How to Clean Xiaomi 9 Pro: 7 Proven Ways to Get Back to Speed

Xiaomi 9 Pro is a flagship smartphone with powerful hardware, but even it eventually begins to “brake” due to clogged memory, fragmented files and accumulated system debris. If your device is slower to respond to touch, applications are long open and the storage mysteriously “disappears”, it’s time to do a general cleaning. In this article, 7 working methods of cleaning, from basic to advanced, taking into account the features of the MIUI firmware and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ hardware platform.

We’ll look at not only the standard tools, but also hidden features that Xiaomi doesn’t advertise in public instructions, such as how to clean Dalvik-cache without superuser rights or why cache resetting through recovery sometimes works better than through settings, and focus on dangerous myths that can lead to data loss – for example, why you shouldn’t blindly trust the cleaners from Google Play.

Spoiler: You don't always need root rights or a computer to clean it completely, you just have to know where to look, and let's start with the simplest one, and we'll gradually get to the methods that service centers use.

1.Cache Cleaning Apps: Why It Doesn't Always Work

The most obvious way is to remove the app cache through the settings, but there are nuances: MIUI hides some of the cached data, and some apps (like Facebook or Instagram) recover garbage immediately after cleaning.

Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management. Sort the list by cache size (tap three dots in the top right corner). Surprisingly, even system applications like com.miui.gallery can take up to 1-2 GB of cache after a year of use. Clean the cache selectively:

• 📱 Social networks: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok – their cache is growing like a leap because of autoloading videos.
• 🎵 Music services: Spotify, Yandex Music store offline tracks in cache, even if you haven't downloaded them.
• 📷 Gallery and camera: miniatures (.thumbnail) take hundreds of megabytes.
• 🌐 Chrome and Mi Browser Cache Web Pages More Aggressive Than You Think.

⚠️ Note: Do not clear the cache of system applications called com.android. or com.qualcomm. – this can cause malfunctions in the module. NFC Adreno 640 graphics accelerator.

If the cache recovers quickly after cleaning, try limiting background activity for problematic applications.

1. Open the application settings.
2. Slip the battery. → Battery consumption management.
3. Choose to limit background activity.

2. Removing Unnecessary Files: Where to Look for Hidden Garbage

Xiaomi 9 Pro has a feature: even after deleting photos or videos through the gallery, files can remain in the folders DCIM/.thumbnails, Pictures/Screenshots/.cache or Android/data.

Connect your smartphone to your computer in File Transfer (MTP) mode and use Windows Explorer or macOS Finder to search for keywords:

• 🔍 *.tmp - temporary files.
• 🔍 *.Log files of applications (especially many of them create) MIUI Launcher).
• 🔍 *.apk in folders, except Download - remnants from installing applications.
• 🔍 Folders com.miui. Android/data — cache system utilities.

To automate the process, use the Mi File Explorer file manager (pre-installed in MIUI):

1. Open the app.
2. Go to Categories → Garbage.
3. Click Deep Scan (ignore the warning about “secure files” – this is a marketing ploy).
4. Delete everything except files marked Systems.

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If memory is not released after deleting files, restart your smartphone. MIUI sometimes doesn't update real-time free space data.

3. Resetting the partition cache (Wipe Cache Partition): when it really needs to

If the smartphone is spontaneously rebooted, “hangs” on the MI logo or brakes after the MIUI update, resetting the partition cache will help.This method does not delete user data, but clears temporary system files that may be damaged.

Instructions for Xiaomi 9 Pro:

1. Turn off your smartphone.
2. Press the Power button + Volume up until the Mi Recovery logo appears.
3. Select the language (English/Chinese).
4. Go to Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache.
5. Confirm the action and wait for the completion.
6. Choose Reboot.

⚠️ Warning: Don't confuse Wipe Cache with Wipe Data! The second option will completely reset the smartphone to factory settings, removing all data, including photos and apps.

This method is especially effective after a failed MIUI update or custom firmware installation, if problems persist after resetting the partition cache, the cause may be:

• 🔋 Damaged battery (check in Settings) → Battery → Battery status).
• 🛠️ Memory module malfunction UFS 2.1 (diagnosed only at the service center).
• 🤖 Conflict with Google Services Framework (resolved by reinstallation via Google Services Framework) ADB).

