How to Clean Xiaomi Redmi Note 7: 7 Proven Ways to Get Back Speed

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 is still one of the most popular budget smartphones thanks to its robust hardware and long support for updates. But even on such a device, digital debris accumulates over time: residual application files, cache, duplicate photos and unnecessary MIUI data. As a result, the phone begins to “brake”, quickly discharge and overheat. This article is not just a collection of general tips, but a detailed guide to the features of the Redmi Note 7, including hidden features of MIUI 12/14, working with memory partitions and safe cleaning methods without the risk of “bricking”.

We'll look at not only the standard methods (cache cleansing, file deletion), but also advanced techniques: how to free the /data partition, why not use the Play Market cleaners, and what to do if the phone gets worse after cleaning. All instructions are tested on the Redmi Note 7 with firmware from MIUI 11 to MIUI 14 (including global and Chinese versions).

Warning: Some methods require superuser rights (root) or ADB. If you are a beginner, start with safe ways (sections 1-3) and then move on to a “deep” cleanup. For convenience, we have highlighted the unique features of the Redmi Note 7 that do not apply to other Xiaomi models (for example, the problem with overflowing /misc partition after updates).

1.Diagnosis: Why the Redmi Note 7 is slowing down and how to find "garbage"

Before you clean, you need to understand what exactly is clogging your phone’s memory. On the Redmi Note 7 with 64GB of storage, the typical problems are:

• 📱 System section /data filled 90%+ — leads to lags when installing applications.
• 🗑️ Cash. MIUI (especially after updates, it takes up to 3-5 GB.
• 📸 Duplicate photos in the gallery (due to Google Photos and Mi Gallery bugs).
• 🤖 Residual files from remote applications (for example, in a folder) /Android/obb).

To check the state of memory:

1. Open the settings → About the phone → Memory.
2. If the System partition (usually gray) is >15 GB, that's not normal for the Redmi Note 7.
3. Click Categories and sort by size. Pay attention to Cache, Other and Downloads.

🔍 The hidden problem of Redmi Note 7: post-update MIUI Often temporary files remain in the folder /data/miui/backup, They're not visible through standard conductor, and they can only be deleted through Files. → Categories → System files (require permission to access hidden folders).

⚠️ Note: If the “Other” section is more than 10 GB, it is a sign of memory fragmentation or file system damage. In this case, a simple cleaning will not help: you will need to reset to factory settings or flash through Fastboot.

2. Clear cache and unnecessary files without root rights

So let's start with the safest methods, which don't require any special knowledge, and these are the ones that will work even if you've never cleaned your phone before.

Method 1: Cleaning the application cache

• 📱 Go to Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
• 🔍 Select the app (start with the heaviest ones – Facebook, Instagram, Google Play Services).
• 🧹 Click Clear Cache (not to be confused with Clear Data – this will remove the settings!).
• 🔄 For mass cleaning, use the settings → Memory. → Clean up (MIUI will remove the cache of all applications at once).

Method 2: Removal of garbage through the built-in utility MIUI

Xiaomi has added a security tool (previously Optimization) to its firmware that can find unnecessary files:

1. Open the Security app (shield icon).
2. Go to the Cleanup tab.
3. Press Deep Clean and wait for analysis.
4. Delete the Residual Files, Cache and Large Files (but don’t touch Logs – these are system logs!).

Method 3: Clean Downloads and Duplicates

Downloads on Redmi Note 7 are often littered with unnecessary APKs, memes and old documents, and MIUI has a bug: when you download files from Telegram or your browser, sometimes duplicates are created with the extension.tmp or.crdownload.

To clean up:

• 📁 Open the files. → Categories → Downloads.
• 🔍 Sort by size and remove anything older than 3 months.
• 🔍 Enable the display of hidden files (three dots in the upper right corner) → Settings → Show hidden files) and delete files with extensions.tmp,.crdownload,.part.

3. Release of the /data system partition (advanced method)

If you see a 15+GB system partition in Settings → Memory, this is a sign of /data overflow. On the Redmi Note 7, this problem arises because of:

• 📦 Residual files after updates MIUI (folder /data/miui/backup).
• 🤖 Incorrectly deleted applications (their data remains in the /data/data).
• 📱 Logos of the system (/data/log), which are not automatically cleaned.

