIUI settings

The easiest and safest method is to remove the cache for specific programs. This does not require root rights or reboot in Recovery. The instructions are relevant for MIUI 10-14 (including global and Chinese versions of firmware).

How to clean the cache of the application on Xiaomi Mi 8:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the app you want (like Facebook or YouTube).
3. Click Warehouse (or Memory in older versions of MIUI).
4. Tap Clear Cache (not to be confused with Clear Data!).

For mass cleaning:

Open Settings → Memory

Click Clean in the section "Junk files"

Select the Cash of Applications and Confirm Deletion

Reboot the phone (optional)

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Which apps are the most cache-consuming on the Mi 8? In our testing, the leaders in memory clutter are:

• 📷 Google Photos up to 1.5 GB in six months of use).
• 🎵 Spotify or Yandex Music (caching songs for offline listening).
• 🗺️ Google Maps or 2GIS (maps take up to 500 MB).
• 🎮 Games (PUBG Mobile, Genshin Impact - up to 2-3 GB on texture cache).

⚠️ Note: Do not clear the cache of system applications like com.android.systemui or com.miui.home – this can cause shell malfunctions. MIUI (Disappearance of icons, errors of animations).

Method 2: Automatic cleaning through Security App

MIUI has a built-in Security tool (or “Security” in Russian versions) that can find and delete unnecessary files, including cache, which is suitable for those who do not want to manually browse every application.

Step-by-step:

1. Open the Security app (the shield icon).
2. Go to the Cleaner tab (or Cleaner in the global version).
3. Wait for the scan to be completed (usually 10-30 seconds).
4. In the section Garbage files tick the Cash applications.
5. Click Clean and confirm the action.

Advantages of this method:

• ⚡ Quick (no need to search for every application manually).
• 🔍 Intelligent analysis (the application determines which files can be safely deleted).
• 📊 Statistics (shows how much space is available).

But it also has its downsides:

• 🧹 Does not clean Dalvik-cache and system cache.
• 🔄 Sometimes misses large cache files (for example, from games).

💡

If there is no Cleanup tab in the Security app, update it via Google Play or GetApps. In older versions of MIUI (up to 11), this section could be called Acceleration.

4. Method 3: Clean Dalvik cache and system cache via Recovery

This method is designed for advanced users, as it requires a reboot in Recovery mode, and allows you to remove two types of cache that are not cleaned in standard ways:

1. Dalvik-cache is the cache of the Android virtual machine, which is responsible for executing Java code, and cleaning it can speed up the launch of applications.
2. System cache – temporary update files and MIUI logs.

Important: Make sure the battery is at least 50% charged before the procedure and back up your important data (although cleaning the cache should not affect it).

Instructions for Xiaomi Mi 8:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Power + Volume buttons up at the same time to enter Recovery.
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 action (Yes).
7. Select Advanced → Wipe Dalvik Cache.
8. Once you have finished, click Reboot → Reboot to System.

What does this procedure do?

• 🚀 Accelerating application launch (especially noticeable on the Mi 8 with heavily fragmented memory).
• 📉 Freeing up 500 MB-1.5 GB of space (depending on the number of installed applications).
• 🔄 Correction of certain errors MIUI (For example, sudden reboots).

⚠️ Warning: If the phone is loaded for a long time after cleaning Dalvik-cache (5-10 It's OK! It's OK! It's recovering the virtual machine's cache. Don't turn off the smartphone at this point.

5. Method 4: Cleaning the cache through ADB (for power users)

If standard methods don’t help or you want to automate the process, you can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which is suitable for cleaning the cache of all applications at once, including system ones, but requires connecting the phone to the computer.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows/Linux/macOS.
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).
• 🛠️ Installed drivers Xiaomi and ADB (You can download from the official Android website).

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on Mi 8 Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone. Tap 7 times on MIUI Version. Go back to Settings → Additional → Developer. Activate USB Debugging.
2. Connect the phone to your computer and select File Transfer mode.
3. Open the command prompt (Windows) or terminal (Linux/macOS) in the folder with ADB.
4. Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices The name of your device (for example, c345d2f1 device) should appear.
5. Clean the cache of all applications: adb shell pm trim-caches 999999999G Or to clean the cache of a particular application (e.g. Facebook): adb shell pm clear com.facebook.katana Note: Clear command deletes both the cache and the application data!

Advantages of the method:

• 🎯 Point cleaning (can only remove cache for selected applications).
• 🤖 Automation (you can write a script for regular cleaning).

Disadvantages:

• 💻 Requires a computer and basic command line knowledge.
• ⚠️ The danger of deleting application data (using pm clear instead of trim caches).

💡

The adb shell pm trim-caches command is secure – it only removes the cache without affecting user data or application settings.

6. Method 5: Radical-method – reset to factory settings

If all previous methods failed and the Xiaomi Mi 8 is still slowing down, the last resort is a hard reset, which deletes all data, including apps, photos and settings, so use it only as a last resort.

When should I do the reset?

• 🐌 The phone became unbearably slow even after cleaning the cache.
• 🔄 Persistent errors in work MIUI (departures, getting stuck).
• 📱 Preparing to sell or transfer a smartphone to another person.

How to reset the Mi 8 to factory settings:

1. Make a backup copy of important data (photos, contacts, messages).
2. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
3. Choose to erase all data.
4. Enter the password (if installed) and confirm the action.
5. Wait for the process to be completed (it will take 5-10 minutes).

Alternative method (if the phone is not turned on):

1. Enter Recovery (as in Method 4).
2. Choose Wipe & Reset → Wipe All Data.
3. Confirm the action and wait for the reboot.

⚠️ Note: On the Xiaomi Mi 8 with the unlocked bootloader, a reset can result in the device being locked (re-assignment of the Mi Account is required).If you are not sure, use the official Mi Unlock Tool.

7. How to prevent fast cache filling on Xiaomi Mi 8

Cleaning up the cache is good, but it's even better to prevent it from accumulating. Here are some tips for Mi 8 owners:

• 🚫 Limit cache for individual applications: Go to Settings → Annexes → App management. Select an app (e.g. Chrome). Click Storage → Restrict cache (not available for all applications).

🔄 Update regularly MIUI (In new versions optimized work with cache).

Settings → Battery and Performance → Autostart Management

Google Photo

Applications for automatic cache cleaning:

Myths about cache that you should not believe:

• ❌ «The more often you clean the cache, the better" — in fact, constant cleaning forces applications to download data again every time, which increases traffic and battery consumption.
• ❌ «Cache can only be cleaned through Recovery" - most temporary files are deleted by standard means MIUI.
• ❌ «Cache Clearing Deletes All Photos – No, Cache and User Data Are Stored in Different Partitions of Memory.

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning the cache on Xiaomi Mi 8