How to Clear Cache on Xiaomi: The Complete Guide

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones often face a situation where the device starts to run slower and the free space in memory disappears for no apparent reason. The main reason for such problems is the accumulation of temporary files that the system and applications save for fast loading of content. This data is called cache, and regular cleaning is not just a way to free gigabytes, but also a method of solving many software errors.

Understanding how to properly unpack the cache on Xiaomi and delete unnecessary files, allows you to significantly extend the life of the gadget and avoid sudden hanging. Unlike simple removal of photos, working with system temporary files requires care, so as not to disrupt the work of important services or lose logins in applications.

In this article, we will take a look at all the cleaning tools available, from built-in MIUI tools to advanced computer-assisted methods, learn to distinguish between secure temporary files and important data, and learn when file system tampering is really necessary to restore performance.

What is cache and why does it take up memory?

Cache is a buffer zone where the Android operating system and installed applications store temporary data. When you open a site in a browser or flip through a feed on a social network, the device stores copies of images, scripts and interface elements, so that when you re-access the resource, the page loads instantly without consuming Internet traffic and CPU time.

The problem arises when the size of these temporary storages becomes excessive. Some applications, especially social networks and instant messengers, can grow to several gigabytes, saving once watched videos and pictures. If you do not regularly clean the cache, this leads to the filling of the internal drive, which critically slows down the file system.

It is important to understand the difference between cache and application data. Deleting the cache is safe and will only reset the display settings or require re-uploading the avatars, whereas cleaning the data will return the application to a “post-installing” state by deleting correspondence and accounts.

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Use Flight mode before cleaning the social media cache so that apps don’t immediately start re-downloading gigabytes of images in the background.

Use of the built-in "Security" application

The easiest and most reliable way to clean temporary files is to use the standard tools of the MIUI shell or HyperOS. Xiaomi developers have built a powerful optimization module that automatically scans the system for garbage files. To start the procedure, you need to find an application called Security and a green shield icon on your desktop or in the Tools folder.

Once you start the app, click on the large Cleanup button. The system will quickly analyze the amount of files that can be deleted without harming the device. This section usually displays temporary files, remnants of deleted applications and the system's cache. Pressing the cleanup button will take a few seconds and free up space.

However, standard cleaning does not always affect the cache of individual heavy applications, such as Telegram, TikTok or YouTube. For deeper work, the same Security menu often features a Deep Cleanup item, which analyzes large files, duplicates and cache of applications in more detail, prompting the user to selectively remove the unnecessary.

⚠️ Note: When using Deep Cleanup, carefully monitor which files are tagged for deletion. Sometimes the system may mistakenly classify downloaded documents or saved images from messengers as garbage.

Manually cleaning the cache of individual applications

If your smartphone continues to run slowly or a particular app (such as Instagram or Chrome) takes up a disproportionate amount of space, manual intervention is required.This method allows you to pinpoint the temporary files of the problem program without affecting the rest of the system.

In the settings list, find the Apps section and select All Apps. You will see the full list of installed software. Find the app you want in the list (you can search from above) and click on it. From the control menu that opens, select Memory or Storage.

The screen will show detailed statistics: how much space is taken up by the data and how much is cache. You are interested in the Clear cache button (usually located at the bottom of the screen), clicking on it will instantly delete temporary files. If you click on Clear All or Clear Data, the application will reset to factory settings, which will require re-entry into the account.

• 📱 For YouTube, cache cleaning solves video hangover and playback errors issues.
• 💬 In WhatsApp and Telegram, through the storage settings, you can clear the cache only for certain chats, saving important correspondence.
• 🌐 In Chrome, cache cleaning fixes site display errors and page loading problems.

Cleaning the system cache through the engineering menu

There is a more advanced cleaning method that affects the system cache of the Android operating system itself, which is useful if the phone is behaving incorrectly after updating the firmware or installing a large number of applications.

To get into recovery mode, turn off the Xiaomi smartphone completely. Then press the volume button and the power button at the same time. Hold them until the Mi logo appears, then release the power button, continuing to keep the volume. When the Main Menu menu appears, the volume buttons (up/down) control the control, and the choice is confirmed by the power button.

From the menu, select Wipe Data and then Wipe Cache. Please note: don't confuse this with Wipe All Data, which completely erases the phone. Once confirmed, the system will clear the temporary file section and prompt you to restart.

Storage analysis and hidden folders

Sometimes standard methods don't show what's taking up space, and in those cases, the built-in storage analyzer comes to the rescue. Go to Settings → About Phone → Storage. Here, the system visualizes memory by showing which categories of files (Applications, Images, System, Other) occupy the most space.

Special attention should be paid to the category "Other" or hidden folders in the file manager. Many applications, such as navigators (Yandex.Maps, 2GIS) or streaming services, create their own caches, which are not always visible in the standard application menu.

In Explorer, go to the Android → data folder, and there are folders with the names of the application packages (e.g. com.whatsapp), which often have cache or files containing temporary information, and manually removing the contents of these folders allows you to free up a significant amount of memory, but requires care.

• 🗑️ The folder.thumbnail in the gallery stores thumbnails of photos and can grow to several GB - it can be safely cleaned.
• 📂 In the Tencent folder (for WeChat users or older versions) QQ) Gigabytes of garbage are often accumulated.
• 📥 Download or Download folder is often packed with application installers (.apk) that are no longer needed after installing programs.

⚠️ Attention: In the folder Android/data Not only are there caches, but game data (card caches, resources) and deleting game folders may require you to download them again.

Using ADB for deep cleaning

For advanced users who want to gain full control of the file system without Root rights, there is an ADB tool (Android Debug Bridge), which allows you to delete the system cache and files that are not available through the usual interface, you will need a computer (Windows, macOS or Linux) and a USB cable.

First, you need to activate the debugging mode on your smartphone. Go to Settings → About Phone and press 7 times on the MIUI Version (or OS Version) until it says "You became a developer." Then in the advanced settings, turn on Debugging over USB.

Connect the phone to your computer, install the drivers and the ADB platform. Open the command line on your PC and enter a command to access the shell:

adb shell pm trim-caches 999999999

This command forcibly caches all applications, freeing up space, and you can use the command to clear the cache of a particular packet:

adb shell pm clear com.package.name

Where com.package.name needs to be replaced with the real name of the app, this method is especially effective for cleaning Xiaomi system applications that do not allow you to clean your cache in standard ways.

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Use of the ADB-Trim-caches – the most effective way to free up space on the system partition without losing personal data and resetting settings.