How to completely clean the clipboard on Xiaomi Redmi 9: from manual cleaning to reset MIUI

The clipboard on Xiaomi Redmi 9 is a temporary storage for text, links and images that you copy while working with your smartphone. Over time, it accumulates a copy history that not only takes up space in memory, but can also become a source of leakage of sensitive data. For example, if you copied a password or bank card number a month ago, this data can still be stored in the system — even after rebooting the device.

Unlike iPhones or smartphones running pure Android, Xiaomi devices based on the MIUI shell have features in managing the clipboard. Here, copy history can be synchronized with the Mi Account, and some system applications (such as Notes or Browser) create their own cached copies. In this article, we will discuss all the ways of cleaning, from standard MIUI tools to hidden functions for power users.

Why Xiaomi Redmi 9 should be cleaned regularly

Many users do not even realize that the history of the clipboard on Redmi 9 is stored longer than on most Android devices. By default, MIUI stores the last 20–50 elements (depending on the firmware version), not only text, but also:

• 🔗 Links to websites (including authorization tokens in URL)
• 📋 Code or command fragments (e.g., Wi-Fi passwords in WPA2-PSK format)
• 🖼️ Miniatures of copied images (even if you didn't insert them)
• 📱 Data from messengers (quotations from Telegram, WhatsApp, etc.)

Moreover, if you are logged in to Mi Account, the buffer history can sync between devices.This means that copied text from Redmi 9 can suddenly appear on your Xiaomi Pad tablet or another smartphone.

• 🔄 Use public Wi-Fi (Attackers can intercept sync)
• 📲 Third-party keyboards installed (some of them read the clipboard)
• 🔓 Handed over the phone for repair or sold it without resetting

⚠️ Warning: In MIUI 12.5-14 versions, the clipboard history is stored encrypted, but the encryption keys are tied to the Mi Account. If a login/password leaks from the account, the attacker will be able to decrypt the data.

Another problem is memory clogging: Cash clipboards can take up to 50-100 MB (especially if you copy images often), and on Redmi 9 with its modest 64/128 GB of memory, this has a noticeable impact on performance.

Method 1: Standard cleaning through MIUI settings

The easiest method is to use the built-in tools of MIUI. It is suitable for users who do not want to go into technical details. Instructions are relevant for Redmi 9 on MIUI 12-14:

1. Open the Settings app (cog icon).
2. Go to the section Additional → Clipboard (on some versions the path may differ: System and device → Clipboard).
3. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Clear History.
4. Confirm the action by clicking Delete.

If you don't have a clipboard on the menu, you've disabled your copy history.

• 🔍 Check Settings → Applications → Application Management → Clipboard.
• 🔄 Restart your phone – sometimes the item appears after the reboot.
• 📱 Update the firmware: in MIUI 13+, the clipboard menu was moved to a separate section.

⚠️ Attention: Standard cleaning only removes text data. Images and files copied through Explorer or Gallery remain in the application cache. They must be deleted separately (see Method 3).

Method 2: Disable the clipboard synchronization with Mi Account

If you're logged in to a Mi Account, the clipboard history can automatically sync to the cloud, which is convenient for transferring data between devices, but creates a risk of leakage, to disable sync:

1. Open the Settings. → Mi Account.
2. Go to Mi Cloud → Synchronization.
3. Find the clipboard and move the slider to the off position.
4. Confirm the shutdown by pressing OK.

After that:

• ✅ No new copies will be saved to the cloud.
• ❌ The old story will remain on Xiaomi servers (it needs to be manually deleted).
• 🔄 When you re-enable the sync, the old story will return to the device.

To erase the story from the cloud:

1. Go to i.mi.com and log in.
2. Open the Cloud section → of the Cashboard.
3. Click Remove All (or highlight unnecessary items and remove them one by one).

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If you often copy sensitive data, use apps with a local clipboard, such as Clipboard Manager (without cloud sync).

Method 3: Clearing the cache of system applications associated with the clipboard

Even after a standard cleaning, some of the data can remain in the cache of system applications. On Redmi 9, the clipboard answers:

• com.miui.clipboard is the main clipboard application.
• com.miui.gallery – stores thumbnails of copied images.
• com.android.inputmethod.latin is the Gboard keyboard cache (if installed).

To clear their cache:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. In the search bar, enter the name of the application (for example, clipboard).
3. Select the app from the list and click Storage.
4. Click Clear Cache and Clear Data (if available).

For power users, there is an alternative method through ADB (requires developer mode enabled):

adb shell pm clear com.miui.clipboard


adb shell pm clear com.miui.gallery

⚠️ Warning: Clearing the data from com.miui.clipboard will reset all clipboard settings, including history and favorites. If you use the "Accessed Elements" function in MIUI, you'll have to reset them, too.

Method 4: Using third-party applications for deep cleaning

If the built-in MIUI tools don't work, you can use third-party utilities.The best options for Redmi 9 are:

Clipboard Manager is not required to root and allows you to:

• 🔒 Encrypt the password copy history.
• 🚫 Add applications to the blacklist (e.g., banking programs).
• 🗑️ Automatically clean the buffer on schedule.

Installation and configuration:

1. Download Clipboard Manager from Google Play.
2. When you first start, grant permission to access the clipboard.
3. Go to Settings → Auto Clean and enable the option to Clean when locking the screen.
4. In the Security section, set the PIN- code to access the history.

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The clipboard side of the application may conflict with MIUI system services. If images stop copying after installation, turn off battery optimization for the application in the settings.

Method 5: Reset MIUI (radical method)

If none of the methods worked, or you want to completely erase all traces of clipboard use (for example, before selling a phone), you can reset MIUI settings.

• 📋 The entire clipboard history (including cloud copies if you turn off sync in advance).
• 🔧 System application settings (including keyboard and conductor).
• 📁 Temporary files related to copying.

Resetting instructions:

1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
2. Press 5-7 times on the MIUI version to activate the developer mode.
3. Return to the main settings menu and go to Additional → Reset settings.
4. Select Reset all settings (not to be confused with Reset to factory – it erases all data!).
5. Confirm the action and wait for the reboot.

⚠️ Warning: Resetting MIUI does not affect user data (photos, videos, messages), but resets: 🔄 Lock screen settings (fingerprint, PIN-code will remain). 📶 Network settings (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, mobile internet). 🎵 Sound profiles and notifications. If you need to erase your entire phone usage history (including clipboard), select Reset to factory but pre-back up.

How to prevent the accumulation of garbage in the clipboard

To avoid clearing the clipboard on Redmi 9 every month, follow these guidelines:

• 🔄 Turn off autosynchronization with Mi Cloud (see Method 2).
• 🚫 Do not copy sensitive data (passwords, card numbers) – use password managers (Bitwarden, KeepassDX).
• 📱 Use alternative keyboards with a local buffer (e.g. AnySoftKeyboard).
• 🗑️ Set up automatic cleaning via Clipboard Manager or MacroDroid.

If you frequently work with text data, consider these applications for secure copying:

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To check which apps have access to your clipboard, install the Clipboard Monitor from F-Droid. It will show which programs read or modify the copied data.

Frequent Questions (FAQ)