Modern smartphones like the Xiaomi Redmi 9 accumulate huge amounts of information in the form of correspondence, confirmation codes and notifications from services. Over time, the standard messaging app overflows, which can slow down the device or simply interfere with the flow of data. Deleting unnecessary dialogues is a basic skill that helps maintain order in the digital space of the owner of the Android gadget.
The process of clearing history on MIUI (Xiaomi shell) has its own nuances, different from stock Android. Users often face difficulties when trying to erase a specific message within a dialogue or delete a group of emails at once. In this article, we will discuss in detail all available methods of managing SMS and MMS so that you can effectively manage your correspondence without undue stress.
Note that the interface may vary slightly depending on the firmware version, but the logic remains the same throughout the brand ecosystem. We will look at both the standard tools and hidden system features that allow for mass cleaning, this is especially true when you need to make room or hide confidential information from prying eyes.
Basic methods of deleting correspondence in the standard annex
The most common way to get rid of unnecessary dialogue is to use the Messages home screen. On the Redmi 9 desktop, find an icon with an envelope or speech bubble. Once you run, you'll see a list of all active chats sorted by the time the last email arrived.
To delete a whole branch of correspondence with a particular contact or service, you just need to do a simple action: click on the desired dialogue and hold your finger on the screen for one to two seconds, and a menu with additional options will appear, where you need to select Delete, and the system will request confirmation, since this action is irreversible for the selected data.
If you need to remove multiple dialogs at once, the algorithm changes a little. In the same retention menu, click on the circles to the left of the contact avatars to highlight them. After selecting all the unnecessary branches, click on the basket icon, which is usually located at the bottom or top of the screen, which allows you to quickly clear the list of incoming from dozens of senders.
- 🗑️ Single removal: long-term pressing on the dialogue → “Delete” button».
- ✅ Mass cleaning: long pressing → chunking → basket.
- 🔄 Cancel action: if you are wrong, on most versions MIUI eat 5-10 Seconds to cancel via the pop-up notification below.
- 📂 Archiving: Instead of deleting, you can move the chat to the archive to hide it from the general list.
⚠️ Attention: Deleting the dialog in the contact list erases all correspondence with this number in its entirety.
It's important to distinguish between removing the dialogue itself from the list and cleaning up the content inside it, and when you erase the branch from the home screen, it disappears completely, but if you want to keep the contact on the list but remove the history of the communication, you have to go inside the chat and do something different.
Deletion of individual messages within the dialogue
Often, you have to delete a specific SMS with a confirmation code or a private message, leaving the rest of the correspondence intact. To do this, open the desired chat in the Messages application. Find the desired message in the dialogue feed.
The technology of removing individual elements requires precision. Press and hold your finger directly on the text of the message that you want to erase. It will stand out in color, and at the bottom or top of the screen will appear a toolbar. Unlike removing the whole dialogue, here you are working with specific blocks of text.
You can select a few messages in a row or spread by simply touching them after you activate the allocation mode, which is convenient if you want to delete, for example, all the codes that came in from banks during the day, while saving the usual correspondence with a friend.
☑️ Algorithm for Deleting a Single Message
There is a nuance with group chats (MMS) where deleting a message can work differently depending on the protocol (RCS or regular SMS).If you delete your message in a group chat with RCS support, it can disappear from all participants, but only if they also use compatible apps and are online.
| Action. | The result | Recovery |
|---|---|---|
| Removal of dialogue from the list | The whole contact story is erased | Only through the backup. |
| Deletion of one SMS | Only the selected fragment is erased. | Impossible. |
| Cleaning the application data | All messages on the phone disappear | Impossible without a backup. |
Dealing with junk messages and spam
Xiaomi Redmi 9 owners often face intrusive advertising and spam mailings. The standard application has built-in filters, but sometimes garbage gets into the shared folder.
To get to the filtering settings, open the messaging app and click on the three dots in the top right corner (or profile icon). From the menu, select "Spam Protection" or "Spam filter settings," which stores messages that the system has deemed suspicious but has not blocked completely.
Removing spam from here is similar to regular messages, but it makes sense to set up an automatic cleanup. You can set a rule in your settings that messages from unknown senders are deleted automatically after 30 days, which helps keep Inbox clean without user intervention.
- 🛡️ Blacklist: Add spammer number to blacklist to block future communication attempts.
- 🔍 Keywords: set up word filtering (e.g., “credit”, “winning”) so that such SMS immediately gets spammy.
- 📉 In the security section, you can see how many threats have been blocked recently.
⚠️ Warning: Never click on links in messages from unknown numbers, even if you just want to delete them.
If the spam is from different numbers but the same content, the best way to use the report feature is to click on the message and select “Complain Spam” and send the number data to Google or Xiaomi, which will help protect other users.
Cleaning the cache and data of the message application
Sometimes the problem isn't the messages themselves, but the accumulated garbage. Messages can take up hundreds of megabytes of memory from cached images, stickers and temporary files. Clearing the cache is a safe way to free up space without deleting the texts.
To do this, go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Find Messages in the list. Click on Storage. Here you will see two buttons: Clear Cache and Clear All (or Reset) and use only the first option for safe cleaning.
What happens if you click “Clean it all”?
If your goal is to completely clean your phone before selling or transferring it to another person, then resetting the Messages app will be part of the process. However, remember that this action will only affect the standard application. Third-party messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber) store data separately and require individual cleaning.
It's important to understand the difference between the weight of text and the weight of media files. Text text messages take up negligible space (kilobytes). MMS-Pictures and attachments. When cleaning the storage through the phone settings (Settings) → Memory) the system may offer to clean up the "garbage" in the category of messages, which will primarily remove heavy attachments.
Use of third-party applications for SMS management
Standard MIUI tools are functional, but sometimes users need more flexible management, such as automatic deletion of SMS on a schedule or more convenient search.
A popular solution is Microsoft's SMS Organizer app or Clear Master, which asks for permission to access your messages, and once installed, these programs can automatically sort incoming messages, separating transactional (from banks), personal and promotional messages.
The main advantage of third-party software is that it can customize rules, such as creating a rule that says, "Delete all messages from +7900... older than 3 days," which is the perfect solution for those who are registered on a variety of services and are flooded with confirmation codes.
- 📅 Auto-delete: Set up the lifespan of messages (e.g., store codes for only 24 hours).
- 🔎 Smart Search: Search by message content, not just by contact name.
- ☁️ Backup: Many applications can save a copy of SMS to the cloud before deleting.
⚠️ Warning: By giving a third-party application access to SMS, you trust it with all your personal correspondence and two-factor authentication codes.
When you install this software on Xiaomi Redmi 9, the MIUI security system can warn you of the risks several times, which is a normal reaction of the system. If you are confident in the developer, you will need to confirm the granting of permissions in a special security window.
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Tip: Before a mass SMS cleaning, back up important codes or addresses. Take a screen picture or copy the text into notes.
Recovering deleted messages and working with backups
Accidental deletion of an important message is a common problem. Unfortunately, Android does not have a SMS basket (like the file system), so the deleted data disappears immediately, and the only way to return it is by having a previously created backup.
On Xiaomi, backups can be done via Mi Cloud or Google Drive. Check your sync settings: Settings → Mi Account → Xiaomi Cloud. If you have Message Sync enabled, your SMS is saved in the cloud. To restore it, you need to log in to the same account on the new device or after reset.
For local backup (without internet), you can use the phone's built-in feature. Go to Settings → The phone. → Backup and restore. Create a new copy by ticking Messages. The backup file will be stored in internal memory or on the backup. SD-map.
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Regular backups are the only guaranteed way not to lose important information in case of accidental deletion or breakage of a smartphone.
If there is no backup, you can only try to recover messages using specialized computer software (for example, Dr.Fone or Tenorshare), connecting the phone over USB. However, the effectiveness of such programs is not guaranteed, especially if a long time has passed since the deletion or the phone has been actively used (data could be overwritten).