How to clear cache on Android manually bq. Clearing cache on Android: programs and instructions

Few people wonder how to clear the cache on Android. This is understandable, because holding a brand new smartphone in your hands is a pleasure. Everything works quickly, the interface “slides” and almost does not crash, and applications, if they freeze, are only in very rare cases. However, several months (and sometimes even weeks) pass, and our device begins to “stumble”, seemingly out of the blue - programs take longer to open, animations lose their former smoothness, and space on the internal storage begins to mysteriously disappear.

There can be a lot of reasons for this phenomenon, but the first thing you can do to speed up your Android device is to clear it of unnecessary files that accumulate during the life of applications: this could be error data, outdated files, photo thumbnails, browser cache, or VK, cookies and a lot of other ballast that spoils our impression of working with the gadget. Such “junk” files are designated by the term “cache” (from the English “cache” - hiding place), and the procedure for deleting them is, accordingly, clearing the cache.

70% of residual files are not needed by either the user or the device, and only negatively affect the operation of the smartphone, increasing the time it takes to open applications and boot the system. You can safely remove them and not be afraid of the consequences.

However, the cache can also store important data, for example, audio recordings, photos or passwords you have saved. Therefore, you need to approach the memory cleaning procedure wisely. You should learn to distinguish between those files that may be useful in the future for the normal functioning of the device, and those that can be safely cleaned without fear of losing important information.

Types of cache

The Android operating system can cache three different kinds of files:

The first type of cache is non-system. These are files created by custom applications downloaded from the Play Store or other sources. If there are many programs installed on the device, such a cache can reach gigantic sizes and then it is definitely impossible to do without cleaning it;
The second type of residual files is system files. As a rule, they can be removed without a twinge of conscience. The Android operating system will still not allow us to erase what is needed for its normal operation;
and finally, the third type of cache is dalvik. Generated by the system so that the most frequently used programs start faster. We will not go into the intricacies of how this environment works. Moreover, clearing dalvik-cache is not available to the average user, as it requires obtaining root rights and installing a custom recovery.

Basic cleaning methods

Having figured out why we actually need to clear the smartphone’s cache, let’s move on directly to the procedure. In most cases, you can clean up junk files without installing additional software. Developers of modern Android shells, which come, for example, with devices from Samsung Galaxy, Asus or Lenovo, integrate applications into their products that allow them to approach device optimization in the most comprehensive way.

There are also more advanced methods for clearing the cache, which may be needed, say, if the device does not turn on or goes into an eternal reboot. Let's look at each method separately and determine which files can be changed and which are better left as is.

Cleaning via Settings

You can right now get rid of all the files accumulated on your device by simply going to the settings menu and pressing three buttons in turn.

We do the following:

On the desktop or in the notification shade, find the settings gear and go to the “Storage” section (or “Memory” - the names may vary depending on the firmware or device manufacturer).

Click on the line “Clear cache”. Without hesitation, we confirm the procedure and rejoice at the release of an additional 1-2 GB of device memory, which is so precious in our time.

All! The phone was successfully cleaned and it didn’t even take us 2 minutes. This is easy to do, but this method does not involve differentiation of the files being deleted - Android will delete what it deems necessary, and we can only hope that, for example, our precious music from VKontakte, which we have been caching for so long, will not be included in this list. persistently. But, if you have nothing special to lose, you can try.

How to clear only one application

It happens that the gadget as a whole works flawlessly, but one or more applications constantly go wrong: for example, Odnoklassniki crashes when you try to send a message or the game crashes at a certain level - the situation is common and very prosaic.

In order to fix it, it is not necessary to reinstall the application - just clear its cache. Yes, you may have to re-enter your passwords and login, but there’s nothing wrong with that. After all, as a result, we will get a fresh and adequately behaving application.

So, to clear the cache of any application (let’s take Instagram as an example), we need:

Go to settings and select “Application storage” or “All applications” - the names, again, may vary depending on the version of Android.

Find the program that spoils our blood in the list and click on it. In some versions of the Android OS, applications are divided into groups: “system” and “user”. This makes the search somewhat easier if there is a lot of software installed on the device.

