Cache Cleanup on Xiaomi Redmi Note 4: 5 Proven Ways

Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 is a legendary smartphone that is still used by millions of users. However, over time, even this “iron miracle” begins to slow down due to cache of applications and system. If your device has become slower to respond to commands, spontaneously close programs or overheat, it’s time to clean temporary files.

Cache is the temporary data that apps and systems save to make things faster, like Instagram pictures, YouTube videos, or Google Maps geolocation data. Over time, this garbage accumulates and takes up gigabytes of memory, which is critical for Redmi Note 4 with its modest 16-64GB of storage by modern standards. In this article, we will examine all the current methods of cleaning the cache, from standard MIUI tools to hidden Recovery Mode functions.

Why you should clean the cache on Xiaomi Redmi Note 4

The main signs that the cache is clogged and requires cleaning:

• 🐢 Smartphone noticeably slows down when opening applications or switching between them.
• 🔥 The device overheats even with minimal load (for example, during calls).
• 📱 Apps crash with the error “No memory is enough” or “Stop».
• 📉 Free space on the internal drive is rapidly decreasing for no apparent reason.
• 🔄 After updating MIUI interface glitches (for example, icons or menus disappear).

On the Redmi Note 4, the cache takes up especially much space due to the architecture of the Snapdragon 625 processor and the old version of Android 6.0/7.0 (depending on the firmware). The system reserves for temporary files up to 1-3 GB, but with active use this volume can grow to 5-8 GB. For example, the cache of Google Play Services often “weighs” more than 500 MB, and social networks like Facebook or TikTok – 1-2 GB each.

⚠️ Warning: Don’t confuse cache with user data! Cache clearing won’t delete your photos, messages or accounts, but will reset application templates (e.g., you’ll have to re-enter login in some services).

Method 1: Clearing the cache through MIUI settings

The easiest and safest method is to use the built-in MIUI tools. It does not require root rights and is suitable even for beginners. The instructions are relevant for all firmware versions on the Redmi Note 4 (including MIUI 8-12).

Steps:

1. Open Settings (the gear icon on the main screen).
2. Go to the All settings section → Applications.
3. In the top menu, select the Installed (or All Apps) tab.
4. Tap on the app you want to clear (such as Chrome or Facebook).
5. Click Clear Cache (not to be confused with Clear Data!).
6. Confirm the action in the pop-up window.

For mass cleaning:

1. In the same section of the Appendices, click on the three dots in the upper right corner.
2. Select Sort by Size → Cash.
3. Slip on each app from the top lines of the list and clear the cache.

⚠️ Warning: Do not cache system applications like com.android.phone or com.miui.home unnecessarily, this can cause your phone to crash (e.g., lose a launcher or stop coming). SMS).

If you need to clear the cache of all applications at once, use the built-in Cleanup utility:

1. Open the Security app (shield icon).
2. Go to Cleanup (or Accelerate in older versions).
3. Press Deep Cleanse → tick Cash.
4. Put the cleansing and wait for the process to be completed.

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The built-in cleaning utility in MIUI only removes the secure cache and does not affect system files, so the risk of “breaking” the phone is minimal.

Method 2: Using Recovery Mode for Deep Cleaning

If the smartphone is slowing down or not loading properly, cleaning the cache through Recovery Mode will help.This method resets the system cache (partition /cache), which is useful after MIUI updates or for boot errors. On the Redmi Note 4 with the official firmware Recovery Mode, the default has a Chinese interface, but the management is intuitive even without knowing the language.

Instructions:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Power + Volume buttons up at the same time and hold for 5-10 seconds until the Mi logo appears.
3. Release the buttons and you will be taken to the Recovery menu (black screen with yellow text).
4. Use volume buttons for navigation and power button for selection.
5. Select the Wipe & Reset option → Wipe Cache.
6. Confirm the action by selecting Yes.
7. Once you’re done, go back to the main menu and select Reboot → Reboot to System.

This method does not delete user data, but resets temporary system files, which often solves problems with:

• 🔄 Hanging on the Mi logo when switched on.
• 📱 Launcher flights (MIUI Home).
• 🔧 Error 7 or Can't verify update).

⚠️ Warning: Don't confuse Wipe Cache with Wipe Data! The second item (Wipe Data) will perform a full phone reset to factory settings, deleting all your files.

Method 3: Cleaning the cache through an engineering menu (for experienced)

For advanced users who want to control every byte of memory, clean up through the engineering menu (#4636###) allows you to remove hidden cache that is not visible in standard settings, such as Dalvik Cache data or residual files after uninstalling applications.

Step-by-step:

1. Open the Phone app and enter the combination: ##4636##.
2. In the menu that appears, select Phone Information (or Phone Information).
3. Scroll down to the Usage Statistics block.
4. Click Clear Cache (some versions of MIUI may not have this option).

If Clear Cache is not available, try an alternative method:

1. Install the MTK Engineering Mode app from Google Play (for Mediatek processors) or Qualcomm USB Settings (for the Snapdragon 625 in Redmi Note 4).
2. Open the app and go to the Storage section.
3. Select Cache Partition and press Clear.

Advantages of this method:

• 🔍 Remove cache that is not available through standard settings.
• 🛠️ Useful after manual firmware update via fastboot.
• 📊 Detailed statistics of memory usage.

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If the cache is cleaned through the engineering menu and the phone is slower, restart it. The system will restore critical temporary files automatically.

Method 4: Applications for automatic cache cleaning

If you're too lazy to manually clean each app's cache, use third-party utilities that analyze memory and offer the best cleaning options.

How to use CCleaner:

1. Download and install the app from Google Play.
2. Open it and give access to the phone’s memory.
3. Go to the Cleanup tab.
4. Check the boxes of the Cash applications and System cache.
5. Click Analyze and then Clean.

Warnings when using third-party cleaners:

• ⚠️ Some apps (like Clean Master) may display false virus warnings to sell a premium version of the app.
• ⚠️ Avoid “accelerate” or “optimize” features – they often just remove apps from memory, which doesn’t solve the cache problem.
• ⚠️ Do not clear the cache of system applications through third-party utilities – this can lead to failures.

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Cache cleaners are convenient but do not replace manual checks, for example, CCleaner may skip the cache of some Chinese apps (Mi Video, Mi Music) that are better cleaned manually.

Method 5: Manually clean cache through ADB (for advanced)

If you're familiar with ADB (Android Debug Bridge), you can clear the cache of all applications with one command, which is useful if the phone is infected with a virus that blocks access to settings, or if you want to clear the cache of system applications without root.

Instructions:

1. Download and install ADB Tools on your computer.
2. On the phone, activate Developer Mode: go to Settings → About Phone and tap on the MIUI version 7 times.
3. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable USB debugging.
4. Connect Redmi Note 4 to PC via USB-cable (select File Transfer Mode).
5. Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) and type:

adb devices

(Your device name should appear as a confirmation of your connection.)

adb shell pm list packages -f | grep cache | cut -d= -f1 | xargs -n1 adb shell pm clear

This command will clear the cache of all applications except system ones.

To clean the cache of a particular app (e.g. Facebook):

adb shell pm clear com.facebook.katana

Advantages of the method:

• 🔧 It works even if the phone does not boot in normal mode (when connected to fastboot).
• 📊 Allows you to clear the cache of applications that are not displayed in the settings (for example, preinstalled Chinese services).
• 🛡️ More secure than manual file removal via root.

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

adb shell pm path com.facebook.katana | awk -F: '{print $2}' | xargs -I{} adb shell rm -rf {}/cache/*

What to do if after cleaning the cache, the phone began to work worse

In rare cases, after cleaning the cache, users notice:

• 🐢 Even bigger brakes when opening apps.
• 🔄 Self-involved reboots.
• 📱 Losing icons or widgets.

Causes and solutions:

If the problems don't go away,

1. Check the free space on the phone (should be at least 1-2 GB).
2. Update your firmware to the latest version of MIUI for Redmi Note 4.
3. Perform a reset via Settings → Additional → Reset settings (without deleting data).

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If after cleaning the cache, Google Play Market stopped working, delete the Google account in the settings and add it again.

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning up the cache on Redmi Note 4