Nexus 6: How to Wipe the Cache Partition

Sometimes the cache partition for Android can become corrupt or cause issues with the Nexus 6, so here is a step by step guide on how to wipe the cache partition on Google’s Nexus 6.

Earlier in this tutorial series I talked about how to boot the Nexus 6 into Safe Mode. This is a very important troubleshooting step that Android users should know about. When a user is having trouble with their Nexus 6, after suggesting Safe Mode, I almost always suggest wiping the cache partition so that we can rule out any possible issues with the cache.

Troubles with the cache partition can be from an application be updated or even after applying an Android update to the Nexus 6. There’s all sorts of little hiccups that can happen to make an Android device malfunction. Even if it seems 100% like a hardware related issue(like slow charging), sometimes it’s software related and a nice clean cache partition can sometimes help.

It should be noted that wiping the cache partition will not cause you to lose any of your data. Data on the cache partition is information stored elsewhere in one of the main storage partitions. It’s just that data on the cache partition is accessed quite frequently so having it there can help speed some things up.

Nexus 6 Wipe Cache Partition

1. Power Down the Nexus 6
2. Then Boot the Nexus 6 into Recovery Mode
3. Press the Volume Down Button to Navigate Down
4. When the ‘Wipe Cache Partition’ Option is Selected, Press the Power Button
5. Make Sure that ‘Yes’ is Highlighted to Confirm the Process
6. Then Press the Power Button to Start the Wipe
7. Wait Until it Says Complete
8. Make Sure the ‘Reboot System Now’ Option is Selected
9. Then Press the Power Button to Reboot the Nexus 6

Explanation

So, in order to wipe the cache partition of the Google Nexus 6, we must first boot up into the device’s recovery mode. To do this, follow the tutorial linked in step 2 of this guide. Essentially, you need to boot the Nexus 6 up into Fastboot Mode in order to access the recovery mode. Once you are in the Nexus 6 recovery mode, you should press the Volume Down button 3 times. Pressing the Volume Down button three times should highlight the ‘Wipe Cache Partition’ option. Once that option is highlighted, go ahead and press the Power button to select it.

You’ll see the menu at the top disappear while the wiping process is happening. As you can see in the image above, you should see some text at the bottom of the screen that is very similar to this. This process can take a while. It took about 5 minutes for me, so please be patient while it wipes the cache partition of the Nexus 6. When it’s done, you’ll see the recovery mode menu at the top of the screen appear again. The top option, ‘Reboot System Now’, should already be selected. So all you have to do is press the Power button to reboot the device back into the regular Android OS.

If you have any questions or run into any issues with this tutorial, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment at the bottom of this tutorial. I might not be able to reproduce the issue and I might not know the answer off the top of my head either. However, I will always do what I can to help out(typically by using Google to help find the answer to the question) so don’t be afraid to ask.

Experiencing difficulties with your Device, check out our “How To” page on how to resolve some of these issues.