How to completely remove the “Other” from the memory of Xiaomi Redmi Note 7: from cache to system files

Why the Other takes up gigabytes of memory on the Redmi Note 7 and how to fix it

Have you ever gone into the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 memory settings and seen the Other partition take up 5, 10 or even 20 GB — even though you haven’t installed new apps in a long time? This is not a system bug, but a cluster of temporary files, cache, remnants of deleted programs and MIUI service data. Unlike Android 10/11, where the Other usually weighs 1-3 GB, on the Redmi Note 7 (especially with firmware up to MIUI 12.5), this partition grows due to the peculiarities of the shell.

The problem is that the standard cleaning through Settings → Memory → Cleanup doesn’t affect “The Other.” The system simply ignores these files as “important.” But in practice, up to 70% of them are garbage: update cache, error logs, duplicate media files from DCIM/.thumbnails, and even the remnants of Google Play Services that are not deleted when apps are uninstalled. In this article, 5 proven cleanups, from safe to radical (including resetting to factory-based data storage settings).

⚠️ Important: Before any memory manipulation, check if the device encryption is enabled (Settings) → Lockdown and protection → If so, you can't reset the Other without losing data: you'll have to do a complete reset.

Method 1: Clear cache and temporary files via Recovery

The most effective method for Redmi Note 7 is to clean the cache and dalvik-cache partitions through Recovery mode.This won’t delete your data, but will reset all temporary system files, including the accumulated debris in the Other.

Step-by-step:

1. Turn off your smartphone.
2. Press the Power button + Volume up until the Mi logo appears.
3. From the Recovery menu, select the language (if required), then: Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache.
4. Confirm the action and wait for the completion (it will take 1-3 minutes).
5. Restart the device (Reboot) → Reboot to System).

After you reboot, check the "Other" section in Settings → Memory. Usually it decreases by 30-50%. If there is no change, move on to the next way.

Backup of important files|Charge your phone at least 50 times%|Make sure SIM-map SD extracted (if any)|Remember the password from the Mi-account (required after the reset)-->

Method 2: Manually remove hidden folders through file manager

Some files in the Other section are hidden folders that don’t appear in the standard MIUI Explorer. To see them, you need a file manager with root permissions (such as FX File Explorer or Solid Explorer) or activate the display of hidden files.

Which folders can be removed safely:

• 📁 /storage/emulated/0/Android/data — cache of applications (delete folders of remote programs).
• 🗑️ /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/.thumbnails — Photo and video miniatures (you can delete completely).
• 📄 /storage/emulated/0/.estrongs — time-files ES Conductor (if you are not using).
• 🔄 /storage/emulated/0/Download/.temp — file-square.

⚠️ Attention: Do not delete folders Android/obb (game data and MIUI (System shell files – this will cause failures!

Critical folder for Redmi Note 7: /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/backup – here are stored backup copies of system settings that can weigh up to 2-3 GB. They can be deleted, but after that some personal settings (wallpaper, themes, icon location) will be reset.

Method 3: Using ADB for deep cleaning

If the first two methods didn’t work, try removing debris through ADB (Android Debug Bridge) which requires connecting your phone to a PC, but allows you to clear files that aren’t available through standard means.

Instructions:

1. Download ADB Tools and unpack it on PC.
2. On the phone, activate Developer Mode (7 times tap the MIUI version in Settings → About the phone).
3. Enable USB debugging in Settings → Additional → For developers.
4. Connect the Redmi Note 7 to your PC and type in the command line: adb shell pm trim-caches 1000G This command forcibly clears the cache of all applications.

To remove the remnants of remote applications, use:

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 name.packet

(You can find out the name of the package through the App Inspector in the Play Market).

Method 4: Resetting to factory settings with data storage

A radical but effective way is a soft reset (without deleting media files), which deletes all apps, settings and cache, but leaves photos, videos and music, and is suitable if the Other takes more than 10 GB and other methods have not worked.

How to do this:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Select Save Media Files.
3. Confirm the action and wait for the reboot (it will take 5-10 minutes).

⚠️ Warning: After the reset, you will have to reconfigure your Mi Account, Google services and network settings. SMS call history.

💡

Before resetting, export your contacts to Google: Contacts → Settings → Export/Import → Export to Google.

Method 5: Optimize MIUI through hidden settings

MIUI has hidden memory optimization features that don't appear in the standard menu, and you need access codes or special applications like MIUI Hidden Settings to activate them.

Useful codes for Redmi Note 7:

• 🔢 ##4636## - Test menu (Usage statistics section will show which applications consume the most memory).
• 📊 ##284## - Memory test (shows fragmented areas).
• 🔄 ##7780## - Resetting settings (analogue of soft reset).

You can also manually limit the background activity of applications:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the application → Battery → Limit background activity.
3. Repeat for all programs except instant messengers and system services.

💡

Restricting application background activity reduces memory consumption by 15-25%, but can lead to delays in notifications (for example, on WhatsApp or Telegram).

What to do if the Other returns after cleaning

If the Other section grows again in a week or two, the problem lies in the MIUI system processes.

1. Turn off automatic updates MIUI: Settings → The phone. → Updating the system → Settings (⚙) → Auto-update → Off.
2. Remove unnecessary system applications (root or ADB required): adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.analytics (this will disable analytics collection, which takes up to 1GB per month).
3. Move the applications to SD-map (if supported): Settings → Annexes → Select an application → Move it to SD.

If nothing works, consider switching to custom firmware (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience). On the Redmi Note 7, this removes all Xiaomi’s “extra” services and frees up to 5-7 GB of storage.

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning up the "Other" on the Redmi Note 7