We are interested in the “Data cleaning” item. Click on it and agree to the deletion. The memory will be cleared in just a few seconds, then let’s go check the program’s operation. Most likely, she will no longer cause you the same troubles.

Clearing the cache using third-party programs

The previously discussed methods were undoubtedly effective - you can verify this if you follow our instructions point by point. However, they cannot be called overly convenient - manually going into settings, scrolling through menu items, and even risking losing important data is not the most pleasant or quick task. It is much more convenient to keep a full-fledged cache clearing application on your smartphone, which will allow you to quickly and easily delete only what is not needed.

In this article we would like to demonstrate the work of two such programs - in our humble opinion, they are the most convenient for novice users and, at the same time, the most functional. These are Clean Master and App Cache Cleaner applications. Let's look at each one individually and use screenshots to demonstrate how they work.

Clean Master app

A very convenient utility that has already been appreciated by millions of users - by the way, it is the one that works by default on Xiaomi phones.

To evaluate the capabilities of this program yourself and understand how you can use it to clear the cache, we need:

Find and download the application through the Play Market.

Open it and view the list of functions that the application provides - it is displayed on the main page. Perhaps, in addition to clearing the cache, you will need something else from this list.

We press the “Trash” button, decorated with a trash can icon, and the application begins to calculate how much of the data stored on our device can be safely deleted (this will be various system reports, cookies, photo thumbnails and other rubbish).

Press the “Clean up trash” button and enjoy the spectacular animation that accompanies this process. Ready!

App Cache Cleaner

Another, in our opinion, interesting program for clearing the cache on Android. Its functions are very similar to the one we looked at earlier, but there are still minor differences - mainly in the interface.

In addition, the utility can transfer applications from internal memory to an SD card. A very useful function if the storage size of your device is not large enough - Clean Master does not implement such functionality. So, in order:

To begin, download the application from the Play Market in the same way. Then we open it by tapping on the icon on the desktop and get acquainted with the functions.

We are interested in “Quick Cleaning” - click on the trash can icon and see something similar to what we saw in the previous example.

Everything is absolutely the same: if the file you need is included in the list to be deleted, then simply uncheck it and the program will not touch it. Ready!

Reset to factory settings (Hard Reset)

If you have already tried all the methods, and the phone is still slow or working very poorly, we can advise you to reset all data. The method, of course, is radical, but invariably effective - the phone becomes like new and again pleases us with the speed of operation. All the problems that you carelessly accumulated over several months of using the device will no longer bother you.

There are two ways to “undress” your phone to its original settings:

through the Settings application;
through the recovery menu (or “recovery”).

These methods are implemented differently on devices from different manufacturers. Information on how to enter the recovery menu on your smartphone can be found in.

In order to roll back the device to its factory state using the operating system, do the following:

Go to settings and look for the “Backup and reset” option. On smartphones running MIUI 9, this item is located in the “System and device” section in the list of advanced settings.

We click “Clear data” and wait a few minutes, as a result of which all files from our device will be completely deleted - we hope there is no need to remind us once again about the need for backup.

Ready! Meet the new device!

Conclusion

Applications installed on our device constantly store residual files of their vital activity on it. We don’t need most of them and can safely delete them - this will make the device’s operation easier, free up memory and speed up the device a little. Clearing the cache is the first thing you need to do to restore normal operation of your mobile phone. This can be done through settings or through third-party applications. If the performance situation is completely deplorable, you can resort to resetting to factory settings.

Video instruction

Before you finish and leave, watch this video.

Articles and Lifehacks

To optimize and speed up the operation of a smartphone, phone, or correct a malfunctioning application, all users of digital devices need to know how to clear the cache memory on Android.

Basic methods

The easiest and fastest method is to restore the factory default settings. The only disadvantage of this method is the complete loss of all user-set settings.
Programs that are not used, a huge number of pictures, photos, video and audio files, social networks and messages take up a lot of memory resources. To free up free space, they need to be removed periodically. There are a number of free programs that will clean up the intermediate data storage. The easiest to use include clean master and delete old messages.
You can delete unnecessary media files using the astro file manager application.

