Cache Cleanup on Xiaomi Redmi 7: A Complete Guide to Accelerating Your Smartphone

Xiaomi Redmi 7 is still popular even a few years after its release due to its balanced performance and affordable price. However, over time, many users face slowdowns, hanging and lack of memory. The main reason for these problems is clogged cache that accumulates in the system and applications. Cache accelerates the re-launch of programs, but its excess leads to the opposite effect: the phone begins to “slow down”, and free space melts before the eyes.

In this article, you will find step-by-step instructions for cleaning all types of cache on Redmi 7, from standard methods through settings to hidden features for power users. We will discuss how to clean the cache of individual applications, system cache, and Dalvik-cache, a component that is often overlooked. We will pay special attention to the nuances of the MIUI firmware, because the Xiaomi interface has its own characteristics. If you notice that the phone has become slower to work, warm up for no reason or give out errors “No memory” – this instruction will help to return it to its previous performance.

Why you should clean the cache on Xiaomi Redmi 7

Cache is a temporary file that is created by apps and the system to make it work faster, for example, when you first open Instagram, it uploads photos and videos to the cache so that it can be displayed instantly the next time you run it, and the problem is that over time, these files:

• 📉 Take up gigabytes of memory – on Redmi 7 with 32 GB of storage, the cache can “eat” up to 5-8 GB, leaving little space for photos and applications.
• 🐢 Slow down the system – fragmented cache files make the processor look longer for the necessary data.
• 🔄 Failures – corrupted cache files can lead to application crashes or errors such as “App has stopped».
• 🔥 Increase heating - constant overwriting of the cache loads flash memory, which leads to an increase in the temperature of the body.

On Redmi 7, the cache is divided into three types:

1. Application cache – temporary files of each installed application (for example, pictures from VKontakte or videos from TikTok).
2. System cache – files that MIUI creates to speed up the interface (animations, icons, data on the brightness of the screen).
3. Dalvik-cache are hidden files that are generated by the Android virtual machine when you install or update apps, which are not visible in standard settings, but they take up to 1-2 GB.

Cleaning the cache won’t delete your photos, messages or settings — it will only free up space and speed up your phone, but there are nuances: for example, after cleaning the cache of Google Maps or Yandex.Maps will have to be re-uploaded the next time you run, which will attract traffic.

Preparing for cleaning the cache: what to do in advance

Before you start cleaning, follow a few simple steps to avoid problems:

1. Check your battery level. If you plan to clean the Dalvik-cache or system cache, make sure it's at least 50% charge, and it can take up to 10 to 15 minutes, and it can cause a battery failure to break.
2. Save important data. Cache cleaning is safe, but if you decide to reset to factory settings (sometimes required in serious lags), all data will be deleted. Back up via Settings → About Phone → Backup or manually copy photos/video to your PC.
3. Close all applications. Open the task manager (swipe up with a delay on the home screen) and close all active programs. This will speed up the cleaning process.
4. Connect to Wi-Fi. Once the cache is cleared, some apps (like YouTube or Netflix) will re-upload the data, which will pull traffic.

It’s also worth checking out which version of MIUI is installed on your Redmi 7. To do this, go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version. The instructions in this article are relevant for MIUI 10–14, but if you have an older version (such as MIUI 9), some menu items may differ.

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If the cache is cleaned and the phone is even slower, try restarting it, and sometimes the system needs to restart to make changes.

Method 1: Clearing the cache of individual applications

The easiest and safest method is to remove the cache for specific programs, which will not affect the system files, but will free up space and eliminate errors in the operation of applications, for example, if WhatsApp began to slowly open chats or the Google Play Store gives an error when downloading, cleaning their cache often solves the problem.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings (the gear icon on the home screen or in the application menu).
2. Go to the Appendix section → Application management.
3. In the upper right corner, press three dots (⋮) And you can select Sort by size, and that'll show you the apps that take up the most space.
4. Tap on the desired application (for example, Facebook or Telegram).
5. Press Warehouse. → Clear the cache.

For convenience, we have compiled a table of applications, the cache of which most often grows to giant sizes:

Important: Do not clear the cache for system applications (such as Settings, Phone or Google Play Services) unless you are sure of the consequences. MIUI.

Check the cache size in the storage settings |Close the application before cleaning |Make sure you have enough free space (minimum 500 MB)|Do not clear the data (cache only) unless you want to lose the settings-->

Method 2: Clean the system cache with Recovery Mode

If the phone is getting too slow and the standard cleaning of the app cache hasn't worked, it's time to clean the system cache, which is more radical and requires a reboot to Recovery Mode, which deletes temporary MIUI files that may be damaged or take up too much space.

Note: This method will not delete your personal data, but will reset some system settings (e.g. background wallpaper or brightness settings).

Instructions:

1. Turn off Redmi 7 completely (press the power button and select Turn off).
2. Press and hold the buttons at the same time: Volume up (+) + Power Hold them until the Mi logo and Recovery menu appear.
3. In the Recovery menu, use volume buttons for navigation and power buttons for selection. Choose a language (usually English or Russian).
4. Go to Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache.
5. Confirm the action by selecting Yes.
6. Once you have finished, select Reboot → Reboot to System.

