Cache partition wipe - does it really help?

bassplayrguy

Trusted Member
May 3, 2013
2,945
8
38
Visit site
Is it just placebo or does this make thing snappier? I was cautious about doing this because it is a bit scary but after doing it, it seems quicker. Maybe it is just me?
 

Gekko

Banned
May 15, 2010
5,263
123
0
Visit site
Re: Cache partition wipe

Is it just placebo or does this make thing snappier? I was cautious about doing this because it is a bit scary but after doing it, it seems quicker. Maybe it is just me?

most people believe it works. i do. think of it like cleaning and decluttering the house - less crap for you to have to deal with, manage, and stumble through so you can live and operate more freely and easily.
 

Golfdriver97

Trusted Member Team Leader
Moderator
Dec 4, 2012
35,367
113
63
Visit site
Re: Cache partition wipe

I do a cache clear once per month in recovery on all my devices. Helps keep them working great. The cache clears do help, by getting rid of junk files that the OS doesn't need to look through.
 

D Android

Well-known member
Jan 21, 2015
272
0
0
Visit site
Re: Cache partition wipe

I don't think it's placebo. From what I understand it gets rid of many temporary files generated by the apps and in my experience it does speed things up, however scary it may seems at first.
 

LeoRex

Retired Moderator
Nov 21, 2012
6,223
0
0
Visit site
Re: Cache partition wipe

Well... first.. you shouldn't worry about clearing your cache partition. The only way it'll kill you is if you pick the wrong partition.. :) I wasn't paying attention one time doing a clean flash and I clicked 'internal storage' instead of 'cache'.... but that was a fun story for another time.

What does it do? Well, it isn't a placebo... clearing the could solve certain issues... I've had quite a few problematically FC'ing apps behave after clearing the cache. It isn't some miracle cure, but there is zero harm in doing it. As for your performance... clearing it may speed things up a bit, but only if there is some problem in the cache that is causing things to bog down... the process, in and of itself, doesn't speed up your phone.
 

Kane89

Well-known member
Dec 4, 2014
85
0
0
Visit site
Re: Cache partition wipe

Say Golfdriver97. What are the procedures of doing a cache clean on a sprint galaxy note 4 (SM-N910P) Model?

Devil Dog
 

Golfdriver97

Trusted Member Team Leader
Moderator
Dec 4, 2012
35,367
113
63
Visit site
Re: Cache partition wipe

Say Golfdriver97. What are the procedures of doing a cache clean on a sprint galaxy note 4 (SM-N910P) Model?

Devil Dog
Looks like someone beat me to it...lol
I often recommend a reboot to recovery because between the 2 reboots (1 to recovery, and 1 to Android) and the cache clear, that often fixes whatever issue is causing the problem.

From an AOSP M8
 

GregMargie

Well-known member
Mar 21, 2011
1,024
1
0
Visit site
Re: Cache partition wipe

sparksd, Thank you so much for mentioning this again, as I copied and pasted this to my Evernote awhile back, when you had posted these clear and exact instructions.

Although other members are truly helpful and really mean well, they mostly say, "clear your cache partition" and don't always write out the exact instructions for people who have never done it before. A few days ago, a member was told to do this and I posted your exact instructions! I must admit, that I mistakenly forget to note in my saved file who was so generous to write it all out, and said that in my post, because I wanted to give credit where credit is due!! So now I know it was you and I wanted to say THANK YOU so much, because it was the first time I had done this procedure and you helped me to pass on the exact information to others now as well!!!
 

anon8380037

Well-known member
Dec 25, 2013
5,171
0
0
Visit site
Re: Cache partition wipe

Golfdriver97 has been wiping cache partiitions since before babies could ****!
(po + op)
http://forums.androidcentral.com/showthread.php?t=298808

I do it for housekeeping - it's a first port of call for a problem, but I don't think people should be advised this will end a particular issue.

Why Android doesn't just pop up a window every now and then to ask "do you want to clear your cache partiition in Recovery mode now? (recommended)" I will never know.
Windows asks do you want to restart your device now, after an update.
 

GregMargie

Well-known member
Mar 21, 2011
1,024
1
0
Visit site
Re: Cache partition wipe

I do it for housekeeping - it's a first port of call for a problem, but I don't think people should be advised this will end a particular issue.

Why Android doesn't just pop up a window every now and then to ask "do you want to clear your cache partiition in Recovery mode now? (recommended)" I will never know.
Windows asks do you want to restart your device now, after an update.
Great idea. Thant would be nice.
 

sparksd

Well-known member
Aug 20, 2010
1,098
9
0
Visit site
Re: Cache partition wipe

Golfdriver97 has been wiping cache partiitions since before babies could ****!
(po + op)
[Guide] [Info] Custom recoveries versus Stock. Is there a difference? - Android Forums at AndroidCentral.com

I do it for housekeeping - it's a first port of call for a problem, but I don't think people should be advised this will end a particular issue.

