How to Clean Other Files on Xiaomi Redmi 7A: 5 Proven Ways

Owners of Xiaomi Redmi 7A sooner or later face a mysterious problem: the phone's memory is full, but it is not clear what. In the "Storage" section, the system stubbornly shows a huge amount of "Other files" - sometimes up to 10-15 GB, which can not be deleted by standard methods. Where does this garbage come from? Why does it not disappear after cleaning the cache? And most importantly, how to safely remove it without breaking the smartphone?

In fact, “Other Files” is a collection category for all the data that Android can’t categorize as photos, videos, apps or documents, including remnants of deleted programs, temporary system process files, log files, messenger cache (especially Telegram and WhatsApp), and artifacts from MIUI updates. On Redmi 7A, with its modest 16/32 GB of memory, this problem is exacerbated at times — every megabyte on the account.

In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways to clean “Other Files” – from simple (built-in tools) MIUI) to advanced (manual cleaning through the ADB). You will learn which files can be deleted without risk, which can be touched dangerously, and how to prevent the re-accumulation of garbage. 7A, for example, working with a section /data/log, blistering MIUI 10/11.

1.What are “Other Files” and Why Do They Take So Much Space

On Redmi 7A, the other files category is the Android black box, where everything that the system can't classify goes, and unlike the app cache or downloads, that data doesn't have a clear structure and often goes undetected until it eats up half the memory.

• 📁 Remnants of Remote Applications: Even after uninstallation, programs often leave files in folders /data/data or /sdcard/Android/obb. Like games like this. PUBG Mobile or Free Fire can be forgotten 1-2 GB.
• 🗑️ Log files MIUI: Xiaomi’s shell keeps detailed error logs that are stored in the /data/log. On the Redmi. 7A s MIUI 10/11 These files can be used up to 3-5 GB, if you haven't cleaned it for a long time.
• 💬 Messenger cache: Telegram, WhatsApp and Viber store media files in hidden folders. Even after cleaning the cache in the application settings, some of the data remains in "Other».
• 🔄 Temporary update files: after installing updates MIUI Google Play does not always delete service packs (for example, files with the.tmp or.apk extension) /cache).

Feature of Redmi 7A — The lack of a memory card slot in the basic configuration (16 GB), which means that “Other files” eat up precious space of the system partition, which leads to slowdowns, errors in installing applications and even accidental reboots. Moreover, on this model, you can not transfer applications to SD-map (even if it is installed in 32 GB versions), so garbage control becomes critical.

⚠️ Note: Do not confuse “Other Files” with the section /system! The latter contains firmware files and takes up ~3-4 GB – it cannot be cleaned without root rights. All manipulations in this article are only about user data in the Internet. /data and /sdcard.

Method 2: Cleaning through built-in MIUI tools

The first and safest method is to use standard MIUI utilities, which do not require root rights and are suitable for beginners. Three tools are available on Redmi 7A:

1. Cleaning up memory (Settings → Storage):
2. Memory optimization (Settings → Special Opportunities → Memory optimization):

Safety → Cleanup

• 🛡️ This section analyzes junk files, including cache, temporary data, and empty folders.
• ⚠️ Be careful with the option to remove unnecessary APK» — It can erase firmware files if you saved them for manual updates.

adb devices

(Series numbered device should appear. If not, check the drivers or cable.)

adb shell


su -c "find /data -name '*.log' -delete"

This command will delete all log files in the /data section. on Redmi 7A, this can free up to 2-3GB.

adb shell


su -c "find /sdcard -name '*.tmp' -delete"

Deletes temporary files on internal memory.

To clean the application cache (without deleting data):

adb shell pm list packages -f | awk -F= '{print $2}' | xargs -I '{}' adb shell pm clear '

On Redmi 7A with MIUI 10, the pm clear command may not work for system applications.

adb shell cmd package bg-dexopt-job

This forcefully optimizes the cache of all applications.

⚠️ Attention: Teams with su -c If you don't have root rights, use alternative methods or skip this step. ADB This can lead to bootloop (a looped boot)!

5. Method 4: Use of third-party utilities (with and without root)

If the previous methods didn't work, specialized applications will come to the rescue, and we tested them on Redmi 7A and selected the most effective ones:

• 🛠️ SD Maid (requires root):
• 🧹 Files by Google (without root):
• 📦 1Tap Cleaner (free-of-charge):

For the Redmi 7A root-rights, we recommend Root Explorer or FX File Explorer.

• Delete files from /data/log and /cache.
• Clean /data/dalvik-cache (releases up to 500 MB)
• Remove unnecessary system applications (e.g. com.miui.analytics, Xiaomi’s statistics collection service).
• Through Recovery:

After discharge:

• 📱 The phone will be like new – without apps, photos and settings.
• 🔄 The volume of "Other files" will be dropped to ~500 MB (normal for MIUI).
• ⚠️ First-time 2-3 The system will create new cache files after the reset – don’t worry if the memory starts to fill up again.

⚠️ Attention: On Redmi 7A s MIUI 10/11 There is a bug: after reset via Recovery, the phone can hang on the logo MI. If this happens, perform a forced reboot (Power button) + Loudness up on 10 seconds) and repeat the reset via settings.

7.How to prevent the re-accumulation of “Other Files”

Cleaning up memory is good, but it's even better to keep it from clogging, and the Redmi 7A's prevention measures are:

• 📵 Turn off auto-update apps:
• 🗑️ Set up automatic cleaning:
• 📥 Limit the messenger cache:
• 🔄 Check the Download folder regularly:

For Redmi 7A, it is especially important to disable MIUI analytics collection, as it generates unnecessary log files:

Settings → Advanced Settings → Privacy → Send usage data (turn off)


Settings → About phone → Reviews about MIUI → Send reviews automatically (off)

We also recommend that you perform memory optimization once a month through Settings → Special. features → Memory optimization → Deep cleaning. This will remove unnecessary background processes and free up to 300-500 MB.

FAQ: Frequent Questions About “Other Files” on Redmi 7A