🛠️ How to clean /data rootless:

1. Connect your phone to your PC and enable USB debugging (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (click 7 times) → Additional → For developers → USB debugging).
2. Download ADB Tools and open the command line in the folder with adb.exe.
3. Enter the commands in turn: adb shell su (if root is available) rm -rf /data/miui/backup/* rm -rf /data/local/tmp/* rm -rf /data/log/*
4. Reboot the phone.

⚠️ Warning for Redmi Note 7: Don't delete the folders. /data/dalvik-cache and /data/app — If you're not sure about the teams, use instead of ADB attachment «SD Maid" (requires root).

4. Clean up the MIUI and Dalvik cache without resetting settings

MIUI and Dalvik cache are temporary files that speed up the system, but grow to giant sizes over time. On the Redmi Note 7, after a year of use, they can take up to 4-6 GB!

How to clean:

• 📱 Cash. MIUI: Go to Settings. → Annexes → App management. Find the Launcher (or MIUI System Launcher) and click Clear cache. Repeat for System UI Android System.
• 🤖 Dalvik Cash (requires reboot in recovery): Turn off your phone. Squeeze power + Volume up to enter Recovery. select Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache. Confirm and restart.

💡 Why it works: Dalvik cache is an optimized version of a fast-start application, and when cleaned, it will recover automatically, but without any junk data.

⚠️ Warning: If after cleaning Dalvik phone is stuck on the screensaver MIUI — Wait 5-10 minutes, the system recovers the cache, if it doesn't work, repeat the procedure or reset it via Fastboot.

5. Removal of duplicate photos and videos (including hidden ones)

Gallery on Redmi Note 7 has a bug: when synchronizing with Google Photos or Mi Cloud, duplicates are created with different resolutions (for example, IMG_20230101_120000.jpg and IMG_20230101_120000_1.jpg). Besides, MIUI Stores thumbnails in the.thumbnails folder that can weigh up to 1–2 GB.

How to find and remove duplicates:

• 📸 Use the Files by Google app: Open the app and go to the Cleanup tab. Select Duplicates of Files and Blurred or Dark Photos. View the proposed files and delete the unnecessary ones.

1. Open the files. → Internal memory.
2. Enable the display of hidden files (three dots → Settings → Show hidden files).
3. Delete the contents of folders:.thumbnails (miniatures) DCIM/.thumbnails Pictures/.thumbnails

📌 Important for the Redmi Note 7: Don't delete the folder. MIUI The root of memory is the system data of the themes and wallpaper. Android/obb, If you are not sure, it stores game data (for example, Genshin Impact or Call of Duty Mobile).

6. Optimization of autoloading and background activity

One of the reasons Redmi Note 7 brakes are apps that start at system start and run in the background. MIUI allows you to turn off autoboot, but this menu is hidden.

How to turn off autoboot:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Autoboot.
3. Turn off autoboot for unnecessary apps (e.g. Facebook, AliExpress, Clean Master).

How to limit background activity:

• 📱 Go to Settings. → Battery and productivity → Battery management.
• 🔋 Select Application Selection and set Restricted Mode for “gluttonous” applications.
• 🛑 To completely disable the background, use the Settings → Permits → Autostart and ban background work.

🔧 The Hidden Trick for Redmi Note 7: In MIUI There's an undocumented feature called Performance Mode, which turns off animations and speeds up work:

1. Enter the phone code in the app: ##4636##.
2. Go to the Battery Information tab.
3. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Performance Mode.

💡

If notifications stop coming after you turn off the autoboot (for example, from Viber or Telegram), add these apps to Settings → Notifications → Priority Notifications.

7.Extreme measures: factory reset and flashing

If all the previous methods didn't work, and the phone is still slowing down, you're left resetting to factory settings or flashing it back. On the Redmi Note 7, you can do this in three ways:

Instructions for resetting via Recovery:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press Power + Volume Up to Enter Recovery.
3. Choose a language (if you have a choice).
4. Go to Wipe & Reset → Wipe All Data.
5. Confirm the action and wait for the completion.
6. Choose Reboot. → Reboot to System.

⚠️ Important for Redmi Note 7: After reset, do not restore data from the backup MIUI — It may contain the same garbage that caused the brakes.

💡

If the phone is still slowing down after reset, the problem is the hardware (wearing on the flash memory or battery), in which case only replacing the components will help.

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning Redmi Note 7