Cache Clearing on Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro: A Complete Guide to Accelerating Your Smartphone

Your Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro is slowing down, apps are loading for a long time, and there is less than 1 GB of free memory? Most likely, the problem lies in cache clogged — temporary files that the system and programs accumulate during operation. On the Redmi Note 8 Pro model (with the Mediatek Helio G90T chipset and MIUI 12-14), the cache can take up to 5-8 GB if it is not cleaned for years. But just removing everything is a bad idea: it will lead to malfunction of applications.

In this article, you will find 5 proven ways to clean cache, from standard MIUI tools to hidden features for power users, how to remove the cache of individual applications, system cache (including Dalvik-cache), and even how to automate the process with ADB. And also, we will find out why some programs can run slower after cleaning - and how to fix it.

Why Redmi Note 8 Pro cache needs to be cleaned regularly

Cache is a temporary file that is created to speed up the system and applications, for example, when you open Instagram, it saves thumbnails of photos so that the next run they show them faster, but over time, these files accumulate, and instead of being useful, they cause harm:

📉 Slowdown: MIUI It starts to “suffocate” when the cache takes up more 3-4 GB. Helio processor. G90T Redmi Note 8 Pro is not the most productive, and the excess load is noticeable.
🔋 Fast battery drain: The system wastes resources on handling unnecessary files, which increases power consumption on the system. 15-20%.
🚨 Application crashes: A crowded cache can cause errors such as “App is not responding” or sudden closures.
📱 Lack of memory: On the model with 64 GB of internal memory, the cache can “eat” up to 10% of the total volume.

But cleaning the cache of all applications completely can backfire immediately, with the system starting to reassemble it from scratch, temporarily increasing the CPU load and reducing battery life, so it's important to clean selectively -- only what really gets in the way.

⚠️ Warning: Don't confuse cache with user data! Deleting cache won't delete your photos, messages or saves in games. But if you clear the app data (e.g. in Settings) → Annexes → Warehouse → Clear the data, you will lose all settings and files inside this application.

📊 How often do you clean your Xiaomi cache?

Once a week.

Once a month

Only when the phone is slowing down.

Never cleaned.

I don't know what that is.

Method 1: Clearing the cache of individual applications through MIUI settings

The safest method is to remove cache only for programs that slow down or take up too much space. On the Redmi Note 8 Pro, it is done as follows:

Open the settings (cog icon on the desktop).
Go to the Appendix section → Application management.
Select the app you want (like Facebook or Google Chrome).
Press Warehouse.
Slip the Clear Cache button (not to be confused with Clear Data!).

For convenience, sort the applications by cache size:

In the Application Management section, click on the three dots in the upper right corner.
Select Sort. → By size.
Pay attention to programs with a cache of more than 500 MB – they should be cleaned first.

Heavy messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp)|Social networks (Facebook, TikTok)|Browser (Chrome, Mi Browser)|Games (PUBG, Call of Duty)|Applications (Google Play Services)-->

On the Redmi Note 8 Pro, there is a lot of cache:

📱 Mi Video and Mi Music – up to 1.5 GB when used.
🎮 Games (especially with 3D-graphics – cache texture can reach 2-3 GB.
🌐 Google Play Services is a system app that often inflates to 1GB.

⚠️ Note: After clearing the cache, Google Play Services may temporarily stop working push notifications (such as from Gmail or YouTube).To restore them, restart your phone or wait for automatic service updates (usually takes a lot of time to get them back). 5-10 minute).

Method 2: Automatically clean the cache through "Security"

MIUI has a built-in optimization tool called Security (shield icon) that not only cleans the cache, but also closes the background processes, which is especially useful for the Redmi Note 8 Pro with its 6GB of RAM (which gets clogged with unnecessary tasks over time).

Instructions:

Open the Security app.
Click on the Optimization button (or Acceleration in new versions of MIUI).
Wait for the scan to be completed (usually 10-20 seconds).
Click Clean next to Garbage Files or Cash.
Confirm the action if necessary.

