Owners of the budget but reliable Redmi series smartphones often face the unpleasant situation when internal storage suddenly overflows. Especially the question of how to clean the “Other” on the Xiaomi 7A, since the amount of internal memory of 16 or 32 GB is quickly consumed by modern applications and multimedia. Android system and the MIUI shell accumulate temporary files that are not always correctly displayed in standard categories, creating the illusion of disappearing gigabytes.
The Other section is a storage for app cache, residual files from remote programs, system logs, and instant messenger data. With Redmi 7A, with its limited RAM and ROM, managing that space is critical to performance. Ignoring memory fill leads to interface brakes, inability to install updates, and even operating system failures.
In this guide, we will take a detailed look at safe and effective ways to free up space, learn how to distinguish system debris from important data and use built-in cleaning tools without risking damage to your device, and the right approach will extend the life of your smartphone and avoid the need to urgently delete your favorite photos or apps.
Memory Analysis: What the Other Section Hides
Before we start taking drastic measures, we need to understand the nature of the files that take up space. On the Android operating system, the “Other” category is a collection of data that the system cannot uniquely classify as images, videos, audio or documents. On the Xiaomi Redmi 7A, the lion’s share of this volume is accounted for by the cache of social networks and instant messengers such as Telegram, WhatsApp and Viber.
In addition, this section often stores offline maps of navigators, downloaded songs in streaming services and temporary update files of applications from Google Play. System cache also tends to grow, especially if you actively use the browser to view video or heavy web content.
For accurate diagnosis, you can use the built-in analyzer. Go to Settings → Memory and wait for the scan to finish. The system will show an approximate distribution, but for detailed study, it is better to use file managers with analysis function, such as Xiaomi’s Explorer or third-party utilities like DiskUsage.
It is important to understand that not all files in the Other category are garbage, some of them are necessary for the quick download of frequently used programs. Blindly deleting all files through root rights or ADB can lead to unstable MIUI operation. Therefore, the approach must be selective and conscious.
Use of the built-in "Security" application
The easiest and safest way to clean the Other on Xiaomi 7A is to use a developer’s full-time app. The MIUI shell features a powerful optimization tool hidden in the Security app, a green shield icon that scans the file system deeply and suggests that only data that does not affect the functionality of the smartphone be deleted.
Launch the app and select Clean up. The system will automatically find temporary files, APK installer packages and advertising debris. However, standard cleaning is often superficial. For a deeper analysis, click on the Garbage icon or select the Deep Cleanup feature in the app menu. Here you will find large files that can be safely deleted and duplicate photos.
⚠️ Note: When using Deep Clean, carefully look at file previews. The system may suggest that you delete old screenshots or downloaded documents that you may still need.
And you'll pay special attention to the Apps tab inside the cleanup menu, and here the algorithm will tell you which programs are taking up the most space. Often, it turns out that one messenger has eaten several gigabytes of memory. When you click on the app, you'll see the Clear Cache button, and don't confuse it with the Clear All or Reset button, which will delete your emails and logins.
☑️ Checklist for quick cleaning
Once the procedure is complete, it is recommended to restart the device, which is necessary for the Android file system to recalculate the indexes and release the blocked temporary files that were not deleted during operation, and regular use of this method once a week will help keep the smartphone in good shape.
Cleaning the cache of messengers and social networks
The main culprit behind filling the “Other” section on Xiaomi Redmi 7A are messengers. Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber and Instagram aggressively cache all media files viewed so that when you reopen the chat they load instantly. Over time, this cache can reach 5-10 GB, which is a significant part of the memory of a budget smartphone.
The most effective way to combat this is to set up auto-delete within the apps themselves. For example, in Telegram, you need to go to Settings → Data and Memory → Memory Use. Here you can set a cache retention time limit, such as “3 days” or “1 week”, and once you set the restriction, the app will automatically delete old files, freeing up space in the “Other” section.
For WhatsApp, the procedure is a little different. Go to Settings → Data and Storage → Storage Management. The app will show you a chat list sorted by volume, you can selectively delete media files from specific dialogs without losing text history of correspondence, which allows you to point-to-point combat memory bloating.
| Annex | The path to cleanup | Is it safe to remove? | Impact on data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telegram | Settings → Data and memory | Yes. | The media will be rebooted when viewed |
| Settings → Data and Storage | Yes. | Removing media from chat rooms | |
| Phone settings → Applications | Yes (Cash) | Does not affect the account | |
| Viber | Settings → Memory | Yes. | Cache and media cleanup |
If the built-in tools of messengers do not help, you can use the system settings of Android. Go to Settings → Apps → All applications, find the desired program and select Storage. Pressing the “Clear Cache” button will safely delete temporary files. However, the “Reset” or “Clear All” button will delete the program itself and all your data in it, including correspondence.
