Redmi smartphones are famous for their value for money, but even reliable devices face a shortage of internal memory over time, especially for the Redmi 7, which, despite its popularity, often has limited built-in storage, and users notice that space is disappearing, and in the memory settings mysteriously grows a partition, which the system designates as “Other” or “System Files”.
This folder is a collection of cache storage for applications, residual files after deleted programs, temporary data messengers and system logs. Cleaning this partition is not just a way to free a couple of gigabytes, but a necessary procedure to keep the MIUI operating system running. Ignoring overflows can lead to critical interface errors or inability to install updates.
In this guide, we will look at proven methods that will allow you to safely delete redundant data without damaging important personal files or system settings, where heavyweights hide, how to use hidden shell capabilities, and whether radical measures like resetting are worth resorting to.
What is hidden in the “Other” section really?
Before taking drastic action, it is important to understand the nature of junk files. The Other section of Xiaomi’s storage analytics is not a single directory, but a virtual pooling of data that the system cannot classify as photos, music or videos. Most often, cached data from streaming services like YouTube or Netflix, which save the videos viewed for quick re-uploading, dominates.
Telegram and WhatsApp have a habit of saving all received media files into hidden folders that the standard analyzer perceives as system garbage, and can contain error logs, crash reports and temporary files left over after a failed installation or update of applications.
⚠️ Warning: Do not attempt to manually delete files from system folders through root-enabled file managers unless you are sure of their purpose.This can lead to a device "bricking" or cyclical reboot.
It is important to note that some files in this section are critical to the operation of installed programs. Blindly removing all content can cause applications to stop running or lose their settings. So the approach should be selective and conscious, not total.
Basic cleaning through built-in Security application
The easiest and safest way to start the fight for space is to use the regular tools preinstalled in the MIUI shell. The Security app has a built-in Cleanup module that scans the device for obvious debris. To start, you need to go to the Settings menu → About Phone → Storage or just open the Security app on the home screen.
Once the scan is started, the system will prompt the removal of temporary files, advertising debris, and remnants of deleted applications, a method that safely frees up 100MB to 1GB of space, which may be enough to install a critical system update.
☑️ Basic cleaning through the application
For more detailed work inside the Security app, there's a Deep Clean section, where you can find large files that weren't seen in a quick scan, and it takes longer to analyze, but you can find forgotten videos or APK installation packages that can also be counted into the overall memory balance.
Manual control of the cache of applications and messengers
The main “eater” of the “Other” space is social networks and instant messengers. Apps like Telegram, Viber and WhatsApp store their correspondence history and media files locally. To reach them, go to Settings → Applications → All applications. Here you need to find the most voluminous programs and select Memory.
In the menu that opens, you'll see two buttons: "Clean" and "Erase Data." Clicking "Clean" will only securely remove the cache, temporary files that the program can recreate, which is the main method of combating bloating the "Other" section, and if you click "Erase Data," the application will return to the state immediately after installation, and you will lose all correspondence and settings inside it.
Secret Android/data folder
The Chrome browser or MIUI Browser, which saves copies of offline pages that can take hundreds of megabytes over time, often yields instant and noticeable results, returning performance to the system.
💡
Use the “Lite” feature of the app version (such as Facebook Lite or Messenger Lite) if you don’t have enough memory.
Analysis of storage using third-party snails
Xiaomi’s regular tools don’t always show a detailed memory occupancy map. For a deeper analysis, it’s recommended to use specialized utilities like Files by Google or DiskUsage. These apps visualize the storage as diagrams, where you can immediately see which folders take up the most space.
Using these tools, you can identify hidden problems, for example, you might find that an app that was remote six months ago left behind a gigabyte log file that continues to lie dead weight, and visualization helps you understand the structure of files and decide to delete specific items.
| Annex | Substantive function | Security of removal | Advertising |
|---|---|---|---|
| Files by Google | Search for duplicates and debris | Tall. | No. |
| DiskUsage | Memory visualization | Medium (requires attention) | No. |
| SD Maid | Deep cleaning of the system | Tall. | Got it in |
When working with third-party software, it is important to give only the necessary permissions, do not give full administrator rights to unknown programs, enough rights to read and write files for analysis and cleaning.
Delete residual APK files and folders
Often users download application installation files from the Internet, install them, but forget to delete it. APK-File: These installers are no longer needed, but only occupy space in the "Other" or "Installation Files" section, and can be found through any file manager by sorting files by "Application" type or date.
It's also worth checking the Download folder. PDF-Documents, presentations and archives that were needed once, and moving them to a computer or cloud storage will free up valuable megabytes.
⚠️ Note: Before deleting files with the.obb or.data extension from your Android folder, make sure they don't belong to the games you're still playing.
Remember the DCIM folder where you store.thumbnails. Sometimes the thumbnail cache can grow to the size of the original files if the gallery crashes. Cleaning the.thumbnails folder is safe, the system will recreate them the next time you open the gallery.
💡
Regularly checking the Downloads folder and removing APK installers is the easiest way to maintain order without installing additional software.
Radical measures: Resetting to factory settings
If none of the softer methods helped to free up space and the Other section continues to grow, there may have been a build-up of errors or damage in the file system, in which case an effective, albeit radical, solution is a full factory reset, which will return the phone to a store-like state.
Before this procedure, it is critical to back up all data. Photos, contacts, correspondence and documents will be irretrievably lost. Reset can be done through the Settings menu → About phone → Resetting → Erase all data.
After resetting and initial setup, it is recommended not to restore the backup of applications “wholesale”, but to install them again.This ensures that the old software debris does not return to the system with the programs. Redmi 7 after reset works much faster, since not only the memory, but also the registry of the system is cleaned.