“Other” in memory Xiaomi Redmi 7A: what it is and how to clean without harming the system

Why The Other Takes Gigabytes of Memory on Your Redmi 7A – and How to Fix It

Have you ever looked into your Xiaomi Redmi 7A’s storage settings and found that the Other partition takes up 5, 10, or even 15GB of precious memory? It’s not a system bug — that’s how MIUI stands for utility files, app cache, temporary data, and remnants of remote programs. The problem is that standard cleaning methods (via Settings → Storage) often don’t handle this garbage.

On Redmi 7A, with its modest 16 or 32 GB of internal memory, every megabyte counts. If you notice that the phone is slowing down, apps fly out, and the Not Enough Memory notification appears even after you delete photos and videos, the Other is to blame. In this article, we will discuss 5 working cleaning methods, including hidden MIUI 10/11 features and third-party tools that do not require root rights.

Before you start, remember: Redmi 7A absolutely cannot delete files from /system or /vendor folder manually, this will lead to a “brick” (complete failure) of the device.

What exactly is hidden under the "Other" section on Redmi 7A

Xiaomi’s official documentation describes the Other as “system data and temporary files,” but in practice, it gets a lot more junk.

🗑️ Application cache – remnants of data from remote programs (for example, Facebook cache or TikTok, which was not cleared during uninstallation).
📁 Residues OTA-Updates – firmware files that have been downloaded but not installed (on Redmi) 7A They can weigh up to 1.5 GB!).
🔄 System Logs – logcat and dmesg files that are created when crashes (they can be safely deleted).
📱 Dalvik cache data – temporary files of the Android virtual machine that are recreated when you restart.
🗃️ Empty folders – remain after deleting applications (for example, /Android/data/com.tencent.mm from WeChat).
🔗 Symbolic links – broken shortcuts leading to nowhere (often left after transferring files to the Internet) SD-map).

Interesting fact: on Redmi 7A s MIUI Section 10, "Other" can be artificially inflated because of a memory error, for example, if you moved the application to the next one. SD-The card, and then you delete it, the system can continue to see the volume of the card in the "Other" section, and it's a bug that can only be fixed by a complete reset or manual cleaning.

📊 How often do you clean your memory on Xiaomi?

Once a week.

Once a month

Only when the place ends.

Never cleaned.

Few people know, but MIUI has a hidden deep cleaning menu that doesn't show up in the standard settings.

Open the Settings app.
Go to the "About the Phone" section.
Click 5 times in a row on the line "Version" MIUI» — This will open the developer mode (if it is not already activated).
Return to the main settings menu and select “More → Storage”.
Slip on Clean, then tap on the three dots in the top right corner and select Deep Clean.

Here you will see an advanced garbage analysis, including:

🧹 Unnecessary APK — remnants of app installers.
🗂️ Empty folders – they can be deleted without risk.
🔄 Duplicate files – for example, copies of photos from Google Photos.

Close all applications

Connect your phone to charge (the process can take 10-15 minutes)

Make a backup copy of important data

Turn off the mobile Internet (to avoid interrupting the notification process)-->

⚠️ Warning: If after deep cleaning the phone starts to reboot, don't panic. This is normal: the system reassembles the Dalvik cache. Wait for full load (may take up to 5 minutes).

Method 2: Removal of cache and system application data

Many MIUI system applications (e.g., Security, Themes, or Music) accumulate gigabytes of cache that are not cleaned by standard methods.

Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
Turn on the display of system applications (tap on three points → “Show all applications”).
Find in the list: com.miui.securitycenter ("Security") com.miui.player ("Music") com.android.providers.downloads ("Downloads") com.miui.gallery ("Gallery")

Clear the cache

Clear the data

Important: After cleaning the data from the Security and Themes app, they will reset to the factory settings.

🔒 Application lock settings will reset.
🎨 All uploaded themes and wallpaper will disappear (but you can download them again).

Annex	Max. Cache volume.	Can the data be cleaned?	Effects of consequences
com.miui.securitycenter	1.2 GB	Yes.	Resetting security settings
com.miui.player	800 MB	Yes.	Playlists will be removed.
com.android.providers.downloads	up to 500MB	No.	Just cache.
com.miui.gallery	up to 1.5GB	Yes.	Resetting albums and labels

💡

If after cleaning the application "Security" stopped scanning viruses - update its databases through Settings → About phone → Software update.

