Memory Cleanup on Xiaomi Redmi 9A: A Complete Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions

Xiaomi Redmi 9A is one of the most popular budget smartphones, but its modest 32 GB of internal memory is quickly clogged with photos, apps and system debris. If your phone starts to slow down, issue notifications about space shortages or refuse to install updates, it’s time to clean up. In this article, we will discuss 7 effective ways to free up memory on the Redmi 9A without losing important data, including hidden MIUI functions and third-party tools.

The feature of this model is the lack of a microSD slot in the basic configuration (there are modifications with support for memory cards), so owners have to carefully monitor the free space. Fortunately, even without a memory card, you can free up to 5-7 GB by removing unnecessary files, cache and optimizing the system. Next - detailed instructions with illustrations (analogues of screenshots) and warnings about possible errors.

1. Analysis of occupied space: what exactly eats memory?

Before you start cleaning, it's important to understand which files are taking up the most space. MIUI has a built-in tool for this - Settings → Phone → Memory. Here you'll see a diagram of the memory distribution by category:

• 📸 Photos and videos – usually lead in volume (especially if you shoot in high resolution).
• 🎵 Audio – music, podcasts, voice messages.
• 📱 Applications - programmes themselves + their data (cache, downloads, settings).
• 🗑️ System files – updates, log files, temporary data.
• 📄 Other files - documents, APK, archive.

Click on any category to see the details. For example, in the Apps section, you can sort programs by size and identify the most voracious. Look at applications that have been out of use for a long time, but take hundreds of megabytes to remove or clean.

⚠️ Note: If the System Files section is more than 10 GB occupied, this may indicate errors in the work MIUI Or the accumulation of logs after failures, in which case only resetting to factory settings will help (more about this at the end of the article).

2.Cleaning App Cache: A Quick Way to Free 1–3 GB

Cache is a temporary file that applications create to speed up work. Over time, they accumulate and can take several gigabytes. Cache cleaning is safe: applications will simply create new files the next time they run.

Method 1: Clearing the cache for individual applications

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select an app (such as YouTube or Facebook).
3. Click Clear Cache (not to be confused with Clear Data – it will delete settings and accounts!).

Method 2: Mass cache cleaning (for all applications at once):

1. Open Settings → Memory → Cleaning.
2. Click Clear Cache (blue button at the bottom).
3. Confirm the action.

After clearing the cache, some apps (like Google Maps or Instagram) can take longer to load on the first run – that’s normal.

3. Delete unnecessary applications and junk files

Redmi 9A has a lot of Xiaomi and Google system apps pre-installed, many of which are never used. Unfortunately, some of them can't be removed without root permission, but the rest can be deactivated or manually removed.

How to remove unnecessary applications:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Sort the list by size (click on the three dots in the upper right corner).
3. Select the application you want to remove and click Delete.

Which applications can be safely removed:

• 🎮 Xiaomi Games (Mi Game Center, Mi Play) – if you don’t play.
• 📰 News aggregators (Mi Browser, News) – if you use Chrome or Yandex.
• 🎵 Music services (Mi Music, Google Play Music) – if you listen to music in other apps.
• 📊 Analytics (User Feedback, Analytics) – Collects Data for Xiaomi.

⚠️ Note: Do not delete system applications called com.android. or com.miui. - this may cause your phone to fail.If in doubt, it is better to deactivate the application via Disable.

You can use ADB to remove pre-installed applications without root rights (instruction below), but this requires a connection to a computer.

4. Transfer files to a memory card (if supported)

Some Redmi 9A modifications (e.g. Redmi 9A NFC) support microSD cards up to 512GB. If your model is equipped with a slot, file transfer will help free up internal memory.

How to transfer files to a memory card:

1. Insert the microSD card into the slot (if the phone supports it).
2. Open Files (standard MIUI application).
3. Select files (photos, videos, music), click Select → Move → Specify the memory card.

How to make a memory card the main storage:

This method allows you to install applications directly on the SD:

1. Go to Settings → Memory → SD card.
2. Click Format as internal memory (all data on the map will be deleted!).
3. After formatting, select Transfer Data.

⚠️ Note: If you format your memory card as internal, it won’t be read on other devices (e.g., your computer or other phone) and don’t remove the card without first “disabling” the settings – this can cause data loss.

5. Optimization of photo and video storage

Photos and video are the main memory eaters. On the Redmi 9A, the camera shoots up to 13 MP and video shoots in Full HD, so even a few videos can take up gigabytes. Here's how to reduce their weight:

Method 1: Compress photos via Google Photos

• 📱 Install the Google Photos app.
• 🔄 Enable Backup and Synchronization.
• 🗑️ Choose Quality. → Saving space (photos will be compressed to a reasonable size).
• ☁️ After downloading to the cloud, the originals can be removed from the phone.

Method 2: Changing the camera resolution

If you don’t want the best quality:

1. Open the camera. → Settings (cogs).
2. Select the resolution of the photo and set 9 MP instead of 13 MP.
3. For video, choose 720p instead of 1080p.

Method 3: Remove duplicates and failed shots

Use apps like Files by Google or CCleaner to find:

• 🔍 Duplicate photos.
• 🗑️ Blurred or dark images.
• 🎥 Unsuccessful videos (for example, accidentally recorded).

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Before deleting your photos, check if they are stored in the cloud (Google Photos, Mi Cloud) or on your computer. Use the Recycle Bin function in the gallery - deleted files are stored there for 30 days.

6.Use of cloud storage and external storage

If the phone is catastrophically lacking space, and the memory card is not, help cloud storage or external drive (for example, a flash drive through the memory card). OTG-adapter).

Cloud services:

• ☁️ Google Drive – 15GB free, Google Photos integration.
• ☁️ Mi Cloud – 5 GB free, sync with Xiaomi account.
• ☁️ Yandex Disk – 10 GB free, convenient for Russian users.

How to transfer files to the cloud:

1. Install a cloud storage application.
2. Download files manually or enable automatic synchronization.
3. Delete local copies after download (but make sure the files are in the cloud!).

External drives:

If you have OTG-adapter USB-C → USB-A), plugged in:

• 💾 Flash drive (up to 256 GB).
• 🖥️ External hard drive (additional power will be required).

Files can be transferred through Files → USB-accumulator.

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Cloud storage saves space, but requires a stable internet connection to access files. External drives are convenient for backups, but easy to lose.

7. Reset to factory settings: a last resort

If all previous methods failed, and the phone still slows down or gives out errors about memory shortages, then the reset to factory settings will delete all data, including apps, photos and settings, so make a backup beforehand.

How to reset Redmi 9A to factory settings:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Choose to erase all data.
3. Enter your password (if installed).
4. Confirm the reset.

What will be removed:

• 📋 Contacts, SMS, Call log (unless synced with Google or Mi Cloud).

⚠️ Warning: After reset, the phone will restart and return to the "out of the box" state. Do not interrupt the process, this may lead to the inability to turn on the device. If the reset has been getting stuck on the Redmi logo for longer than 10 minutes, contact the service center.

After reset, don't restore data from the backup right away - first check how the phone works without unnecessary files. Install applications selectively, avoiding those that previously took up a lot of space.

FAQ: Frequent questions about memory cleanup on Redmi 9A