Where are other files in Xiaomi Redmi 7: a complete guide to the system

Xiaomi smartphone owners often encounter a mysterious section that the system designates as "Others." On a MIUI-enabled Redmi 7, this section can take up tens of gigabytes, causing panic among users. What is behind this label and why a standard memory analyzer can't detail content? The answer lies in the features of the Android file system and the specific algorithms of the firmware.

The system partition is not one specific directory, but a collection of data that a file manager cannot classify as photos, music, videos or applications, including messenger cache, remnants of remote programs, system logs and temporary update files, and understanding the structure of this data is the key to freeing up useful space on your device without losing important information.

In this article, we will take a closer look at the Redmi 7’s storage architecture, learn how to use hidden Explorer features, which system folders can be safely cleaned and which ones are strictly forbidden to touch, and look at third-party deep cleaning tools that will help return the phone to its previous speed.

Anatomy of the "Other" section in MIUI

When you see the Other category swelling to obscene size, it's a signal of accumulated digital debris. In the Android operating system that runs MIUI, files are distributed to certain types of MIME, but many applications create their own directories without specifying the type of content, or use encryption, making them invisible for standard sorting.

Telegram, WhatsApp and Viber store the received media files in their isolated folders, which the system often refers to the “Other” section. On Redmi 7, with its limited internal memory, this becomes a critical factor affecting performance.

In addition, this includes update files that were not deleted after installation, and error dumps (log files) created by applications when crashes, sometimes data from streaming services such as YouTube or Netflix, if you downloaded content for offline viewing, enter this section.

⚠️ Warning: Do not attempt to delete files from system folders manually unless you know their exact purpose.This may result in an unstable Redmi 7 or cyclical reboot.

Find hidden folders through a standard conductor

The first step to getting things in order is to use the Explorer tool built-in. Xiaomi's default interface hides system directories, but this feature is easy to activate. You need to go to the settings of the Explorer app itself and find the Show Hidden Files switch.

After activating this option, folders will appear at the root of the internal memory, the names of which begin with a dot, for example,.android_secure Or.cache. This is where the temporary files that take up space often hide. Use the following path to navigate: Settings. → The phone. → Storage to estimate the current amount of occupied space before cleaning.

It is important to distinguish between application data folders and system files. The Android/data directory contains all the installed programs. Deleting the contents of this folder for a particular application is equivalent to reinstalling it with complete loss of progress and settings within the program.

• 📁 Android/obb — cache files of heavy games and applications are stored here; deletion will cause the need to re-upload data.
• 📁 MIUI/Gallery/Cloud — Local thumbnails and gallery cache that can be safely cleared through the app settings.
• 📁 Tencent/MicroMsg — The main garbage warehouse from WeChat and sometimes QQ, where all images and videos are stored.

Use of advanced storage analyzers

Standard MIUI tools are often not enough for deep analysis. To see the real picture of the memory distribution on Redmi 7, it is advisable to use specialized utilities such as Files by Google or DiskUsage. These applications visualize the file system in the form of diagrams, allowing you to instantly find the "eaters" of space.

DiskUsage, for example, displays a memory structure in nested rectangles, and the larger the rectangle, the more space a file or folder takes up, and it instantly identifies forgotten archives, huge log files, or cache that has grown to gigabytes, and it requires storage permissions to operate.

When using third-party software, keep security in mind: only download analyzers from a trusted Google Play store. Avoid questionable cleaners who promise to speed up the phone, but in fact only show ads and collect user data.

Working with cache and application data

The most effective way to combat bloated “Other” is to work with the app cache. Unlike data, the cache can be deleted without fear of losing accounts or settings. On Redmi 7, this is done through the Settings menu → Apps → All apps. Choose a heavy app (such as a browser or social network) and click “Clean” → “Clean the cache”.

Over the years, browsers accumulate gigabytes of temporary files, saved pages and cookies. Regularly clearing history and cache in Chrome or MIUI Browser can free up from 500 MB to 2 GB of space.

Some apps, such as navigation (Google Maps, Yandex.Maps) or music services (Spotify, Yandex.Music), allow you to download content for offline access. Check the settings of these programs: maybe there are maps of entire regions or playlists that you have not listened to for a long time.

⚠️ Warning: Clear Data will completely reset the application to the post-installation state.You will lose your logins, passwords, and local settings if they are not synced to the cloud.

💡

Use the social media “Lite” feature on Redmi 7. They take up 3-4 times less space and consume less RAM.

System Logs and Update Remains

Android keeps detailed logs of events. Sometimes logs fail and the file grows endlessly, taking up all available space. On Redmi 7, these files can be in the /data/log or /data/tombstones directory. Access to them without Root rights is limited, but their growth can be tracked by indirect signs.

Another source of debris is the system update files, after the new version has been successfully installed. MIUI, The installation package is often left in the memory, and you can find it in the folder. downloaded_rom If the system is stable, you can delete the file safely.

For advanced users with superuser rights, you can clear /data/local/tmp. This often leaves temporary files after running various scripts or installing modifications. However, the standard user is better off limiting himself to cleaning through the secure settings menu.

💡

Regularly restarting your smartphone (every 3-4 days) helps the system automatically clear some temporary files and reset the frozen processes that occupy memory.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)