Manual cleaning of internal memory Xiaomi Redmi 7A: a complete guide with proven methods

Why Redmi 7A is Clogging Memory and How to Fix It Without Losing Data

Owners of Xiaomi Redmi 7A often face a problem: the smartphone suddenly begins to issue notifications about the lack of memory, even though you have not installed new applications in a long time. The fact is that even with standard use, the MIUI system and installed programs create temporary files, cache and logs that over time take up gigabytes of precious space. On the Redmi 7A, with its modest 16/32 GB of internal memory, this becomes a critical problem after a year of active use.

Unlike the flagship models, the budget Redmi 7A does not support microSD installation as internal memory (the Adoptable Storage feature is disabled by the manufacturer), so manual cleaning is the only way to return the device to performance. In this article, we will discuss secure methods that do not require root rights and do not damage system files, and show how to find and remove hidden junk folders, which most users do not even know.

Before you start cleaning, it is important to understand that simply removing photos or apps through a standard file manager will have a temporary effect. 7A — it:

• 📁 Cache of applications (especially messengers and social networks)
• 🗑️ System Logs and Dumps (Created When Failed)
• 🎵 Residual files after deleting programs
• 📥 Hidden folders from MIUI (for example, MIUI/Extra or MIUI/Backup)

Preparing for Cleanup: What to Do Before Deleting Files

Before you start manually cleaning, follow a few steps to avoid losing important data or crashing your system. First, back up your contacts, messages and media. On Redmi 7A, you can do this through the built-in Backup app (Settings → System & Device → Backup). Pay special attention to DCIM (photo/video) and Downloads folders, because their content is not always stored in the cloud automatically.

Second, check the current memory status. Go to Settings → About Phone → Memory. Here you will see a diagram of the space distribution by categories: System, Applications, Multimedia, etc. If the Other partition is more than 3-5 GB, this is a direct indication of the garbage accumulation that is not visible in the standard file manager.

Also, disable automatic app updates in Google Play and temporarily suspend synchronization of cloud services (such as Google Photos or Mi Cloud), which will prevent the creation of new temporary files during the cleaning process.

⚠️ Note: If you use two of these SIM-map 7A, Remove the second card before cleaning, and some system files (such as call logs) may be stored in the device’s memory even after deleting if multiple profiles are active.

Cleaning App Cache: Hidden Garbage Reservoir

App caches are temporary files that are created to speed up programs, and over time they grow to several gigabytes, especially in messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram), social networks (Facebook, TikTok) and games. Redmi 7A can clear the cache in two ways: through system settings or manually for each application.

Method 1: Mass cleaning of the cache

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Sort by size.
3. Open each app from the top of the list (usually messengers and social networks) and click Clear cache.
4. For system applications (such as Gallery or Camera), use the Clear Data button, but be careful – this will remove all program settings.

Method 2: Manual cleaning through the file system

Some apps (like Telegram) store cache in hidden folders to find them:

1. Open any file manager (such as embedded Files or MiXplorer).
2. Enable the display of hidden files in the manager settings.
3. Go to /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/.
4. Delete folders called cache within application directories (e.g. com.whatsapp/cache).

⚠️ Note: Do not clear the cache of system applications called com.android. or com.miui. – this can lead to malfunctions MIUI. For them, use only standard cleaning through settings.

Delete the cache folder in Telegram|Clear WhatsApp cache through settings|Check the cache size of Google Play Services|Delete temporary files in the Download folder-->

Removing System Garbage: Where MIUI Hide Unnecessary Files

The MIUI system on Redmi 7A creates a lot of service files that are not automatically deleted, including error logs, memory dumps, update backups, and installer temporary files, which can take up to 1-3 GB of space, but are not displayed in the standard Storage section.

Where to look for system debris:

• 📄 folder /MIUI/Extra — Here are stored backup copies of themes and settings.
• 🗃️ folder /MIUI/Backup — old backups of applications.
• 📊 folder /data/log — System logs (root rights required for complete deletion).
• 🔄 folder /cache — update cache MIUI (hand-cleanable).

How to safely remove:

1. Open a file manager with superuser rights (like Root Explorer if you have root).
2. Go to /MIUI/ and delete the contents of the Extra and Backup folders (except for current backups if you need them).
3. To clean /cache, use the command in ADB: adb shell su -c "rm -rf /cache/*"
4. Logs from /data/log can only be deleted with root rights or via TWRP.

If you do not have root rights, some of the system debris can be removed through the Recovery mode:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press Volume Up + Power to enter Recovery Mode.
3. Choose Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache.
4. Confirm the action and restart the device.

Cleaning Residual Files After Deleting Applications

When you delete an application through Google Play or settings, the system often leaves behind tails — folders with settings, cache and data. On Redmi 7A, these files can take up hundreds of megabytes and are not deleted automatically. For example, after uninstallation, games may remain saved or downloaded resources.

Where to look for residual files:

• 📂 folder /Android/obb/ — Additional game data is stored here (e.g. graphics resources).
• 📂 folder /Android/data/ — residual files of settings and cache.
• 📂 folder /Android/media/ — Multimedia downloaded by applications.

How to clean:

1. Open the file manager and go to /storage/emulated/0/Android/.
2. Delete the folders with the names of the remote applications in the obb/ and data/ directories.
3. In the media/ folder, check subfolders like com.whatsapp/ or com.facebook.katana/ – often unnecessary files remain.

For convenience, you can use applications like SD Maid (requires root) or Files by Google that automatically find residual files, but on Redmi 7A, without root rights, these programs will only be able to clean up some of the garbage.

⚠️ Note: Do not delete the folders of current applications in /Android/data/ — This will cause them to malfunction. Only clean the directories of programs that have already been deleted.

💡

Before deleting folders in /Android/obb/, check their contents – sometimes they store game saves that can be transferred to the PC before cleaning.

Optimizing Multimedia: How to Make Space Without Losing Photos

Photos and videos are the main memory eaters on any smartphone, and the Redmi 7A is no exception, but what's not everyone knows is that even after you transfer files to a memory card or cloud, their thumbnails and cache can stay in internal memory.

1. Cleaning thumbnails and gallery cache

• 🖼️ Delete the folder. /DCIM/.thumbnails — Here are the thumbnails of all images.
• 🗑️ Clear the Gallery app cache in settings (Settings) → Annexes → gallery → Clear the cache).
• 📤 In Google Photos settings, turn off the option to Save Originals if you use cloud storage.

2. Photo and video compression

Redmi 7A can reduce the weight of media without a noticeable loss of quality.

• 📷 Use the built-in compression function in the Gallery app: highlight photos → More. → Squeeze.
• 🎥 For video, install the Video Compress app and reduce bitrate to 5 Mbps for Full. HD.
• 📎 Transfer the originals to a memory card or cloud, and leave only compressed versions on your phone.

3. Automatic cleaning of duplicates

Files by Google has a built-in function to find duplicates and fuzzy photos:

1. Open Files by Google.
2. Go to the Cleanup tab.
3. Click Duplicates or Blurred Photos and delete unnecessary files.

💡

Compressing photos from 12 MP to 8 MP on Redmi 7A allows you to save up to 40% of the space without visible loss of quality on the screen of the smartphone.

Next Next post: What to do if your memory is running out

If, after all the manipulations of the available space on the Redmi 7A, there is critically little (less than 1 GB), it is time for radical measures.

1. Transfer applications to a memory card

While Redmi 7A does not support Adoptable Storage, some applications can be ported to the microSD manually.

1. Insert a memory card (class 10 or UHS-I is recommended).
2. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
3. Select the application and click Transfer to SD-Card (not available for all programs).

2. Disabling pre-installed applications

MIUI contains many unnecessary system applications that cannot be removed but can be disabled:

• 🚫 Mi Video, Mi Music, Mi Browser – turn off in the app settings.
• 🚫 Google Play Movies, Google Play Books – Remove Updates, Then Turn Off.
• 🚫 Cleaner (built-in cleaner) – often works in the background and creates logs.

3. Reset to factory settings

If all the methods have been tried and the memory is still full, then the last option is hard reset.

1. Create a backup through Mi Cloud or Google Account.
2. Copy DCIM, Downloads and Documents folders on your PC.
3. Go to Settings → About Phone → Reset settings and select Erase all data.

⚠️ Attention: After resetting on Redmi 7A first 1-2 The system will actively create cache and logs to optimize the work. 500-800 MB.

FAQ: Frequent questions about memory cleaning on Redmi 7A