Clearing browser history

All browsers, for user convenience, save your browsing history, as well as an electronic version of web pages and sites. Temporary files created by applications take up a lot of space. To clear the browser history on a smartphone or tablet, you need to go to the “Menu” section, go to the “History” item and select the appropriate option – “Clear browser history”.

You can also clear the buffer in all installed programs at the same time. A function that will help you delete temporary files is available in almost all modern models of digital devices.

To clean it, just go to the “Notifications” option, select the “Settings” section, go to the “Details” item and click on “Data storage”.
In the “Data Cache” category, you need to confirm the operation of deleting unnecessary files. Owners of gadget models that do not have the “Data Cache” option can use specially developed utilities. The most popular of them are app cache cleaner and history eraser.
After launching the application, simply confirm the operation by selecting the “Clear” option. In addition, the user can leave the necessary files.

Even if your gadget has a large amount of memory, it will still have to be freed one day. Many users are wondering how to clear the cache on Android? I want to devote today’s article to this very topic, so we will figure out why something needs to be cleaned and what is needed for this.

Let me note right away that such an operation may also be necessary if some application begins to work incorrectly. The cache is loaded automatically as long as some program is installed on the smartphone. During the process of updates and prolonged use of software, the amount of free space is reduced, and in some cases it runs out altogether.

For this reason, cleaning up space on your phone becomes important. Clearing the cache on Android does not mean deleting the entire program, but just erasing some files that have taken up extra space and have not been used for a long time.

In Android gadgets there can be three types of memory; naturally, it is stored in different departments of the operating system:

Dalvik-cache– here is the data that was created by the Dalvik virtual machine, which is located in the system code and is responsible for the fast execution of programs. They are located in their own separate section of the device’s memory and are invisible to the user.
System application cache– located in the /cache section in the internal memory of the equipment. It is responsible for most of the OS information and if it is cleared, malfunctions in the functionality of the smartphone may occur.
User application cache– here is information about all the software you installed yourself. It can be stored in internal memory, as well as on removable media (depending on the software itself). If you free these partitions, nothing bad will happen. Moreover, this section can be cleared for all objects at once through specialized utilities; we’ll talk about them a little later.

Can I clean it myself?

Generally speaking, this procedure is safe, but there is one important point - you can lose unsaved materials in functioning programs. So before cleaning, you should save important data in the running software.

So, you can handle this manually. To delete certain information without using third-party software on Android, follow these steps:

go to “Settings” (you can use the menu or through the “curtain”);
look for the “Device” (System) section and the “Memory” (Storage) sub-item;
click “Cache Data” or if there is a “Cleanup” element, then select it;

In the window that appears, wait for the “garbage” scan to finish and confirm your desire to eliminate it.

After some time (it depends on the size of the accumulated files), this window disappears, and more space will appear in the “Available” item, that is, the number previously located in the “Cache Data” will be added to it, this can be kilobytes, megabytes and even gigabytes.

Is it possible to clear the data of only one application?

Naturally, you can do this. If you decide to delete the entire accumulated volume of files for one specific software, you should:

select “Settings”, then go to the “All applications” section (or “Manager ...” - may be called differently, depending on the version of Android);
Select the object you want to “clean” from the list;
Click “Erase data” and/or “Clear cache” (in the first case, passwords and program accounts will also be deleted);

Confirm your desire with the “Ok” button.

Typically, data for one product is deleted very quickly. It should be remembered that in some cases, after deleting files, you need to log in again (for example, this applies to social network accounts). So first, check that you have the access details for your account that you are connecting to using the Android application, so that you don’t have to restore them later.

Application Manager - how can it help?

Android provides standard services for working with the cache, and you have the ability to manage each program separately. To do this, go to “Settings” again and select “Applications” there, select software for clearing data.

The system will show all the information about the selected product (version, how much space it takes up, how much it weighs, etc.), and just below you will see a cleanup button. By clicking on it, you will start the removal immediately. The time required to complete the operation again depends on the volume of accumulated files.

Thus, you can clear memory on Android and in other programs. For example, a huge amount of unnecessary garbage is stored in the browsers used, in various software that requires an Internet connection (Odnoklassniki, Facebook, Avito). Because of this, the software takes longer to activate over time, and in some cases crashes immediately after opening.

