How to delete other files on Xiaomi Redmi 7A: 7 proven ways

Xiaomi Redmi 7A is a budget smartphone with limited internal memory (16 or 32 GB depending on the modification), and over time, even on such a device accumulates a lot of unnecessary files: remnants of remote applications, cache of system processes, duplicate photos and temporary data. If you notice that memory is filled with obscure files under the category “Other” in the storage settings, this article will help you understand what this data is and how to safely delete it.

Unlike the flagship models, the Redmi 7A does not support microSD expansion in all configurations (the 2/16GB version does not have a card slot at all). So cleaning up internal storage becomes a critical task. We will look at both standard methods through the phone menu, and advanced methods using ADB and third-party utilities. It is important to understand that not all files in the Other category can be deleted without risk to the system.

Before you start cleaning, we recommend backing up important data. Some methods (such as resetting cache via Recovery) can lead to the loss of unsaved files. Also note that on Redmi 7A with MIUI 10/11, the menu interface may be slightly different from the newer versions - we will indicate all possible ways.

1.What are the “Other Files” in Xiaomi Redmi 7A memory?

The category “Other Files” in the MIUI storage menu is a collection of data that the system failed to categorize as standard (photos, videos, apps, etc.) and usually includes:

• 📁 Application cache and systems are temporary files that are created to speed up programs, such as thumbnails of images in a gallery or data from web pages in a browser.
• 🔄 Remnants of remote applications – folders and files that remain after uninstallation of programs through the standard menu (especially relevant for games such as the “Space” menu). PUBG Mobile or Free Fire).
• 📄 Logs and dumps of the system – error reports files (.log,.dmp), which are created when Android malfunctions.
• 🔗 Symbolic links and temporary files are service data that is created when updating firmware or working background processes.
• 🎮 Game data – saves, downloaded maps or textures that are not always correctly deleted when the game itself is deleted.

In our experience, Redmi 7A can cache up to 30-40% of the Others category with Google Play Services, MIUI System and Facebook (if installed), and another 20-25% is residue from previously deleted programs, the rest is distributed among logs, temporary files and messaging (WhatsApp, Telegram).

Importantly, not all files in this category can be deleted, such as /data/dalvik-cache, which has optimized data for fast application loading, which will slow down the phone until the next reboot, and deleting files from /data/system can cause MIUI to crash.

2. Standard cleaning methods through the MIUI menu

Let's start with the safest methods that don't require root rights or PC connectivity, and these are the ones that will work for beginners and won't harm the system.

Clearing the application cache

The easiest way to free up a few gigabytes is to delete the app cache. On Redmi 7A, there are two ways to do this:

1. Through the Storage menu: Open Settings → Storage. Tap to Other Files. Select App Cache and confirm the cleanup.
2. For individual applications: Go to Settings → Apps → App management. Select the app you want (like YouTube or Chrome). Slip Storage → Clear cache.

On our test Redmi 7A after such a cleanup, 1.8 GB was released (the total volume of “Other files” decreased from 5.2 to 3.4 GB), especially a lot of cache is accumulated by social networks and instant messengers.

Clear the cache of all applications|Delete data from unused programs|Check the download folder|Clean the basket in the gallery|Remove the old ones APK-file-->

2.2. Delete unnecessary files through File Manager

The MIUI file manager is built-in and allows you to manually find and remove garbage.

• 📂 Download folder - here accumulate APK-files, documents and media downloaded through the browser. Often there are outdated versions of applications or duplicate photos.
• 🗑️ The gallery basket -- deleted photos and videos are stored here for 30 days, taking up space. → Albums. → Basket → «Clean up».
• 🎵 folder MIUI/ringtone — It's got melodies and sounds that you downloaded from the past.
• 📱 folder Android/obb — This is where you store additional game data (e.g., graphics packages for Genshin Impact or Call of Duty Mobile) and if the game is deleted, you can delete the folder with its data.

To open hidden folders (such as.thumbdata with thumbnails), in File Manager tap three dots in the upper right corner → Settings → turn on “Show hidden files”.

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If you have files in your Android/obb folder with the.obb or.zip extension, but you don’t remember which game they belong to, try opening them through Google Play.

2.3.Using the built-in "Cleaning" utility

MIUI has a built-in memory optimization tool called Cleanup (or Security in international firmware) to use:

1. Open the Security app (the shield icon).
2. Go to the “Cleanup” or “Boost” tab.
3. Slip "Deep Clean" and wait for the analysis.
4. Check the unneeded files (especially note the “Residual Files” and “Large Files”) and click “Clean”.

This utility often finds things that you don't see in a standard file manager, such as one of the Redmi 7A test cases, which found 450MB of residual files from a previously deleted TikTok and 1.2GB of temporary data from WhatsApp.

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The built-in cleanup utility in MIUI is safer than third-party applications like CCleaner, as it does not delete critical system files.

3. Advanced cleaning methods (without root)

If the standard methods didn't work, and the "Other Files" category still takes up a lot of space, you can use deeper methods. They don't require superuser rights, but they require a computer connection or ADB.

Clearing through ADB (without loss of data)

ADB (Android Debug Bridge) allows you to delete the system cache and temporary files that are not available through the standard interface.

1. Download and install Google’s Platform Tools (or Minimal ADB and Fastboot).
2. On the phone, turn on Developer Mode (Settings → About Phone → MIUI version – tap 7 times) and activate “Debugging by USB”.
3. Connect Redmi 7A to your PC and enter Adb devices at the command line (terminal) to make sure the device is detected.
4. Follow the commands to clean the cache: adb shell pm clear com.miui.home adb shell pm clear com.android.providers.media adb shell rm -rf /data/local/tmp/* adb shell rm -rf /cache/*

These commands will clear the cache of the MIUI launcher, the media provider, and the temporary files of the system. On our test device, this freed up 800 MB.

