Should you clear Android cache regularly? Here's a brief guide on when you should do that

Android smartphones tend to slow down over time, and there are several ways you can partially restore the lost glory of your phone. One such way is to delete the cached data of the Android apps. Here's a small guide on how to delete Android cache for all apps at once. Even though cached data on Android help the apps to perform better, old cached data can be counterproductive. 

Stacked-up cached data might result in some apps running slow. If there's a lot of it, you will run out of space for all the other important things you use your smartphone for. But do you need to delete the Android app cache regularly? I will talk about this specific subject today, on Inkedfreedom.

So without any further delay, let's get started with whether you should clear the Android cache, and if so, how frequently you should do that.

What is cached data for Android apps?

When you use an app on your Android or any other device, it requires some elements, to function properly. While some of them are imperative, without which, your app will not even start. On the other hand, the cached data is useful to make your app run faster and perform better. 

Cached data for Android apps primarily optimize the functionality and performance of the app. So, without cached data, your app will function properly, however, it might be sluggish.

For example, cached data on a web browser refers to those images and scripts that need to be loaded every time you visit a particular website. So if you visit the site frequently, your web browser will cache that data so it is not downloaded at every visit. That will eventually make the website load faster.

Let me explain cached data with a simpler and real-life example. If you work with multiple files at your office, you have to bring them out of the shelves and put them back in the appropriate place at the end of the day. However, if you work with the same set of files regularly, it will be better to keep them at the corner of your table for easier access.

Now, in this situation, if you bring multiple files at the corner of your table, you will have less space to do your regular work, which will be counterproductive for you.

In the same way, if there is limited cached data, that will make your apps run faster. However, if your apps have occupied too much space for cache, that will eventually make your smartphone slower, or make it perform worse.

When to clear Android cache?

Now that you know, the Android app cache is a two-edged sword, you have to effectively deal with it, for getting decent performance, and proper storage utilization. However, if you have a modern smartphone, with decent storage, you hardly have to bother about clearing the Android cache. But, if the cached data of your apps are consuming too much space, or you are running out of storage, on an older device, here’s when you should attempt clearing your Android cache.

Malfunctioning app

If a particular app is malfunctioning on your Android, you should attempt clearing the cache, before you proceed with deleting all the data, which is as good as deleting the app and reinstalling the same. In several situations, if you use an app frequently, a lot of cached data might pile up, eventually resulting in the app working unexpectedly. So, in the case that an app is malfunctioning, clearing the cache might work out for you.

Changed usage pattern

If you are using an app after a long time, and your usage patterns have changed, you can delete the old cached data of the app, to let the app have enough room to build a new cache based on your new usage pattern. 

Say, for example, you were using the Spotify app to listen to songs. But now you use Spotify specifically for consuming podcasts. In this case, you can delete the Spotify app cache before you start consuming podcasts on the app.

In the case of a web browser, if you used to use your Chrome browser especially to access the social networks, and now you use it read news, or do some office work, you should clear your Chrome browser cache to optimize it for your current usage patterns.

In all the ways, your app can build up a new cache that will be useful for you, and at the same time, you can manage your internal storage in a more effective way.

However, most apps today are smart enough to manage the cached data intelligently to make the app work smoothly without messing up with your storage. You should only attempt deleting cached data if you really need it. In 2022, there isn't a good reason to regularly clear cached data.

How effective are cleaner apps?

Just search for cache cleaner on the Google Play Store, and you will find more apps than the number of stars in the galaxy.

These apps promise periodic cleaning of cached data, and will also recommend you to delete unnecessary apps, or big files to offer more free storage. In short, you can clear your internal memory and manage space, all from a single app.

But, I just mentioned at the beginning, why having cached data is important for your apps, and why cleaning them regularly will adversely affect the performance of the apps, and degrade the overall experience.

Clearing cached data often will not just result in degraded performance, but your smartphone will work more to download or build the same cache again. That will eventually lead to more data and power consumption, which isn't something you would want.

Additionally, most cleaner apps do more harm than good. Some of them have already been blacklisted by the Google Play Store, for suspicious activities, while others are simply adware.

However, if you really want to clean the Android cache for all apps at once, you can resort to Files by Google, or Android Assistant, both of which work, even though the user interface might not be that good.

Should I clear Android cache?

Well, answering it in one word isn't possible. You should do it when it's absolutely necessary. You shouldn't make clearing the Android app cache a regular habit like brushing your teeth every morning.

Hope that was useful. Do you have any questions? Feel free to comment on the same below.