How to clean the rest of the memory Xiaomi Redmi Note 7

Owners of the popular Redmi Note 7 often encounter a mysterious partition in the storage called “Other” or “Other” that can take up tens of gigabytes, gradually filling the device’s memory and causing a significant slowdown in the MIUI operating system. Users are puzzled what is hidden inside this category, since standard cleaning tools are not always able to effectively cope with accumulated digital debris.

In fact, this name hides a collection of system files, application cache, residual data after deleted programs and temporary update files. Understanding the structure of the Android file system allows you to identify the sources of growth of this partition. In this article, we will discuss in detail how to securely free up space without the risk of losing personal photos or contacts.

The nature of the “Other” section in MIUI

The Others section is generated automatically by the operating system as it actively operates the gadget, not just one particular file, but a lot of disparate data that the system cannot uniquely classify as images, videos, or music, often storing instant messenger data that was not recognized as media files or application logs.

The main source of growth in this category is the cache of social networks and browsers. When you view high-resolution news feeds or videos, the Redmi Note 7 saves temporary copies for quick downloads. Over time, this data ceases to be relevant, but continues to take up space, ignoring standard cleaning rules.

Another reason may be the remnants of remote applications, which, when you uninstall a program through a standard interface, some folders with settings or temporary data may remain deep in the file system, and they fall into the "Other" category, creating the illusion of crowded memory.

Use of the built-in “Cleanup” application

The first step in the fight for space should be to use a regular tool from Xiaomi. the Security app has a built-in cleaning module that can find obvious garbage. To start, you need to go to the Settings menu → About Phone → Memory or find the Security icon on your desktop.

Once the scan is started, the system will prompt the removal of temporary files and cache, but it is important to understand that standard cleaning is often superficial, and it does not affect system logs and some types of application cache that make up the lion's share of the Other section.

For a deeper cleaning inside the Security app, select the Cleanup option and carefully examine the categories proposed, and sometimes you can find the Big Files section, which hides forgotten archives or APK installation packages, which can also be counted in the overall space occupied.

💡

Run a standard cleanup routinely, at least once a week, to prevent a large amount of temporary data from accumulating that is harder to delete later.

Cleaning the cache of messengers and social networks

The most voracious apps in the Android ecosystem are traditionally messengers. Telegram, WhatsApp and Viber store a huge amount of media and temporary data, which the system often refers to as “other” section. Cleaning through the settings of the application itself gives a better result than deleting through the file manager.

On Telegram, you need to go to Settings → Data and Memory → Memory Use. There you will see the “Clear Cache” button, which is important to note that this action will not delete your correspondence, but only removes uploaded copies of photos and videos to the device that can be re-uploaded if necessary.

⚠️ Attention: Clearing the application data (not to be confused with cache) in the Android settings will completely delete all messages and logins. Be careful and choose the "Clear cache" item inside the messenger itself.

For WhatsApp, the procedure is similar: Settings → Data and Storage → Storage Management. You can delete large files or clear the entire cache. Regularly performing this procedure can free up to 5-10 GB of space, which is critical for the stable operation of the Redmi Note 7.

Analysis of storage using third-party utilities

If standard methods don’t help pinpoint the source of the problem, specialized disk space analyzers come to the rescue. Apps like DiskUsage or Files by Google visualize the smartphone’s memory in diagrams, allowing you to see which folders have swelled to giant sizes.

Once you install this utility and grant it access rights, you'll see a memory card. The Others section is often hidden under the Android/data or Android/obb folders. It stores game and heavy-app data. Deleting the contents of these folders can slow down game progress, so be careful.

Using advanced file managers, you can find files with the.log or.tmp extension. These files are created by the system for debugging and temporary storage. Their removal is completely safe and often allows you to reduce the volume of the Other partition by several gigabytes.

Manual removal of system debris through the Explorer

For advanced users, a method of manual cleaning through the built-in Explorer is available. You need to enable the display of hidden files in the Explorer settings, then go to the root directory and look for folders with the names of remote applications or obvious garbage.

Special attention should be paid to the folder MIUI/debug_log. In some versions of the firmware MIUI This is where you accumulate system error reports, which can be very large, and if you're not a developer and you don't send error reports to Xiaomi, you can delete the contents of this folder painlessly.

When working with a file system manually, always check the contents of the folder before deleting. If you are not sure about the purpose of the file, it is better to leave it or pre-copy it to your computer. Mistakeful deletion of system libraries can lead to unstable operation of the Redmi Note 7.

💡

Manual deletion of files requires increased care: delete only what you are 100% sure of, or files whose origin you know.

Resetting settings as a radical method

If the Others section continues to grow despite all cleanup attempts and the space occupied reaches critical values, a full factory reset may be required, guaranteed to remove all accumulated software debris, file system errors and remnants of remote applications.

Before you do this, make sure to back up all your important data. Reset will delete everything: contacts, photos, apps and settings. For the Redmi Note 7, this is often the only way to get back up if the phone has been in use for several years.

You can reset via the Settings menu → About Phone → Reset → Erase all data. Once rebooted, the device will be as new as the other, and the “Other” section will take up the minimum possible volume provided by the system.

⚠️ Warning: Before resetting, make sure the battery is charged at least 60-70%. Interrupting the reset process due to battery discharge can lead to damage to the software part of the smartphone.

Preventing memory overflow in the future

To prevent the problem from returning too quickly, it is recommended to change your smartphone usage habits. Automatic downloading of media in instant messengers is the main enemy of free memory. Turn off autoloading photos and videos in WhatsApp and Telegram settings, downloading content only on demand.

Check the Downloads folder regularly and delete the old APK installation files. They are not needed after installing the app, but they continue to lie dead, and it is also useful to go through the standard cleaning procedure through the Security app once a month.

Using cloud storage for photos and videos allows you to keep local memory free. Set up automatic sync with Google Photos or Mi Cloud with the function “Free space” will help you automatically delete files already stored in the cloud from the device.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)