How to Clean Cache on Xiaomi Phone: 5 Proven Ways

Xiaomi smartphones (including the Redmi line and POCO) And they slow down, they warm up, they drain faster, even if you haven't installed any new apps, and 90 percent of the time, cache is the fault, which is the temporary files that the system and the programs accumulate to make things faster. But when the cache becomes too much, it turns into digital junk, taking up precious space and slowing down the device.

Cache cleaning on Xiaomi is a simple procedure that does not require root rights or special knowledge, but many users make a critical mistake: They delete the wrong apps or do it in the wrong way, causing messaging, social media, and even system services to fail. In this guide, we will discuss 5 safe methods for cleaning the cache, including hidden features. MIUI, which are not described in official documentation.

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

Cache (from English cache - "cache") are temporary files that create applications and a system to speed up repeated operations.

• 📸 Photo editors (such as Snapseed or Lightroom) save thumbnails of processed images to open them faster.
• 🎵 Music services (Spotify, Yandex Music) cache tracks for offline listening.
• 🌐 Browsers (Chrome, Mi Browser) store copies of web pages to reduce loading time.
• 🤖 Systemic processes MIUI cache data on the location of icons, animations and interface settings.

The problem is that many apps don’t limit cache size, such as Telegram can accumulate up to 5-10 GB of temporary files (stickers, gifs, video previews), and TikTok can accumulate up to 3-4 GB of cached videos, as a result:

• ⚠️ Your phone’s memory is filled with “junk” even though you haven’t downloaded anything new.
• 🐢 The device starts to “lay down” when switching between applications.
• 🔥 The processor and battery are at their limit, which leads to overheating.

⚠️ Warning: Don't confuse cache with application data! Cache is temporary files that can be deleted without consequences (Android/data) They contain your settings, game saves, and authorization tokens, and deleting them will result in logging out and losing progress.

2.How to check how much cache has accumulated on Xiaomi

Before cleaning, you should assess the scale of the problem. MIUI There is a built-in memory analysis tool that shows which apps take up the most space.

Open the Settings. → The phone. → Memory (or Settings) → Memory on new versions MIUI). You'll see here:

• 📊 Total amount of memory occupied (including cache, data and files).
• 🔍 Distribution by categories: System, Applications, Media, Other».
• 📉 List of applications sorted by place taken (tap on "Applications" to see details).

Pay special attention to the sections:

• 🗑️ Cash – here is the total amount of temporary files of all applications.
• 📦 Another is that often residual files of remote programs get here.

If you see in the memory section that the cache is more than 2-3 GB, it's worth cleaning, and if it's less than 500 MB, you don't notice any performance gains.

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To see hidden cache files, connect your phone to your PC and enable the display of hidden folders in Windows Explorer (View tab» → «Hidden items. The cache is stored in folders. /Android/data/*/cache and /Android/obb.

3. Method 1: Clearing the cache through settings MIUI

The safest and most recommended method is to use embedded tools. MIUI. It does not require additional software and is suitable for all Xiaomi, Redmi and other models. POCO (including the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Xiaomi 13T etc.).

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Slip on three dots in the upper right corner and select Sort by size.
3. Select an app with a large cache (such as Telegram or Facebook).
4. Press Warehouse. → Clear the cache.

For mass cleaning:

1. In the same Application Management menu, tap on the Recycle Bin icon (or “Cleaning”) at the bottom of the screen.
2. Select Cash and press Clear.

⚠️ Note: Do not cache system applications like Google Play Services, Mi Account or Security, which can cause malfunctions in Xiaomi and Google services.

Method 2: Using Recovery Mode for Deep Cleaning

If the phone is slowing down a lot and standard cleaning hasn't worked, you can use Recovery mode, which removes all the cache of the system, including hidden files that you can't see in the normal interface. MIUI 12–14.

How to log in to Recovery:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Volume Up + Power buttons at the same time and hold for 10-15 seconds until the Mi logo appears.
3. In the Recovery menu, select the language (if required) and tap on Wipe & Reset (or Data Cleanup).
4. Choose Wipe Cache (not to be confused with Wipe Data – it’s a factory reset!).
5. Confirm the action and wait for the completion (it will take 1-3 minutes).
6. Restart your phone through Reboot → System.