Advantages of this method:

⚡ Speed – the whole procedure takes less than a minute.
🤖 Automatic analysis – the system determines which files can be safely deleted.
🔄 Ability to configure autocleaning (in Settings section) → Autocleaning).

However, this method has disadvantages:

🧹 It removes not only cache, but also other junk files (such as thumbnails of images), which can lead to re-indexing of media files.
🔍 Does not show the cache of which applications were removed - no detail.

💡

If the phone is slower after cleaning through Security, try restarting it. MIUI sometimes does not properly process the space that has been vacant, and rebooting helps to "recalculate" the available resources.

Method 3: Clean the system cache (including Dalvik-cache) through Recovery

If your Redmi Note 8 Pro is severely slowed down even after cleaning the app cache, the problem may be in the system cache (including the Android virtual machine cache), which cannot be removed by standard MIUI, but can be done through Recovery Mode.

⚠️ Warning: This method is riskier. Mistakes in Recovery can cause the phone to reset or even "brickle." Follow the instructions carefully!

Step-by-step:

Turn off the phone.
Press the Power and Volume buttons up at the same time until the Mi logo appears.
Release the buttons and you will be taken to Recovery Mode (English or Chinese menu).
Use volume buttons for navigation and power button for selection.
Select Wipe & Reset (or Advanced in some versions).
Then, choose Wipe Cache (not to be confused with Wipe Data!).
Confirm the action and wait until it is completed (usually takes 1-2 minutes).
Reboot your phone with Reboot → Reboot to System.

What exactly is cleaned in this mode:

Cache type	What it keeps.	Effects of cleaning
Dalvik-cache	Optimized application code for fast download	Applications will start slower when first opened after cleaning
System Cache	Temporary update files and system processes	Some system applications may be reset
Recovery Logs	Logs of recovery and errors	No noticeable changes for the user

⚠️ Warning: If after cleaning the system cache, the phone loads longer than usual (more than 5 minutes), do not panic — MIUI Reassemble the Dalvik-cache. Don't turn off the device or remove the battery! If the load is delayed by more than 15 minutes, try repeating the procedure or contact the service center.

What if the phone does not turn on after cleaning the cache?

If the Redmi Note 8 Pro does not boot after manipulation in Recovery, try: 1. Re-enter Recovery and select Reboot to System. 2. Connect the phone to charge for 10-15 minutes - sometimes the battery runs out in the process. 3. If nothing helps, you will have to refashion the phone via Fastboot (instructions are on the 4PDA or Xiaomi Community forum).

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

If you’re familiar with ADB (Android Debug Bridge), you can clear the cache more point-by-point without going to Recovery. This method is useful if you want to delete the cache of all applications at once or work with system folders that are not available through the standard interface.

What you need:

🖥️ A computer with installed Xiaomi drivers and ADB.
🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).
📱 Included debugging by USB on the phone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI (press 7 times) → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB).

Instructions:

Connect the Redmi Note 8 Pro to your computer.
Open the command line (cmd) or the terminal (on Mac/Linux).
Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices must appear serial number of your device.
To clear the cache of all applications, run: adb shell pm trim-caches -1 (this is a secure command, it will not delete user data).
To clear the cache of a particular application (e.g. com.facebook.katana for Facebook): adb shell pm clear com.facebook.katana ⚠️ This command deletes all app data, not just cache.

The advantages of this method:

🎯 Spot cleaning – you can work with specific folders or applications.
🔧 Automation – You can write a script for regular cleaning.
📊 More control – you can see which files are being deleted.

Cons:

💻 Requires a computer and minimal command line knowledge.
🚨 Error risk – Incorrect commands can delete important data.

💡

ADB is a powerful tool, but it's only worth using if you're confident in what you're doing, and for most users, the first three are enough.