Using Clean Master

Let's assume that you need to clean files on Android in all programs. How to do it? Eliminating unnecessary objects separately for each one takes a very long time. In this case, you may need a popular and effective utility Clean Master, which allows you to rid your gadget of garbage in a few clicks, establish its normal operation and remove all failures and errors. Simply put, it is a replacement for well-known programs such as CCleaner for a regular PC.

It’s easy to find it in the Google Play service, just enter the name in the search line, then download the program to your device and wait for installation. Once completed, a corresponding shortcut will appear on your display. You need to open the assistant, four buttons will appear in front of you:

junk files;
antivirus;
working with memory (acceleration);
cooler

Application Manager is available in the "Tools" section

We are interested in the first tab. Junk files control the cache in all programs. You will be presented with a list of installed software and games. You will need to mark those objects in which you want to clear data, click clear.

Near the “Clean” button, the system shows the amount of space that will be freed up after eliminating unnecessary things. You can filter unnecessary objects through the service, control software, speed up the operation of your mobile device, and much more.

Another useful and highly effective product for working with cache on equipment running Android OS. It is also freely available at Google Play. You should download the utility to the device and run it. You will see a catalog of games, software, and also all the information about the space occupied on the device for each. Check the boxes for the selected applications and tap the Clear button. All unused files are quickly eliminated.

Here you can change the parameters. For example, install a special icon, it will begin to appear in the operational access panel, this makes it easier to delete various temporary objects. Next time you won’t have to enter the program, you can just click on the shortcut on the notification area and everything will be done automatically.

Restoring Android to factory settings

This method is considered cardinal. It is suitable for those who plan to free up and clear the memory of the device completely, erase everything that was installed manually from the Google Play service. The device will be completely cleaned to the same condition as it was immediately after purchase in the box. Do you want to use this method?

Go to your phone's settings, look for reset and recovery. But before that, you should make backups of the content you need in the future, because you can’t revive it later.

The cache accumulates constantly. The more often you use the program, the more data is stored in the gadget’s internal memory. This most often happens with programs and games that require Internet access. There are even applications where the cache reaches up to a gigabyte. One piece of advice - check your settings often.

How to clear the cache on Android, and what is needed for this procedure? You now know about this. All the utilities described in the article can be downloaded for free, and they work even without root rights, which is very convenient. Do you often clean your device of unnecessary files? Write comments and subscribe to blog updates.

No matter how much memory you have on your device, sooner or later you will start wondering how you can clear the cache to free up memory on your Android. Another reason why this operation is carried out is the incorrect operation of one or another application or game.

We would like to notify you that the cache is loaded automatically as long as you have a program or a specific game installed. With each update and continued use of the application, the amount of memory consumed increases, and sometimes even reaches a high level. In this regard, many users decide to clear the cache.

It should be noted that cleaning is not deleting a program, but simply erasing certain files that take up extra memory and, perhaps, have not been used by any program for a long time.

What is cache and the main cleaning methods

There are 3 types of cache memory in Android, which, accordingly, is stored in different sections of the operating system.

Dalvik-cache.
This is a cache of the Dalvik virtual machine register of the same name, which is present in the system code and is responsible for executing programs. It has its own section in the internal memory of an Android smartphone or tablet. It also has its location in the internal memory of the device and can be found in the /cache section. Responsible for a lot of operating system data and, if cleared, can lead to some disruptions in the functionality of the device.
User application cache. Since this is a cache of all those applications that were installed by the user of the device, it can be saved both in the internal memory and on the memory card (depending on the features of a particular application or game). As a rule, clearing such a cache is completely safe for the device. Moreover, in this case, the cache can be cleared for all applications at once using special programs, which are discussed below in this article, or specifically for each application using the capabilities of the system itself. To do this, you need to launch “Settings”, select the “Applications” submenu, then “Manage applications”, and then click on the program of interest, and in the window that appears, select “Clear cache”.

Cleaning can be done in different ways. Here is a list of the main methods for clearing cache on Android:

Through the application manager.
Clean Master program.
App Cache Cleaner program.
Using a factory reset.

Cleaning through the application manager

The Android operating system has built-in standard services for working with the cache, and you can manage each application separately. To do this, go to “Settings”, select the “Applications” tab and click on any program or game in which you need to clear unnecessary data.

