Xiaomi’s CCleaner: Myths, Risks and Safe Alternatives to Cleanup MIUI

If you are a Xiaomi smartphone owner and are looking for a way to free up memory or speed up your device, chances are you have already come across recommendations to install CCleaner. This app has long been known to Windows users as a tool to clean up your system from garbage, but how effective and safe it is for you to use. MIUI? In this article, we will discuss what CCleaner is on Xiaomi, how it interacts with firmware, what risks its use entails, and what built-in or third-party alternatives should be considered instead.

It is important to understand that MIUI — It's a deeply customized shell based on Android, which has its own mechanisms for managing memory and cache. What works on naked Android or even on smartphones of other brands can behave unpredictable on Xiaomi devices, Redmi or other devices. POCO. Next, we’ll analyze why CCleaner isn’t always justified on Xiaomi, what features it offers, and what can be replaced without risking system stability.

What is CCleaner and why is it installed on Xiaomi?

CCleaner is a system cleanup utility originally developed by Piriform (now owned by Avast), which removes temporary files, cleans the registry and manages autoboots on a PC. The Android mobile version is positioned as a tool for:

• 🧹 Delete the application cache and unnecessary files
• 🔍 Optimizing productivity
• 📱 Release of RAM (RAM)
• 🔒 Application permissions management
• 📊 Monitoring of memory use

On Xiaomi, users often turn to CCleaner for two main reasons:

1. Lack of memory: even smartphones with 128 GB or more over time clogged with cache, duplicate photos and residual files of remote applications.
2. Slowdown: over time MIUI It can start to slow down, especially on budget models (Redmi). 9A, POCO M3 Others, where resources are scarce.

But here lies the main problem: MIUI It already has built-in cleaning tools that often work better than third-party utilities, and even more so, aggressive cache cleaning or forced release. RAM This can lead to the opposite effect – an increase in battery consumption and slowdown, as the system will have to reload data into memory.

How CCleaner interacts with MIUI: technicality

Firmware MIUI There are several key features that affect the performance of CCleaner:

One of the most controversial features of CCleaner on Xiaomi is the Boost. RAM". V MIUI The system's core controls memory, and the forced release RAM This often leads to applications taking longer to load and the system spending additional resources restarting them, especially for devices with 4GB of RAM or less (e.g., Redmi Note 8 Pro, Mi). A3).

Another thing is permissions, and to be able to work properly, CCleaner requires access to:

• 📁 Storage (for scanning files)
• 🔄 Access to other applications (to clean the cache)
• 🛡️ Special Opportunities (for optimization) RAM)

Nana MIUI 12/13/14 These permissions may conflict with built-in security mechanisms, such as Permission Monitor or Security App.

💡

Before using CCleaner on Xiaomi, disable built-in optimization in Settings → Battery and productivity → Optimization: This will help avoid conflicts between the two cleaning systems.

Why CCleaner can hurt your Xiaomi: real cases

Despite the promises of the developers, CCleaner is not always safe for the user. MIUI. Here are a few dokumentirovannyh cases that users have encountered:

⚠️ After cleaning the cache through CCleaner on Xiaomi Mi 11 stopped working animations in the MIUI 13, and the launcher was reset to a standard view every time it rebooted.

The main problems that CCleaner causes are:

1. Damage to system files: Deleting the cache of applications like com.miui.securitycenter can lead to errors in the work of the Security Center.
2. Increased battery consumption: Forced closure of background processes causes them to restart more often, which increases the workload on the processor.
3. Data loss: The duplicate deletion feature sometimes mistakenly deletes the original photos or documents from the folder MIUI/Extra.
4. Update conflicts: After cleaning the system cache, you may not install OTA-update MIUI.

It is particularly risky to use CCleaner on devices with unlocked bootloader or custom firmware (such as Xiaomi.eu or PixelExperience).In such cases, cleaning can lead to bootloop ( looped boot) or loss of root access.

Built-in alternatives to CCleaner in MIUI: what to use instead of

Firmware MIUI It already contains all the tools you need to clean the system, and in 90% of cases, they're more efficient than CCleaner:

1. Built-in cleaner (Security App)

The Security app (shield icon) has a "Cleaning" section that:

• 🗑️ Remove unnecessary files (cache, application residues, temporary data)
• 🔄 Optimizes memory without forced closure of processes
• 📊 Detailed statistics of memory usage

To take advantage of it:

1. Open the Security app.
2. Go to the "Cleanup" section.
3. Click "Check" and select what to delete.
4. Confirm the cleanup.

