Search history in Yandex on Xiaomi Redmi 9 is not just a list of queries, but a potential source of personal data leakage. Even if you use your smartphone only for household tasks, stored search phrases can reveal your interests, location or financial preferences. For example, queries like “how to unblock your Sberbank card” or “the address of the nearest clinic” remain on the system and are available to anyone who has access to the device.
On Redmi 9 (M2003J15SC, M2004J19C, etc.), Yandex’s history is stored in three places simultaneously: in the browser itself, in the Yandex app (if installed), and in the cloud account. Deleting only one source does not guarantee complete cleanup. This article presents unique nuances for MIUI 12/13/14 that are not taken into account in standard instructions, including bypassing Xiaomi’s restrictions on application background activity.
Why the story of Yandex on Redmi 9 behaves differently than on other phones
Xiaomi smartphones based on Redmi 9 have two key features that affect the work of Yandex:
- 🔄 Aggressive optimization MIUI: The system automatically freezes background processes, including synchronizing Yandex history, which means that even after manually cleaning, data can be restored the next time the browser is launched.
- 📱 Dual applications: Some of the firmware Redmi 9 preinstalled two browsers — Mi Browser and Yandex.Browser.
- 🔒 Google Play Limits: Versions of Yandex Services from Xiaomi’s Official Store (GetApps) May Not Support Complete History Cleanup.
Besides, on Redmi. 9 firmware MIUI Global (e.g. versions) 12.5.3 or 13.0.4) There is a common bug: after resetting the history through the browser settings, the old queries remain in the search bar when you enter new characters. /data/data/ru.yandex.searchplugin — folder that is not accessible without root rights.
Method 1: Clearing the history directly in Yandex.Browser
The fastest method, but only works for queries made directly in the browser Yandex.Browser (not to be confused with the search bar on the home screen!) Suitable for Redmi 9 with any version of MIUI, including 14.0.2.
- Open Yandex.Browser (the icon with the letter "I" on a blue background).
- Slap the icon. ☰ (three horizontal lines) in lower right corner.
- Select History.
- Click on the icon. 🗑️ («Basket") in the upper right corner.
- In the window that appears, select the period: Last hour, Today, Yesterday or All the time.
- Confirm the action with the Remove button.
⚠️ Attention: Redmi 9s MIUI 12 and below, a notification may appear after this step, "History is synced to your account" means that the data is still stored in the Yandex cloud. → Account. → Search history (see Method 3).
Make sure the story is empty in the "Recently Closed" section
Check the search bar – do old queries catch up
Reboot your phone (sometimes MIUI recovers the cache after restarting)
Disable synchronization in Yandex account (if not necessary)
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Method 2: Delete history through the Yandex application (search and services)
If you don't use a browser, but a separate Yandex app (with a colorful circle icon), the history is stored separately. On Redmi 9, this app is often pre-installed in the Google or Internet folder.
Instructions:
- Open the Yandex app (not the browser!).
- Slip on the profile avatar in the upper right corner.
- Choose Search History.
- Press three points. ⋮ in the upper right corner and select Remove.
- Specify the date range or select the entire story.
- Confirm removal.
🔹 Nuance for Redmi 9: If the story still shows up after deleting, try it:
- 🔄 Reinstall the app (remove and download from Google Play).
- 📵 Disable synchronization in Settings → Accounts. → Yandex.
- 🧹 Clear the app cache through Settings → Annexes → Yandex → Warehouse → Clear the cache.
What to do if the "Delete" button is inactive?
Method 3: Completely delete your history through your Yandex account (cloud)
This method removes history from all devices where you are logged in under one account.Kritical for Redmi 9, as MIUI can recover data from the cloud even after local cleaning.
Step-by-step:
- Open any browser and go to passport.yandex.ru/profile.
- Sign in under your account.
- Go to Data and History Management (or enter https://history.yandex.ru).
- Select the Search History tab.
- Click Remove and specify the period (recommended for all time).
- Confirm the action via SMS or Yandex.Key.
| Action. | Result on Redmi 9 | Implementation time |
|---|---|---|
| Removal from the browser | It only cleans up local history. | 1-2 minutes |
| Removal through the application | Clears the search history in the services of Yandex | 2-3 minutes |
| Deletion via passport.yandex.ru | Wipes data from all devices | 3-5 minutes (including) SMS-confirmation) |
| Cleaning up MIUI cache | Deletes temporary files, but not history | 1 minute |
⚠️ Note: If Yandex Autocomplete is enabled on Redmi 9 (in keyboard settings), old queries can be saved in sentences even after cleaning:
- Go to Settings → System and Device → Language and Entering → Virtual Keyboard.
- Select the keyboard you use (such as Gboard or SwiftKey).
- Turn off the Yandex Offering or Autocomplete option.
💡
On Redmi 9 with MIUI 13+, it is recommended to turn off background activity for Yandex applications after clearing history. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Yandex → Battery → Background activity → Limit. This will prevent automatic data synchronization.
Additional measures: how to prevent the preservation of history in the future
To avoid clearing Yandex history on Redmi 9 manually every time, set up automatic deletion or disable saving altogether.
- 🔄 Autoclean in the browser: Open Yandex.Browser. Go to Settings → Confidentiality: Enable Automatically delete history and specify the period (e.g., Every week).
- 🚫 Disable your account search history: Go to history.yandex.ru. In the History Settings section, turn off the switch Save Search History.
Use of the incognito regime
- In Yandex.Browser, tap on the icon 👤 lower-right.
- Select Incognito Mode (a hat and glasses icon).
- All search queries are not saved in this mode.
🔹 Important for Redmi 9: In MIUI 14 added Secure Window (similar to Samsung Secure Folder) You can run Yandex.Browser in protected mode so that the story is not stored either locally or in the cloud:
- Go to Settings → Privacy → Secure window.
- Add Yandex.Browser to the list of protected applications.
- Run your browser only through the Secure window (the icon will appear on the desktop).
💡
On Redmi 9 with MIUI 12-14, even after disabling the history in Yandex settings, data can be saved to Mi Account (Xiaomi cloud). To completely eliminate the leak, disable browser backup in Settings → Xiaomi Account → Cloud → Backup → Yandex.Browser.
What to do if history is not deleted: advanced methods
If the standard methods do not work, the problem may lie in:
- 🔐 Root rights: On some of the firmware Redmi 9 (For example, custom xiaomi.eu Yandex history is stored in a secure folder /data/data/ru.yandex.searchplugin/databases. You need a Root Explorer to clean it.
- 📱 Double accounts: Check if you are logged in to multiple Yandex accounts at the same time (for example, personal and work accounts).
- 🔄 Cash. MIUI: Sometimes the data is recovered from the system cache. Try to clear it through Settings. → The phone. → Memory. → Clear the cache.
🛠️ Instructions for users with root rights:
- Install a file manager with root support (such as FX File Explorer).
- Cross the path. /data/data/ru.yandex.searchplugin/databases.
- Delete the files: search_history.db suggestions.db yandex_search_prefs.xml
- Reboot the phone.
⚠️ Note: Manual deletion of files can cause Yandex services to malfunction. Before doing so, back up your databases folder.