The system will display complete information about the selected application (weight, version, occupied space and much more), and at the bottom there will be a “Clear cache” button. Press this key, after which the system will clear the cache. Typically, such operations are carried out within a few seconds, but in programs with a large amount of data, the operation can take much longer.

Now you can clear the cache in any other program in the same way. For example, a lot of garbage accumulates in browsers, various applications that use an Internet connection, for example, Vkontakte, Avito, Odnoklassniki, and therefore each time the program takes longer and longer to launch, and sometimes even crashes immediately upon opening!

Cleaning with Clean Master

Let's say you need to delete the cache in all applications at once. What to do in this case? Shouldn't you erase data separately for each application? We suggest using the Clean Master utility, which allows you to remove all junk from your smartphone in a few clicks, optimize its operation, and remove all errors and problems. Essentially, this is an alternative to modern programs such as CCleaner for the computer.

Go to the Google Play service and enter the name of the program in the search. Next, click the “Download” button and wait until the application is installed on your phone. Once the installation is complete, a shortcut will be automatically created on the desktop.

Open the program. There will be 4 buttons in front of you:

"Junk files";
"Antivirus";
“Working with memory”;
"Application Manager"

Click the Junk Files tab. This item is responsible for the cache in all applications. Within a few seconds, the system will generate a list of installed programs and games. You use checkboxes to select all programs for which the cache will be cleared. Then all you have to do is click the “Clear” button.

Important! Next to the “Clean” button, the system displays the amount of data that will be released after removing garbage. In addition to clearing unnecessary data, you can manage applications, erase them completely, speed up your smartphone, and much more.

Clearing the cache with App Cache Cleaner

Another interesting and multifunctional program for working with cache on Android devices is App Cache Cleaner. Go to Google Play service and download the program to your device. Next, launch the application and accept the terms of service by clicking the “Agree” tab.

A complete list of programs and games will appear in front of you, and information about the cache size in each of them will also be displayed. Select the necessary programs by ticking the boxes and click the Clear button! Cleaning is done in seconds.

In addition, you can experiment with the settings. For example, you can activate an icon that will appear in the notification area to quickly clear temporary files. That is, in subsequent times you will not need to enter the program, but just click this icon once on the quick access panel and that’s it!

Resetting the device to factory settings for a complete cleaning

Another way is to return to factory settings! But this method is only suitable for those users who decided to completely free up their phone’s memory and remove all previously installed applications from Google Play or manually. In this case, the phone will be completely cleaned to such a state as if you had just purchased it in a store. Have you decided to use this method? Here's an article with instructions for using it on any device.

Now you know how to clear the cache on Android and what is needed for this. The programs described above in this material are provided free of charge, and they do not require root rights to work! We also recommend that you read the article, which also concerns working with temporary files.

And remember that the cache will accumulate constantly. This is why he is in the system. The more often you use an application or game, the more cache accumulates in the device’s internal memory. It is mainly used in many programs that require Internet access (games, browsers, social network clients, and much more). In some applications, the cache can reach 1 GB or more of memory!

Cache- a fast-access intermediate buffer containing information that is most likely to be requested. Accessing data in a cache is faster than retrieving source data from slower memory or a remote source, but its capacity is significantly limited compared to source data storage. Wikipedia

How to clear cache on Android 4 and older

Every Android smartphone has an application manager, which can be accessed through the settings menu. Usually it is in the top level, although it all depends on the phone. Here's how to access it and clear the cache:

Step 1. Open the Settings menu» either using the notification panel (drop-down list) or using the “Settings” icon.

Step 2. Go to the "Applications" tab. It may be called “All applications” (in) or application manager in smartphones with pure Android.

Step 3. After this select application.

Step 4. Here you will see a list of various information about this application, including “Permissions”, “Memory Usage”, etc. These are all clickable items. You need select "Storage".

Step 5. Here you will see buttons Clear cache and Erase data.

Step 6. Done!

When to clear cache or data...

So, when should you manually clear an app's cache? Most likely you will never need to do this. But if the application starts to slow down or become glitchy, clear the cache.