How to Clean a folder Other on Xiaomi Redmi 7: the complete guide

The memory overflow problem on Xiaomi smartphones often catches users by surprise, especially for the Redmi 7, which, despite its reliability, has limited built-in storage. Device owners often face a situation where the system reports a shortage of space, and detailed analysis shows that the lion’s share is occupied by the mysterious category “Other”.

This partition can grow to tens of gigabytes, occupying up to 70% of the available space. The Other folder is a system container where MIUI puts files that cannot properly be classified as images, videos or documents. Ignoring this problem leads to a critical slowdown of the interface, inability to install updates, and even a complete freeze of the smartphone.

In this article, we will look at proven ways to clean your system safely without losing important data, learn how to distinguish between system debris and important logs, and understand why standard file removal methods don’t always work effectively on Redmi 7.

What's Hiding in the Other Category on Redmi 7

Before we start taking drastic measures, we need to understand the nature of these files. The Other category (sometimes referred to as System Files) accumulates data that doesn’t fall into standard media categories. First of all, it’s the app cache that accumulates when you use messengers like Telegram and WhatsApp. These programs save temporary files to speed up the loading of content when you re-access, but rarely delete them automatically.

Also, a significant part is occupied by the remnants of remote programs and system logs. When you delete an application, its temporary files can remain in memory. In addition, MIUI backs up updates and error logs, which Xiaomi technical department recommends storing for diagnosis, but they only take up space for the average user. On Redmi 7 with a storage capacity of 32 GB or 64 GB, this category can take up to 20 GB, which makes cleaning a critical procedure.

Another source of litter is streaming services and browsers.Cache cards, saved pages for offline access and temporary download files are often classified by the system as unknown data.Understanding the structure of these files helps avoid deleting important information such as saved passwords or game progress.

Basic cleaning through MIUI staff funds

The safest and first step for Redmi 7 owners is to use a built-in optimization tool. Xiaomi has a powerful garbage search algorithm that can remove up to 1-2 GB of extra data without interfering with system files. To start, go to the Security app and select the Cleanup item.

Once scanned, the system will suggest removing the obvious debris, but for the Other category cleanup, you need to scroll down the screen. There you will find the Cache and Garbage Cleanup sections. Click Cleanup. It's important to note that this method only removes the surface layer of temporary files. It doesn't affect the deep system logs and cache of large applications, but it's a mandatory preventive measure.

For more detail, use the built-in File Manager. Go to the Analyzer (broomstick or graphic icon) section, where you can visualize memory, you can see large files that have been forgotten or duplicate photos, and deleting such files directly reduces the volume of the Other category.

Manual cleaning of the cache of messengers and social networks

The main culprit behind the inflated “Other” folder on Redmi 7 are messengers. Telegram, WhatsApp and Viber store every photo, video and document received into local memory. Even if you delete chat correspondence, files can remain in the app’s cache while continuing to occupy space. Standard deletion through phone settings often does not affect the internal databases of these programs.

The most effective way is to use built-in cleaning tools inside the applications themselves. For example, Telegram needs to go to Settings → Data and Memory → Memory Use. There is a Cached Data slider and Clear Cache feature available. It is recommended to install automatic cleaning in, for example, 3 days or a week, to prevent the accumulation of gigabytes of video from channels you have already viewed.

On WhatsApp, the situation is similar, but files are often hidden deeper. Go to Settings → Data and Storage → Storage Management. The system will show the chats that take up the most space. You can selectively delete media files from specific dialogs. Remember that after cleaning the cache in the applications on the first run, it can take a little longer to download the history, as images will be re-downloaded as needed.

⚠️ Note: Before clearing messenger data, make sure you have a backup of important communications in the cloud (Google Drive or iCloud) if you use standard backup methods. Local cache cleaning does not delete text messages, but can delete downloaded media files.