2. Battery optimization and performance

B Settings → Battery and productivity are tools:

• 🔋 "Battery optimization – extends the operating time without recharging.
• ⚡ "Performance mode – temporarily speeds up work for games or heavy tasks.
• 🛑 "Background Limitation – Manages application activity in the background.

Manual cache control

If you need to clear the cache for a specific application:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the app you want (like Gallery or Chrome).
3. Click Clear Cache (not to be confused with Clear Data – this will delete all app settings!).

Use the built-in cleaner in the "Safety" application

Clear cache only for problem applications manually

Turn off the autocleaning. RAM performance-setting

Regularly check the “Downloads” folder for unnecessary files

Use cloud storage (Mi Cloud, Google Drive) for backups

-->

Third-party CCleaner alternatives for Xiaomi: which one to choose?

If you still want to use third-party cleaning software, consider these alternatives that are better adapted to the cleanup. MIUI:

From this list, the best choice for Xiaomi is SD Maid (for power users) or Files by Google (for beginners) are not in conflict with the application. MIUI It offers more flexible settings than CCleaner.

⚠️ Warning: Avoid cleaners with suspiciously high ratings and millions of downloads but unknown developers (e.g. Clean Master, DU Speed Boosters are often advertising. SDK, They consume resources and collect user data.

How to clean Xiaomi without risk to the system: step-by-step instructions

If you decide to clean up your Xiaomi, follow this algorithm to avoid problems:

1. Make a backup copy: 📱 Use the settings. → The phone. → Backup to create a backup in Mi Cloud. 🖥️ Copy important files (photos, documents) to a PC or external drive.
2. Clean the cache manually: Go to Settings → Annexes → App management. Select applications that take up a lot of space (e.g. Facebook, Telegram, Gallery). Click Clear cache (not data!).
3. Use the built-in cleaner: Open the Security app → "Cleanup" → "Check. Delete unnecessary files (e.g., residues of deleted applications, temporary files).
4. Check folders manually: Open Files (or any file manager) Delete unnecessary files from folders: Download (downloads) DCIM/.thumbnails (photo-picture) MIUI/Extra (duplicates)
5. Optimize the bootload: Into Security → "Autostart" disable autostart for unnecessary applications. → Battery and productivity → Battery management limit background activity for energy-intensive applications.

After cleaning, restart the device. If you notice lags or errors, check if important system files (for example, from the folder) have been deleted. MIUI/Theme, if you use custom themes).

💡

Regularly clean the cache manually or through built-in tools MIUI safer than using CCleaner.system files MIUI sensitive to third-party interference, and their damage can lead to unstable operation of the device.

Myths about CCleaner on Xiaomi: what is true and what is not?

There are a lot of myths around CCleaner, especially when it comes to Xiaomi, and we'll take a look at the most common ones.

Myth 1: “CCleaner speeds up Xiaomi by 2 times”

Reality: Increased performance after cleaning the cache or RAM temporary. MIUI It optimizes memory and enforced release. RAM Often results in the opposite effect - apps take longer to reboot. -- Tests on Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro showed that after using CCleaner, the speed of opening applications increased by only one step. 5-7%, and the battery consumption increased 12% due to frequent process restarts.

Myth 2: “CCleaner removes viruses”

Reality: CCleaner is not an antivirus. It can delete some malicious files, but it doesn't scan the system for viruses. Xiaomi's best defense is to use built-in Security Scan or third-party antiviruses like Malwarebytes.

Myth 3: “CCleaner is safe because it’s recommended on forums.”

Reality: Many recommendations in forums (e.g, 4PDA or XDA) CCleaner used to be more secure, but after Avast bought it, it added modules to collect data, and its cleaning algorithms became less adapted for custom firmware like this. MIUI. In 2022, users of Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra massively complained about failures after cleaning the system cache through CCleaner.

Myth 4: “Cleaner is needed to make room”

Reality: On modern Xiaomi (for example, Xiaomi 13 or Redmi) K60) The main focus is not temporary files, but:

• 📸 High-resolution photos and videos (especially if you are shooting in the video) 4K or RAW)
• 🎮 Cache of games (e.g. Genshin Impact or Call of Duty Mobile can take 10 times)+ GB)
• 📥 Downloads (APK-files, documents, archives)
• 🎵 Music and podcasts (if you use Spotify or Yandex Music offline)

CCleaner won’t help with that – you need either manual cleaning or transferring files to a memory card or the cloud.

FAQ: Frequent questions about CCleaner on Xiaomi