How to effectively clean the memory on Xiaomi Redmi Note 9

Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 has proven to be a reliable device with excellent value for money, but over time, even 128 gigabytes of internal memory can be busy. Owners often face a message about a lack of space, which leads to slowdown of the interface, inability to install updates or take new photos. MIUI system, based on Android, accumulates a lot of temporary files that require regular cleaning.

Freeing up space is not just about removing old images, it's about taking a comprehensive approach to data management. You need to understand the difference between user files, app cache, and system reserves. In this article, we'll take a look at all the optimization techniques available, from built-in tools to manually removing hidden junk files, so that your Redmi Note 9 works fast again.

Before we start taking any drastic measures, we need to assess the current state of the storage facility, which will allow us to understand what is taking up the lion’s share of resources, and choose the most effective cleaning strategy without losing important information.

Storage occupancy analysis and system tools

The first step is always diagnostics. The MIUI shell has a powerful built-in tool that allows memory visualization. Go to the Settings menu → Phone → Storage to see a detailed breakdown by category. Here you will immediately notice which sections need attention: applications, images or system files.

The system analyzer will show the amount of data each application is using. It often turns out that social networks or messengers have grown to several gigabytes because of accumulated media files. Using a standard analyzer helps to identify such "eaters" of space without installing third-party software.

It is important to pay attention to the Other section. System data can be significant if the phone has not restarted for a long time or if there were failures when updating applications. In some cases, cleaning this section requires more in-depth intervention, but it is worth starting with basic analysis.

• 📊 Open Settings and find the Storage item for a general review.
• 📱 Click on the “Apps” category to sort them by size.
• 🗑️ Use the “Clean” button to remove obvious debris in the cache section.
• 📸 Check the Images and Videos section for duplicates.

⚠️ Note: Do not delete files from system folders unless you are sure of their purpose.

After the initial analysis, you'll see where you're going, and if you're taking the bulk of the space in the photos, the solution is the same, but if the memory is filled with the cache of the games, the approach is different.

Using the “Security” app and cleaning the cache

Each Xiaomi device has a Security app preinstalled, which is the main tool for maintaining the system. Run it and select Cleanup. The scanner will automatically find temporary files, remnants of deleted applications and advertising debris.

Unlike the standard Android analyzer, the utility from Xiaomi is able to find specific files of the package manager and installation. APK-Regular use of this feature helps keep the phone in good shape, but it is worth remembering that deep cleaning can delete saved passwords in the browser or authorization data in some applications.

Special attention should be paid to cleaning the cache of specific applications. Go to Settings → Apps → All applications, select a heavy app (for example, YouTube or TikTok) and click “Clear cache”. Importantly, do not confuse it with the “Clean all” button, which will reset the application to factory state by removing your logins and settings.

• 🧹 Run the built-in cleaner at least once a week.
• 🚫 Avoid installing third-party accelerators from the Play Market, they often contain ads.
• 📦 Remove the old ones. APK-installer files via the “Package Installer” menu».

Cache is temporary data that speeds up programs, but it starts to slow down over time, and regular cache cleaning makes room without losing user data.

Working with multimedia: gallery, Google Photos and clouds

Photos and video are the main memory consumers on a modern smartphone. The Redmi Note 9 camera takes high-quality pictures that can weigh a lot, especially in HDR or when recording high-resolution video. First of all, check the “Recently Deleted” folder in the Gallery – files are stored there for 30 days and take up space.

The best solution for Android users is sync with Google Photos, set up automatic upload to the cloud with the Free Space function, which will remove from the device those pictures that are already stored in the cloud, leaving them available for viewing over the Internet, which allows you to store thousands of photos without wasting the internal memory of the Redmi Note 9.

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Use the Traffic Saving mode in Google Photos to download compressed copies of images that take up 3-4 times less cloud space than the originals.

Also worth checking is the messenger folders. WhatsApp, Telegram and Viber automatically save all received images and videos to the gallery. In the settings of each messenger, you can turn off auto-save media to the gallery, leaving access to them only inside the application itself, which will significantly reduce duplicate files.

Remember video files. One minute of 4K recording can take hundreds of megabytes. If you don't plan on mounting a video on your phone, it makes sense to transfer the videos to your computer or external hard drive right after you shoot.

Application management and removal of unused software

Often users forget about apps that they stopped using months ago. Each application takes up space not only with its installation file, but also with the data it continues to collect or store. Go through the installed apps list and ruthlessly delete what you don't use.

Pay special attention to games. Modern mobile games can weigh 2-3 gigabytes or more. If you have played a game and do not plan to return, removing it is the fastest way to free up a significant amount of memory. Also check the update settings in Google Play: disable auto-update apps over the mobile network and configure the update only over Wi-Fi to avoid accumulating temporary update files.

Some apps allow you to clear your data without deleting it, such as navigators that can delete downloaded offline maps if they are no longer needed, or streaming services (Spotify, Netflix) that download tracks and movies for listening without the Internet, which often weigh a lot.

• 📲 Remove apps that haven’t been used for more than 3 months.
• 🎮 Check the size of the game cache before deleting, sometimes it is larger than the app itself.
• 📉 Use the “Light Versions” of apps (Lite), they take up less space.

Control of installed software is the key to free memory: the less digital junk a phone has, the faster it runs and the less likely it is to face a critical shortage of space.

Expanding memory by means of SD-map

The Redmi Note 9 comes with a hybrid slot that allows you to use a microSD card. This is a great solution for storing photos, videos and music, but it is not recommended to use it for installing applications, since the read speed is not recommended. SD-cards are significantly lower than the speed of internal flash memory, which can lead to slowing down of the system.

Once you have the memory card installed, the system will suggest using it as Portable Storage or Internal Storage, select the first option for reliability, then in the storage settings, you can transfer some of the data (photos, videos, documents) to an external medium. To do this, in the Explorer application, select files, click “Move” and specify the path to SD-map.

⚠️ Note: When formatting a memory card for internal storage, all data on it will be deleted. Be sure to make a backup before this procedure.

Using external memory allows you to unload the main partition. Configure the camera so that new photos and videos are stored immediately on the memory card. → Save it on. SD-map.

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SD-The card is ideal for multimedia, but applications are best kept in internal memory for maximum processor performance.

Remember that memory cards tend to wear out, check their condition periodically and back up important data stored on them, as they are more vulnerable to damage than the built-in memory chip.

Radical measures: reset to factory settings

If none of the above methods worked and the memory is constantly overflowing with incomprehensible system files, it may be that the system has accumulated errors or fragmentation of files has reached a critical level, in which case the most effective solution would be a complete reset to factory settings (Hard Reset).

This procedure will return the phone to a “store-like” state, all your data, contacts, photos and apps will be deleted, so make sure to create a full backup through Mi Cloud or Google Account before you start, and also copy important files to your computer.

To perform the reset, go to Settings → About Phone → Settings Reset → Erase all data. The phone will reboot and start the cleanup process, which can take 10-15 minutes. Once turned on, you will get a clean system with maximum free memory.

• 💾 Backup all important data before resetting.
• 🔋 Make sure the battery is at least 50%.
• 📶 Do not interrupt the reset process, even if the phone seems to be getting stuck.

After reset, take your time to install all the applications at once, install only the necessary programs and monitor how memory is used in the first days of use, which will help you understand which application may have caused problems before.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)