It takes 2-5 minutes, and after a restart, the phone can turn on longer than usual, which is normal, since the system recovers the cache again.

⚠️ Warning: Do not confuse Wipe Cache with Wipe Data, the second option will delete all your data, including photos, contacts and messages!

Method 3: Cleaning Dalvik-cache (for power users)

Dalvik-cache are hidden files that the Android virtual machine creates to speed up application launches. They are stored in the /data/dalvik-cache folder and usually take anywhere from 500 MB to 2 GB. Unlike a regular cache, MIUI does not provide tools to clean it through settings. To remove Dalvik-cache, you will need:

• 🔧 Root rights (if they are not, this method is not suitable).
• 📱 Castomic Recovery (e.g, TWRP).
• 💾 Backup (in case of failure).

If you don't have root rights, skip this section. If you have, follow the instructions:

1. Install TWRP Recovery (instructions for Redmi 7 can be found on the 4PDA or XDA Developers forum).
2. Download to TWRP (volume up + power combination).
3. In the main menu, select Advanced → Wipe Dalvik Cache.
4. Confirm swipe to the right.
5. Once completed, restart the phone.

Cleaning up Dalvik-cache can significantly speed up Redmi 7, especially if you install or uninstall applications frequently.

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Dalvik-cache cleaning is useful if your phone is slow to open apps or if it says "App is not responding." But without root rights, it doesn't work -- only use it if you're confident in what you're doing.

Method 4: Automatically clean the cache with built-in MIUI tools

MIUI has a built-in memory optimization tool called Security, which allows you to clear the cache, delete junk files, and even close the background processes that load the system, a method that is suitable for regular cleaning without going into settings.

Instructions:

1. Open the Security app (the shield icon on the home screen or menu).
2. Click on Cleaner (or Cleaner in English).
3. Wait for the system to scan the device (usually 10 to 30 seconds).
4. Click Clean (or Clean) next to Cache.
5. Confirm the action.

MIUI also has a Deep Clean function that removes not only the cache, but also:

• 🗑️ Temporary files APK (leftovers after application installation).
• 📁 Empty folders.
• 🔍 Log files (log files).
• 📥 Unused downloads.

To benefit from deep cleaning:

1. In the Security app, go to Cleanup → Deep Cleanup.
2. Select file categories to delete (we recommend ticking only on Cash and Garbage files).
3. Press Clear.

⚠️ Note: Boost (Acceleration) function in MIUI Security shuts down background processes, but doesn't clear the cache, and using it frequently can slow down the phone, as apps will have to reboot into memory.

Method 5: Cleaning the cache through ADB (for advanced users)

If standard methods don't work, and you don't have root rights, you can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a tool for debugging Android through your computer, which allows you to clear the cache of all applications at once without going into each one separately.

What you need:

• 💻 Computer with Windows, macOS or Linux.
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).
• 📥 Installed drivers Xiaomi and ADB.

Instructions:

1. Download and install Platform Tools (includes adb).
2. On the phone, turn on the debugging. USB: Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (Tap 7 times until the message “You are a developer” appears") → Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB
3. Connect Redmi 7 to your computer and select File Transfer mode.
4. Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) in the adb folder.
5. Enter the command to check the connection: adb devices If the phone is recognized, you will see its serial number.
6. Run the command to clean the cache of all applications: adb shell pm trim-caches 1G (where 1G is the maximum cache size that can be left; use adb shell pm trim-caches 0 for complete cleaning).

This method clears the cache more thoroughly than standard MIUI tools, but requires command line skills. If you've never used ADB, you'd better choose another method.

What to do if after cleaning the cache problems remain

Cache cleaning doesn’t always solve all performance problems. If Redmi 7 slows down after following instructions, try the following steps:

• 🔄 Restart the phone. Sometimes the system needs to restart to apply the changes.
• 🗑️ Remove unnecessary applications.Programs you're not using can run in the background and load the processor.
• 📵 Turn off the autoload of applications. Go to Settings. → Annexes → Autoboot and disable autostart for unnecessary programs.
• 🔋 Check battery status. A worn-out battery (capacity below 70%) can cause sudden brakes.
• 🔄 Update your firmware. Go to Settings. → The phone. → Update the system and check for updates MIUI.
• 🏭 Reset the settings to factory settings (extremely) that will delete all the data, but return the phone to its original speed!

If none of the methods worked, the problem could be in the hardware:

• 💾 Worn flash memory (especially if the phone overheats frequently).
• 🔌 Faulty battery (causes voltage and brake drawdowns).
• 🔧 Problems with the motherboard (requires diagnosis in the service center).

Redmi 7 also has a problem filling the /data partition, which is responsible for user data. If there is less than 10% free space in this partition, the system starts to slow down.

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning the cache on Xiaomi Redmi 7