This method is useful if:

• 🛠️ phone is stuck on startup logo after update.
• 🐢 MIUI It became unbearably slow even after resetting the settings.
• 🔄 You recently installed custom firmware and there were glitches.

⚠️ Note: Clearing the cache through Recovery does not delete user data, but may reset some system settings (e.g., app access rights.

5. Method 3: Automatic Cleaning with Security App

Xiaomi pre-installed in MIUI Security utility that can automatically clean the cache and optimize the system, which is suitable for beginners, since it does not require manual selection of applications.

How to use:

1. Open the Security app (the shield icon).
2. Slip on Cleaner (or Cleaner in the global version).
3. Click Quick Cleanup – the program will scan the device for unnecessary files.
4. Select Cash and other categories (such as Residual Files), then click Clear.

Advantages of this method:

• ⚡ Fast – the scan takes 10-20 seconds.
• 🤖 Safe – the utility does not touch system files.
• 📅 Automatically – you can set up a weekly cleaning in the background.

Disadvantages:

• 🧹 Not all cache is deleted (for example, it can skip Telegram files or games).
• 📊 Does not show a detailed report on the cleaned files.

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The Security app also can block auto-run applications, which further saves battery power and processor resources.

6. Method 4: Manual cleaning through file manager

For power users who want to control which files are deleted, manually clean the file manager, which allows them to remove cache even for applications that are not displayed in the settings. MIUI.

Instructions:

1. Install a file manager with access to root folders (e.g. Mi File Manager, Solid Explorer, or the likes of the file manager). FX File Explorer).
2. Enable the display of hidden files in the manager settings.
3. Cross the path: /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/ Here are the folders of all installed applications.
4. Open the folder of the desired application (for example, com.whatsapp for WhatsApp) and delete the folder cache.

Which folders can be deleted:

• 🗑️ cache – temporary application files.
• 🎮 Obb – Additional game data (e.g. textures or levels).
• 📁 files/thumb — miniatures of images (in messengers).

Which folders should not be deleted:

• 🚫 Lib – libraries required for the application to work.
• 🚫 databases – databases with settings and saves.
• 🚫 shared_prefs — Files with user preferences.

⚠️ Note: Deleting the obb folder in games (such as Genshin Impact or Call of Duty Mobile) will cause the game to have to be downloaded again (weight can reach 2-10 GB).

7. Method 5: Resetting the cache through ADB (advanced)

If you are familiar with Android Debug Bridge (ADB), You can clear the cache of all applications with one command, and this method is useful if the phone is not turning on or is getting stuck while booting, but it responds to the connection to the PC.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB-driver.
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).
• 🔧 Included debugging by USB on the phone (if it is switched on).

Instructions:

1. Connect your phone to your PC and open the command prompt (cmd) in the folder with adb.exe.
2. Enter the command to check the connection: adb devices If the device is displayed, go further.
3. To clear the cache of all applications, perform: adb shell pm trim-caches -d 1073741824 (where 1073741824 — it 1 GB in bytes; you can specify a different limit).
4. To clear the cache of a particular application (e.g. Facebook): adb shell pm clear com.facebook.katana

This method does not delete user data, but requires caution, such as a pm clear command for WhatsApp that will result in an account being logged out.

8.Frequent errors when cleaning cache on Xiaomi

Many users make mistakes that, instead of speeding up the phone, have the opposite effect.

Another common problem is that the cache accumulates again quickly, and it happens because of:

• 📱 Application Autoloads – Many programs (such as Facebook or AliExpress) run in the background and cache data.
• 📹 Streaming Video – YouTube, TikTok and Netflix aggressively cache content.
• 🗺️ Map and navigation – Google Maps and Yandex.Maps save maps for offline access.

To slow down the accumulation of cache:

• 🚫 Turn off auto-run of unnecessary apps in Settings → Annexes → Auto-start.
• 📵 Limit background activity in Settings → Battery → Energy saving regime.
• 🎥 In the video application settings (TikTok, YouTube) disable video caching or reduce stream quality.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions