Not all are the same Differences between App Cache and System Cache and How to Clear Them
Hidden. We don't see it, but it's there, and it's well-connected to our smartphones (as it is to many other devices). The cache of Android phones is essential on many occasions, but useless on many others.
More specifically in the case of Android, we can say that we find several types of files stored in the cache. On the one hand we have applications, and on the other hand the system. Let's see what the differences are and which of these data can be deleted (and how).
- Cache in itself does not mean anything bad.
We should start by reminding what a cache is basically. It is not a component in itself, nor a software element. It is the name given to a specific section of ROM that is reserved for storing some temporary data.
In itself, having cached files is not a bad thing. Moreover, it can be very useful to improve performance or save battery and mobile data. Examples of cached items are web page images, which is useful so that when you re-enter the page in question, it is done faster.
The problem comes when these files accumulate too many and end up taking up a lot of space in the device's memory. Even more so when they are not necessary because, continuing with the previous example, we usually do not need to return to that web page we entered.
Coming back to the topic of cache file types, applications have two ways of storing temporary files. On the one hand, they keep certain data in RAM during the time the application is open (or running in the background) and on the other hand, they keep certain data regardless of whether the application is closed, which goes to ROM.
We also find the Android system cache itself. In essence, it serves the same purpose as the applications, but as far as the operating system itself is concerned, it ensures good performance and that all processes run without any problem.
- The application cache is one that can be easily emptied.
If you are determined to completely clear your mobile phone’s cache, you should know how to do it. If what you want is to delete the temporary cache stored in the RAM, all you have to do is close the app and restart your phone. When you turn on the device again, all those files will be gone, and will not appear unless you open it again.
If what you want is to clear the cache stored in your mobile phone's ROM, the process of doing so is very simple:
- Open the mobile phone settings and enter the “Applications” section.
- Select the app whose cache you want to empty there and click on it.
- Now go to the “Storage & Cache” section of the app.
- Click on “Clear cache” (it is important not to confuse this with “Clear storage,” which will delete all of the app’s data, although it will not uninstall it).
As you can see, this is a rather tedious process, as it requires going from app to app. To do a deeper clean of all apps at once, it is advisable to use dedicated apps. Google's app called Google Files can help you do this through its "Clean" section.
On the other hand, we must say that the system cache is emptied automatically. Doing it manually is not recommended as it may compromise the proper functioning of the device, but it is also not easy.
To do this, you'll need to access the system cache partition, which can be done through Android recovery mode.
