Are you trying to make room on Xiaomi, go to Settings → Apps → App Management, click “Clear Cache” — and nothing happens? Or after cleaning a couple of minutes, the cache magically returns to its previous gigabytes? This problem is familiar to owners of smartphones on MIUI of all generations, from Redmi Note 8 Pro to Xiaomi 14 Ultra. What is the problem — a system bug, a feature of firmware or hidden settings?
In this article, we’ll not just list the standard tips like “reset your phone” (although they sometimes work), but we’ll look at 7 real reasons why the cache isn’t manually cleaned on Xiaomi, including little-known nuances of MIUI Optimization, conflicts with Google Play Services, and even hardware limitations on budget models, and we’ll also show alternative methods of cleaning the cache that work even when standard methods fail.
MIUI Optimization: Why the system “protects” the cache of applications
The main reason why the cache is not cleared on Xiaomi is the built-in MIUI Optimization mechanism. It is not just an optimizer, but a whole range of services that:
- 🔄 Recovers the cache of critical applications (e.g. com.miui.home or com.android.systemui) immediately after cleaning, considering it “necessary for stable operation».
- 🛡️ Blocks manual cleaning for system processes, even if you have root rights.
- ⚡ Prioritizes the cache of frequently used apps (such as YouTube or TikTok) so that they open faster.
How does this work in practice? Suppose you cleared the Google Chrome cache through settings. The system captures this action, but after 5-10 minutes (or after restarting) automatically restores part of the cache if it considers it “useful.” This is especially aggressive on MIUI 12-14 firmware for devices with 4/64 GB of memory, where the optimizer tries to compensate for the lack of RAM by caching.
⚠️ Attention: Disconnection MIUI Optimization through ADB (Adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.optimization can lead to loss of functionality, such as navigation gestures or dark theme. Use this method only if you are prepared for the consequences!
There is a more gentle way to cheat the optimizer:
Clear the cache in Settings → Annexes|Reboot your phone to Safe Mode immediately (press the power button). → «Safe regime»)|Delete the data of the application com.miui.optimization through ADB|Return to normal mode – the cache will not recover-->
This method works because in Safe Mode, MIUI disables most background services, including the optimizer.
2. cache of "invisible" system applications: what prevents it from being deleted
Xiaomi has dozens of hidden system applications that don’t cache in the standard application manager, but take up gigabytes of memory.
| Annex | Package | Typical cache size | Can I clean it by hand? |
|---|---|---|---|
| MIUI Daemon | com.miui.daemon | 200-500 MB | ❌ No (lockdown) MIUI) |
| Security Center | com.miui.securitycenter | 100-300 MB | ⚠️ Partially (only through ADB) |
| Google Play Services | com.google.android.gms | 500 MB-1.5 GB | ✅ Yes (but recovering) |
| MIUI Analytics | com.miui.analytics | 50–150 MB | ❌ No (requires root) |
| Android System WebView | com.google.android.webview | 100-400 MB | ✅ Yes (but breaks web browsing) |
The problem is that even if you see these apps on the list (e.g., through Settings). → All applications → Show system, the Clear Cache button may be inactive or just not working. It's not a bug -- it's programmed in this way. MIUI for the stability of the system».
How to clean the cache of such applications?
- 🔧 Through ADB: Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command: adb shell pm clear <package> For example, for Google Play Services: adb shell pm clear com.google.android.gms.
- 📱 Through Safe Mode: Reboot to Safe Mode and try to clear the cache again - sometimes it works.
- 🔄 Reset to factory: Extreme method, but guaranteed to clear all cached data (including hidden data).
Google Play Services|MIUI Daemon|Security Center|Android System WebView|Other-->
3. Google Play Services conflict: why cache is coming back
Google Play Services is the main cache eater on Xiaomi, which is responsible for syncing Google accounts, push notifications, geolocation and other services, and can take up to 2-3 GB of cache, and even after manual cleaning, it recovers in minutes.
Why is that happening?
- 🔄 Automatic sync: Google Play Services constantly downloads data in the background (e.g. maps for Google Maps or updates for Play Market).
- 📦 Content Preload: If you have the “Auto-App Update” or “Video Preload” option enabled on YouTube, the cache will grow continuously.
- 🛠️ MIUI-Optimization: Google Play Services is critical and recovers its cache as soon as possible.
How to deal with this problem:
- Open Settings → Accounts → Google → Account Sync and disable unnecessary options (e.g. Google Fit or Google News).