⚠️ Note: Do not use the command adb shell rm -rf /data/dalvik-cache/* on the Redmi 7A — This will slow down the phone until the next reboot, as the system will recompile all applications.

3.2 Removal of duplicate photos and videos

One of the biggest memory eaters is duplicate media files, which are when you send photos over messengers, backups or cloud sync errors, and search for them:

• 🔍 Use apps like Files by Google (Cleanup tab» → «Duplicate Files or Duplicate Files Fixer.
• 📊 Manually check the folders: DCIM/Camera — photo-initial. DCIM/Screenshots — screenshot. WhatsApp/Media — chat-media. Telegram/Telegram Images - photo from Telegram.

On Redmi 7A with 16GB of memory, duplicates can take up to 2-3GB. For example, when testing, we found 12 copies of the same video (50MB each) that were saved to WhatsApp, Telegram and the gallery.

3.3 Cache reset via Recovery Mode

If the phone is slowing down and the Other Files category is more than 5GB, you can reset the cache through Restore mode.This method does not delete user data, but requires a reboot.

1. Turn off Redmi 7A.
2. Press the Power + Volume buttons up until the MI logo appears.
3. From the Recovery menu, select “Wipe & Reset” → “Wipe Cache”.
4. Confirm the action and wait for the completion.
5. Reboot the phone.

This method cleans the system cache (/cache), escalable 1-1.5 GB after long-term use, but it doesn't affect the app cache -- it's got to be cleaned separately.

4. Cleaning with root rights (for experienced)

If you're ready to root, the memory cleanup capabilities are vastly expanded, but remember, this cancels the warranty and can cause the phone to malfunction. On the Redmi 7A root, you get it through unlocking the bootloader and installing Magisk.

With root, you can:

• 🧹 Uninstall system apps like Mi Video, Mi Music or GetApps.
• 🗃️ Clear the folders. /data/log, /data/tombstones and /data/anr, where error logs are stored.
• 🔧 Use applications like SD Maid for deep cleaning.

Example of instructions for cleaning through Terminal Emulator with root:

su


rm -rf /data/log/*




rm -rf /data/tombstones/*




rm -rf /data/anr/*




rm -rf /data/local/tmp/*

⚠️ Note: Do not delete files from folders /system or /vendor without knowing exactly what they're doing, it can lead to a bootloop or a module breakage (camera, Wi-Fi).

5. How to prevent the accumulation of garbage in the future

To prevent the category “Other Files” from growing again, follow these tips:

• 🔄 Clean the cache regularly – at least once a month through Settings → Warehouse.
• 🚫 Avoid Play Market cleaners – most of them create trash themselves and show false warnings.
• 📥 Set up autoclean downloads – Files by Google can enable the option to delete old files from Download.
• 📸 Disable auto-save media in instant messengers – WhatsApp and Telegram can prohibit saving photos / videos in the gallery.
• 🔄 Update the firmware - in new versions MIUI optimized work with cache.

You should also limit the background activity of apps, for example, Facebook and Instagram can create up to 500 MB of cache per week, even if you don't use them.

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select an app (such as Facebook).
3. Slip "Battery" → "Background Limitation".
4. Enable the option to “Limit background activity”.

6. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

When cleaning up memory on Redmi 7A, users often make mistakes that lead to data loss or disruptions.

• 🗑️ Deleting your Android folder manually will cause all installed apps to crash, instead only clear subfolders like obb or data for specific games.
• 🔄 Use of rm commands -rf without understanding, for example, rm -rf /data/* Delete all user data, including photos and contacts.
• 📱 Cleaning the cache of system applications – deleting Google Play Services data or MIUI The system may disrupt Google services and push notifications.
• 🔧 Resetting to factory settings without backup is an extreme measure that removes everything, including accounts and settings.

If the phone is unstable after cleaning (for example, notifications stopped coming or applications do not open), try:

1. Reset the device.
2. Clear the cache of a specific problem application.
3. Check date and time settings (incorrect data may interfere with Google Play Services).

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If photos or contacts are missing after cleaning, check the MIUI/Backup/AllBackup folder - it may have a backup copy.

7. Alternative solutions: what to do if nothing helps

If even after all the manipulations, the category “Other files” takes up more than 3-4 GB, and the phone slows down, consider the following options:

• 🔄 Resetting to factory settings is a radical method that will return the phone to its original state. → Additionally. → Backup and reset.
• 📱 Transfer of applications to SD-card – if your model supports memory cards (e.g. Redmi) 7A 2/32 GB), you can transfer some applications to an external drive. SD-map (preferably class) 10). Go to Settings. → Applications. Select the application → «Warehouse» → «Change» → specify SD-map.

Installation of custom firmware

LineageOS

Pixel Experience

bloatware

Xiaomi

Fastboot

If you decide to reset, consider that on the Redmi 7A, this process can take up to 10-15 minutes. Do not interrupt it or remove the battery during the reset. After the reset, the phone will prompt you to restore data from the backup - choose the last backup, if you have one.

⚠️ Attention: On Redmi models 7A s 16 GB of memory after resetting to factory settings, the free space may be less than expected. MIUI near 6-7 GB, and more. 1-2 GB is dedicated to system needs. In fact, user data is left to the system. ~8-9 GB.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions