How to Clean Up Your Memory on Xiaomi Redmi 9A Without Losing Data

Xiaomi Redmi 9A — One of the most popular budget smartphones, but its main problem is known to all owners: only 32 GB of internal memory, of which about 22-25 GB is available to the user. After a few months of active use, the device begins to slow down, issue notifications about the lack of space, and photos and applications cease to be saved. In this article, we will analyze 7 working methods of cleaning memory - from basic (cache removal) to radical (reset to factory settings), and also tell you how to transfer applications to the factory. SD-Root-Law Card and Why Standard Cleaners Often Harm the System.

Feature of Redmi 9A — lack of slot for second SIM-So many people have to choose between extra memory and a second SIM, and we tested all the methods on firmware. MIUI 12.5 and MIUI 13 (I've got some advice from the Internet, including the global and Chinese versions, and I've highlighted the ones that have the maximum effect without the risk of damaging the system. Android/obb manually) can cause game disruptions – we’ll tell you how to do it correctly.

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

Before you start cleaning, you need to understand which files take up the most space. Redmi 9A has built-in tools for this, but they often hide the real picture. For example, the system can show that "Other files" take up 10 GB, but not specify what files they are.

How to check the details:

• 📊 Open the Settings. → The phone. → Memory. Here you'll see a diagram of how memory is categorized: Applications, Multimedia, Files, Cash.
• 🔍 Click on category (e.g., "Applications") → Sort by size. The top 3-5 apps usually eat up the lion's share of memory.
• 📁 For detailed analysis, use a file manager (such as Mi File Manager or Solid Explorer). Go to the root folder and see the folder sizes: DCIM — Photos and videos; Download – downloads from the browser; Android/obb — game-cash; WhatsApp/Media — messenger media.

Note that the Android/data folder can weigh several gigabytes, which is application data (save games, downloaded maps to Google Maps, etc.) You can’t manually remove it, it will cause malfunctions in the program. Use only built-in functions or specialized utilities to clean it.

2. Cleaning of cache and garbage without programs

Cache is a temporary file that creates applications to speed up work, and over time, they accumulate and can take anywhere from 1 to 5 GB. Unlike these applications, cache can be deleted without consequences.

How to clear the cache:

• 🧹 Single App: Settings → Annexes → Select an application → Warehouse → Clear the cache.
• 🗑️ All applications at once: Settings → The phone. → Memory. → Clear the cache (button at the bottom of the screen).
• 📲 System application cache: Some preinstalled programs (such as Mi Video or Music) also accumulate cache. They can not be deleted, but the cache can be cleared.

Important: don’t confuse Clear Cache and Clear Data. The second action will delete all settings and files of the application (for example, save in games or logins), and don’t use cleaners like Clean Master – they often delete the desired files and show false notifications about viruses.

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If the app is slower after cleaning the cache, it's normal, and the cache will recover as it's used, and the speed will return to normal after 1-2 days.

3. Removal of unnecessary applications and their residues

Redmi 9A has many system applications (Mi Pay, Mi Community, GetApps, etc.) that cannot be removed by standard means, but some can be disabled so that they do not take up memory and consume battery power.

How to remove or disable applications:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the unnecessary application → click “Delete” (if the button is active) or “Disable”.
3. Root rights will be required to completely remove system applications, but this is risky and unwarranted.

List of safe apps to disable on Redmi 9A:

Once you delete the apps, check the Android/obb folder, which can contain remote game files, and you can delete them manually through the file manager.

Check if the application is connected to system functions

Make a backup copy of the data (if necessary)

Remove the cache before uninstallation

Reboot your phone after mass removal-->

4. Transfer applications and files to SD-map

The Redmi 9A supports microSD up to 512GB, but porting applications to a memory card is limited. Not all programs can be moved, and some programs run slower after transfer, but it's one of the most effective ways to free up internal memory.

How to transfer applications to SD-map:

1. Insert microSD into the slot (remove the second one if necessary) SIM-map).
2. Go to Settings. → Annexes → Select the application → Warehouse → Change. → SD-map.
3. Confirm the transfer. The process may take a few minutes.

Important nuances:

• 📱 Not all apps support portability, such as WhatsApp, Google Play Services and most system utilities cannot be moved.
• 🔄 After the transfer, the application may run slower, especially if SD-Class 4 or Class 6 card, which requires Class 10 or Class 6 to function normally UHS-I.
• ⚠️ If you're SD-The card, the transferred applications will cease to work until it is returned.

To transfer files (photos, videos, music) use the file manager:

1. Open Mi File Manager.
2. Select files → click “cut” or “copy”.
3. Go to the folder on SD-map → press "Insert".

5. Cleaning up multimedia: photos, videos and duplicates

Photos and video are the main memory eaters. On the Redmi 9A, the camera shoots video at 1080p resolution, and one minute takes about 120-150 MB. Many users store duplicates, failed shots and screenshots that are not needed for a long time.

How to make room:

• 📸 Remove duplicates: use the Google Photos app (memory clearing function) or Files by Google (clean up section").
• 🎥 Video compression: Apps like Video Compress or InShot can reduce file size by 30-50% without severe quality loss.
• 🗃️ Move to the cloud: upload your photo to Google Photos, Yandex Drive or Mi Cloud, and then delete local copies.
• 🔍 Check the Screenshots folder: screenshots often take several gigabytes. delete unnecessary ones or archive them in ZIP.

Tip: In the camera settings (Settings → Camera → Video resolution), you can reduce the shooting quality to 720p if you do not need Full HD. This will reduce the file size by 2-3 times.

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One hour of video in 1080p = ~7-9 GB If you make a lot of videos, transfer them to the SD-map or cloud immediately after shooting.

6. Factory reset: when is it necessary?

If all previous methods failed and the phone still brakes or gives an error "Not enough memory", you will have to resort to a hard reset. This will delete all data, including apps, photos and settings, so be sure to make a backup.

How to reset Redmi 9A to factory settings:

1. Save important data on SD-map, computer or cloud.
2. Go to Settings → About Phone → Resetting → Erase all data.
3. Enter the password (if set) and confirm the reset.
4. After the reboot, the phone will look like new.

What will be removed:

• 📱 All installed applications and their data;
• 📷 Photographs, videos and music;
• 📞 Contacts (unless synced with Google or Mi Account);
• 🔑 Wi-Fi passwords and system settings.

⚠️ Note: If you forget your Mi Account password and reset your phone, Mi Cloud Lock may be activated, in which case you will need to enter Xiaomi account details after the reset. If the account is not tied or you do not remember the data, the phone may be blocked!

After discharge:

• Don’t restore all the data at once, it will fill up the memory again.
• Install only the necessary applications.
• Set up automatic cache cleanup in Settings → About Phone → Memory → Autoclean.

7. Additional tips: how to prevent memory filling

To prevent memory loss from returning, follow these guidelines:

• 📲 Turn off auto-update apps in Google Play: Settings → Auto-update of applications → Never.
• 📧 Limit Media Downloads in Messengers: On WhatsApp: Settings → Warehouse → Autoboot media → Wi-Fi only. Telegram: Settings → Data and memory → Autoboot media → Never.
• 🔄 Clean up downloads regularly: Download folder is often clogged with unnecessary files (APK, PDF, ZIP).
• 📊 Use the lighter versions of the apps: Facebook Lite instead of Facebook; Messenger Lite instead of Messenger; Twitter Lite (web version) instead of the official client.

If you install games frequently, use Google Play Games with Game Management – it lets you remove unused games while saving progress in the cloud.

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Install SD Maid (requires root) or Files by Google (runs without root) to automatically search for garbage, and they find temporary files, empty folders, and remnants of deleted applications.

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning Redmi memory 9A