- In Settings → Applications → Google Play Services → Memory, click “Space Management” and turn off “Data Preload.”
- Set a limit on background activity: Settings → Battery → Battery Mode → Select the app → Limit background activity.
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If push notifications (such as those from VK or Telegram) stop coming after clearing the Google Play Services cache, restart the phone – this will restore the connection to Google servers.
4. Restrictions on Xiaomi budget models (Redmi, Poco)
If you have a Redmi 9A, Poco M3 or other budget model with 2/32GB or 3/64GB of storage, the problem with cleaning the cache may be due to hardware limitations.
- 💾 Using cheap eMMC memory that works slowly with small files (and cache is thousands of small files), the system can “hang” when trying to clean up.
- 🧠 Limited RAM (2-3 GB) forces MIUI aggressively cache data to compensate for the lack of RAM.
- ⚡ Cut firmware: On some models (e.g. Redmi) 8A) into MIUI Deep cache cleaning functions are disabled.
How to check if the iron is to blame?
- Install the AIDA64 app and check the memory type in the Storage → Storage Type section. If it says eMMC (not UFS), this may be the problem.
- Try clearing the cache immediately after the reboot – if the process is faster, it’s about fragmenting the memory.
- Run a read/write speed test (e.g., through AndroBench) if the speed is below 100MB/s, the memory is worn out or overloaded.
What to do if the eMMC memory is worn out?
5. Viruses and malicious applications that block cache cleanup
If the cache is not cleared only for certain applications (such as WhatsApp, Facebook or banking programs), the cause may lie in viruses.
- 🕵️ Clickers and botnets (e.g, Android.Click.312.origin) Block access to the cache to hide their activity.
- 📊 Spy modules (e.g, Android.Spy.400) can replace system dialogs, which is why the “Clear Cache” button does not work.
- 💰 Cryptocurrency miners (for example, Android.Miner.24) use cache to store temporary files and protect them from deletion.
How to check your phone for viruses if the antivirus does not find anything:
- Install Malwarebytes or Kaspersky Mobile and run a deep scan (not fast!).
- Check the list of installed applications for suspicious ones (for example, with names like com.system.update or com.android.security).
- Open Settings → Battery → Battery Use the battery and see if there are unknown processes consuming >5% of the charge.
- Check the traffic: Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Traffic: If an app eats gigabytes in the background, that's a cause for suspicion.
⚠️ Note: Some viruses disguise themselves as system applications MIUI (e.g. com.miui.securityadd or com.xiaomi.mipicks before deleting such packets via ADB Make sure they are really malicious – otherwise you risk losing the functionality of your phone!
File system errors: When the cache gets stuck in memory
If the cache is not cleared for any application, the problem may be that the file system is damaged.
- ⚡ Incorrectly disconnect the phone (for example, if the battery is down to 0%).
- 🔄 Interrupted update MIUI (especially through recovery).
- 💽 Use of questionable memory cleanup software (e.g. Clean Master or CCleaner).
How to check the file system:
- Connect your phone to your PC and run the command: adb shell df -h If the output has lines with errors or read-only, the file system is corrupted.
- Install Termux and execute: su e2fsck -f /dev/block/by-name/userdata (root rights required).
- If the phone is not rooted, the only way to fix the bugs is to reset to factory settings.
If the reset didn't help, it might be that the /cache or /data partition is damaged, and then only flashing through Fastboot or EDL will help.
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If the cache still does not clear after reset, and errors such as E/StorageManager: Failed to mount appear in the adb logcat - this is a sign of a hardware memory malfunction.
7.Alternative methods of cleaning the cache when the standard ones do not work
If manual cleaning through settings does not work, try these methods:
- 🧹 Using Recovery: Turn off the phone. Click the power. + Volume up to enter Recovery. select Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache. Confirm action. This method clears the entire cache of the system, including hidden files.
- 📱 Through the app SD Maid: Install SD Maid from Play Market. Launch CorpseFinder (waste search) and SystemCleaner. press "Run" and wait until it's complete.
The app finds a cache that is not visible in standard settings.
Mi PC Suite
- Install the Mi PC Suite on your computer.
- Connect your phone via USB (enable debugging over USB).
- In the program, select Optimization → Deep Cleaning.
If none of the methods worked, the last option is to roll back to an older version of MIUI. For example, on the Redmi Note 10 Pro, many users solve the cache problem by switching from MIUI 14 to MIUI 12.5 (via Fastboot).