How to clear the Android cache on a phone on Xiaomi Redmi: a complete guide

Modern smartphones Xiaomi Redmi have powerful characteristics, but even flagship models begin to work slower over time. The main reason for decreased performance is often accumulated system cache and applications. These are temporary files that apps create to quickly load content, but over time they take up gigabytes of free space.

Users often confuse clearing the cache with resetting to factory settings, which is a serious mistake. It is important to understand that deleting temporary files is a safe procedure that does not affect your personal photos, contacts or instant messenger conversations. Proper memory management allows you to extend the life of the device without the use of third-party “accelerators”.

In this article we will analyze in detail all the available methods of cleaning the shell MIUI and HyperOS. You will learn how to use the built-in tools, how to delete data from individual applications and what hidden functions it offers Android for advanced users.

Built-in application "Security" and Cleaning

The first and easiest way is to use the standard utility from the manufacturer. Each smartphone Xiaomi has a pre-installed application Security (green icon with a shield). It automatically scans the system for junk files every time it starts.

To start the procedure, open the menu and find the corresponding icon. Click on the button Cleanup in the main app window. The system will analyze and show the volume of files that can be deleted without affecting the operation of the phone. Usually these are old logs, remnants of deleted apps and temporary data.

After analysis, click the clear button. The system will offer to delete the found garbage. However, you should be careful: sometimes large files that you downloaded recently are included in this list. Before confirming, it is better to check the list manually if the volume being deleted exceeds several gigabytes.

⚠️ Attention: do not use third-party cleaner applications from the Play Market on an ongoing basis. They often create more CPU load than they're useful for and can conflict with built-in optimizations MIUI.

Clearing specific app caches manually

Sometimes a global cleanup doesn't help because the problem lies with one specific app that isn't managing its data correctly. For example, Telegram or Instagram can take up tens of gigabytes, saving all viewed media files.

To solve this problem specifically, you need to go to the smartphone settings. Follow the path Settings → Applications → All applications. In the list that opens, find the app that consumes a lot of memory. Click on its name to open the information page.

On the application page you will see a button Clear. When you click on it, a pop-up menu will appear with two options: “Clear cache” and “Clear all”. Choose the first option. This will delete temporary files, but will save your logins, passwords and settings inside the app.

Particular attention should be paid to messengers and social networks. In some cases, for example in WhatsApp, it is more effective to use the built-in media cleaning tools inside the application itself, since system cleaning may not see all subfolders.

Clearing the system cache via Recovery Mode

If the phone is unstable, freezes, or errors occur after updating the system, you may need to clear the partition Cache Partition. This is a storage of temporary system files that is not accessible through the regular Android interface.

To enter recovery mode, you must turn off your smartphone completely. Then hold down the Volume Up button and the Power button at the same time. Hold them until the logo appears Redmithen release the power button, but continue to hold the volume until the menu appears Recovery.

Navigation in this menu is carried out with the volume buttons (up/down), and the selection is confirmed with the power button. Find the item Wipe Cache Partition and confirm the action. The process will take a few seconds, after which you can select Reboot to reboot.

Differences from resetting

Clearing the cache partition in Recovery DOES NOT delete your personal data, photos and contacts. Unlike the Wipe Data item, which completely erases the phone, this procedure is safe for user information.

⚠️ Attention: be extremely careful in the Recovery menu. Under no circumstances select item Wipe Data or Factory Resetif your goal is only to clear the cache. This will completely delete all data from the device.

Deleting temporary browser files

Web browsers are one of the main garbage collectors in the system. When viewing sites, images, scripts and cookies are saved, which speed up the reloading of pages, but over time slow down the browser.

In a standard browser MIUI or Chrome the procedure is performed through the settings of the application itself. Open the browser, click on the three dots in the corner of the screen and go to the section Settings → Privacy → Clear history.

Here you can flexibly configure cleaning. It is recommended to select the “All time” period and check the “Images and other files saved in the cache” checkboxes. In this case, you can uncheck "Browser History" and "Passwords" if you want to save them.

Data type	What is deleted	Impact on operation
Cache	Temporary files sites	Speeds up page loading the next time you visit
Cookies	Authorization data and preferences	You may be “logged out” from sites
History	List of visited pages	Does not affect speed, only privacy

Regularly clearing the browser cache is especially useful if you notice that sites are displayed incorrectly or show outdated information. This forces the browser to download fresh versions of pages from the server.

Specifics of cleaning in MIUI 13, 14 and HyperOS

Shells from Xiaomi have their own memory management features. In the latest versions HyperOS algorithms for working with the cache have become more aggressive; the system itself, as a background service, deletes unnecessary files when the memory is more than 90% full.

However, manual intervention is sometimes necessary. New firmware versions have added the "Memory Expansion" function, which uses part of the permanent storage as RAM. When you enable this function, the amount of available cache may increase, but it will also become clogged faster.

For owners of devices with a small amount of internal memory (64 GB or less), it is recommended to disable automatic downloading of application updates in the background. This can be done in the settings Google Playby selecting Automatic application updates → Only via Wi-Fi.

It’s also worth checking the gallery settings. New versions MIUI have a cloud synchronization function that stores photo thumbnails locally. If you deleted photos from the cloud, make sure that they are also deleted from the folder .thumbnails in hidden system directories.

Automation and scheduling of cleaning

In order not to constantly have to do manual cleaning, you can set up automatic scripts. The application Security has a section Accelerationwhere you can configure the frequency of automatic clearing of the cache when the screen is locked.

In addition, there are advanced methods via ADB (Android Debug Bridge) that allow you to clear the cache of all applications with one command from your computer. This is useful for system administrators or enthusiasts maintaining a fleet of devices.

adb shell pm trim-caches 999999999

This command instructs the Android system to delete the cache of all applications to free up space until there are less than a specified number of bytes left (in this case, almost everything). Using these methods requires USB debugging to be enabled.

⚠️ Attention: using ADB commands requires certain knowledge. Entering commands incorrectly can lead to unstable system operation. Use this method only if you understand what you are doing.

For ordinary users, it is enough to configure notifications from the system. If your phone reports low space, do not ignore this warning. A timely response will help you avoid a situation where the device starts to operate in extremely slow mode.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Will clearing the cache delete my photos and contacts?

No, clearing the cache affects only temporary technical files. Your personal data, such as photos, videos, contacts, notes and installed applications, will remain completely safe. Only data that can be downloaded again is deleted.

Why does the cache quickly fill up again after clearing?

This is normal system behavior. Applications create a cache for their work: so that pictures in the feed load instantly, and cards open without delay. If the cache is growing abnormally quickly (gigabytes per day), perhaps one of the applications is not working correctly.

Do I need to clear the cache after updating the firmware?

It is advisable. After a major system update, old temporary files may conflict with new system libraries. Clearing the cache via Recovery Mode after updating helps to avoid errors and slowdowns.

Is it possible to delete the Android folder completely?

No, you cannot delete the entire folder Android . It stores application data. You can clear the contents of a subfolder cache inside it, but deleting the entire structure will reset the settings of all apps and lose progress in games.

Does clearing the cache affect the battery?

Indirectly, yes. Crowded memory causes the storage controller to work harder, and background processes may access the disk more often. Freeing up space improves the overall responsiveness of the system, which has a positive effect on power consumption.