How to Clean Memory on Xiaomi Redmi 9: Effective Methods

Redmi 9 series smartphones have gained popularity due to excellent value for money, but over time, even a powerful device can start to work slower. The main reason for the decline in performance and the appearance of lags when typing or launching applications is often crowded internal storage. When the free space runs out, the Android operating system and the MIUI shell cannot correctly create temporary files necessary for stable operation.

Users often notice that after several months of active use, the phone begins to “brake”, the cameras do not want to save new photos, and messengers stop downloading media files. This is not a sign of a chip failure or motherboard failure, but a regular situation that requires the intervention of the owner. Proper cleaning of the system allows not only to return performance, but also to extend the life of the device, reducing the load on the memory controller.

In this article, we’ll take a look at all the available ways to free up space, from using built-in Security tools to manually removing system debris. You’ll learn which folders can be removed without risk to the system, how to work with the cache of heavy applications, and why standard file removal isn’t always effective. Follow the instructions to keep your Redmi 9 flying again.

Use of the built-in Security application

The easiest and safest way to start cleaning is to use the standard system tool that is preinstalled on every Xiaomi device.Security is deeply integrated into the MIUI shell and has access to system partitions that third-party programs often cannot penetrate without root rights. Launch a label with a shield on your desktop and click on the Cleaner or Cleaner button.

Once scanned, the system will suggest removing what it calls “junk”: remnants of deleted applications, temporary installer files, and advertising caches. However, don’t blindly trust automation, as it can sometimes count important thumbnails of photos or logs of working applications for garbage. Take a close look at the file list before confirming an action, especially if you haven’t done maintenance in a long time.

⚠️ Attention: Acceleration in the same menu closes the background processes, which may temporarily free up RAM, but does not affect storage capacity (ROM) and RAM (RAM) — It's different processes.

For a deeper analysis, the Security app has a Deep Clean section, where algorithms analyze the contents of folders and suggest that you delete old APK installation files, large video files, and duplicates, which takes longer, but allows you to find hidden backups that you may have forgotten about.

Regular use of the built-in cliner, at least once a week, helps keep the system on track.Do not ignore notifications from the system about space shortage, as a timely response avoids critical overflow of the /data partition, which can lead to a cyclical reboot of the device.

Cleaning the cache and application data

The main consumers of free space in modern smartphones are not the apps themselves, but the data they accumulate. Social networks, browsers and navigators store gigabytes of temporary information to speed up content loading. To get to this data, go to the Settings menu, select the App item and then All apps.

In the list that opens, find the heaviest programs, such as YouTube, Instagram, Telegram or Chrome. When you click on a specific application, you will see the Clean (or Memory) button. Here, it is important to distinguish between two functions: Clear cache and Clear everything (or Reset), the first deletes temporary files, the second completely resets the application to the state immediately after installation, removing logins and settings.

In WhatsApp and Telegram, the cache can grow to tens of gigabytes. In Telegram, for example, it is better to use the built-in cache autodeletion setting, which is located in the Settings menu → Data and memory → Memory Use. Set a timer of “3 days” or “1 week”, and the application will delete old media files, freeing up space on Redmi 9.

If the application starts to work incorrectly or crashes after cleaning the cache, its configuration files may have been damaged, in which case the only solution is to completely reset the application data or reinstall it, which is guaranteed to delete all erroneous records and free up maximum space.

Storage analysis and removal of large files

Often users are unaware that half of the memory is occupied by forgotten high-resolution videos or unused archives. MIUI has a handy built-in analyzer. Open Explorer, click on the menu (three bars or dots) and select Storage Analyzer. The system visualizes the data by showing which file types occupy the most space.

Usually, the most space is eaten by the categories Photos and Videos and Documents. Go through the Largest Files list that forms the analyzer. Often, there are randomly stored videos from messengers that have been viewed once and are no longer needed. Deleting even five or six of these videos can free up a few gigabytes.

Remember the Download folder. Browsers by default save all downloaded files there, and over time, application installers accumulate there, PDF-Regularly reviewing this folder is a good habit for any Xiaomi owner.

For more advanced users, it is recommended to use specialized visualization tools such as DiskUsage or Files by Google. They build a memory card where the square size corresponds to the file size, which allows you to instantly find "hidden" huge folders that are not visible in standard browsing.

Working with messengers: WhatsApp and Telegram

Messengers have become real memory eaters, especially in regions where they are used to transfer working documents and media. WhatsApp saves all received photos and videos to the gallery by default, creating duplicates. To fix this, go to the chat settings of a particular contact or group and turn off the Media Visibility option.

Inside WhatsApp itself, there's a powerful storage management tool. Go to Settings → Data and Storage → Storage Management. Here you'll see a chat list sorted by volume. By clicking on the chat, you can selectively delete old videos, GIFs and documents without deleting the entire correspondence. This allows you to point-free space by storing important text messages.

Telegram is different: all media is stored in the cloud, and the device only has cache. As mentioned earlier, setting up automatic cache cleaning solves 99% of the problems. Also check the Telegram/Telegram Audio and Telegram/Telegram Video folder through the file manager - sometimes there are files that the application "forgot" to delete from the cache.

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Tip: Enable Self-Delete Messages in WhatsApp settings for all new chats, which will automatically delete your messages after 24 hours, 7 days or 90 days, saving space in the long run.

Removal of system debris and residual files

Even after deleting applications, the system often has their "tails" - empty folders, error logs and temporary files. 9 With the rights of the average user, access to the system folders is limited, but you can manually clear some partitions through Explorer. MIUI -> debug_log — Here you can accumulate reports of system errors that are useless to the average user.

Also worth checking is the Android/obb and Android/data folder. It stores the caches of games and applications. If you deleted the game but the space didn't vacate, it may be that its files remained in the obb folder. You can safely delete folders with the names of remote applications, but be careful: deleting the active game folder will lead to the need to download data again.

⚠️ Warning: Never delete.apk files from system folders unless you are sure of their origin, and never touch files with names that contain the system, framework, or vendor. MIUI.

Another source of garbage is the.Trash folder or the Cart in the gallery and the guide, and when you delete the photos, they don't disappear completely, but they move to a basket where they're stored for 30 days, and to actually make room, you have to go to the "Basket" album and select the "Clean Everything" command.

For advanced users, there is a possibility of cleaning through debugging mode, but on Redmi 9 without root rights it is better to limit yourself to standard methods. Excessive diligence in removing system files can lead to the fact that the phone will stop booting or lose some functionality.

Transfer data to memory card and cloud

If the internal memory of Redmi 9 is physically limited (for example, the 32 or 64 GB version), the best solution is to transfer media files to an external medium. Xiaomi supports microSD memory cards. SIM-The system will offer to use it as a portable storage.

In the Camera settings, change the default save path. Go to Settings (three bars in the viewfinder corner) -> In addition, and enable the option to save on SD-All new photos and videos will be automatically recorded on the map, leaving the internal memory free for the system and applications to work.

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Using a memory card does not speed up the smartphone, but solves the problem of lack of space for photos, videos and music, preventing critical overflow of the system partition.

Cloud services are an alternative to a memory card. Google Photos offers compressed storage (not in full quality) without volume restrictions, and Google Drive or Yandex.Disk allows you to download documents. Set up automatic synchronization and the “Free Space” function, which will remove from the device those photos that are already uploaded to the cloud.

Remember that applications running from a memory card can run faster than internal memory, especially if you use a cheap low-speed card, so it is better to leave programs and games on the built-in drive, and only transfer the media library to the card.

Radical measures: Resetting to factory settings

If none of the above methods worked and the memory continues to fill up on its own (which may indicate a software failure or virus), the last effective method is a complete reset.This procedure will return the Redmi 9 to the state it was in at the time of purchase, completely clearing the user partition.

Before starting the procedure, be sure to back up all important data, as contacts, SMS, photos and installed applications will be deleted in the process. Go to Settings -> About Phone -> Reset -> Erase all data. The system will ask you to enter the unlock password and confirmation.

Once you reboot, you get a clean system, and statistics show that after you completely reset and carefully install only the necessary applications, the speed of the Redmi 9 increases significantly, and the memory problem disappears for a long time, and this is the most effective way to combat the software "junk" accumulated over the years of use.