Cleaning “Other Files” on Xiaomi Redmi 7A: Safe Ways to Free Your Memory

Owners of Xiaomi Redmi 7A sooner or later face a problem: the phone’s memory is filled with incomprehensible “other files” – a category that in storage analytics is gigabytes, but has no explicit description. These files are not related to photos, videos or applications, but can weigh more than all of them together. Why is this happening?

The fact is that the “other files” in MIUI hide the cache of system processes, remnants of deleted applications, temporary data, log files and even update fragments. On the Redmi 7A with its modest 16/32 GB of memory, this becomes a critical problem: the phone starts to slow down, applications fly out, and the system offers to clear only 100-200 MB instead of a few gigabytes. In this article, we will discuss how to safely delete unnecessary files without disrupting MIUI 10/11/12 and without losing important data.

Spoiler: Not all "other files" can be deleted without consequences. For example, touching /data/dalvik-cache folder or files with the.odex extension is a risk to system stability. But there are legal ways that Xiaomi does not advertise, but they work even on non-rooted devices.

Why “Other Files” Take So Much Space on Redmi 7A

On Redmi 7A with MIUI factory firmware, the Other Files category can range from 2 to 8 GB, depending on the user's lifetime and activity.

• 📁 Cache of system applications — MIUI It actively caches data to speed up work, but does not always clean it automatically. For example, com.miui.home can accumulate up to 500 MB of unnecessary files.
• 🔄 Remains of updates - after installation OTA-.zip (Packages) copies of the packages remain in the folder. /cache or /data/ota_package.
• 🗑️ Log files and dumps – Xiaomi keeps detailed error logs (folder) /data/anr or /data/tombstones), rare.
• 🧹 Temporary files from browsers, instant messengers and social networks – for example, Facebook or Telegram can leave gigabytes of garbage in the Internet. /data/data/com.facebook.katana/cache.

Fun fact: on Redmi 7A with Android 9 Pie and MIUI 10/11, the default system hides some of these files from the user. For example, the /data/app-lib folder can weigh 1-2 GB, but it does not appear in the standard file manager. To see the real memory allocation, you will need to enable the display of hidden files or use third-party utilities.

Another trap is duplicate files, and MIUI sometimes backs up media files in the MIUI/Backup folder that are not deleted even after resetting.

How to see what exactly occupies space in other files

Before you delete something, you need to identify the heaviest files. MIUI (Files. → Storage analysis) information is often incomplete. Here are 3 ways to get accurate data:

1. Through built-in storage analysis

Open Settings → Memory → Storage Analysis. You will see the categorization here, but without detail. Click on Other Files and the system will show the folders that take up the most space (usually Android/data, Download or MIUI).

2. via the Files by Google app

Install an official Google app from the Play Market. It can:

• 🔍 Scan duplicate files (including hidden files).
• 🗑️ Showing large files (>100 MB) sorted by date.
• 📊 Analyze the cache of applications, including system.

After scanning, the app will offer to clean up to 1-3 GB of garbage that standard MIUI tools can’t see.

3. via ADB (for advanced users)

If you are ready to connect your phone to a PC, use the command:

adb shell du -h -d 1 /data | sort -h

It will display a list of folders in /data with their size. Careful: deleting files through ADB without knowing the structure of Android can lead to a system crash.

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If you see a folder >1GB /data/app-lib on the ADB list, you can clear it through Settings → Applications → Delete the cache for everyone. This is safe, as libraries will recover the next time you run the applications.

What “Other Files” Can Be Deleted Without Harming Your System

Not all files in the Others category are equally secure, and below is a list of what you can delete and what you can't touch.

It is important to never delete files from folders:

• /system - contains firmware;
• /data/dalvik-cache – cache of the Android virtual machine
• /data/app – installed applications (remove them via Settings);
• Files with the.odex or.art extension are components of application optimization.

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If you're not sure what the file is, don't delete it. You'd better transfer it to a PC and check the contents.

How to Clean “Other Files” on Redmi 7A

Now, let's get to the practice. Below is a step-by-step algorithm that will help you free up 2 to 5 GB of memory without root rights.

Step 1: Clearing the cache of all applications

Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select "Sort by Size." Now:

• 🧹 Select cache apps >100 MB (e.g. YouTube, Facebook, Telegram).
• 🗑️ Press "Storage» → «Clear the cache».
• 🔄 For system applications (e.g. com.miui.home), use Clear Data, which will reset your launcher settings but free up to 300-500 MB.

Step 2: Delete temporary files via Files by Google

Install the application and perform the following actions:

1. Open the "Cleanup" tab.
2. Select "Unnecessary Files" and "Dublicates".
3. Click “Delete” – this will free up 1-3 GB (depending on activity).

Step 3: Clean Download and MIUI/Backup folder

Open the standard Files and go to:

• 📁 Internal memory. → Download - Remove the Old Ones APK, archives, documents.
• 📁 MIUI → Backup – backup copies of media files (duplicates of photos / videos) can be located here).

Step 4: Reset the /cache partition cache (without data loss)

This method requires a reboot in Recovery Mode:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press Power + Volume up until the MI logo appears.
3. Choose Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache Partition.
4. Confirm the action and restart the device.

This won’t delete your data, but it will clear the system cache, which can free up 500MB-1GB.

Backup of important files|Check the free space in the settings|Close all applications|Disable Auto-Update Apps in Play Market-->

How to prevent the re-accumulation of “other files”

Cleaning up memory is good, but it's best to keep it from filling up. Here are 5 working ways to keep the Redmi 7A in order:

• 🔄 Turn off auto-update apps in the Play Market (Settings) → Auto-update → Never. This will prevent the downloading of unnecessary APK background.
• 📵 Limit your social cache. Go to Facebook and Instagram Settings → Warehouse → Clear cache when exiting.
• 🗃️ Use cloud storage for photos/video (Google Photos, Mi Cloud). Set up automatic download and delete local copies.
• 🛑 Block background activity of unnecessary apps through Settings → Battery → Consumption management.
• 🔍 Check the Download folder regularly – many files are downloaded there by default and forgotten.

Another lifehack: If you install/remove applications frequently, turn off MIUI optimization for new programs.

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Go to Battery Information and uncheck the tick from MIUI Optimization, which will reduce the number of cache files you create.

Dangerous Myths About Memory Cleanup on Xiaomi

The Internet is full of tips that can harm your Redmi 7A. Let’s take a look at the most common myths:

⚠️ Note: Delete files from the folder /system without root rights is not just useless - it can lead to a "brick" of the device (complete inoperability). MIUI Blocks changes to this directory at the kernel level.

Myth 1: “Cleaning up with #3646633## will free up gigabytes”

This engineering code opens the test menu, but it doesn't have a memory cleaner function, and even if you accidentally change the parameters here, you can disrupt the network or sensors.

Myth 2: “Forming internal memory as portable storage will solve the problem”

Some people recommend switching the memory to portable mode via ADB:

adb shell sm set-force-adoptable true

This won't work on Redmi 7A, because the device doesn't support Adoptable Storage at the firmware level, and trying to execute a command will lead to an error.

Myth 3: “Deleting Android/obb folder is safe”

Files in obb are game data (e.g., PUBG or Genshin Impact graphics packages) and if you delete them, you will crash the games the next time you run them, and if you don't need the game anymore, delete it through Settings → Applications.

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The only safe way to free up space in obb is to transfer files to the obb. SD-card (if installed) or remove unnecessary games.

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning up "other files" on Redmi 7A