19
votes
Clear Caches from ADB?
ADB is close, but things like adb shell pm clear <package_name> to clear caches (and data, oops) from selected apps requires root (as would clearing Dalvik cache). But there's a similar approach ...

Izzy♦
- 88.9k
18
votes
How can I make an Android app "forget" that it installed on my phone before?
tl:dr; addressing OP's question - sorry, no way AFAIK. From Android 10 onwards normal apps can't access IMEI number.
Revised answer with additional inputs from Izzy (thanks)
How do apps (Google or ...
12
votes
Accepted
What is the difference between application cache and data?
App developers decide what information to be kept in "data" and what to be kept in "cache".
Usually, "data" is used for account info, settings, saved activity data, game scores, and whatever is need ...
9
votes
Accepted
What is a cached background process?
When you leave an app that was running in the screen, it stops running, but Android keeps its process in memory. This means that next time you want that app in the foreground, or next time it runs a ...
8
votes
Accepted
Are offline google maps used device wide?
Unfortunately, there is no cross-app sharing of map information.
Firstly, there is a privacy concern - If Google allowed other apps to know your Google Maps offline areas (or infer them, for that ...
7
votes
What is the difference between application cache and data?
In general:
Cache is temporary files. One example might be thumbnails for contacts in a social media app. These can be cleared without any major effect — the app can just download them again ...
7
votes
Clear cache for specific site on Chrome for Android?
From the overflow (3 dots menu)
Settings → Site settings → tap All sites → choose your site
→clear and reset
From Chrome help
Cached images and files: Chrome remembers ...
6
votes
Uninstall app without deleting data
If you run adb with no arguments, the help text will tell you the answer to this question.
adb uninstall -k com.mycompany.myapp
removes the app but leaves the data and cache directories. Similarly,
...
6
votes
Accepted
Is there any benefit to wiping Dalvik Cache after rooting my phone?
As you mentioned you're using Magisk for root, I'm assuming you're running on Android 5 or up.
The answer would be no. You can safely ignore the "Wipe Dalvik Cache" after OTA updating and re-rooting.
...
5
votes
What is Dalvik cache?
Found very insightful information on dalvik-cache at stackoverflow from reputed sources(Google's employees who worked on Dalvik virtual machine platform).
Below is the summary of it, more from ...
4
votes
Moving cache to SD Card? Is it possible?
it is possible, but you will need to get a root.
FolderMount allows to transfer not the apps but their cache. This program requires root access. If you don’t know what root is then go here and here ...
4
votes
How can I make an Android app "forget" that it installed on my phone before?
I don't know exactly how each app implements this but I wold assume that they use the ANDROID_ID. Each app gets an ID that does not change.
ANDROID_ID is a random number generated on first boot after ...
3
votes
Accepted
My Moto 4G is caching everything. Is it a normal behavior?
This is normal behavior, my brother has a moto e (same amount of ram), and it ends up unloading lots of recent apps, if this was a priority you maybe should have gone with a different phone (the moto ...
3
votes
Clear Caches from ADB?
If you have root access, Using adb you can clear cache.
rm -r /data/dalvik-cache
rm -r /cache/dalvik-cache
3
votes
Use sd card as internal storage and stop writing to internal memory for good
Eureka!
Here is how I've done it:
SD card partition and format
Unsure about which partitions I would have been able to relocate, I decided to recreate my sd card with the exact same layout of my ...
3
votes
Android App Cache Security
The "cache" of an app is just a directory inside that app's data directory in /data/data, so there are no special security implications compared with the app's general data. The cache directory has ...
3
votes
Does an Android Factory Reset also clear the cache partition?
Yes, a factory reset clear's the cache, dalvik cache, along with the user data.
<string name="factory_reset1">Wipes Data, Cache, and Dalvik</string>
The information on factory reset is ...
3
votes
Accepted
`Wipe Cache` option missing in Google Pixel 2! (A/B device)
Your device doesn't have /cache partition
Reasons
/Cache partition is not required to be as big on devices which have A/B partition catering to seamless updates since it doesn't need to store OTA ...
3
votes
How can I make an Android app "forget" that it installed on my phone before?
You might need to use a completely different Google account to sign into your phone. It would be interesting to see if a friend is able to log in to their account using your phone; but before risking ...
2
votes
Clear cache and data of Download Manager
In Android 9, go to Settings > Apps & Notifications > App Info. Select 3 dots in upper-right and Show System. Download Manger should show in list now.
2
votes
What is the purpose of the cache?
Cache:-Its a temporary storage file used by websites as well as the applications to store some data on your device.
Cache memory contains references(where to store the settings i.e. in which folder ...
2
votes
OneNote Android Cache
For security and reliability reasons, private app data are stored in a directory that's only accessible by that app, unless you've previously rooted the device. The only data visible from an MTP ...
2
votes
Accepted
How can I force a complete new sync of my Google contacts to my phone?
What I did:
I removed my Google account from my phone, then deleted all data of the Apps: Contacts, Contacts Storage and Google Contact Sync, rebooted the phone and added my Google account again. ...
2
votes
Accepted
Cache size exceeds phone capacity
I fully agree the storage screen shows "incoherent data" (more cache used than there's storage available), so it must have miscalculated.
As your device is already complaining about "low storage", I ...

Izzy♦
- 88.9k
2
votes
How can I make the Gmail app consume less space?
In Gmail's menu open Settings, tap an e-mail account, and decrease the "Days of mail to sync" setting. You can also hit "Manage labels" there to stop syncing certain labels altogether if desired. ...
2
votes
Accepted
How long does it usually take to erase cache?
Why flash cache? Just erase or format would be enough.
Comment made me curious - care to share for what reason erase is unusable?
Either way it should only take a few seconds. Try flashing some ...
2
votes
Accepted
Can I safely delete .facebook_cache folder if I don't have a Facebook app installed?
Quoting from Mathew Read's answer here
Cache is temporary files. One example might be thumbnails for contacts in a social media app. These can be cleared without any major effect — the app can just ...
2
votes
Accepted
Is WebView localStorage stored in the app cache?
The app cache helps the app run faster. Every time an app loads some data (like images and so on) it gets stored in the app cache. If the user opens the app again, this data is not reloaded. It is ...
2
votes
What is CCleaner for Android referring to by "Hidden Cache"?
Other apps mention that as well, e.g. the cleaners of Avast and AVG – so it seems this isn't specific to the app. I would guess they refer to the apps' "private cache" (i.e. a cache directory inside ...

Izzy♦
- 88.9k
2
votes
Exclude an Android/data folder from cache cleanup
There is not an Android built-in feature to exclude a folder from scan. Hiding a folder may be useful but in this case the folder will be created again. So using an app called Clean master lite you ...
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