How to Clean Memory on Xiaomi Redmi Note 7: From Cache to Hidden Files

Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 is still one of the most popular budget smartphones, but its 32/64 GB of memory is quickly clogged with photos, apps and system debris. If your phone starts to slow down, issue notifications about memory shortages or refuse to install updates, it’s time to act. In this article, we will discuss 7 proven ways to clean up memory, including hidden MIUI features that not everyone knows.

The Redmi Note 7 is a hybrid memory (if you have a version with 3GB of RAM), where some of the RAM can be used as storage, which makes it difficult to manually clean, but we'll show you how to get around the restrictions. Importantly, some methods require superuser rights, but the basic methods work without them. Let's start with the simplest and move on to advanced techniques.

1. Built-in cleaning MIUI: What is missing and what is missing

The fastest way is to use the built-in Cleanup tool in MIUI. It is available from the Settings menu → About Phone → Memory → Cleanup or through a desktop widget. The tool analyzes:

• 🗑️ Application cache – temporary files that can be deleted without consequences.
• 📁 Downloads – folder Download, where they accumulate APK, documents and media.
• 🔍 Unnecessary files – remnants of remote applications, system logs.
• 📱 Duplicate files – repetitive photos or documents (newer versions only) MIUI 12+).

However, built-in cleaning has limitations:

To start a deep cleanup:

1. Open the settings → About the phone → Memory.
2. Click Clean Up → Deep Cleanup (if available).
3. Select file categories and confirm deletion.

⚠️ Note: Do not delete files from the System Data section manually – this may cause crashes MIUI. The built-in tool only securely cleans files that do not affect the operation of the system.

2. Manual decache of applications: which can be touched and which can not

App cache takes anywhere from 500 MB to a few gigabytes, but not everything can be deleted without consequences, such as the cache of Google Play Services or MIUI System when cleaned can cause synchronization errors or interface lags.

It is safe to remove the cache:

• 🎮 Games (PUBG Mobile, Genshin Impact – up to 3–5 GB per game!).
• 📷 Social networks (Instagram, TikTok, VKontakte).
• 🌍 Map (Google Maps, Yandex.Maps – cache takes up to 1-2 GB).
• 🎵 Music services (Spotify, Yandex Music).

Don't touch the cache:

• 🔧 System applications (com.android.systemui, com.miui.home).
• 📱 Google Play Services (Google Play Services, Google Services Framework).
• 🔒 Applications with encrypted cache (Banking applications, Public Services).

How to clean the cache manually:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Choose an app (such as Instagram).
3. Press Warehouse. → Clear the cache.

Remember passwords from accounts (cache may contain authorization data)

Check if the application is currently in use.

Close all background processes of the application

Backup important data (e.g. saves in games)

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Critical information: On the Redmi Note 7, the cache of the com.xiaomi.market (Mi App Store) app can take up to 500 MB, but cleaning it will lead to a reset of store settings and loss of update history.

3. Delete unnecessary files through the file manager

Hidden folders and files take up to 20% of the memory, but they are not visible in standard browsing. Use Files from Xiaomi (preinstalled manager) or Solid Explorer (from Google Play) with the hidden file display mode enabled.

Where to look for garbage:

• 📂 /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/.thumbnails — Photo miniatures (up to) 1 GB).
• 📂 /storage/emulated/0/Android/data — Application data (remains after uninstallation).
• 📂 /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/ota — Old update files (up to) 2 GB).
• 📂 /storage/emulated/0/Download/Telegram — messenger cache (can weigh tens of gigabytes!).

How to delete:

1. Open the files. → press ⋮ → Settings → Show hidden files.
2. Go to the folder (for example, DCIM/.thumbnails).
3. Select the files and click Delete.

⚠️ Attention: Do not delete folders Android/obb Completely – game data is stored there (e.g. graphics packages) PUBG Mobile. only delete files of specific applications that have already been deleted.

Once a week.

Once a month

Only when the place ends.

Never clean.

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4. Data transfer to memory card: Redmi Note 7 limitations

Redmi Note 7 supports microSD up to 256GB, but not all data can be transferred. MIUI move:

• 📷 Photos and videos (via Gallery) → Albums. → ⋮ → Move it).
• 🎵 Music and audio files.
• 📄 Some documents (PDF, DOCX).

What I CAN'T move:

• 📱 Apps (only if the card is formatted as internal memory, but this will reduce performance!).
• 🎮 Game data (save, cache) OBB).
• 🔧 System files MIUI.

How to transfer photos:

1. Open the gallery. → select the album.
2. Press. ⋮ → Move it → Memory map.
3. Confirm the transfer.

If the map is not determined:

• Check the format: Must be FAT32 or exFAT (for files >4GB).
• Reboot the phone.
• Try another card (some SanDisk Ultra may not be recognized).

5. Cleaning through ADB: for advanced users

If standard methods don't work, use Android Debug Bridge (ADB) for deep cleaning, which removes system debris that is not available through the interface.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer installed ADB (download).
• 📱 Included debugging by USB Redmi Note 7 (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times to press to unlock the developer settings).
• 🔌 Cable USB Type-C (original, not cheap Chinese!).

Cleanup commands:

adb shell pm clear com.miui.cleanmaster #Cache cleaner MIUI


adb shell rm -rf /data/local/tmp/* # Delete temporary files




adb shell rm -rf /cache/* # Cleaning system cache (requires root)

⚠️ Attention: Command rm -rf /cache/* If you don't have root, it won't work, but it can cause an error. Use it only if you're confident in your actions. 7 It is safer to limit yourself to teams without root:

adb shell pm trim-caches 500M # Clears the cache of all applications, limiting it to 500MB

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Before using ADB, backup your application via adb backup -apk -obb -shared -all -f backup.ab. This will save all applications and data to your computer.

6.Reset to factory settings: when justified

Hard Reset is a last resort, but sometimes the only one if the phone is full. On the Redmi Note 7, the reset is done in two ways:

Method 1. Through settings:

1. Settings → About the phone → Reset settings → Erase all data.
2. Enter your password (if installed).
3. Confirm the reset.

Method 2. Through Recovery:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press Power + Volume up until the MI logo appears.
3. Select Wipe Data → Wipe All Data (Change Volume Buttons).

What will be removed:

• 📱 All applications and their data.
• 📷 Photos, videos, music (if not on a memory card).
• 📋 Accounts (Google, Mi Account) – the phone will request re-entering.
• 🔑 Wi-Fi passwords.

What's left:

• 📁 Files on a memory card (microSD).
• 🔄 System updates (but will return to factory version) MIUI).

💡

Resetting to factory settings on the Redmi Note 7 does not remove files from the MIUI/ota folder – they need to be manually cleaned after resetting!

7.Memory optimization: how to prevent filling

So that the memory doesn't get clogged again:

• 🔄 Set up automatic cleaning in Settings → The phone. → Memory. → Autocleaning.
• 📥 Disable autoload media in instant messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram).
• 🎮 Remove games you don’t play (like Call of Duty Mobile weighs 1.5GB).
• 🔍 Check the Download folder regularly – unnecessary ones accumulate there. APK documents.

For the Redmi Note 7, it is especially important:

• 📸 Turn off photo saving in HEIF (The format takes up less space, but not all applications support it).
• 🎵 In Google Play Music or Spotify, limit cache to 1GB.
• 📡 Turn off background synchronization for unnecessary applications.

Useful monitoring applications:

• Files by Google – shows junk files.
• SD Maid – cleans the remnants of remote applications (requires root).
• DiskUsage – visualizes occupied space.

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning up memory