Hide. This thing. We don’t see it, but it’s therewell coupled with our smartphones (as in so many other devices). The cache memory of Android phones is an indispensable element in many occasions, but useless in many others.
More specifically in the case of the Android operating system, let’s say that we find ourselves different types of files stored in cache. On one side we have the applications as the culprits, and on the other the system. Let’s see what the differences are and which of these data can be deleted (and how).
The cache, in itself, does not imply anything bad.
We must begin by remembering what is cache memory. It is not a component as such, nor a software element. It is the name given to a certain section of the ROM memory reserved for the storage of certain temporary data.
In itself, having files stored in cache is not bad. In addition, it can be very beneficial to optimize performance or save battery and mobile data. An example of elements stored in the cache are the images of a web page, this being useful so that when reloading the page in question, it is done more quickly.
The problem is when too many of these files accumulate and They end up taking up a lot of space in the device’s memory. Especially when they are not necessary because, taking the previous example, we do not need to return to this web page.
Going back through the types of files stored in the cache, we see that Applications have two formulas for storing temporary files. On the one hand, they keep some data in RAM while the application is open (or started in the background) and on the other hand, they keep some data regardless of whether the application is closed or not, which goes into ROM.
We also find the Android’s own system cache. In essence, it fulfills the same purpose as applications, but with respect to the operating system itself, ensuring good performance and that all processes run without any problems.
The application cache is the most relevant and can be easily cleared
If you are determined to completely clear your mobile cache, you need to know how to do it. If what you want is delete temporary cache stored in RAM You will just have to close the application and restart your mobile. When you turn the terminal back on, all these files will have disappeared, appearing only if you open it again or if it runs alone at startup (you can also control this).
If what you want is clear cache stored in mobile ROMThe process to do this is very simple:
- Open the mobile settings and enter the “Applications” section.
- Locate the app whose cache you want to clear and click on it.
- Now enter the “Storage & Cache” section of the app.
- Click “Clear Cache” (important not to be confused with “Clear Storage”, which will delete all app data, but not uninstall it).
As you may have noticed, this is quite a tedious process, as it requires going application by application. To do a Deeper cleaning of all apps at once It is advisable to use dedicated applications for this. Google’s native software, called Google Files, can help you do this from its “Clean” section.
On the other hand, it must be said that The system cache is cleared automatically. Doing it manually is not only something that is not recommended because it would endanger the proper functioning of the device, but it is also not easy.
To do this, you will need to access the system cache partition, which could be done from Android recovery mode, but which has not been accessible for a long time. Therefore, it is better to entrust everything to the automation that the system has for this and to eliminate applications relatively frequently (when we see that it becomes uncontrollable and takes a lot of time.
Cover image | Sergeytokmakov on Pixabay | Freepik
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