Method 3: Manual removal of residues OTA-update

One of the main memory eaters at Redmi 7A — Undeleted firmware files. Every time you receive an update notification MIUI, The system downloads the full package (weight) ~1.5 GB) in the folder /cache or /data/ota_package. Even if you cancel the installation or it ended with an error, the files remain dead weight.

To remove them:

Connect your phone to your PC and enable File Transfer (MTP) mode.
Open Windows Explorer and follow the path: This computer\Redmi 7A\Internal memory / cache Or (if the folder is hidden): This computer / Redmi 7A\Internal memory\data\ota_package
Delete all files with the.zip extension and names like: miui_HM7AGlobal_V11.0.2.0.PCMIXM_... fw_hm7a_miui_HM7A_V10.2.3.0...

⚠️ Note: Do not delete files from the folder /cache, If their names start with dalvik-cache or recovery, it can disrupt the system.

What to do if the /data folder is not available?

If you see a message that says “No access” when you try to open /data, your Redmi 7A has MIUI protection enabled. To get around it: 1. Install any root-enabled file manager (e.g., FX File Explorer). 2. In the manager settings, enable the option to “Show hidden files” and “Show system files.” 3. Try accessing the manager — sometimes this works even without root rights. If it doesn’t work, only the factory reset remains.

Method 4: Using ADB for deep cleaning (for advanced)

If previous methods didn't work, and the Other section is still gigabytes, you can use the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) tool to remove system debris that is not available through the standard interface.

🖥️ Computer with Windows/Linux/macOS.
🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).
📦 Installed drivers Xiaomi and ADB.

Instructions:

Download Google’s Platform Tools and unpack it into any folder.
On your phone, turn on Developer Mode (as in Method 1) and activate USB Debugging.
Connect Redmi 7A to your PC and in the folder with the platform-tools, launch the command line (Shift + right button → “Open PowerShell window here”).
Follow the commands in turn: adb devices (should appear your device) adb shell su (if you request root access - allow on the phone) cd /data/local/tmp rm -rf * cd /cache rm -rf.zip.tmp

What exactly are these commands removed:

🗑️ Temporary files from /data/local/tmp (installer-leave).
📦 Undetermined OTA-packet /cache.
🔄 Broken symbolic references.

💡

ADB-Cleaning is the most effective method, but it requires caution. Never follow the rm commands. -rf / rm -rf /system — It'll destroy your firmware!

Method 5: Reset to factory settings (last resort)

If all the previous methods failed and the Other still takes more than 5GB, it's just a complete reset. On the Redmi 7A, it's done like this:

Create a backup copy of important data (photos, contacts, SMS).
Go to Settings → Additional → Recovery and Reset.
Select “Reset” → “Erase all data”.
Confirm the action and wait for the reboot (it will take 5-10 minutes).

What happens after the dump:

✅ The “Other” section will be reduced to 100-300 MB (norm for a clean system).
❌ All apps, accounts and settings will be deleted.
⚠️ The first day after resetting the phone may work slower – this is normal (system optimized).

⚠️ Attention: On Redmi 7A s MIUI 10 there is a bug: after reset, the Security section in the settings may disappear. To return it, update the firmware to the latest version through Settings → The phone. → Update of the PO.

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning up "The Other" on Redmi 7A

Can I clean the Other without losing data?

Yes, the first 4 methods in this article (deep cleaning, cache removal, ADB, OTA cleaning) do not affect user data. Only a complete reset (Method 5) deletes everything.

Why does the “Other” grow again after cleaning?

It's normal, because the system and the applications are constantly creating temporary files to slow down the growth of garbage: 🔄 Clean the cache once a week. 🚫 Do not install applications from unknown sources. 📵 Turn off automatic update downloads in Settings → The phone. → Update of the PO».

Can I transfer the "Other" to the SD-map?

No, system files from the Other section cannot be transferred to the memory card, the only solution is to clean up or install applications on SD (if it supports Adoptable Storage).

What if the phone starts to lag after cleaning?

This is a temporary phenomenon: after removing the Dalvik cache, the system reassembles it on the first run. Wait 10-15 minutes and restart the phone. If the lags are left, check the vacant space (should be at least 1 GB).

Are there any apps for automatic cleaning of the Other?

Yes, but most of them require root rights. Without them, you can try: Files by Google - finds duplicates and large files. SD Maid (free version) – clears cache and empty folders. CCleaner – removes the remnants of remote applications. ⚠️ Don’t use “optimizers” like Clean Master – they often show false threats and accumulate garbage.