Cache Cleanup on Xiaomi Mi 5: A Complete Guide with 5 Proven Methods

The Xiaomi Mi 5, released in 2016, is still popular with users thanks to its powerful hardware and custom firmware installation, but over time, even this flagship begins to slow down, due to clogged applications and system temporary files. Clearing the cache helps not only free up space on the internal drive, but also eliminate lags, accidental reboots and errors in MIUI.

In this article, you will find 5 current ways to clean up the cache on the Mi 5 – from standard system tools to advanced methods through Recovery and ADB. We will also discuss which files can be deleted without risk and which should not be touched so as not to disrupt the smartphone. If your device has become slower after updating or installing new applications – this guide is for you.

⚠️ Important: Xiaomi Mi 5 with firmware older MIUI 10 some menu items may be different. If you use custom firmware (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience), the paths to settings will be different - focus on the logic of the interface.

Before you start cleaning, check the available space in memory: go to Settings → About Phone → Memory. If the Other or Cache section is more than 1-1.5 GB occupied, this is a direct signal to action.

1. Clearing the application cache through MIUI settings

The easiest and safest way is to use the built-in MIUI tools. It is suitable for deleting temporary files of individual applications without losing personal data (photos, messages, accounts).

How to do this:

1. Open the Settings → Applications.
2. Slip on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Sort by size, so you will see the most “gluttonous” programs.
3. Select an app (like Facebook or Google Play Services) and click Clear Cache.

🔹 Which apps to clean first?

• 📱 Social media (VK, Instagram, TikTok – accumulate up to 500-800 MB of cache per month of active use.
• 🎮 Games (PUBG Mobile, Genshin Impact – Texture and Update Cache can take up to 1-2 GB.
• 🌍 Maps and navigators (Google Maps, Yandex.Maps) – store offline data and logs.
• 📺 Media Players (YouTube, MX Player – caching videos and thumbnails.

⚠️ Note: Do not clear the cache of system applications named com.android. or com.miui. – this can lead to malfunctions MIUI. Exceptions: com.miui.gallery (Gallery) and com.android.vending (Google Play Store).

2. Automatic cleaning through "Optimization"

MIUI has a built-in tool for automatic garbage cleaning called Optimization (formerly called Security), which removes not only the cache of applications, but also temporary system files, remnants of deleted programs and duplicates.

Step-by-step:

1. Launch the Optimization app (the icon with the shield on the desktop).
2. Click Clean (or Garbage in older versions).
3. Wait for the scan to be completed and tap Clean.
4. For deep cleaning, go to the Deep Clean tab and select the App Cash.

📊 What removes the “Optimization” on Xiaomi Mi 5:

⚠️ Note: If after cleaning through Optimization, some applications start to work incorrectly (for example, the Google Play Store does not update programs), restart the phone. MIUI Sometimes deletes critical temporary files that are only restored after a reboot.

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After cleaning the cache through Optimization, run Settings → Additional → Battery and Performance → Performance Mode and select Balanced. This will help the smartphone recover faster.

3.Cache clearing via Recovery Mode

If the Xiaomi Mi 5 is slowing down or not loading into the system, cleaning the cache through Recovery mode will help.This method removes Dalvik-cache and other system temporary files that are not available through standard settings.

🔧 How to get Recovery on Xiaomi Mi 5:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Power + Volume buttons up at the same time and hold for 5-7 seconds until the Mi logo appears.
3. Release the buttons and you will be taken to the Recovery menu (in English or Chinese).

📝 Cleaning instructions:

1. Use volume buttons for navigation and power button for selection.
2. Select Wipe & Reset (or Chinese firmware).
3. Then, select the Wipe Cache Partition.
4. Confirm the action (Yes) and wait until it is completed.
5. Go back to the main menu and select Reboot to reboot.

⚠️ Please note: Do not choose Wipe under any circumstances. Data/Factory Reset – This will result in a complete phone reset and deletion of all data! Wipe Cache Partition is secure and does not affect your files.

Charge your phone at least 50 times%|Make a backup copy of important data|Make sure there is no lock on the phone MI-account (if the firmware is official)|Remember the button combination to enter Recovery-->

4. Manually clear cache through file manager

For power users, there is a way to manually remove cache through a root file manager (such as Root Explorer or Solid Explorer), a method that allows you to pinpoint unnecessary files, but requires caution.

📂 Where is the cache stored on Xiaomi Mi 5:

• /data/data/ – cache of all installed applications (folders with the names com.android., com.miui., etc.).
• /cache/ – System cache (includes Dalvik-cache and temporary update files).
• /sdcard/Android/data/ – Cache of user applications (can be cleaned without root).

🛠️ How to clean manually:

1. Open a file manager with root support.
2. Go to /data/data/ and find the app folder (e.g. com.facebook.katana for Facebook).
3. Delete the cache folder inside it.
4. To clear the system cache, go to /cache/ and delete all files (except for the lost+found and recovery folders).

⚠️ Note: Delete files in /system/ or changing access rights (chmod) without knowing the consequences can lead to a "brick" of the phone.

5.Cache clearing via ADB (for advanced users)

If you have access to ADB (Android Debug Bridge), you can clear the cache with the command line.This method is useful if the phone is non-responsive to touch or hovers on the Mi logo.

💻 What's the matter:

• A computer with Xiaomi and ADB drivers installed.
• USB-cable (preferably original).
• USB debugging enabled on your phone (Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (shoot 7 times) → Additional → For developers → USB debugging).

📋 Cleanup commands:

adb shell


su




pm clear --all # Clears the cache of all user applications




rm -rf /cache/* # Removes the system cache (requires root)




exit




exit

🔹 Alternative teams:

• Clearing the cache of a particular application (e.g. Google Chrome): pm clear com.android.chrome
• View a list of all packets with cache size: pm list packages -f | grep -i cache

⚠️ Note: The pm clear command removes not only the cache, but also the application data (for example, saved passwords in the browser or game settings:

adb shell pm trim-caches <size>

where <size> is the desired cache limit in bytes (e.g., 100MB).

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Cleaning through ADB is the most powerful method, but requires technical knowledge. If you are not sure about the commands, use the standard methods through settings or Recovery.

What if after cleaning the cache, the phone becomes worse?

In rare cases, after cleaning the cache, users face new problems: applications load for a long time, errors appear, or the phone begins to warm up, this is due to the fact that the system has to reassemble the cache from scratch.

🔧 How to fix it:

• 🔄 Restart the phone – this will start the cache recovery process.
• 📱 Disable unnecessary applications in Settings → Applications (especially those that work in the background).
• ⚡ Enable Performance Mode in Settings → Battery → Performance mode.
• 🔧 Update the firmware if you are using an outdated version MIUI.

📊 Comparison of cache cleaning methods:

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning the cache on Xiaomi Mi 5