How to delete files “Other” on Xiaomi Redmi 7A: the complete guide

Owners of budget but reliable smartphones often face a critical shortage of internal storage.The Redmi 7A, with a modest 16 or 32GB storage capacity, is particularly sensitive to system partition filling. When the spare space runs out, the device starts to run slowly, and memory shortage notifications appear all the time.

The most puzzling and irritating element in the storage statistics is the Other category, which can take anywhere from 5 to 15 gigabytes to hide accumulated digital debris that the system does not classify as photos, videos or apps, and understanding the nature of these files is the first step to freeing up precious space.

In this detailed guide, we’ll break down safe and effective cleaning methods, learn how to manually find hidden files, clear messenger cache, and use MIUI system tools to optimize your gadget without losing important data.

What is hidden in the “Other” section really?

The Other section is not a virus or a system bug, but a dedicated repository for files that the Android operating system cannot categorize as standard, including temporary application files, remnants of remote programs, cache of streaming services and logs of the system, often growing because of the activity of messengers such as Telegram or Viber, which store media files in their hidden folders.

Another reason for this category is the data of navigation apps and offline maps. If you used a navigator without the Internet, the downloaded maps could take up gigabytes of space, which the system sees as “unknown data”, and this includes MIUI update files that did not automatically delete after installation.

It is important to understand that simply removing applications does not always clear this partition completely.Residual configuration files can lie in memory for years, taking up space. For Redmi 7A with its limited volume, this is critical, since overflowing /data partition can lead to cyclical device reboots.

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Use the built-in Security app for initial analysis, which shows the approximate cache volume, but often does not see the deep files of messengers, so manual verification is required.

Cleaning through the built-in “Safety” application

The easiest and safest way to start the fight for space is to use Xiaomi’s regular tools**. The MIUI shell has a powerful harvester preinstalled to service the system. To start the procedure, go to the menu and find the Security app with the green shield icon.

Inside the app, select Cleanup. The system will scan and suggest removing obvious debris: advertising files, remnants of deleted applications and temporary data. Press the Cleanup button. However, this will only remove the surface layer of debris without affecting the deep cache.

For more details, go to Deep Clean (or Storage Analyzer) where files are sorted by type and size, and you can see which apps occupy the most space in the Other category, often finding that the lion's share of the volume is from browser cache or downloaded files in work chats.

⚠️ Note: When using Deep Clean, carefully look at file previews. The system can tag important documents or saved images from messengers that you do not want to lose.

Manual deletion of files through Explorer

If automatic tools didn't work, we'd better go to manual file management. The File Manager on Redmi 7A lets you see folder structure. Open the app and go to internal memory. We're interested in hidden folders that often start from a dot, or standard directories like Android/data and Android/obb.

The Android/data folder stores all the installed apps, and you can find messenger folders (e.g. com.whatsapp or org.telegram.messenger) inside of them, look for cache or temp folders, and that's where you store the images and videos you've viewed but not saved, which inflate the "Other" section.

It's also worth checking the folder. MIUI It's in the internal memory. It might have a subfolder. debug_log, So if you're not a developer and you're not debugging the firmware, you can delete the contents of that folder, which often adds to the incremental value of the folder. 1-2 GB of free space.

Be careful when deleting files from the Android/obb folder. Heavy game caches are stored here. If you delete files from here, the games will stop running and require re-uploading data, which consumes traffic. Delete the contents of this folder only for games that you no longer plan to run.

Cleaning the cache of messengers and social networks

The main culprits behind the memory overflow on Redmi 7A are social networks and instant messengers. Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber and Instagram store every photo and video viewed in a local cache. Over time, this “collection” can reach tens of gigabytes, masquerading as the system files “Other”.

The most effective way to clean up is through the settings of the app itself. For example, in Telegram, you need to go to Settings → Data and memory → Memory Use. There you will see the exact amount of space occupied and the Clear Cache button**. This action will not delete your correspondence, the files will disappear only from the device, but will remain on the server and download again if necessary.

WhatsApp is more complicated. The app creates many backups in local memory. Go to Settings → Chats → Backup Chats and check the save rate. Also manually check the Android/media/com.whatsapp folder, where old statuses and media files may be lying.

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Messenger cache is not just garbage, it's a buffer for fast download, but on devices with 16GB of memory, it needs to be cleaned at least once every two weeks.

Developer Mode and ADB (for Advanced)

If standard methods fail, you can use the deeper tools of the Android system, the developer mode allows you to access functions hidden from the average user, to activate it on Redmi. 7A, Go to Settings. → About the phone and press 7 times in a row on the item "Version" MIUI».

Once activated, a new section will appear in the settings menu, Additional → For Developers, and you can find “Clean Google Play Services”** or manage background processes, but the most powerful tool is USB debugging, which allows you to connect to your computer and remove system debris through adb commands.

adb shell pm clear com.android.cache


adb shell rm -rf /data/local/tmp/*

Using the adb command line requires caution. The wrong command can delete the system files necessary for MIUI to work. Before performing any actions, make sure you understand the purpose of each command. On Redmi 7A, this can be risky, since the margin of memory is minimal.

⚠️ Note: Do not delete files from system partitions /system or /vendor manually, even if you have root rights, and this is guaranteed to lead to a brick of the device that you have to reflash.

Prevention and optimization of storage

To keep the Other problem from coming back, you need to adopt a regular digital space hygiene habit. On low-memory devices like the Redmi 7A, prevention is more important than treatment. Try not to store large amounts of data locally unless there is a pressing need for it.

Use cloud services to store photos and documents. Set up automatic sync with Google Photos or Mi Cloud with Free Space, which will remove the originals from your phone, leaving them available over the Internet, which will significantly reduce internal memory.

It is also recommended to limit the background activity of applications: in the battery and application settings, prevent heavy programs (social networks, news) from running in the background without your knowledge, this will prevent the accumulation of temporary files in those moments when you are not using the phone.

Check Download regularly, often automatically saving files from your browser, instant messenger documents, and APK installation packages that you don't need anymore, and deleting those files is the fastest way to get a few hundred megabytes of free space.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)