How to install, clean and manage cache on Xiaomi: the complete guide

Cache on Xiaomi smartphones are temporary files that help applications and the system work faster. However, over time they accumulate, take up precious space in memory and can even slow down the device. Many users confuse the concepts of “set cache” and “clear cache” – in fact, the cache is installed automatically by the system and applications, and the user is only available to manage it.

In this article, we will discuss how to properly work with cache on Redmi, POCO and other Xiaomi smartphones under control MIUI 14/15. You will learn when to clean the cache, and when to leave it, how to free up space without harming performance, and what hidden settings will help optimize the operation of the device. We will pay special attention to the difference between the application cache and the system cache, as well as myths that prevent users from effectively managing memory.

What is Xiaomi Cache and Why You Need It

Cache (from English cache - "cache") is a buffer memory, which stores temporary data to speed up the operation of applications and the system. On Xiaomi smartphones, the cache is divided into three types:

• 📱 Application cache – files that create installed programs (for example, thumbnails of images in a gallery or authorization data in instant messengers).
• 🖥️ System cache – data that is used MIUI for quick loading of interface and features (e.g. animations or frequently used settings).
• 🌐 Dalvik cache – optimized files for Android virtual machine that speed up the launch of applications.

Without the cache, your Xiaomi would be much slower: every time it opened the app, it would have to download data from scratch, for example, YouTube without cache buffers video longer, and Google Maps loads cards with a delay.

• 📉 It takes up space in memory (sometimes up to 5-10 GB on a actively used device).
• 🐢 It can become fragmented and slow down if too much is done.
• 🔄 Sometimes it contains outdated data, which causes applications to work incorrectly.

⚠️ Attention: Complete cleaning of Dalvik cache (via TWRP Fastboot can cause a long restart of the device (up to 10-15 minutes!

When to Clean Cache on Xiaomi

Cache cleaning isn't always helpful, and many users mistakenly believe that the more often you clean the cache, the better the phone works, and in fact, unwarranted cleaning can even hurt:

• ⏳ Applications will have to re-download data, which will increase the time of their first run after cleaning.
• 📶 Traffic consumption will increase (especially on mobile Internet).
• 🔋 Increase the load on the processor and battery.

Clear cache on Xiaomi is worth only in the following cases:

If your Xiaomi is stable and you have enough free memory (more than 15% of the total), no cache cleaning is required, and in some cases, it can even worsen performance as the system has to re-optimize the data.

How to Clear the Cache of Applications on Xiaomi (3 Ways)

Clearing the cache of individual applications is the safest procedure, because it doesn't affect system files, and there are a number of ways to do this.

Method 1: Through application settings

This is the standard method that works on all Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the app you want (such as Facebook or Telegram).
3. Press Warehouse.
4. Tap Clear Cache (not to be confused with Clear Data – it will remove all app settings!).

So for convenience, you can sort applications by cache size, click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Sort by size, so you can quickly find the most voracious memory consumers.

Method 2: Mass cleaning through "Optimization"

If you need to clear the cache of all applications at once:

1. Go to Settings. → Memory.
2. Click Clean in the Garbage Files section.
3. Check the application cache (you can also select Unused Files and Residual Files).
4. Confirm the action with the Clean button.

This method removes the cache of all applications except system ones, and it's useful if you want to make room quickly, but you don't know which applications are taking up the most memory.

Method 3: Through the Recovery Menu (for power users)

If the phone is slowing down a lot and standard methods don't work, you can clear the cache through Recovery, which is suitable for devices with an unlocked bootloader:

1. Turn off the phone.


2. Press the Power + Volume buttons up until the Mi logo appears.




3. From the Recovery menu, select Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache.




4. Confirm the action and wait for the completion.




5. Reset the device.

⚠️ Caution: Clearing the cache through Recovery does not delete user data, but may reset some system settings (e.g., background processes or optimizations) MIUI). After the procedure, the phone can boot longer than usual – this is normal.

How to Clean System Cache and Dalvik on Xiaomi

System cache and Dalvik cache are deeper layers of temporary files that are not normally visible to the user, and cleaning them can help if:

• 📱 The phone has become very slow after the update. MIUI.
• 🔄 Applications spontaneously close or issue errors.
• 📉 Free memory is reduced for no apparent reason.

There are two methods for cleaning the system cache: through Recovery and using ADB.

Method 1: Through TWRP (customization)

If your Xiaomi has custom recovery installed TWRP, Follow the following steps:

1. Load to TWRP (clip Power + Volume Up).
2. Go to the Wipe section → Advanced Wipe.
3. Check the Dalvik/ART Cache and Cache boxes.
4. Swipe to Wipe (Swipe to Wipe) with your finger.
5. After completion, press Reboot System.

The first download after such cleaning can take up to 10-15 minutes – this is normal, as the system recovers optimized files.

