Owners of the popular Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 often face the same problem: a sudden overflow of internal memory with the “Other” partition. This phenomenon can occur even when you actively use built-in cleaning tools. Android system, as well as the MIUI shell, over time accumulate hidden files that are not classified as images, music or applications, which makes them fall into this mysterious category.
The accumulation of junk data in the Other sector leads to a significant slowdown in the smartphone, the device begins to open applications longer, there may be delays in switching between tasks, and there are problems with installing new updates. Understanding the nature of these files is the first step to effectively clean and restore the performance of your gadget.
In this article, we will look at the causes of excess gigabytes and offer proven methods for removing them. We will look at both the standard system tools and more advanced methods that require a connection to a computer. A competent approach will allow you to make room without the risk of losing important personal data or disrupting the stability of the operating system.
The Nature of the Other Section in the Android File System
The Other section on Redmi Note 7 is not a single file, but a collection of different data that the file manager cannot automatically categorize as standard, including temporary files, remnants of deleted applications, error logs and cache of system processes, and often the volume of this section is inflated due to the incorrect operation of some programs that do not delete their temporary data after the session is over.
Special attention should be paid to the cache of multimedia and social networks. Apps like Telegram or WhatsApp store photos and videos viewed in hidden folders, which the system sees as unknown files. This category also includes offline map data and downloaded files from browsers if they do not have the appropriate metadata. Content analysis helps to understand what exactly occupies space.
⚠️ Warning: Before you start deep cleaning, be sure to back up important data. Deleting system files from the Other section can lead to unstable smartphone operation or loss of application settings.
It is important to understand that some files in this section are necessary for the OS to function properly, such as contact databases or system event logs, blindly removing all content indiscriminately can cause failures, and therefore selective cleaning is a safer and smarter approach to memory optimization.
Basic cleaning through built-in Security application
The first and safest step to free up space on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 is to use the standard Security app.This is a pre-installed tool that has access to system directories and can safely delete temporary files. Launch the app and select Clean up to allow the system to perform the initial analysis.
After scanning, press the clean button. However, the standard mode often misses the deep cache. For more thorough check, go to the garbage cleanup section and wait for the analysis to be completed. The system will suggest removing unnecessary files, but sometimes manual selection of categories is required for more detailed control.
☑️ Basic cleaning algorithm
If the Other section size has not decreased significantly after the standard procedure, you need to move to manual control. The Security app often has a Deep Clean tab where you can find large files and duplicates. Removing duplicate photos or documents can free up a significant amount of space that was previously displayed as occupied space.
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For maximum efficiency, clean through a standard app after each smartphone reboot, when most background processes have already completed their work.
Manual deletion of data through File Manager
A more advanced method requires the use of a built-in File Manager. Go to the storage settings and select the memory view option. Here you will see a list of the applications that take up the most space. By clicking on a particular application, you will see the breakdown by data type.
Pay special attention to the Android/data and Android/obb folders, which store game and heavy app data, and if you deleted the game but the folder is still there, it continues to occupy space in the Other section. Manually find the folders with the names of the remote programs and delete them.
It's also worth checking the MIUI folder at the root of the internal memory, which may contain update logs or voice recorder backups that you don't need. Be careful: delete only files that you know the origin of. Manual deletion requires care so that you don't damage the system.
| folder | Description of the contents | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| /MIUI/debug_log | Logs of system debugging | Can be removed |
| /Android/data | Cash and application data | Remove only the residues |
| /DCIM/.thumbnails | Gallery miniatures | Safe for cleaning. |
| /Tencent/MicroMsg | WhatsApp/WeChat cache | Clean through the application settings |
Cleaning the cache of messengers and social networks
The main culprits inflating the “Other” section on Redmi Note 7 are most often messengers. Telegram, WhatsApp and Viber store all media files viewed in cache, which the system does not always correctly display as “Images” or “Video”, which can take up tens of gigabytes.
To clean up Telegram, you need to go to the settings of the app itself, select Data and Memory, and then Memory Use, where you can safely clear the cache without deleting correspondence, and the messenger will download the media files again if necessary, but the disk space will be freed up instantly.
⚠️ Attention: Cleaning up data through application settings is safer than deleting folders through a file manager.This ensures that the correspondence database is not damaged.
On WhatsApp, the situation is similar: settings → Data and Storage → Storage Management. Here you can select the chats with the largest amount of data and remove attachments. Regularly checking this section will help keep the Other section under control and prevent sudden memory overflow.
Why isn't the cache cleared completely?
Using debugging mode and ADB for deep cleaning
If the standard methods don’t work, you can use the developer tools. To do this, you need to activate the developer mode on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7. Go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click on the MIUI build number seven times. After that, the “Developers” option will appear on the menu.
Turn on USB debugging in the developer menu. Connect your smartphone to your computer and use the ADB command to remove the system cache. This is a powerful method that allows you to get to files hidden from the average user.
adb shell pm clear com.android.package_nameHowever, using ADB requires precision. Incorrectly applying commands can lead to the removal of important system components. Debugging mode gives you complete control over the device, but also imposes greater responsibility on the user.
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Using ADB is a "heavy artillery" to clean up memory, and only use it if standard MIUI tools fail.
Prevention and optimization of memory
To prevent the problem from returning to the “Other” partition on Redmi Note 7, you need to implement a habit of regular prevention: do not allow the memory to be filled “on the back”. Android system needs free space (at least 10-15% of the total) for the correct operation of file operations and virtual memory.
Use cloud storage for photos and videos. Set up automatic sync with Google Photos or Mi Cloud will allow you to store the originals in the cloud, leaving only compressed copies on the device or deleting them altogether after downloading, which will significantly reduce the load on internal storage.
It is also useful to reboot your smartphone periodically. Reboot completes all background processes and often initiates automatic cleaning of temporary files by the system. Regular reboot is a simple but effective way to keep the file system healthy.