Xiaomi’s “Other” Memory: What Are These Files and How to Delete Them Without Risk

Why does the Other take up so much space on Xiaomi?

Have you ever looked into your Xiaomi memory settings and found that the Other partition takes up gigabytes of precious space? It's not a system bug, it's a way of classifying files that don't fall into the standard categories (Apps, Media, Documents). Most often, it's a cache of system processes, temporary update files, log files, and even remnants of deleted applications.

The problem is that MIUI doesn’t always categorize files correctly, for example, some apps can be classified as “Other” even though it logically should be “Apps.” This article will explain which files are hidden under the “Other” label in Xiaomi based on MIUI 12-14, how to identify and safely delete them without the risk of “breaking” the phone.

Spoiler: 80 percent of the time, it's not user data, it's system debris, but there are exceptions, like backup files or hidden messenger folders, which also fall into this category.

What exactly is hidden in the “Other” section of Xiaomi?

The Other section is a basket for files that the system cannot uniquely categorize as standard, and here are the main types of data that accumulate here:

📁 System application cache (com.android., com.miui.): Temporary process files MIUI, which are not automatically cleaned.
🔄 Update remnants: firmware packages (.zip) that have been downloaded but not installed, or copies thereof.
📜 Log files (.log,.txt): error logs, crash reports (e.g., crash reports, /data/anr/ or /data/tombstones/).
🗑️ Garbage after deleting applications: folders lib, cache or files in /data/data/, which remain even after the installation.
🔒 Hidden messaging files: Telegram, WhatsApp and Viber store media in their folders, but sometimes they get into the “Other».
🔄 Backup copies MIUI: Automatic backups of settings and data (MiBackup) that are created before updates.

Fun fact: On devices with MIUI 13+, Android Runtime (ART) files, optimized versions of the applications that the system creates to speed up work, often get into the Other, and can not be manually deleted, but can be reset through the developer settings.

⚠️ Attention: Files in the folder /data/dalvik-cache/ (cash ART) When forced, cleaning can cause the phone to restart. → The phone. → Memory. → Cleanup.

📊 How often do you clear your memory on Xiaomi?

Once a week.

Once a month

Only when the place ends.

Never clean.

How do you check what is in the “Other”?

To understand exactly which files are hidden under the Other label, you will need tools to analyze memory. Here are 3 ways:

Built-in MIUI Analyzer: Go to Settings → About Phone → Memory → Memory Analysis. Here, the system will show the file classification by category, but without detailing "Other" but you can see how much System Data takes up, which is our section.
File Manager with root rights (e.g. Solid Explorer or FX File Explorer: You can use it to look into your system folders: /data/data/ — remnants of remote applications /data/app/ — system cache APK /data/log/ — log-files /data/dalvik-cache/ — cash ART Without root rights, many folders will be unavailable, but even a superficial inspection will give an idea of the garbage.
ADB-commands for advanced: Connect the phone to the PC and perform in ADB Shell: adb shell du -sh /data/* | sort -h The team will show the size of the folders in /data/, Look for large directories like this. /data/log/ or /data/tombstones/.

If you're not ready to dig through the system folders, use apps like Files by Google or SD Maid (CorpseFinder looks for remnants of deleted applications) that won't give you the full picture, but they will help you find obvious garbage.

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Before analyzing the memory, restart the phone – this will reset temporary files and give a more accurate picture.

Safe Ways to Clean the Other on Xiaomi

You need to be careful about deleting files from Other, some of which are critical to the system, and let's start with the safest methods.

1. Cleaning the cache of system applications

Many of the files in the Other are cached by Google Services, MIUI System, or Android System, and can be cleared without risk:

Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
Click on the three dots in the upper right corner → Show system processes.
Find apps like Google Play Services, MIUI System, Android System.
Select Warehouse. → Clear the cache.

2.Removal of old MIUI updates

Update folder (/cache/ota/ or /data/ota_package/) can weigh up 2–3 GB. To clean it up:

📱 Go to Settings. → The phone. → Updating the system.
🗑️ Press three points. → Remove the downloaded package (if any).
🔄 Reboot the phone.

3. Resetting ART cache (Dalvik-Cache)

If the dalvik-cache takes up a lot of space in the Other, reset it through the Recovery Mode:

Turn off the phone.
Press the Power button + Volume up to enter Recovery.
Choose Wipe & Reset → Wipe Dalvik Cache.
Reset the device.

⚠️ Warning: Do not confuse Wipe Dalvik Cache with Wipe Data! The second option will erase all your data, including photos and apps.

Backup of important data

Check the vacant space (should be ≥10%)

Close all applications

Disable automatic update of applications-->

Dangerous Methods: What Should I Not Remove from the Other?

Some files in the Other section are critical to MIUI, and deleting them can lead to a cyclical reboot, app crashes, or even a phone crash.

Type of file	Way	Why can't we remove it?
ART/Dalvik files	/data/dalvik-cache/	They are responsible for optimizing applications, and removing them will cause the cache to reassemble the next time it starts (long load).
MIUI databases	/data/data/com.miui.*/databases/	Stores theme settings, fonts, gestures, and removes personalization.
SELinux files	/data/security/	They're responsible for system security, and deleting it could violate access rights.
Log files of the kernel	/data/tombstones/	They're reporting crashes, and removing them won't hurt, but they won't make much room.

If you see files with.odex extensions in "Other,".oat or.art are components of Android Runtime. They can only be reset via Wipe Dalvik Cache in Recovery, not manually!

Also, avoid deleting folders:

🚫 /data/misc/ — Here are stored the settings of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, VPN.
🚫 /data/system/ — account files, application permissions.
🚫 /data/adb/ — Debugging data (if enabled by Debugging) USB).

What happens if you delete /data/data/com.android.providers.settings?

This folder stores system settings (language, date/time, wallpaper, etc.) and deletes it will reset all personal settings to factory settings, but will not affect user files (photos, videos).

How to prevent the “Other” from being filled in in the future?

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

Turn off automatic update download: Go to Settings → The phone. → Updating the system → Settings (⚙️) → Auto download updates and turn off the option. so the update packs will not accumulate in the /cache/.
Limit the cache of Google Play Services: In Settings → Apps → Google Play Services → Storage, click Limit Cache (if available) This will reduce the amount of temporary files.
Clean log files regularly: Use ADB or applications like SD Maid to clean /data/log/ and /data/tombstones/. Do this every 1-2 months.
Remove unnecessary system apps: With ADB or Debloater tools (like Universal Android Debloater), uninstall pre-installed Xiaomi apps you don’t use (like com.miui.analytics or com.xiaomi.midrop).

It is also useful to disable automatic MIUI backup (if you do not use it): Settings → About phone → Backup → Autoback → Turn off.

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Regular cleaning of the cache of system applications (once a month) and disabling auto-updates will reduce the volume of the “Other” by 30-50% without risk to the system.

Frequent Mistakes in Cleaning the Other and How to Avoid Them

Many Xiaomi users make the same mistakes when trying to make room in the "Other" section.

🔨 Manually delete files without backup: even if you're sure the file is garbage, copy it to your PC first. /data/misc/keystore/ It looks suspicious, but its removal will disrupt Google Pay.
🔄 Factory reset without preparation: This is a radical method, but it does not always clean the Other completely (e.g., files in the other file). /data/ota_package/ may remain).
🛠️ Using “cleaners” with aggressive algorithms: apps like Clean Master often delete the right files, masking them as “garbage».
📱 Ignoring updates MIUI: In newer versions of firmware, often bugs with file classification are fixed. MIUI 14 improved cache distribution by category.

Another common mistake is to delete files from the /system/. This folder contains firmware and must not be changed without root rights and knowledge, even if there are "unnecessary" ones» APK (For example, Mi Video, it is safer to disable them via adb shell pm disable-user. --user 0 packet, not.

If your phone is slower after cleaning the Other, you’ve probably deleted your files. ART-- Cache, in this case:

Reset the device.
Wait 10-15 minutes – the system will restore the cache automatically.
If the lags are left, run the Wipe Dalvik Cache in Recovery.

FAQ: answers to frequent questions about the “Other” in the memory of Xiaomi

Why does the “Other” take up a lot of space again after cleaning?

This is normal: the system constantly creates temporary files (cache, logs, updates) to reduce their volume: Turn off auto-update applications in Google Play. Limit the background activity of applications in Settings → Battery → Power saving mode. Use Greenify to freeze unnecessary processes.

Can I transfer the "Other" to the SD-map?

No, system files from the "Other" cannot be transferred to the SD-This is a technical limitation of Android, but you can: Transfer media files (photos, videos) to a memory card. Use SD-The card is like internal memory (formatting like Adoptable Storage), but it will slow down the phone.

What to do if the “Other” takes 10+ GB?

It's probably my fault: 📦 Remains of large applications (such as games or Facebook). /data/data/. 🔄 Failed updates MIUI. Remove the packages in /cache/ota/. 📜 Log files debugging (if enabled debugging by USB). Clean it up. /data/log/. If nothing helps, make a backup and perform a reset to factory settings.

Why did the “Other” not disappear after the factory reset?

When reset, user data is cleared, but system files (e.g, /data/ota_package/ or /data/misc/) To remove them, enter the Recovery. + Volume up. Select Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache. If it doesn't work, use it. ADB Hand cleaning (knowledge required).

Can I turn off log file recording so that the Other doesn’t grow?

Partly yes. To do this: Activate Developer Mode (Settings → Phone → MIUI → 7 times) Go to Settings → Additional → Developer. Turn off Error Log and USB Debugging (if you don’t use it) This will reduce the amount of logs you have, but it won’t stop you from creating them completely (Android always keeps minimal logging).