Method 2: Through ADB (without root)

If you don't. TWRP, but it's debugging. USB, You can clean the Dalvik cache through ADB:

adb shell


su




cmd package bg-dexopt-job

This command starts the process of re-optimizing the Dalvik cache in the background. The phone may slow down a little while you're doing the operation, but it's temporary.

How to disable cache for individual applications

Some apps (like Google Chrome or Instagram) are actively cache-using and can take up gigabytes of memory. If you want to limit their appetite, there are a few ways to do this:

Method 1: Limiting background activity

V MIUI you can limit the operation of applications in the background, which will reduce the amount of cache created:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the application you want (such as TikTok).
3. Press Battery Consumption.
4. Choose Limited or Manual (depending on version) MIUI).

This will not shut down the cache completely, but will reduce its growth.

Method 2: Using Lite versions of applications

Many popular apps have lighter versions with less memory consumption:

• 📘 Facebook Lite instead of Facebook.
• 📷 Instagram Lite instead of Instagram.
• 🎵 Spotify Lite instead of Spotify.
• 📺 YouTube Go instead of YouTube.

These versions create significantly less cache and are less likely to update it in the background.

Method 3: Disabling the web browsing cache (in browsers)

If you use Google Chrome or Mi Browser, you can manually limit the amount of cache:

1. Open your browser and go to Settings → Privacy.
2. Find the Clear Data or Warehouse section.
3. Turn off the option to Save Cache Files or set a limit (e.g. 50MB).

This will cause the browser to clear old data more often, but it can increase traffic consumption.

💡

If you often clear the cache of Google Play Services, it can lead to problems with updating applications, it is better to clear the cache of this service only in case of obvious failures (for example, errors when downloading updates).

Myths about cache on Xiaomi: what not to do

There are many myths surrounding cache on Android devices, and we will examine the most common misconceptions that can harm your Xiaomi.

Myth 1: “The more often you clear the cache, the faster the phone works.”

In fact, the constant cleaning of the cache slows down the work, as:

• Applications have to re-upload data each time they run.
• The load on the processor and battery increases.
• The system spends time re-optimizing the files.

Clean the cache only if necessary (see "When to clean the cache").

Myth 2: “Cache cleaning frees up a lot of space”

Cache is temporary files, and the system regulates the amount of files, and in most cases, cleaning the cache will release no more than 1-3 GB, and after a few days of use, the phone will fill up again.

• 📁 Transfer files to SD-map.
• 🗑️ Remove unnecessary applications or their data.
• 🔍 Check the Download folder for old files.

Myth 3: “Cache can be completely turned off”

Cache is an integral part of Android, and you can't completely disable it without serious consequences. Even if you manually clean it, the system and apps will create temporary files again the next time you use it, instead of trying to disable the cache, it's better to:

• 📊 Control its volume through settings.
• 🔄 Regularly clean the cache of only problematic applications.
• 🛠️ Use optimization tools in MIUI.

Myth 4: “Cache cleaning removes personal data”

Cache and user data are different things. Cache cleaning doesn't delete:

• 📸 Your photos and videos.
• 📝 Messages in messengers.
• 🎮 Save in games (if they are not stored in cache, which is extremely rare).
• 📋 Application settings (for example, themes in Telegram or bookmarks in the browser).

However, if you click Clear Data instead of Clear Cache, it will result in a reset of the app settings!

💡

Cache cleaning isn't a panacea for brakes. If a phone is severely laggit even after cleaning, the problem could be fragmented memory, an overloaded processor, or outdated firmware.

How to Automate Cache Cleanup on Xiaomi

If you don’t want to manually clean the cache, you can set up automatic optimization with built-in and third-party tools.

Method 1: Integrated optimization in MIUI

MIUI It has a built-in tool for automatic garbage cleaning:

1. Go to Settings. → Memory.
2. Activate the Auto Cleanup option.
3. Set up a schedule (e.g., clean up every day at 3:00).

The system will automatically delete unnecessary temporary files without affecting important data.

Method 2: Security Application (Security)

Xiaomi’s standard Security app also automatically clears the cache:

1. Open the Security app (shield icon).
2. Go to the Optimization section.
3. Press the gear in the upper right corner.
4. Turn on Auto Cleanup and set the settings.

You can choose which file types to clean (cache, residual files, unused files). APK).

Method 3: Third-party applications (with caution!)

There are applications for automatic cache cleaning, for example:

• 🧹 CCleaner.
• 🗑️ SD Maid.
• 🚀 Files by Google.

However, be careful: many cleaners aggressively delete files, which can lead to failures. MIUI.

Method 4: Tasker (for advanced users)

With the Tasker app, you can create a task to automatically clean the cache on a schedule or under certain conditions (e.g., when connecting to Wi-Fi).

Profile: Daily cleaning


Condition: Time → 03:00




Task:




1. Launch the shell (Shell)




Command: pm clear --user 0 com.android.chrome (replace with the desired application package)




2. Repeat for other applications.

This method requires knowledge of the teams. ADB Be careful, because the wrong command can delete important data.

Frequent questions about cache on Xiaomi