How to Clean Cache on Xiaomi Phone: The Complete 2026 Guide

Your Xiaomi has slowed down, applications are loaded for a long time, and memory ends up in the flat? Most likely, the problem is clogged cache — temporary files that accumulate during the operation of the system and programs. Cleaning the cache will not only free up space on the internal drive, but also return the smartphone to speed. In this article, we will analyze all the current methods of cleaning the cache on Xiaomi, Redmi, POCO and Black Shark devices — from standard tools to hidden MIUI functions.

It's important to understand that there are three types of cache: application cache (temporary program files), system cache (MIUI and Android data), and Dalvik cache (optimized files for fast download of applications). Each of them requires a different approach. We will also tell you which files can be deleted without risk, and which are better not to touch, so as not to break the phone.

This article is relevant for all Xiaomi models based on MIUI 12-14 and HyperOS, including the latest flagships (Xiaomi 14, Redmi Note 13 Pro+) and budget devices (POCO M6 Pro, Redmi A2+).If your phone runs on an older version of the firmware, some menu items may differ - we will warn about this separately.

1.What is cache and why should it be cleaned

Cache is a temporary file that is created by apps and systems to make things faster, for example, when you open Instagram, it saves thumbnails of photos so that it can show them faster the next time you run, and the same thing happens with web pages in your browser, maps in Google Maps, and even system animations of MIUI.

Over time, the cache grows to several gigabytes and starts to create problems:

• 📉 Slowdown – the phone “thinks” when opening applications, the interface hangs.
• 🔋 Fast battery discharge – the system spends resources on processing unnecessary files.
• 🚨 Application Errors – Outdated cache files may conflict with updated versions of programs.
• 📱 Lack of memory – especially relevant for budget models with 32-64 GB of storage.

But not all cache can be deleted without consequences, like clearing WhatsApp cache will lead to media files being reloaded, and resetting Google Play Services cache could disrupt Google services, and we'll show you how to clean it safely.

⚠️ Warning: Don't confuse cache with user data! Cache clearing won't delete your photos, messages, or saves in games. But if you choose Clear Data instead of Clear Cache, all information inside the app will be erased.

2. Method 1: Clearing the cache of individual applications

The safest method is to delete the cache only for programs that actually slow down or take up too much space, which does not affect system files and does not require a reboot.

Instructions for MIUI 14 / HyperOS:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Slip on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Sort by size.
3. In the list, find applications with a large amount of cache (usually Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Chrome).
4. Click on the program name → Warehouse → Clear the cache.

For convenience, you can sort applications by cache size:

Find in Settings → Applications → Application Management

Tap three points. → Size-based sorting

Check applications with a cache >500 MB

Remove cache for unnecessary programs-->

On some models (e.g. POCO F5), the path may be slightly different: Settings → Applications → All Applications → [select program] → Memory → Clear cache.

⚠️ Warning: If the app is slower after cleaning the cache, it's OK. It takes time to recover temporary files. After 1-2 starts, the speed will return.

Method 3: Automatically clean the cache through “Security”

MIUI has a built-in optimization tool called Security (which may be called Optimization or Device Care on newer versions) that can find and delete unnecessary cache in one click.

How to use:

1. Open the Security app (the shield icon).
2. Go to the Cleanup tab (or Accelerate in HyperOS).
3. Press Deep Cleanse → wait for analysis.
4. Check the Cash and Residual Files (do not touch Downloads and Media Files if you do not want to lose your data!).
5. Click Clean and confirm the action.

Advantages of this method:

• ✅ Fast, it takes less than a minute.
• ✅ Secure – does not affect critical system files.
• ✅ Remove the cache of all applications at once.

Disadvantages:

• ❌ Does not clean the Dalvik cache (you need a separate method for this).
• ❌ May miss some system temporary files.

Method 3: Clearing the Dalvik cache (for power users)

Dalvik cache is an optimized file that the Android virtual machine creates to speed up the launch of applications, and cleaning it can help if the phone becomes severely slow after updating the firmware or installing a lot of programs, but this method requires superuser rights (root) or use Recovery mode.

If you do not have root rights, do the following:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Power button + Volume up before the Mi logo appears (this will trigger Recovery Mode).
3. In the recovery menu, select Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache (manage by volume buttons, confirmation by power button).
4. After cleaning, restart the phone (Reboot).

If you have root, you can use apps like SD Maid or Cache Cleaner, but it’s risky – doing the wrong thing can cause the system to crash.

⚠️ Warning: Cleaning Dalvik cache through recovery will reset optimization of all applications. After restarting, the phone will run slower than 5-10 minutes - this is normal, the system recovers files.

5. Method 4: Manual cleaning through file manager

For those who like to control the process, there is a way to manually find and delete cache files, which is useful if standard methods don’t help or need to make room for an important update.

Instructions:

1. Open any file manager (such as embedded Files or Solid Explorer).
2. Go to /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/, where the cache and application data are stored.
3. Find folders called cache within the app directories (e.g. /Android/data/com.facebook.katana/cache/ for Facebook).
4. Delete the contents of these folders (you don’t need to touch the cache folder yourself!).

You can also clean the system cache:

• 📁 folder /data/local/tmp/ — time-file.
• 📁 folder /cache/ (root rights required) – update cache and firmware.

Do not delete files in obb and media folders – it stores game saves and your media files!

6. Method 5: Cache reset via ADB (for advanced)

If you know how to use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), you can clear the cache of all applications with one command, which is useful if the phone is slowing down and does not respond to standard methods.

Instructions:

1. Install ADB Tools on your computer.
2. Turn on the phone to debug by USB (Settings → About Phone → MIUI version – tap 7 times, then go back to Settings → Additional → For developers).
3. Connect your phone to your PC and execute in the command line:

adb shell pm trim-caches 1000000000

This command will clear the cache of all applications that are larger than 1 GB (value in bytes). To clear the entire cache, use:

adb shell pm clear-all-caches

⚠️ Attention: Teams ADB They have direct access to the system. Incorrect use can cause your phone to malfunction. If you're not sure, you better use standard methods.

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Before using ADB, back up important data. The adb shell pm list packages -f command will show a list of all installed applications with paths to their cache.

7.How often should you clean the cache on Xiaomi

The cleaning frequency depends on how you use your phone:

• 📱 Normal use (social networks, messengers, browser) - every 1-2 months.
• 🎮 Gaming phone (many games, streaming) – once every 2-3 weeks.
• 📸 Photographer/Videograph (multiple media files) – once a month + hand-cleaning.
• 🔄 After updating MIUI — be sure to clear the cache of system applications (Settings, Security, Google Play Services).

Signs that it is time to clean the cache:

• 🛑 Apps are often flying out or showing errors.
• 🐢 Phone “thinks” when opening menus or switching between programs.
• 📲 Memory is ending, even though you haven’t set anything new.
• 🔋 The battery discharges faster than usual (the cache can be background processor load).

Do not clean the cache too often – this will lead to the opposite effect: applications will have to re-upload temporary files every time, which will increase traffic and time consumption.

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Regular cleaning of the cache (once every 1-2 months) prevents the system from "cluttering" but do not abuse it.

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning up cache on Xiaomi