Owners of Xiaomi smartphones, especially popular models like Redmi 9, often face the problem of lack of space. The internal memory of the device fills up rapidly: this is due to the work of messengers, the accumulation of app cache, system logs and downloading multimedia content. When the storage is crowded, the phone starts to work slower, and new applications stop installing.
Self-cleaning a file system through a conductor is an effective way to get the gadget back up without losing personal data, if you know which directories you can touch. There are many folders in the MIUI shell-based Android operating system created by remote applications or temporary processes that are no longer needed. However, carelessly deleting system files can lead to unstable device operation.
In this detailed guide, we’ll take a look at the structure of Redmi 9’s directories and determine which ones are safe to clean, learn how to distinguish an important system file from debris, and get a step-by-step algorithm to free up space. Working with the files properly will help you avoid having to do a full reset.
Analysis of memory occupancy before deletion
Before you go to radical measures and manually delete files, you need to understand what exactly occupies space on your Redmi 9. Standard analysis tools often only show the big picture, hiding the details. For deep analysis, it is recommended to use the built-in Cleanup tool or third-party file managers with disk space analysis function.
Notice the "Other" section in the memory settings, which is often where the residual files of deleted programs and social media cache are hidden. 10-15 GB, manual folder cleaning will be necessary. The system can't always automatically detect that the data in the folder is in the folder. Android/data or Android/obb no longer used by the relevant applications.
⚠️ Note: Before any manipulation of system folders is initiated, it is strongly recommended to back up important data.
Use the standard Explorer app for your initial inspection, go to the root of the internal storage and sort the folders by size, which will help you visually identify the biggest eaters of the place, often folders of video editors, navigators or messengers with auto-save media files.
Safe to delete user folders
The largest group is the directories created by the apps you installed. Once you delete the program, its folder often remains dead weight. On Xiaomi Redmi 9, you can safely delete folders with the names of remote games, photo editing utility or browsers that you no longer use at the root of the internal storage.
Special attention should be paid to the Download folder, which accumulates APK installation files, documents and images from the Internet. If you downloaded the application and installed it, the.apk installation file is no longer needed, and also check the folders of messengers such as Telegram or WhatsApp, which may have duplicate images inside.
- 🗑️ Remote Games Folders: Directories with game names that you’ve already erased from the system often contain gigabytes of cache.
- 📂 DCIM/.thumbnails: hidden folder with gallery thumbnails that can grow to huge sizes and slow down the phone.
- 📥 Temp /Tmp: temporary files created by various intermediate computation programs that can be safely deleted.
Don't be afraid to delete folders with names of brands whose apps you don't use. For example, if you delete an AliExpress or Booking client, the folder of the same name at the root of the store may contain a cache of product images. By clearing this data, you make room for new photos and videos.
☑️ Check before deleting the folder
Working with the Android system folder
The Android directory is one of the most important and at the same time the most littered parts of the file system, containing data and obb subfolders, which store the data and cache of all installed applications, and it is strictly forbidden to remove this entire folder, as this will lead to resetting of all programs and loss of progress in games.
However, inside Android/data, you can find and delete folders of applications that you have already deleted from the system. If the program is not on the menu, but its cache folder is still a safe candidate for deletion. It is also worth checking the Android/obb folder where heavy game files are stored. If the game is deleted, the corresponding file in obb can be erased.
| folder | Appointment | Can I remove it? |
|---|---|---|
| Android/data | Application data | Only Remote Apps folders |
| Android/obb | Cash hard games. | Only if the game is deleted |
| Android/media | Application media files | Be careful, just trash. |
| MIUI | MIUI system data | No (system failure risk) |
In Android 11 and above, which is relevant for Redmi 9, access to the Android/data folder is limited to a standard Explorer. To gain full access, you may need a third-party file manager, such as Total Commander or Files by Google, with special permissions. This is done for security reasons, so that the user does not accidentally delete the data of the running application.
What if the conductor does not allow you to delete the folder?
Cleaning the cache and temporary files of the system
MIUI generates many temporary files as it works, which are created to speed up the loading of frequently used functions, but over time, their volume may become redundant, including error logs, temporary copies of updates and image sketches.
One of the most difficult folders is often MIUI/debug_log. It stores system error reports. Unless you're a developer and you send bug reports to Xiaomi, it can be cleaned regularly. It tends to grow rapidly, taking up several gigabytes of memory.
- 📉 Log files: Log files that are created by the debugging system but are useless to the average user.
- 🖼️ Gallery cloud: Cloud gallery cache, if you don’t use synchronization, this data can be deleted.
- 🔄 Updater: in the folder Downloaded_rom Older versions of firmware may remain after a successful update.
⚠️ Note: Do not delete folders with the names of system services Google (com.google.android...) or Xiaomi (com.miui...) unless you are 100% sure of their purpose.
It’s also worth checking the Sugardaddy folder (yes, it’s actually called that in some MIUI firmware) or the folders with the names of advertising IDs. They may contain data for targeted advertising. Deleting them won’t hurt the system, but it can slightly increase privacy and free up a couple of megabytes.
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Use the Cleanup feature in Xiaomi’s Security app before manually cleaning.It will automatically find and prompt to remove obvious debris, including update residues and temporary files.
Garbage from messengers and social networks
Social networks and instant messengers are the main culprits behind the memory shortage on Redmi 9. Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber and Instagram store every photo and video viewed in the phone’s memory. These files are duplicated in the gallery and in the folders of the apps themselves, taking up space twice.
In the structure of WhatsApp files, you need to look for the WhatsApp/Media/WhatsApp Images and WhatsApp Video folder. Inside often lies the Private folder or the chat folders with the names of contacts. If you are in work chats where documents are constantly sent, these folders can weigh 5-10 GB. Inside the applications in the data and storage settings, you can set up auto-save, but old files will have to be deleted manually.
For Telegram, the situation is similar: the Telegram/Telegram Images folder and Telegram/Telegram Video, which is a feature of this messenger that caches all the media you've viewed. Even if you delete chat correspondence, files can remain in the app's cache. Regularly clearing the cache through the Telegram settings (Settings → Data → Memory → Memory Use) is more effective than manually deleting folders.
Remember to check the MicroMsg folder if you use WeChat, or the folders of other less popular messengers, and users often forget about the apps they have stopped using, and they continue to accumulate media files in the background.
Hidden folders and remnants of advertising modules
There are hidden folders on Android that start with a dot (like.name) that are not visible in normal browsing mode. Some create apps to store their settings, others are the footsteps of ad libraries. You can find folders on Xiaomi that are associated with system advertising (MSA - MIUI System Ads).
While it is difficult to completely disable system ads without root rights, some residual files can be found and deleted. Look for folders with names like MIUI/.miid or similar that contain identifiers. However, be extremely careful: deleting system hidden files can lead to resetting personalization settings or errors in the interface.
The best way to combat ad litter is not to delete folders, but to disable ad personalization in Mi Account settings and system privacy settings, which will prevent new file creation.
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Regularly cleaning up messenger folders and browser cache frees up more space than deleting system files that take up a minimum of space.