Why the music with Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 is missing: the reasons and how to return files

You download your favorite album, migrate a playlist from your computer, or sync music through the cloud — and a day later you find that the tracks have disappeared from the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9. This is familiar to many owners of this smartphone. Unlike accidental deletion by the user, when the files disappear by themselves, it is about system failures, features of the MIUI firmware or hardware problems.

In this article, we’ll break down 7 main reasons why music disappears from Redmi Note 9 memory – from automatic cache cleanup to file system errors. F2FS, You will also learn how to recover deleted tracks (including without root rights) and prevent files from disappearing again. MIUI, Cleaning media files without notification.

1. Automatic cleaning of cache and garbage in MIUI

The most common reason for music to disappear is the built-in Cleanup tool (formerly Security), which is more aggressive than other Xiaomi models in the Redmi Note 9 because of the optimization of memory for the budget segment.

• 🎵 Download or Music files if they have not been used for a long time (criteria - no listening for more than 30 days).
• 🗑️ Cache music apps (such as Google Play Music or Spotify) that results in "zeroing" of downloaded tracks.
• 📁 Temporary files that the system mistakenly classifies as junk (e.g. album covers or metadata).

The problem is compounded by the fact that MIUI does not always notify removal to check if the cleanup is to blame:

1. Open Settings → Cleaning.
2. Scroll down to the section "Cleaning Journal".
3. See if there are records of deleting files from music folders (usually marked as “Unnecessary Files” or “Recommended to be deleted”).

⚠️ Note: If the cleaning log has a record of deleting files with the extension.mp3,.flac.m4a — The problem is this tool, and you can recover files through the basket. MIUI (30 days available) or specialized programs.

2. F2FS file system errors on Redmi Note 9

The Redmi Note 9 uses a Flash-Friendly File System (F2FS) that is optimized for flash memory, which is faster than ext4, but less stable at:

• 🔋 Acute power outages (for example, if the phone is discharged to 0%).
• 📱 Interrupting operations with files (copying, moving).
• 🛠️ Incorrect installation of the section /data post-fix.

When F2FS crashes, it can “lost” file links, causing music to disappear from the gallery and players, but physically stays on the disk, and you can check this through the File Manager with the hidden folders:

1. Install FX File Explorer or Solid Explorer.
2. Enable the display of hidden files in the application settings.
3. Go to /storage/emulated/0/ and look for folders with names like.trash,.lost+found or.corrupt.

If you find your tracks there, you can manually return them. If you don't, try recovering your file system through ADB:

adb shell


su




fsck.f2fs /dev/block/by-name/userdata

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Before executing commands through ADB, back up your data! a team error can result in complete loss of information.

3. Conflicts with a microSD card

Many Redmi Note 9 users store music on a memory card, but this is fraught with problems:

• 🔄 Automatic formatting: MIUI may offer to format the card when connecting to the PC or after updating.
• 📛 Mounting failure: If the card is connected as a “portable storage” the system can temporarily “disable” it when it is under high load.
• 🛑 Limitations FAT32: Files size >4GB is not supported and high quality music albums may exceed this limit.

To check if the memory card is to blame:

1. Remove the microSD and restart the phone.
2. Check if the music is still in your memory.
3. Connect the card to your PC via a card reader and run chkdsk /f in the Windows command line.

⚠️ Note: If the memory card is defined as “damaged”, do not format it immediately! First try to restore data using Recuva or PhotoRec – after formatting, the chances of returning music drop rapidly.

4.Resetting the media scanner settings

In Redmi Note 9, the system process mediascanner is responsible for displaying music in players. If it does not work correctly, files can:

• 🔍 Not appearing in apps (although physically on disk).
• 🔄 Disappear after reboot.
• 📌 Duplicate or appear without cover.

To reset the media scanner:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Click on the three points at the top → Show the system.
3. Find Media Storage and clear the cache + data.
4. Reboot the phone.

Clear the cache of the application "Media storage"|Clear the data "Media storage"|Reboot the phone|Check the visibility of music in the player|Update metadata through an application (e.g. Poweramp)-->

If the music never appeared after the reset, check the folder access rights:

adb shell pm grant com.android.providers.media permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE

5. MIUI Updates and Permit Resets

After the firmware update, Redmi Note 9 (especially from MIUI 12 to MIUI 13/14) is often reset:

• 🔑 Application access rights to storage.
• 📂 Paths to music folders (for example, if you used custom directories).
• 🔄 Sync with the cloud (Mi Cloud, Google Drive).

To reclaim access:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Permissions → Storage.
2. Find your music player (such as Mi Music or VLC) and enable file access.
3. For cloud services (Mi Cloud), check your sync settings in Settings → Accounts.

If the music is missing after the update, try to retrace the previous version of MIUI via Fastboot:

fastboot flash recovery recovery.img


fastboot reboot recovery

6. Viruses and malware

Rarely, Trojans can delete files with.mp3,.wav, or.aac extensions to make room for their tasks.

• 📉 Unexplained decrease in free memory.
• 🔋 Fast battery discharge.
• 📱 Installation of unknown applications spontaneously.

How to check and remove viruses:

1. Install Malwarebytes or Dr.Web Light.
2. Scan the device (especially Download and DCIM folders).
3. If you find threats, delete them and reboot your phone.

⚠️ Note: Some cleaners (such as Clean Master) can delete music themselves, masquerading as optimization. After uninstalling such software, check the.Trash folder in internal memory - your files may remain there.

7. Hardware problems: memory damage

If the music is permanently lost, even after recovery, there may be physical malfunctions:

• 💾 Depreciation of flash memory: Redmi Note 9 uses eMMC 5.1, post-degradation ~300-500 re-recording.
• 🔌 Poor contact microSD connector: Memory card can be turned off when vibrating.
• 🔥 Memory controller overheating: Leads to data loss under high load.

Diagnosis:

1. Check the health of your memory through AIDA64 (Section Warehouse → Memory Status).
2. If the phone falls or overheats, contact the service center (replacement of the memory chip is possible).

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If music is lost after copying a large amount of data (for example, 10+ GB), it is a sign of memory wear, in which case only replacing the motherboard will help.

FAQ: Frequent questions about missing music on Redmi Note 9