Why Android doesn't just pop up a window every now and then to ask "do you want to clear your cache partiition in Recovery mode now? (recommended)" I will never know.
Windows asks do you want to restart your device now, after an update.

My guess is that they made getting to Recovery Mode difficult so people wouldn't get in there and inadvertently do something bad - like a factory reset when they didn't really want to. But yes, it would be nice if it were more convenient.
 

anon8380037

Well-known member
Dec 25, 2013
5,171
0
0
Visit site
Re: Cache partition wipe

My guess is that they made getting to Recovery Mode difficult so people wouldn't get in there and inadvertently do something bad - like a factory reset when they didn't really want to. But yes, it would be nice if it were more convenient.

That's a good thing to point out. I had that worry when I first tried it after advice on here.
The Recovery menu font is small, and Wipe Cache Partition (or whatever the wording) is one after Wipe Data/Factory Reset.
However if Factory reset is accidentally highlighted and selected with the power button, you get another screen where you have to select 1 Yes out of 10 No's on the next screen, so you can't go wrong (unless you let a child near it!).

From Golfdriver97's guide:

Stock%20Wipe%20(480x640).jpg
 

sparksd

Well-known member
Aug 20, 2010
1,098
9
0
Visit site
Re: Cache partition wipe

That's a good thing to point out. I had that worry when I first tried it after advice on here.
The Recovery menu font is small, and Wipe Cache Partition (or whatever the wording) is one after Wipe Data/Factory Reset.
However if Factory reset is accidentally highlighted and selected with the power button, you get another screen where you have to select 1 Yes out of 10 No's on the next screen, so you can't go wrong (unless you let a child near it!).

From Golfdriver97's guide:

View attachment 165492

Yes, you would think that it is ***** proof. I seem to recall having a custom ROM on another device that provided a"Restart in Recovery Mode" option in the power-down menu - that made it more convenient to get to.
 

Golfdriver97

Trusted Member Team Leader
Moderator
Dec 4, 2012
35,367
113
63
Visit site
Re: Cache partition wipe

I seem to recall having a custom ROM on another device that provided a"Restart in Recovery Mode" option in the power-down menu

I think almost all of them do. If not, it's called the Advanced reboot menu and is located in a couple different places. Something to consider about this point though: if you have flashed a custom ROM, it's almost taken for granted that you know how to get into recovery through the physical buttons.

To put a different spin on things: I think this should be printed on a quick start guide.
 

dpham00

Moderator Team VP
Moderator
Apr 23, 2011
30,108
200
63
Visit site
I usually just leave things alone until I notice a slow down. Though sometimes just clearing app cache fixes slow downs so I don't have to bother with going into recovery.
 

natehoy

Well-known member
Sep 2, 2011
2,667
71
0
Visit site
Re: Cache partition wipe

Why Android doesn't just pop up a window every now and then to ask "do you want to clear your cache partiition in Recovery mode now? (recommended)" I will never know.

In stock Android, Google even took away the "Power Down and Restart" option, presumably because they didn't want to imply that doing so was necessary from time to time.

Personally, I think clearing the cache partition should be part of housekeeping at every shutdown, or at least have a setting in developer mode to do that. It's not like there's any data of value stored out there.
 

goin_nil

Well-known member
Jul 1, 2010
1,054
13
0
Visit site

sparksd

Well-known member
Aug 20, 2010
1,098
9
0
Visit site
Re: Cache partition wipe

I wiped the system cache as in your linked post above.

How long does it normally take? Mine was done in less than a second.

Maybe I'm used to the slowness of the "Clear cached data" in settings. It can take several seconds, over a minute.

It is very fast as the partition is not large, nothing like app caches can be.
 

natehoy

Well-known member
Sep 2, 2011
2,667
71
0
Visit site
Re: Cache partition wipe

I wiped the system cache as in your linked post above.

How long does it normally take? Mine was done in less than a second.

Maybe I'm used to the slowness of the "Clear cached data" in settings. It can take several seconds, over a minute.

If it isn't happening almost instantaneously, something is wrong.

In addition to the size, there's a huge difference as to what is happening between deleting cache data and wiping a cache partition.

"Clear cached data" is going through a folder and deleting things file by file. The partition that folder is in has stuff that you do not want deleted - pictures, applications, user settings, and whatnot. The only way to delete the temp data is to blow it away one file at a time (think of clearing TEMP in Windows - that's basically what you are doing)

"System cache" is a dedicated partition (sorta like a separate disk drive). It doesn't have to wipe any data at all. It just needs to reset the area that tells the system that stuff exists on the partition. That's literally changing a couple of thousand bytes at most. The data is actually still there but the OS doesn't know it exists, so it treats it all as empty space. (think of "Quick Format" in Windows - that's basically it).