How to completely remove the threat in the phone Xiaomi Redmi 9: from viruses to spyware

Xiaomi Redmi 9 is one of the most popular budget smartphones, but even it is not immune to viruses, spyware or system failures that mimic “threats.” If your phone starts to slow down, show strange ads or give warnings about viruses in the system, do not panic. In 90% of cases, you can solve the problem yourself — without going to the service center.

In this article, we will discuss all possible types of threats on Redmi. 9 (including Redmi models 9A/9C/9T), We'll learn to distinguish real virus from false positives, and we'll show you step-by-step instructions for cleaning your phone. MIUI, Often unnoticed by standard antiviruses.

1. How to determine the type of threat Xiaomi Redmi 9

Before you remove the threat, you need to understand what you are dealing with. On Redmi 9, the most common are:

• 🦠 Adver viruses – show annoying advertising, redirect in the browser to suspicious sites.
• 🕵️ Spyware steals data (SMS, geolocation, passwords) and sends them to attackers.
• 💣 Trojans – masquerading as legitimate applications (e.g., Update) MIUI"), but perform harmful actions.
• ⚠️ False positives – Security or Cleaner system notifications that mistakenly label secure files as threats.

The easiest way to diagnose is to check the symptoms of infection:

⚠️ Warning: If your phone gives you a warning, "Device infected! Download antivirus immediately," it's 100% fraud. Xiaomi never sends out such notifications!

2. Quick virus testing without installing antivirus

Not all antiviruses are equally useful, some contain advertising modules themselves. Before installing third-party programs, use the built-in MIUI tools:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Show System Processes.
3. Check the list for suspicious applications (for example, with names like com.system.update or android.security, but with an unknown developer).

Also check the application permissions:

• 🔍 Go to Settings. → Confidentiality → Application authorizations.
• Pay attention to applications with access to SMS, Contacts or Device Administrator.
• 🚫 Disable permissions for unknown programs.

💡

Redmi 9 has a hidden virus scanning feature: type ##4636##, select Phone Information → Security Check. This won’t replace a full-fledged antivirus, but it will help you identify obvious threats.

3. Full phone scan: the best antivirus for Xiaomi

If the built-in tools didn't work, it's time to get heavy artillery on the Redmi 9, and the following antiviruses are good for you (the free versions are quite effective):

• 🛡️ Dr.Web Light – lightweight, does not load the system, finds Trojans well.
• 🔍 Malwarebytes – specializes in adver viruses and spyware.
• 📱 Bitdefender Mobile Security is paid, but there is a 14-day trial period (one scan is usually enough).
• 🤖 Kaspersky Mobile Antivirus is reliable, but can conflict with the MIUI Optimizer.

How to properly scan:

1. Install antivirus from Google Play (not from third-party sites!).
2. Update virus databases manually (in antivirus settings).
3. Start a full scan (not fast!).
4. If threats are found, remove them through the antivirus, then reboot the phone.

⚠️ Note: Some antiviruses (e.g. Avast) may conflict with MIUI 12/13 If the phone starts to glittle after installation, remove the antivirus via Safe Mode (press the power button). → Hold "Switch off" → select "Safe Mode").

4. Manual virus removal: step-by-step instructions

If the antivirus fails or you don't trust third-party programs, you can manually remove the threat, which is suitable for adver viruses and applications with administrator rights.

Step 1: Removing suspicious applications

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Sort the list by installation date (new apps are often viruses).
3. Remove anything unknown, especially with names like com.android.system.update flash.player.update security.update

Step 2: Disabling Administrator Rights

Some viruses block their deletion by obtaining administrator privileges to disable them:

1. Open Settings → Passwords and Security → Device Administrators.
2. Uncheck the boxes from unknown applications.
3. Go back to the list of apps and delete them.

Step 3: Clearing the cache and browser data

Viruses often hide in the browser’s cache (especially if you’ve used UC Browser or Opera Mini).

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Browser (or Chrome).
2. Click Warehouse → Clear the cache and Clear the data.
3. Delete all downloaded files in the Download folder.

5. Reset to factory settings: a last resort

If none of these methods work, you'll have a hard reset, which will delete all the data from your phone, including viruses, but also erase your photos, contacts and apps. First, back up!

How to reset Redmi 9 to factory settings:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Select Delete all data (reset to factory data).
3. Confirm the action and wait for the reboot (it will take 5-10 minutes).

Also, set up the built-in MIUI protection:

1. Open Security → Settings → Real-time protection and turn it on.
2. Activate App Scanning and Blocking Malware Sites.
3. Enable Phishing Protection in Google Play Protect settings.

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Redmi 9 has a hidden Sandbox feature for dangerous applications. To enable it, go to Settings → Special Options → Sandbox and add suspicious programs to it, which will work in an isolated environment without access to your data.

7 Frequent errors in virus removal (and how to avoid them)

Many users compound the problem by trying to "cure" the phone with the wrong methods.

• 🚫 Installing antiviruses from advertising – can themselves be viruses.
• 🔧 Using cache cleaners (such as Clean Master) – they often contain advertising modules.
• 📲 Resetting settings without backup – you can lose important data forever.
• 🔌 Google Play Protect Disabled is Android’s built-in protection, it’s best not to touch it.

Also avoid:

• 🔗 Click on the links in the notifications like "Your phone is infected! Download the treatment here".
• 💳 Payments for virus “treatment” – scammers often require payment for a “full version of antivirus".
• 📱 Rooting the phone to remove viruses – without experience, you can turn the Redmi 9 into a “brick".

⚠️ Note: If after all the manipulations the phone still behaves strangely (for example, it turns on the mobile Internet or sends SMS), most likely, the virus has received the rights of a superuser (root), in this case, only flashing through Fastboot or contacting the service center will help.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions