topic Re: Unable to Clear Cache in Galaxy S23 Ultra in Galaxy S23

Unable to Clear Cache in Galaxy S23 Ultra

Sammix — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 15:57:01 GMT

When I follow Samsung's official instructions to clear the cache in my up-to-date Galaxy S23 Ultra, I am brought to an aqua colored screen that says "Downloading ..." and is accompanied by lots of cryptic (to me) technical information, like Carrier, RPMB, CURRENT BINARY, FRP Lock, KG Status, etc.

The VOLUME UP button does nothing and the VOLUME DOWN button just dims the screen. Pressing the side button restarts the phone and I'm back where I started.

I just want to clear the cache - why is it so hard?

Re: Unable to Clear Cache in Galaxy S23 Ultra

LongHiker — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 16:25:49 GMT

@Sammix Try this:

Turn off your phone
Press the volume up and side key until you see the Samsung banner. Then you can let go of both buttons.
This should present you with a black screen which has orange text at the top, blue text in the middle and white text at the bottom of the screen.
Use the volume down button to move down until Wipe cache partition is selected.
Press the side key to wipe the cache partition.
After it is complete (very fast), the Reboot system now will be highlighted. Click the side key to reboot.

Re: Unable to Clear Cache in Galaxy S23 Ultra

Sammix — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 16:52:44 GMT

Press the volume up and side key until you see the Samsung banner. Then you can let go of both buttons.
This should present you with a black screen which has orange text at the top, blue text in the middle and white text at the bottom of the screen.

Afraid not.

Doing this results in a dim, aqua-colored screen that says:

Warning! A custom OS can cause critical problems in phone and installed applications. If you want to download a custom OS, press the volume up key.

Volume up: Continue

Volume down: Cancel (reset phone)

Side key: Show bar code

-------

I surely don't want to reset my phone, so I pressed the side key, which shows three bar codes and then "Side key: Download Mode"

With no other choice presented, I pressed the side key. That brought me to the aqua-colored screen that I described in my original post.

Re: Unable to Clear Cache in Galaxy S23 Ultra

LongHiker — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 17:01:00 GMT

@userNN0zYFKx8o It sounds like you are holding the volume up AND volume down button down. You only want to hold the volume up button.

Re: Unable to Clear Cache in Galaxy S23 Ultra

Sammix — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 18:12:58 GMT

Ta-DA. I had to hold the Volume Up button by its very most upper edge to make this work, but I succeeded. Thanks.

Re: Unable to Clear Cache in Galaxy S23 Ultra

Sarge2 — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 20:51:45 GMT

Yes I had the same issue on only 1 of my 3 S23's after receiving the March 2024 update.
I ended up following the powering off the phone, then held the volume up and power off as usual and received the green screen as well.
I ended up powering off, plugging the phone into a charger and holding the volume up and power on key all at the same time and the recovery screen appeared as normal.
My other S23's did not require the charging step so no explanation as to why this occurred as they were all at 80% charge.

Re: Re: Unable to Clear Cache in Galaxy S23 Ultra

Faith7777 — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 21:20:03 GMT

Hi, I noticed on the S24 Ultra before I sent it back that it was missing the repair apps function on the bottom.
Does anyone know why I decided to keep my S23 Ultra? I didn't feel there was much of an upgrade.
PS This is an excellent, detailed step in this process.
I screenshot it because I always have a hard time explaining how to do this step.

Re: Unable to Clear Cache in Galaxy S23 Ultra

stratguy — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 08:19:28 GMT

Your phone must be connected to a computer via USB to access boot menu . Connect to computer then power on the phone holding power and volume up. When Samsung logo appears let go . Boot menu will appear use volume buttons to navigate to clear cache portion then click the power button . I just did my s23ultra and my wife's.

Re: Unable to Clear Cache in Galaxy S23 Ultra

LongHiker — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 12:49:54 GMT

@stratguy "Your phone must be connected to a computer via USB to access boot menu ."

Have never had to do this.

For a tablet, yes there must be a USB connection before you can access that menu. But not for a phone.

Re: Unable to Clear Cache in Galaxy S23 Ultra

userImizherPxv — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 02:47:12 GMT

So I have a question. What cache are you trying to clear? That isn't accessible through the application files or through folders. Or are you saying you're well? Are you all giving instructions to clear? All cache, including that which is in the applications folder including that, which may be trash ghost image files. And everything else that I don't know about?

Re: Re: Unable to Clear Cache in Galaxy S23 Ultra

stratguy — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 05:21:13 GMT

That's the only way both my s23ultras will access boot menu. No other way. Samsung support told me this and it works every time. I can't access boot menu without doing this. I've tried many times. It's up to you take it or leave it. It works for me instantly.

Re: Re: Unable to Clear Cache in Galaxy S23 Ultra

Robin621k — Fri, 15 Mar 2024 00:37:54 GMT

On my Tab S9, I don't have to connect to anything to access the bootloader menu.
It's the same as my phone!

Re: Re: Unable to Clear Cache in Galaxy S23 Ultra

Robin621k — Fri, 15 Mar 2024 00:39:43 GMT

It's to Wipe Cache Partition, systems cache, instead of app caches. It's for when there are buggy system problems

Re: Re: Re: Unable to Clear Cache in Galaxy S23 Ultra

userImizherPxv — Fri, 15 Mar 2024 02:01:04 GMT

Yes, I am certain I would break the internet. If I did that or at bare minimum further damage my device. But I've been more comfortable with performing maintenance and things like that and I guess ultimately doing more. So how? Did you know that it was time to move towards I? Guess doing something to device because it was becoming buggy. How? Did you know that a particular you know a short coming? Or fill your with your device, you know what? What? What caused you in realize that?

Re: Re: Re: Re: Unable to Clear Cache in Galaxy S23 Ultra

Robin621k — Fri, 15 Mar 2024 02:36:24 GMT

I do it once a week, usually every Sunday night.

It keeps my phone in tip top shape.

Re: Unable to Clear Cache in Galaxy S23 Ultra

FooBar1234 — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 04:59:33 GMT

I can confirm that wiht my S24 Ultra (purchased and used in SG and always updated), as of today and maybe also at earlier stages of firmware updates, it is necessary to plug the USB cable into a COMPUTER in order to access the maintenance/engineering black screen with the WIPE CACHE option.

Power off phone, connect cable to a PC, press VOLUME UP and then POWER, and keep both pressed untill the Samsung banner appears.

Plug the USB in the charger in not enogh, and without it, it WON'T work. If the USB cable is not connected, the boot will continue normally ignoring the keys.

Re: Unable to Clear Cache in Galaxy S23 Ultra

LongHiker — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 14:48:35 GMT

@FooBar1234 What is the model name of your S24 Ultra? Are you in the US?

Curious since plugging in a USB cable on an S24 Ultra, and other Samsung US Phones, is generally not needed.