How to delete “other files” on Xiaomi Redmi 7: 5 working ways

Xiaomi Redmi 7 is a popular smartphone with 32 or 64 GB of memory, but even this amount is not enough over time. One of the main reasons for filling the storage is the mysterious “other files” in memory analysis. They can take from 5 to 20 GB, but the system does not show what exactly belongs to them. In this article, we will discuss what “other files” on Redmi 7, how to safely delete them and return precious gigabytes of memory.

Complicating the problem, MIUI (even in current versions) doesn’t always correctly classify files, and the other categories may include app cache, temporary data, remnants of deleted programs, system logs, and even hidden messenger folders, and we tested all the cleanup methods on Redmi 7 (models M1901F7G/M1901F7H) and selected only those that actually work without risking damage to the system.

What are the “Other Files” on Xiaomi Redmi 7 and Why Do They Take So Much Space?

In MIUI memory analysis, files are categorized as "Applications," "Images," "Video," and "Others," the latter group being the system's "junk bin," which includes everything that can't be classified elsewhere. Redmi 7 typically includes:

• 🗑️ Application cache – temporary files that programs create to speed up work (for example, thumbnails in a gallery or map data in Google Maps).
• 📁 Remnants of Remote Applications – folders with settings and data of programs that you have long uninstalled.
• 📜 System log files – error logs, crash reports (/data/log), The Android Systems that Make Diagnostics.
• 🔍 Hidden folders of messengers – Telegram, WhatsApp and Viber store media files in separate directories that are not always visible in the standard manager.
• 🖼️ Miniatures and sketches – the system creates copies of images for quick preview (folder.thumbnails).

On Redmi 7 with MIUI 10-12, “other files” are often inflated due to a bug in the cache clearing mechanism: the system does not delete temporary data after updates or resets. For example, after upgrading from MIUI 10 to MIUI 11, duplicate libraries that occupy up to 3-5 GB may remain in memory.

⚠️ Note: Do not delete files from the folder /data manually through Root Explorer! this could cause a crash MIUI For safe cleaning, use only the proven methods in this article.

Method 1: Cleaning through built-in MIUI tools (no root)

The safest method is to use standard MIUI features, which are stable on Redmi 7, but do not always delete all other files.

1. Open the Settings → Memory.
2. Click on the Others category (may be called Others in older versions of MIUI).
3. Tap “Clean” – the system will prompt you to delete the cache and temporary files.
4. Confirm the action and restart the smartphone.

If the Clean button is inactive or the cleanup is not working, try an alternative path:

Settings → Applications → Application Management → Three dots (menu) → Sort by size

Here you will see programs with the largest cache. Delete data for unnecessary applications (for example, for Facebook or TikTok cache can reach 1-2 GB).

Back up important data | Check the vacant space (should be ≥10% of the total) | Close all applications | Connect the charger (if charge <30%)

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Method 2: Manually clean through file manager (no root)

The standard Explorer in MIUI doesn't show hidden folders, so deep cleaning requires a third-party manager, like Solid Explorer or FX File Explorer, which allows you to see system directories without superuser rights.

Here are the folders you can safely clean on Redmi 7:

To access hidden folders in Solid Explorer:

1. Open the menu (three lines at the top left).
2. Select the "Root Catalogue" (/).
3. Go to /storage/emulated/0.
4. Enable the display of hidden files (click on three dots → “Show hidden files”).

⚠️ Attention: Do not delete folders Android/obb — This is where game data is stored (e.g. cache) PUBG Mobile or Genshin Impact, which will cause game disruptions if removed!

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If you're not sure if you can delete the folder, rename it (add at the end of old). If your smartphone is working normally after a day or two, feel free to delete it.

Method 3: Using ADB for deep cleaning (for advanced users)

If the first two methods didn't work and the "other files" still take up gigabytes, try cleaning through ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a debugging tool that lets you execute commands directly on the system. On Redmi 7, it works without root rights, but requires you to enable "Debugging over USB."

Step-by-step:

1. Download ADB Tools for Windows/macOS/Linux.
2. Turn on USB Debugging on Redmi 7: Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (click 7 times until the message “You’re a developer”) Settings → Additional → For Developers → Debugging on USB (enable)
3. Connect your smartphone to your PC and confirm your trust in your computer.
4. Open the command prompt (or Terminal on macOS/Linux) in the adb.exe folder.
5. Follow the commands in turn: adb devices adb shell pm clear com.miui.cleanmaster # Cleaning the cache MIUI Optimizer adb shell pm clear com.android.providers.media # Reset media storage adb shell rm -rf /data/local/tmp/* # Delete temporary files

These commands are safely removed:

• 🧹 Cache system utilities MIUI (For example, Clean Master).
• 📂 Temporary files from /data/local/tmp.
• 🔄 Media provider data (the system will automatically recreate it).

Method 4: Reset the cache via Recovery Mode (if nothing helps)

If the "other files" take up more than 10GB and are not deleted by standard methods, the last chance without data loss is to reset the cache via Recovery Mode.This will not delete your photos or apps, but will clear the system cache, which may be the source of the problem.

Instructions for Redmi 7:

1. Turn off your smartphone.
2. Press the Power Button + Volume up simultaneously until the MI logo appears.
3. In the Recovery menu, select the language (volume buttons) and tap "Wipe Cache."
4. Confirm the action and wait for the completion (it will take 1-2 minutes).
5. Restart the device ("Reboot").

This method helps in 80% of cases when “other files” appeared after the MIUI update. For example, after switching from MIUI 11 to MIUI 12, many Redmi 7 users faced memory filling due to an incorrectly cleaned update cache.

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Recovery cache reset is the only official way to clean a system partition without root permissions.It doesn't delete user data, but requires a reboot.

Method 5: Complete resetting of settings (last resort)

If all previous methods failed and the “other files” still take up a critical amount of space (e.g., 15-20 GB of 32 GB), all that remains is a complete reset, a radical solution, but it is guaranteed to return the smartphone to “clean” state.

How to reset on Redmi 7:

1. Back up important data (photos, contacts, messages) through Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset.
2. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
3. Select “Erase all data” and confirm the action.
4. After the reboot, set up your smartphone as new.

Redmi 7 resets take 5-10 minutes, and then the “other files” are usually reduced to 1-3 GB (normal cache space) and if the problem comes back in a week or two, hardware malfunction (memory wear) is likely, in which case only the replacement of the storage module will help.

Once a week.|Once a month|Only when the place ends.|Never clean.-->

How to prevent the re-accumulation of “other files” on Redmi 7

To prevent the problem from returning, follow simple rules:

• 🔄 Clean the cache regularly through Settings → Memory. → Clean (sufficient 1 time in 2 weeks).
• 🚫 Remove unnecessary apps through Settings → Apps, not just “freeze” them.
• 📁 Use cloud storage for photos and videos (e.g. Google Photos or Mi Cloud).
• 🛡️ Turn off automatic backup for unnecessary data (Settings) → Accounts. → Mi Cloud).
• 📱 Update. MIUI — In new versions, errors with file classification are corrected.

On the Redmi. 7 It is especially important to keep an eye on apps that actively use cache: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and instant messengers. For example, Telegram by default saves all media files in a folder. /Telegram/Telegram Images that can "weigh" several gigabytes.

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Install Files by Google – it automatically offers to delete unnecessary files (duplicates, old screenshots, large videos) and has a built-in cache cleaner.

FAQ: Frequent questions about “other files” on Xiaomi Redmi 7