Smartphone Redmi 7, released in 2019, still remains a popular device due to its reliability and autonomy. However, owners often face a critical lack of free space in internal storage. The MIUI system installed on the device over time becomes overgrown with a cache, temporary files and duplicates, which leads to the slowdown of the gadget and the inability to install new applications.
When the memory is full, the phone may stop receiving calls, freeze or randomly reboot. Xiaomi has provided several built-in mechanisms to combat this, but they do not always work effectively without user interaction. In this material, we will analyze proven methods of how to safely and deeply clean Redmi 7, returning it to its former speed.
You will learn which folders can be deleted without fear of losing personal data, how to correctly transfer applications to a memory card, and why standard cleaning does not always give results. It is important to understand that regular maintenance of the file system extends the life of the drive.
Memory analysis and search for “heavyweights”
Before you start deleting files, you need to determine exactly what is taking up precious gigabytes. Often, users delete unnecessary applications, but forget that the bulk is occupied by media files or messenger caches. Go to Settings → Memoryto see a visualization of data distribution.
The system will show places by category: applications, images, video, audio, etc. Storage analytics is the first step to success. If you see that “Other files” occupy most of it, these may be remnants of uninstalled apps or temporary update files.
⚠️ Attention: Do not delete system folders with names like
Android,MIUIordatamanually through the file manager if not sure of their contents. This may lead to interface malfunctions.
For a more detailed study, you can use the built-in “Security” application. Click on “Cleaning” and the system will offer to remove obvious debris. However, for in-depth analysis, it is better to use third-party utilities or a built-in analyzer that will show files larger than 100 MB.
- 📱 The largest applications are usually at the top of the list of space occupied.
- 📸 The gallery can hide thousands of deleted photos in the trash that are still taking up space.
- 💬 Messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram) often store received videos and voices for years.
Using the built-in Cleanup tool
The MIUI shell comes pre-installed with a powerful system maintenance tool. To launch it, find the application Security (green icon with a lightning bolt) on your desktop or in the "Tools" folder. Click on the “Cleanup” button, and the system will automatically scan your device for temporary files.
After scanning, you will see a list of categories: application cache, advertising files, remnants of uninstalled apps and APK installer packages. Standard cleaning allows you to safely remove tens and sometimes hundreds of megabytes of garbage with one click. Be careful when choosing items for cleaning so as not to accidentally erase important data.
☑️ Check before cleaning
Particular attention should be paid to the “Large Files” section. Forgotten videos or archives often lie here. The Security app also has a Deep Clean feature that analyzes duplicate files and rarely used apps. This is a great way to find hidden reserves of space.
Run the built-in cleaning once a week to avoid accumulating a critical mass of temporary files that can slow down the processor.
Cleaning cache and application data
The most voracious memory consumers on Redmi 7 are social networks and instant messengers. They save every picture viewed and audio listened to in a cache. To free up space, go to Settings → Applications → All applications. Select the application you need, for example, YouTube or Chrome.
In the application menu, find the “Memory” section. Here you will see two buttons: “Clear cache” and “Clear all data.” Cache - these are temporary files, deleting them is safe and will not affect your logins or settings. Removing “All data” will return the application to the state immediately after installation, which will require re-authorization.
| Data type | What is deleted | Account safe | Approximate volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cache | Temporary files, thumbnails | Yes | 50 MB - 500 MB |
| Application data | Logins, settings, databases data | No (login required) | 100 MB - 2 GB |
| OBB files | Heavy game resources | No (the game will not start) | 1 GB - 4 GB |
| Call list | Call history in the application | Yes | Several KB |
It is recommended to regularly clear the cache of browsers and video services. If you use Telegram, it is better to clear the cache through the settings of the messenger itself, since there you can flexibly configure automatic deletion of files after time has expired. This will prevent memory bloat in the future.
Working with the gallery and multimedia
Photos and videos are the main content that the user creates himself. On Redmi 7 with his camera, files can take up a significant amount of space. Go to the Gallery app and be sure to check the Recently Deleted album. Photos are stored there for 30 days and continue to take up space.
Use the “Compress” function or transfer to the cloud. The service Google Photos allows you to free up space on your device by uploading originals to the cloud and leaving compressed copies on your phone. It is also worth checking the folder DCIM →.thumbnails. This is a hidden folder with thumbnails, which sometimes grows to gigabytes.
How to hide the folder.thumbnails
This folder is created by the system for quickly scrolling the gallery. It can be deleted, but it will be created again. To stop the growth, some users create a file called .nomedia in the DCIM folder, but this can slow down the gallery.
Don't forget about the Downloads folder. PDF documents, APK installation files, and pictures saved from the Internet often accumulate there. Sorting files by size in the file manager will help you quickly find and delete unnecessary heavy objects.
- 🗑️ Empty the gallery recycle bin immediately after deleting unsuccessful frames.
- ☁️ Set up synchronization with Google Photos or Yandex.Disk for automatic backup.
- 🎥 Reduce the quality of video recording in the camera settings if space is critically low.
Transferring applications and files to a memory card
Redmi 7 Supports microSD memory cards up to 256 GB. This is an excellent solution for storing photos, videos and music. However, the porting of the apps themselves is limited by Android policy and developers. To transfer media files, simply select them in the gallery or file manager, click "Move" and specify the path to the SD card.
To transfer applications, go to Settings → Storage. If the feature is available for a specific application, the Move to SD card button will be enabled. Unfortunately, many modern apps, such as Instagram or Banking applicationsdo not support this function and must remain in the internal memory.
⚠️ Attention: When transferring data to a memory card, use only high-quality cards of speed class U1 or U3. Cheap cards can work slowly, causing lags when launching applications or viewing photos.
There is a method of formatting a memory card as internal storage (Adoptable Storage), but on the MIUI shell it is often hidden or requires activation via ADB commands. The standard way is more reliable: store media files on the card, and leave applications inside, regularly clearing their cache.
A memory card does not replace internal memory for system operation, but is ideal for archiving photos, music and documents, freeing up the main partition.
Removing system junk and hidden files
Over time in the system Error logs, crash reports, and update remnants accumulate. To find them, you can use a file manager by turning on the display of hidden files. Look for folders with names log, temp, backup. Be careful: delete only what you are sure of.
Social network folders occupy a special place. In Explorer along the path Android → media (or just in the root) you can find folders com.whatsapp, com.tencent.mm (WeChat) and others. Inside there are often folders video or imagewhere all received files are saved. You can safely delete them if you have already saved what you need.
It is also worth checking the folder MIUI → debug_log. If it takes up a lot of space, it means the system is actively recording error reports. This may indicate a component failure. Emptying this folder is safe, but if it quickly fills up again, it's worth checking for system updates.
- 📂 The folder
.Trashin the root directory may contain deleted file manager files. - 📱 Remnants of deleted games often lie in the folder
Android → obb. - 📄 Temporary files of document editors can weigh hundreds of megabytes.
Is it possible to delete the Android folder?
No, deleting the entire folder Android is absolutely not possible. It stores data from all installed applications. You can clear its contents (cache, map cache), but deleting the folder structure will result in the apps not working.
Why is the memory full again after cleaning?
The system and applications constantly create new temporary files. If the memory fills up too quickly (within a few hours), it is possible that some application is leaking or a virus is mining cryptocurrency. Check the list of running processes.
How to clear memory if the phone does not turn on?
If the phone is stuck on the logo due to full memory, try booting into safe mode (press and hold the power button on the MIUI logo). If this does not help, you will need to reset to factory settings via Recovery (Power + Vol Up), which will delete all data.