How to Clean Cache on Xiaomi Mi9: Full Instruction

Xiaomi Smartphone Mi9, Released in early 2019, it is still a popular device thanks to its powerful Snapdragon 855 processor and high-quality mobile phone. AMOLED-But over time, even the fastest flagship starts to run slower, and vault space disappears. The main reason for this phenomenon is the accumulated cache – temporary files that applications and the system create to speed up work, but which eventually turn into digital garbage.

Many users mistakenly believe that deleting the cache can harm the device or delete important personal data, such as photos or contacts.In fact, regular cleaning of temporary files is a safe and necessary procedure to maintain the health of the MIUI operating system. In this article, we will discuss in detail all ways to free memory, from standard tools to advanced methods for power users.

It is important to understand that the Xiaomi Mi9 has different types of cache: app cache, browser cache, system cache and data of Google services. Each of them takes place differently and requires a personal approach. Incorrect deletion of data can lead to resetting of application settings, so you need to clearly distinguish what exactly you delete at the moment.

Memory Occupancy Analysis through Standard Security Application

The first step before any cleaning is diagnostics, and the MIUI shell preinstalled the System Security app, which is the primary memory management tool, which automatically scans the device and suggests removing obvious debris, but often leaves hidden files that also take up space.

Launch the app and click on the Clean Up button. The system will perform a quick analysis and show the amount of files that can be deleted without risking stability. Note that standard cleaning often does not affect the cache of heavy messengers such as Telegram or WhatsApp, as they may contain important media files.

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Use the Deep Clean feature in the Security app to find large files you may have forgotten in download folders.

After the initial scan, we recommend you go to the Memory in-app section, and here you will see a detailed breakdown of how much space apps, images, videos and system files take up. If the Other category takes up an unnecessarily large gigabyte, this is a sure sign that the system has accumulated a deep cache that requires manual cleaning.

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Standard cleaning removes only surface debris, for real freeing up space you need a manual analysis of application folders.

Manually cleaning the cache of individual applications

The most efficient way to free up space on the Xiaomi Mi9 is to manually cache specific applications that consume the most resources. Often it is social networks and video services that accumulate gigabytes of temporary data that are not deleted by automatic cleaners.

To do this, go to the Settings menu, then select the App and click All Apps. In the list that opens, find a heavy app (like YouTube or Instagram). Click on it to open the Control menu, and select Memory.

In the window that opens, you'll see two buttons: Clear and Clear everything. It's critical to understand the difference between them. Clicking Clear will only remove the temporary cache without affecting your logins and settings. Click Clean everything will completely reset the application to the state immediately after installation, which will require re-authorization.

It is recommended to regularly check the list of the most voluminous applications. Often users are surprised to find that the cache of a navigator or music streaming alone can take up more than 2-3 GB. Deleting this data will not affect the operation of the software, but will significantly speed up the response of the system.

Cleaning system cache and hidden files

The MIUI system cache is a set of temporary files that are created by the operating system to speed up the loading of frequently used components, which can become corrupted or redundant over time, leading to slowdowns in the interface and the appearance of artifacts.

You can use a built-in tool to clean up your system debris. Go to the Security app, scroll down to the Cleanup section, and click on the gear icon or the three-dot menu, and you can activate deeper scanning options to find remnants of remote applications and empty packages.

⚠️ Warning: Do not use third-party cleaners from the Play Market with dubious reputations. They often contain advertising, take up space themselves and can delete necessary system files, disrupting the work of Xiaomi Mi9.

There is also a method of cleaning through recovery mode (Recovery), but on modern versions of MIUI with a locked bootloader, it is often unavailable or hidden, so the most secure method is the use of regular system tools that are guaranteed to remove nothing extra.

If you notice that after the system update the place disappeared, check the folder. /MIUI/debug_log. It can store debugging logs that take up a lot of space, and can be accessed through the file manager by enabling the display of hidden files in the Explorer settings.

Removing cache in browsers and messengers

Browsers and instant messengers are the main memory eaters on any Android smartphone, and the Xiaomi Mi9 is no exception. Google Chrome, MIUI Browser, Telegram and Viber store copies of visited pages, images and videos to load them faster when re-accessed.

In Chrome, the cleanup is done through a three-dot menu in the corner of the screen. Select History, then Clear History. Make sure you select Images and other files stored in the cache. You can select a time range, such as "All the time," to delete all the accumulated data.

Messengers require a special approach. In Telegram, for example, the cache can be cleaned directly in the application settings: Data and memory → Memory Use → Clear cache. Here you can set up automatic cleaning, for example, delete files older than 3 days or 1 week.

Cleaning these apps regularly not only frees up space, but also solves problems with downloading broken images or freezing correspondence. If the messenger is not working correctly, cleaning the cache is often the first step in diagnosis.

Using Developer Mode to Optimize

For more advanced users Xiaomi Mi9 is available developer mode, which allows you to manage processes in the background and limit the background activity of applications, indirectly affecting the speed of filling the cache.

To activate this mode, go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click 7 times on the MIUI Version. After the notification that you have become a developer, go back to the main settings menu and find the option Additional → For developers.

In this menu, find the Applications section, where you can set a limit on background processes, setting a limit to, for example, 2-3 processes, will prevent the system from storing unnecessary applications, which will reduce the amount of temporary debris created.

You can also find a Do Not Activity option in Developer Mode, which if you turn it on, the system will destroy the activity of the application as soon as you leave it, a radical method that keeps RAM clean, but can slow down the switching between applications, since they will reboot each time.

Cache cleaning through Recovery Mode (for advanced)

Recovery Mode on Xiaomi Mi9 allows you to clear the system partition cache (Dalvik/ART Cache), which is useful if after updating the firmware phone is unstable, warms or discharges quickly.

To enter this mode, turn off your smartphone. Then press the Volume Up and Power buttons at the same time. Hold them until the Mi logo appears, then release the power button, while continuing to keep the volume. When the Recovery menu appears, select the language (usually English/Chinese) and use the volume buttons for navigation.

Recovery menu:


1. Reboot




2. Wipe Data




3. Connect with MIAssistant

Depending on the version of Recovery (Stock or Custom TWRP), the interface may vary. In stock Recovery, only a full Wipe All Data cleanup is often available, which will remove everything from the phone, so this method is recommended only if you have a backup or if the phone is used as a new one.

⚠️ Note: In the Xiaomi stock Recovery, the "Wipe Data" option deletes ALL personal files, photos and apps. Make sure you need a complete cleanup before confirming the action.

If you have customized recaps, like TWRP, the process is safer. Select Wipe, then Advanced Wipe, and only tick Dalvik/ART Cache and Cache. Don't touch Data, System, and Internal Storage unless you want to lose data.

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The use of Recovery Mode is justified only in case of serious system failures, for cleaning enough standard settings Android.

Prevention and automation of processes

To avoid having to manually clean the Xiaomi Mi9, you should set up automatic scripts. The built-in Security app allows you to set up an automatic cleaning schedule, although it doesn’t work as aggressively as you’d like.

A more effective method is to control permissions and background activity, go to the battery settings and limit background work for applications you rarely use, and this will prevent them from accumulating debris in the background.

It's also useful to check the Download and DCIM/.thumbnails folder regularly. A thumbnails folder can grow to huge sizes if you take a lot of photos. It can be safely deleted, the system will recreate it if necessary.