Using Developer Mode and ADB for Advanced Users

If standard methods didn’t help to free up space, you can use a more powerful tool, USB debugging. This method allows you to remove the system cache that is hidden from the average user. First, you need to activate the developer mode on Redmi 7. Go to Settings → About phone and quickly click on the MIUI build number 7 times. Once you become a developer, a new section will appear in the settings menu.

Turn on USB debugging in the Developer menu. Connect your phone to your computer. You'll need to install the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) package on your PC. This method requires caution because it allows you to access system partitions, and it can force the cache of specific system services that inflate the Other partition.

The command to clean the cache of a particular application is as follows:

adb shell pm clear com.android.cache

However, the general cleaning of the "Other" section most often requires resetting the system cache through the recoveries or using specialized scripts. Inexperienced users are advised to limit themselves to cleaning the cache through the recovery menu (Recovery Mode), which can be accessed by clamping the key combination "Loudness Up + Power when the phone is turned off. Select Wipe Cache Partition. This is safe and does not delete personal data, but effectively cleans system debris.

Memory analysis by third-party utilities

When Xiaomi's built-in tools can't pinpoint exactly what's in the Other category, specialized disk analyzers come to the rescue. Apps like DiskUsage or Files by Google build a visual memory card. They show not just the size of the folder, but the specific files inside it, which allows you to find the heavyweights that are hiding in the back of the system directories.

When using these slits on Redmi 7, pay attention to the folders.thumbnails (gallery cache) and Android/data. Often there accumulate gigabytes of cache from streaming services (YouTube, Netflix, Spotify) and games. Deletion of the contents of the.thumbnails folder is safe - the system will create it again the next time the gallery opens, but the space will be freed instantly.

It's also worth checking the folder. MIUI/debug_log. If the phone is debugging or has system errors, huge log files could be written here, and deleting them is completely secure and often frees you from the debugging process. 500 MB up to 2 GB of space. After cleaning, it is recommended to restart the device so that the file system recalculates the indexes.

💡

Use the "Recent" feature in the memory analyzer to find files that have been created or changed recently, often causing a sharp jump in memory.

Radical measures: Resetting and reflashing

If none of the above methods helped reduce the size of the Other folder and it continues to grow, it is possible that the Redmi 7 file system is damaged or has been plagued with indexing errors, in which case the only effective solution is a complete factory reset.

To perform the reset, go to Settings → Advanced Settings → Restore and Reset. Select Settings Reset. Make sure to tick the “Clear Internal Memory” box, which will delete all data, including the “Other” category, and return the phone to the “out of the box” state. Once you set up the initial setup and install only the necessary apps, you will be surprised at how much free space will appear.

In rare cases, when even a reset doesn’t help (the “Other” category appears immediately after a reset and takes up a lot of space), it requires flashing the device through the computer using the Mi Flash Tool utility.This is guaranteed to eliminate any file system software errors, but requires the original firmware for your particular Redmi 7 model (codename: onclite).

⚠️ Note: Full Reset permanently deletes all photos, contacts and apps. Make sure that sync with your Google account is successful and important files are copied to an external medium.

💡

If the category “Other” grows again rapidly after a complete reset without actively downloading files, this may indicate physical memory degradation. NAND-chip that requires replacement of the motherboard or device.

Prevention of memory overflow

To keep the "Other" category problem from returning on Redmi 7, you need to change your smartphone usage habits. First, set up automatic cache cleanup in the Security app. Schedule a check once a week. This will take a couple of minutes, but prevent garbage from accumulating.

Second, check your messaging settings regularly. Turn off auto-save media in the gallery for group chats, which you rarely use. Telegram can limit your cache size to, say, 1GB. Once the limit is reached, old files will be deleted automatically.

Third, don't allow the memory to be filled to the end. Android and MIUI need free space (at least 10-15% of the total) for virtual memory and temporary files to function properly. If the memory is 98-99% full, the phone's speed drops, and the "Other" category may behave incorrectly.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)