What is Xiaomi’s Other and how to clean it up without risking Android

Have you ever looked into your Xiaomi, Redmi, or POCO memory settings and seen the mysterious “Other” section that takes up gigabytes of space? This gray segment in the storage chart defies logic: it can’t be opened as a folder, it doesn’t apply to apps or media files, but it grows by leaps and bounds. In this article, we’ll look at what’s hidden under the “Other” label in Android memory, why this section appears on Xiaomi smartphones, and, and most importantly, how to clean it without harming the system.

Let me warn you right away, the other is not a virus or a bug. It's system debris, cache, deleted app residues, temporary MIUI files, and data that Android can't automatically classify. On some models (such as the Xiaomi 12T or Redmi Note 11), this partition can take up to 10-15 GB — and that's not the limit! The reason lies in the features of MIUI firmware, which actively uses caching to speed up work. But the good news is that most of this garbage can be removed manually.

We tested all the methods on current models (including the Xiaomi 13 Pro, POCO F5 and Redmi K60) and selected only those that actually work – without the risk of bricking the phone or losing important data. If you are ready to get back precious gigabytes, read on.

What is the Other in Xiaomi’s Memory and Why Does It Take So Much Space?

The “Other” section of MIUI memory settings is a collection of files that the system cannot categorize as standard (photos, videos, apps, etc.) and includes:

• 🗑️ App cache and systems – temporary files that should have been deleted automatically but stuck due to crashes.
• 📦 Remnants of Remote Programs – folders and application settings that didn’t clear after uninstallation.
• 🔄 Logs and dumps of the system - debugging files that create MIUI Diagnostics (especially after the update).
• 📁 Hidden Android folders – for example, /data/local/tmp or /cache, Not visible in the standard file manager.
• 🔗 Symbolic links and empty files – artifacts left over after data transfer or resetting settings.

On Xiaomi smartphones, this section is growing faster than on pure Android, for two reasons:

1. Aggressive MIUI caching: The firmware actively uses data preloading to speed up the interface, but does not always correctly clear the cache.
2. Updates by air (OTA): Once updates are installed, the system saves old versions of files in case of rollbacks, but does not always delete them.

For example, after upgrading MIUI 14 to HyperOS, the “Other” section on Xiaomi 12S Ultra can increase by 3-5 GB due to duplicate libraries, and on budget models like Redmi A2 with a small storage capacity (32-64 GB), this becomes a critical problem.

How to Check How Much Space Does “Other” Take Up on Your Xiaomi

Before you clean it, you have to understand the scale of the problem. Here's how to look at the detailed statistics:

1. Open Settings → About Phone → Memory (or Settings → Memory on new versions of MIUI/HyperOS).
2. Put it on the memory usage schedule.
3. Find the “Other” section (may be called “Other” or “System Data”).
4. Click on it – the system will show an approximate size (but will not open files!).

If the partition is more than 5 GB, it’s time to act, and on some models (for example, the POCO X5 Pro) you can see a detailed report by category:

Note: If your phone’s Other section takes up less than 1GB, it’s not worth cleaning it – it’s normal “working” garbage that doesn’t affect performance.

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On some models (such as the Xiaomi 13 Lite), the Other section may temporarily increase after shooting 4K video or using Movie mode. This is normal – after a reboot, the volume usually decreases.

Method 1: Clear cache and temporary files through MIUI settings

The safest method is to use the built-in MIUI tools, which do not require root rights and do not risk damaging system files.

Clear the cache of all applications|Remove unnecessary downloads|Clean the basket.|Reboot the phone-->

Instructions:

1. App cache cleanup: Go to Settings → Apps → App management. Tap three dots in the top right corner and select "Sort by size." Open each major app (e.g. Facebook, Telegram, YouTube) and click "Clear Cache."
2. Uninstall downloads: Open the Files app (or Explorer) and go to the Downloads folder and delete unnecessary files (especially APKs, archives, old documents).
3. Cleaning the basket: In the same “Conductor” tap on the “Basket” in the side menu and click “Clean”.

Delete temporary MIUI files

• Go to Settings → Memory → Cleanup.
• Click “Clean” (the system will find the unnecessary files).

After these actions, the “Other” section should decrease by 1-3 GB. If the changes are minor, move to the next method.