4.Memory optimization: how to free up space without data loss

If the Xiaomi 9 Pro settings show that the memory is full but you can’t find large files, the problem may be:

• 📁 Hidden backups (e.g. Mi Cloud or Google Photos create duplicate photos).
• 🎮 Cache games, for example, PUBG Mobile or Call of Duty can take up to 5 GB).
• 📱 System dumps (files *.dmp in) /data/tombstones, malfunction).

To find and delete these files:

1. Install DiskUsage Analyzer from Google Play.
2. Give access to the vault.
3. Scan the memory – the application will show a graphic map of the occupied space.
4. Remove large blocks labeled as Unknown or Cache.

For games, use the built-in MIUI function:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select a game (e.g. Genshin Impact).
3. Slip Storage → Clear the data (this will only remove downloaded resources, but save progress if it is linked to the account).

Backup photos in Google Photos|Check the size of the Download folder|Remove unused items APK-file|Clear Telegram cache (it can weigh 10)+ GB)|Disable auto-save media in messengers-->

5.Advanced Cleanup: ADB and Hidden MIUI Commands

If standard methods don’t work, it’s time to use the developer tools, which will require a computer with ADB and Fastboot installed (you can download from the Android Developers website).

Connect Xiaomi 9 Pro to your PC and execute the commands:

adb shell pm list packages -f | grep "miui"


adb shell pm clear com.miui.gallery #Cache cleaning Gallery




adb shell pm clear com.miui.player #Music Purification




adb shell rm -rf /data/local/tmp/* # Delete temporary system files

To clean Dalvik-cache (an Android virtual machine cache that is not visible to the user):

adb shell su -c "rm -r /data/dalvik-cache/*"

⚠️ Attention: Command rm -r If you don't have root access, use the alternative: adb shell cmd package bg-dexopt-job This command optimizes Dalvik-cache without removing it.

To delete the system log files (safe if the smartphone is stable):

adb shell logcat -c # Cleaning Logs in real time


adb shell rm /data/anr/* # Deletion of crash reports

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ADB commands allow you to clear memory areas that are not available through the standard MIUI interface, but only use them if you are confident in your actions - the wrong command can lead to a system failure.

Extreme measures: factory reset and flashing

If the Xiaomi 9 Pro is so slow that even calls are interrupted and apps don’t open, there are two options left:

1. Soft reset (saves media files but removes apps and settings).
2. Hard reset (full formatting, including internal memory)

For soft discharge:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Select Save Media Files.
3. Confirm the action.

For hard reset via Recovery:

1. Turn off your smartphone.
2. Press the power + the volume up.
3. Choose Wipe Data → Wipe All Data.
4. Confirm and wait for the reboot.

If the smartphone does not turn on even after reset, you will need to flash it through the Fastboot.

1. Download the official firmware for Xiaomi 9 Pro (codename raphael) from en.miui.com.
2. Unpack the archive in a folder with fastboot.
3. Connect your smartphone in Fastboot mode (clip Power + Volume down).
4. Run the command: fastboot flash all (or fastboot flash all-w for full cleanup).

7.Prevention: How to avoid repeated clogging

To prevent Xiaomi 9 Pro from becoming a digital junkyard a month after cleaning up, follow these rules:

• 📵 Turn off auto-update apps on Google Play (or limit to Wi-Fi).
• 📸 Configure Google Photos to save in “Original Quality” (not “High”) to avoid duplicates.
• 🎮 Use the “Lite” versions of applications (for example, Facebook Lite, Messenger Lite).
• 🛡️ Disable the Mi Cloud if you are not using it (it backs up without warning).

For automatic optimization:

1. Turn on Settings → Battery → Power saving mode (reduces background activity).
2. Activate Settings → Memory → Autoclean (remove garbage at low memory level).
3. Install SD Maid (from Google Play) and set up a weekly check.

⚠️ Warning: Do not install cleaners like Clean Master or CCleaner, which not only do not help, but can also delete important files. MIUI, For example, data for work IR-blaster NFC.

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Regular cleaning is not a one-time promotion, but a system: just take 5 minutes a week to make the smartphone work like a new one.

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning up Xiaomi 9 Pro