Xiaomi Redmi 9A is a popular device that is often chosen for its affordable price and reliable battery, but over time, any owner notices that the system is starting to run slower and vacant storage is rapidly disappearing, a natural process of accumulation of digital debris that requires periodic intervention.
The main reason for the memory shortage lies not only in installed applications, but also in hidden system logs, residual files of remote programs and a huge amount of multimedia from instant messengers. Cleaning Redmi 9A from such ballast can return the device to its former frolic and free up gigabytes of useful space.
In this article, we will discuss safe and efficient ways to free up space, how to use the built-in MIUI tools, which folders can be manually deleted without risk to the system, and how to prevent fast memory filling in in the future.
Memory Occupancy Analysis and Heavy File Search
Before you start taking any drastic action, you need to understand what exactly occupies space on your Redmi 9A. Built-in diagnostics allows you to get a detailed map of disk space usage, which is the first step to optimization.
To start, go to the settings menu and find the section that tells you how your device is, and here you'll see a visualization of the occupied space, divided into categories: apps, images, video, audio, etc. Often it turns out that the lion's share of memory is occupied by social media cache or forgotten downloads.
Note the “Other” or “Other” category, which often hides update files, offline maps of navigators and streaming services, and analyzes the storage helps to reveal hidden amounts of data that are not visible when you normally browse a gallery.
If you find that the memory is 90% full or more, the system can start to work with critical errors, in which case you need to immediately free up at least 1-2 GB of space for stable operation of the operating system.
Use of the built-in "Security" application
The easiest and safest way to start cleaning is to use Xiaomi’s standard tool, the Security app, which is already preinstalled on every Redmi 9A and contains a powerful garbage removal module.
Run the program from the home screen and select the Cleanup icon. The system automatically scans the device for temporary files, installation residues and advertising cache. The process takes only a few seconds and shows an approximate amount of data that can be deleted without consequences.
☑️ Proper cleaning through the application
After the initial scan, click on the Deep Clean button, which allows you to view large files, duplicate photos and rarely used apps in more detail, and you can manually choose what to delete and what to leave.
⚠️ Note: When using the deep cleaning function, carefully look at the file previews. It is possible to accidentally delete important documents or work photos if you do not check the contents of the folders.
It is important to understand that a standard cleaner does not always find all hidden application logs, so after automatic cleaning, it is recommended to manually check the folders of heavy messengers such as Telegram or Viber, which have their own storage settings.
Manual cleaning of cache and application data
Many users don't know that each app installed accumulates its own cache, which is temporary data that speeds up programs but grows to giant sizes over time, especially on social networks and browsers.
To clear the cache of a particular application, go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Select the desired program from the list (for example, YouTube or Chrome) and find Memory. Here you will see two buttons: Clear cache and Clear everything.
Using the Clear Cache button is safe: you simply delete temporary files and the app will download them again if necessary. However, the Clear Everything button (or Erase Data) will reset the application to a state immediately after installation, deleting your logins, settings, and stored progressions.
What is the difference between cache and data?
In WhatsApp and Telegram, the cache can take up tens of gigabytes due to the videos and files that are viewed, and it is better to clean them through the internal settings of the applications themselves, in the section “Data and memory” → “Memory use”.
Regular manual checks of installed programs help to identify “forgotten” applications that you have not used in a long time, but they continue to hang in the background and consume the resources of the Redmi 9A processor.
Working with folders in Explorer and removing duplicates
The MIUI-based Android file system allows users to directly manage files through the Explorer app, a powerful tool for those who want to clean up documents and downloads.
First, check the Download folder. This is where all the files from the Internet, attachments from email and documents from office applications are saved by default, and often you can find.apk installation files that are no longer needed.
And you also have to look at the DCIM →.thumbnails folder, which stores thumbnails of your photos for quick display in the gallery, and over time, this hidden file can grow to a few gigabytes, and it can be safely deleted, and the system will create a new one when you need it.
| Type of folder | Location. | Can I remove it? | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Download | Internal memory. | Yeah (selectively) | Low (check files) |
| .thumbnails | DCIM | Yes. | No (to be recreated) |
| Android/data | Internal memory. | Carefully. | High (app failure) |
| Tencent/MicroMsg | Internal memory. | Yeah (cash) | Medium (photos from chats will disappear) |
Duplicate search is another effective way to free up space: If you often take screenshots or download the same files, they can be duplicated in different directories. Use the file type search feature to find and delete copies.
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Use a search for the.apk extension in Explorer to quickly find all the application installation files that are no longer needed after installing the programs and delete them at once.
Optimization of the work of messengers and social networks
Messengers are the main “eaters” of memory on any smartphone, including Redmi 9A. The mechanism of their work implies automatic saving of all received media files, even if you just glimpse the picture in the chat.
In the Telegram settings, you can find the section "Data and memory» → «Memory usage. There's a clear cache button here, and you can set up automatic cleanups, like deleting media that hasn't been accessed for more than 3 days, or limiting cache size.
On WhatsApp, the situation is similar. Go to Settings → Data and Storage → Storage Management. The app will show you a list of chat rooms that take up the most space. You can selectively delete videos or documents from specific dialogues without losing your correspondence history.
⚠️ Warning: Disabling auto-save photos to the gallery for WhatsApp and Telegram saves space significantly.Configure this in chat settings so media files don't copy to the main gallery of the phone.
Social media platforms like VK or Instagram (via third-party customers) also cache news feeds, and periodically reinstalling these apps or cleaning their data through system settings helps to keep bloated cache to a minimum.
Removing unnecessary applications and disabling system
The Xiaomi Redmi 9A has a lot of pre-installed apps out of the box that you may never use, called bloatware, that takes up space and can run in the background.
Go to the list of all apps and study it carefully. Games you've been through, Google services you don't use, or Chinese analogues of programs can all be removed. To delete, click on the app icon and select "Delete."
System applications (calendar, music, themes, Mi browser) need to be careful. They can not be removed in the usual way, but you can "disable"; when you turn off the application stops updating, hides from the menu and does not consume resources, although it remains in the system memory.
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Disabling system applications is a safe alternative to uninstalling if you are afraid of disrupting the system, but want to stop the background processes of unnecessary services.
Also check folders created by third-party programs. Often, after deleting an application, a folder with its name, containing logs or settings, remains at the root of the internal memory, and such "tails" can be easily erased through Explorer.
Use of cloud storage and memory cards
If you are running out of internal memory Redmi 9A (usually 32 or 64 GB), you should consider expanding storage. Support for microSD cards allows you to transfer photos, videos and music to an external medium.
To transfer files, insert the card into a slot (combined with a SIM card) and select formatting as portable storage in the storage settings, after which you can move the DCIM and Download folders to the memory card in Explorer.
An alternative to a physical map is cloud services: Google Photos, Yandex.Disk or Mi Cloud. Automatic synchronization settings will allow you to delete the original photos from the phone immediately after they are uploaded to the cloud, freeing up gigabytes of space.
Using the cloud is especially important for video files that weigh the most: Store your archives in the cloud, and leave only current work files on your phone.