⚠️ Note: Do not manually clear the cache of system applications (e.g. com.miui.home or android.process.media) through Settings → All applications. This could cause malfunctions. MIUI.

Method 2: Remove application residues and unnecessary APKs

When you delete an app through Play Market or Settings, MIUI doesn’t always clear all associated files.

• 📂 Folders in /Android/data and /Android/obb.
• 🔧 Settings and cache in /data/data (root-only).
• 📦 Unremoved APK-files in the Download folder or APK.

To clean this manually:

1. Open Explorer (or install Solid Explorer from Play Market).
2. Go to /Android/data and delete the folders of apps you deleted long ago (e.g. com.tencent.ig is PUBG Mobile).
3. Check the /Android/obb folder – it stores heavy game files (can be up to 5-10 GB from older games).
4. Delete all files with the.apk extension in Download, APK or MIUI/Download folders.

On Xiaomi with HyperOS (for example, Xiaomi 14) you can use the built-in Memory Analysis:

1. Go to Settings → Memory → Memory Analysis.
2. Wait for the scan and delete the proposed files (especially in the categories “Unnecessary APK” and “App Remains”).

⚠️ Note: Do not delete the folders of current applications in /Android/data — It's going to cause them to crash, only those that are remote!

Method 3: Cleaning system logs and dumps (for power users)

MIUI actively writes logs for debugging, especially after updates or crashes, which can take up to 1-2 GB, but you need to delete them carefully.

If you have root rights, do:

su


rm -rf /data/log/*




rm -rf /data/anr/*




rm -rf /data/tombstones/*




rm -rf /cache/*

Without root, you can try the standard method:

1. Install ADB on your computer and connect your phone.
2. Follow the command: adb shell pm trim-caches 1G (this will clear the cache of all applications except system ones).

On models with HyperOS (for example, Xiaomi 13T Pro) you can use the hidden function:

1. Open the phone and dial ##4636##.
2. Select “Use statistics” → “Clear data”.

This will remove some of the system logs, but not all of them. To clean up completely, you need to reset to the factory settings (more on this below).

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Logs of the system (/data/log) You can delete it without risk, but it will reappear after you restart it. /system or /vendor!

Method 4: Recovery Mode cache reset (without data loss)

If previous methods didn’t work, try cleaning the cache through Restore Mode.This won’t delete your files, but will reset temporary system data.

Instructions:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Power button + Volume up (on some models – Volume up + Volume down + Power).
3. When the MI logo appears, release the buttons.
4. Choose your language (if required).
5. Go to Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache.
6. Confirm the action and wait for the completion.
7. Reboot the phone (Reboot) → Reboot to System).

This method cleanses:

• 🧹 Cash. Dalvik/ART (speed up the system).
• 🗃️ Temporary update files.
• 📜 Part of the dens and dumps.

On Xiaomi with HyperOS, the path may be different: look for Clear Cache or Wipe Cache Partition.

⚠️ Warning: Don't choose Wipe Data or Factory Reset in Recovery - it will result in a complete phone reset.

Method 5: Complete reset to factory settings (last resort)

If the Other partition is over 10GB and no methods are working, then you just have to hard reset, and it will delete all the data, including photos, messages and apps, so:

Make a backup copy (MIUI Backup or Google Drive)|Remember your accounts (Mi Account, Google)|Remove the memory card (if any)|Charge your phone at least 50 times%-->

How to reset Xiaomi to factory settings:

1. Through Settings: Go to Settings → About Phone → Reset. Select “Erase All Data.” Enter a password (if required) and confirm.

Through Recovery:

• Go to Recovery Mode (as in the previous method).
• Choose Wipe Data → Wipe All Data.
• Confirm the action.

How to prevent the “Other” from accumulating in memory

To prevent the “Other” section from growing again, follow these rules:

• 🔄 Clean the cache regularly (once every 1-2 weeks through Settings) → Memory).
• 🗑️ Remove unnecessary ones APK after installing applications.
• 📱 Do not store games that you do not use - their cache and OBB-files take up a lot of space.
• 🔄 Update. MIUI timely - in new versions, garbage cleaning is optimized.
• 🚫 Avoid cleaners like Clean Master – they often delete the right files.