Why is Telegram’s cache growing so fast?
Manual deletion of files through Explorer
For advanced users who want to know what exactly takes up space, a manual method is suitable. The standard File Manager Explorer on Xiaomi allows you to look into hidden folders and delete specific files that the system considers “Other” – this requires caution, but gives you maximum control.
Open Explorer and go to the root folder of internal storage. Pay attention to the Android/data folder. This is where the application data is stored. Often you can find folders with the names of remote games or programs that take up space. Also worth checking the Download and MIUI/Gallery/cloud/cache folders, where garbage from the gallery and cloud services often accumulate.
When manually deleting, it is important not to touch files with the.obb extension in the Android folder unless you are sure that they belong to a remote game. Deleting system files can lead to errors in the MIUI. Delete only those files whose purpose you understand: old APK installers, error logs, temporary browser files.
⚠️ Warning: Never delete files from system, vendor, or boot folders manually without root rights and understanding the consequences. 7A c "brick" requiring reflashing.
It's also useful to sort files by size. In Explorer, select Size-Sort and look at the largest files in the root or in the DCIM folder. Sometimes users forget about downloaded movies or archives that have been deadweight for months, and deleting them is the fastest way to free up a few gigabytes.
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Use the Hidden Files feature in Explorer settings to see folders starting at (..) Often that’s where forgotten browser caches and temporary application data are hidden.
Specialized cleaning applications
If there is not enough built-in, third-party utilities come to the rescue, but on budget devices like Redmi 7A, it is important not to overdo it with the “cleaners” who consume resources themselves, and open-source applications or time-tested tools like Files by Google or SD Maid are considered the best choices.
Files by Google integrates well with the Cleanup feature, which securely finds duplicates, blurred photos and long-unused apps, with the main advantage of no intrusive advertising and deep integration with the Android file system, allowing you to see the real picture of filling the “Other” section.
SD Maid is a more powerful tool for power users, it can find bodies and clean system logs. In the free version, the functionality is limited, but even basic cleaning works very efficiently. It allows you to analyze in detail which databases or caches are taking place.
- 📱 Files by Google – safe, simple, no ads, perfect for beginners.
- 🧹 SD Maid is a powerful tool for deep cleaning of residual files.
- 🗑️ Clean Master, a popular but heavy app, could slow down Redmi 7A.
Avoid the accelerators and antiviruses of unknown Chinese developers who promise miraculous memory release, often simply creating the appearance of work by showing animations, or, conversely, loading the processor, causing heat and battery discharge. On a model with a Snapdragon 439 processor, every megabyte of RAM is worth its weight in gold.
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The best cleaning app is the one you use regularly and trust. For most Redmi 7A users, a bundle of built-in Security tool and Files by Google is enough.
Radical measures: Resetting to factory settings
When software methods fail and the Other continues to grow, occupying a critical volume, the last effective way is a complete reset. This is guaranteed to remove all debris, file system errors and accumulated over the years of use of “digital noise.” For Xiaomi Redmi 7A, this is often a second birth.
Before you do this, make sure to back up all your important data. Reset will delete everything: contacts, photos, apps and settings. You can use Mi Cloud, Google Drive, or just copy files to your computer. Make sure the battery is at least 50-60% charged so that the phone doesn't turn off in the process.
To perform the reset, go to Settings → About Phone → Reset. Select “Erase All Data.” The system will warn you of the consequences several times. Once confirmed, the phone will restart and begin the cleanup process, which can take 10-20 minutes, resulting in the device in an “out of the box” state with the minimum possible “Other” partition.
⚠️ Warning: After a reset, don't rush to restore the backup of the apps right away. Better set the phone as new and install the apps manually. Often it is when the backup is automatically restored that the old bloated cache returns.
Once you return to factory settings, the Other section usually takes less than 1-2 GB, which is the norm for the system.This gives you a clean start. To prevent the problem from recurring quickly, set up autodelete the cache in messengers right away and do a prophylactic cleanup regularly.
Prevention of memory overflow
To keep the question of how to clean the Other on the Xiaomi 7A from getting up every month, you need to develop healthy smartphone habits. Prevention is always more effective than treatment, primarily with regard to media management and application installations.
Try not to store large amounts of video and photos in internal memory. Use cloud storage (Google Photos, Yandex.Disk) or microSD card if the model supports (Redmi 7A has a separate slot for a memory card).
- 📸 Check the Downloads folder regularly and delete unnecessary files.
- 🚫 Turn off auto-save media in Telegram and WhatsApp groups.
- 🔄 Once a month, audit installed applications and remove unused ones.
Also, you should limit the background activity of heavy applications. In the battery settings, you can prevent programs from running in the background if you do not need them all the time. This will not only save memory, but also prolong the battery life of your Redmi 7A. Following these simple rules will allow your smartphone to work quickly and consistently for many years.