Method 5: Using third-party applications to clean up the cache

There are hundreds of cache cleaning apps on Google Play, but not all of them are equally useful. On the Redmi Note 8 Pro, we only recommend proven utilities that don't overload the system any more:

🧹 SD Maid – Deep Cleanup, including system files (requires root rights for full functionality).
🗑️ Files by Google – a lightweight application from Google, removes garbage and cache without unnecessary functions.
🔍 CCleaner is a popular cleaner, but on MIUI It may conflict with system processes.

How to use SD Maid:

Install the app from Google Play.
Launch and provide access to the storage.
Go to CorpseFinder (to remove remnants of remote applications) or AppCleaner (to clear the cache).
Select the apps and press Run.

Warnings when using third-party cleaners:

🛡️ Don’t give apps access to Special Access (such as notifications or administrator rights) – this can be dangerous.
📊 Avoid “optimizers” that promise to speed up your phone. 200% — It's a marketing trick. The actual acceleration after cleaning the cache rarely exceeds the speed of the cache. 10-15%.
🔄 Do not clean the cache too often (for example, every day) – this will lead to the opposite effect.

💡

Before using any cleaner, check its ratings and reviews. Many apps on Google Play contain advertising software or collect user data.

What to do if after cleaning the cache problems remain

Cache cleaning doesn't always solve all performance issues.If the Redmi Note 8 Pro is still slowing down, check the following:

🔋 Battery condition: A worn-out battery (capacity below 70%) may cause lags. → Battery → Battery status.
📱 Free space: If the phone has less than 1 GB of memory, MIUI Delete unnecessary files or transfer them to a memory card.
🔄 System Updates: An Outdated Version MIUI It may contain errors. Check for updates in Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.
🧩 Background Processes: Some apps (like Facebook or AliExpress) consume a lot of resources. close them manually or turn off auto-start in Settings → Permits → Auto-start.

If nothing helps, consider more radical measures:

Method	What's he doing?	Risks.
Reset to factory settings	Completely cleanses the phone, returning it to the state of “out of the box”.	Loss of all data (photos, contacts, messages)
Reversing to the old version of MIUI	Returns the previous firmware if the current one is unstable	Can lock the phone (requires unlocking the bootloader)
Installation of custom firmware	Replacing MIUI with an alternative OS (e.g. LineageOS)	Loss of warranty, possible bugs

Before resetting to factory settings, make sure to back up! in MIUI, you can do this in Settings → About Phone → Backup or via Mi Cloud.

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning up the cache on the Redmi Note 8 Pro

❓ How often should you clean the cache on the Redmi Note 8 Pro?

The optimal frequency is once every 1-2 months. If you actively use your phone (a lot of games, social networks, instant messengers), you can clean every 3-4 weeks. But you should not do this more often - the system will constantly reassemble the cache, which will increase the load on the processor.

❓ Why After Cache Clearing, Some Apps Are Slower?

This is OK! When you first run after cleaning, the application must re-cache (download textures, thumbnails, temporary files). Usually 1-2 runs are enough to get everything back to normal. If the lags remain, check if the power saving mode for this application is turned on (Settings → Battery → Select Battery Mode).

❓ Can I clear the cache without losing data?

Yes, cache cleaning doesn't affect your photos, videos, messages or game saves, but if you choose Clear Data (rather than Clear Cache), all settings and files inside the app will be deleted.

❓ Why does the cache accumulate so quickly again?

On the Redmi Note 8 Pro, this is due to two factors: MIUI actively caches system processes to speed up work. Apps (especially social networks and games) store a lot of temporary data. To slow down cache accumulation: Turn off background activity of unnecessary applications (Settings → Permissions → Autorun). Use lightweight versions of applications (for example, Facebook Lite instead of regular Facebook). Regularly update MIUI - in new versions, cache optimization is optimized.

❓ Which is better: cleaning the cache or resetting to factory settings?

Cache cleaning is a gentle optimization that doesn't affect your data. Factory reset is a radical measure that removes everything, including apps, photos and settings. Try clearing the cache first, and if that doesn't work, do a reset. But don't forget to back up!