Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphone owners often face a nasty situation: the built-in storage is crowded, and the standard analyzer can’t explain exactly where gigabytes went. The mysterious “Other” section can occupy a huge share of the list of space, a point that is often puzzling, as it accumulates data that the system can’t uniquely classify as apps, images or videos.
Let's take a closer look at what's hidden inside this partition, why it's growing so fast, and what methods exist to clean it safely. Understanding the structure of the MIUI and HyperOS file system will help you reclaim precious space without losing important data. System files aren't always garbage, but often that's where the heavyweights are hiding, devouring resources.
In this article, we will look at both standard optimization tools and advanced file system practices. You will learn which folders can be deleted without fear and which should be absolutely not touched. The main reason for inflating the “Other” section on Xiaomi is the messenger cache, residual files after deleted applications and system logs of updates. Let’s figure out how to clean up.
What is hidden in the category Other
The Other category in Xiaomi’s shell interface is a kind of black box for data that doesn’t fall into standard categories like Apps, Photos, or Video, which includes social media cached data, temporary browser files, and system logs, and can often be as large as tens of gigabytes if the phone is actively used for a long time.
Telegram, WhatsApp and Viber have a habit of saving all received media files to their hidden directories, which the system sometimes classifies as “Other”, because the files are not stored in a standard gallery, but in specific application folders, access to which requires root or ADB permissions.
In addition, backups created by system services and streaming services (Spotify, YouTube Music, Netflix) fall into this category, and if you've listened to music offline or watched TV shows on the subway, these files can also be counted here, and it's important to understand that not all content in this section is garbage.
Also worth noting is the role of system updates: After successfully installing a new version of MIUI or HyperOS, the installation package often stays in memory, the system may not immediately delete it, and it goes into the category of other things. These are secure files, but they take up space that could be used for your personal needs.
Analysis with embedded tools and PC
Before we start radical measures, we need to make a good diagnosis. The standard storage analyzer at Xiaomi gives only a general idea. For a deeper analysis, we recommend using third-party tools or a computer connection to see the real structure of folders.
One of the most effective ways is to use the DiskUsage utility (requires installation via APK, as it is often absent from the Play Market) or connect your smartphone to your PC in file transfer mode. On your computer, you can turn on hidden files and estimate the size of folders at the root of the internal drive. Android/data and Android/obb folders are of particular interest.
The Android/data folder stores app data. This is where gigabytes of Telegram, Yandex.Navigator and games cache are hidden. Deleting the contents of this folder for a particular application will reset it and clear the cache, but will not affect personal chats (unless they are stored locally).
☑️ Diagnostics of the repository
It's also worth checking the folder. MIUI It's at the root of memory. It might have debugging logs (debug_logs), If you're not a developer and you're not debugging the firmware, you don't need those files. Deletion is safe and can free up a lot of space.
Cleaning the cache of messengers and social networks
The biggest memory eater traditionally is messengers. Telegram, for example, caches all photos and videos viewed by default so that they load instantly when reopened. Over time, this cache can grow to incredible sizes, taking up space in the “Other” section.
To clean up Telegram, go to Settings → Data and Memory → Memory Use. You will see detailed statistics and the Clear Cache button. It is recommended that you also set the cache autodelete after, for example, 3 days or a week, this will prevent the partition from bloating again.
On WhatsApp, the situation is similar, but files are often duplicated in the gallery. Use the built-in storage management feature: Settings → Data and Storage → Storage Management. Here you can delete large files or clear the cache for specific chats. This will help free up space that the system considered "Other."
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In Telegram settings, enable the “Multimedia Autodelete” function and set a 3-day deadline, which will automatically free up space by occupying the “Other” section without your participation.
⚠️ Note: When clearing the messenger cache through the app settings, your correspondence and contacts are saved. However, if you decide to manually delete files through the file manager, there is a risk of removing important documents that you sent yourself or received from colleagues.
And don't forget about social networks like VK or Instagram, which are also actively cacheing feeds, and these apps often have a "Clear Cache" feature in their settings that's safe to use, and doing this routine regularly is the best way to prevent space shortages.
Work with residual files and system logs
Once applications are removed, the system often has tails — folders with settings and temporary files — that may not be deleted automatically and continue to rank in the Other category, and that are best searched by specialized cleaners or manual analysis via PC.
System logs are another candidate for deletion, and they're created when there's a malfunction or an error in your system, and if your phone is stable, you don't need those files. You can find them along the way. MIUI/debug_logs or in the root folder log.
Also worth paying attention to is the backup folder. If you backed up through a standard Xiaomi tool, it could have been stored in internal memory, not in the cloud. Check the MIUI/backup/AllBackup path. If you don't need it, delete it.
| Type of data | Location (example path) | Security of removal | Impact on the system |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash Telegram. | Inside the app / Android/data | Tall. | Acceleration of the application |
| System Logs | MIUI/debug_logs | Tall. | No. |
| Backup copies | MIUI/backup | Average (check date) | Impossibility of recovery from local copy |
| Cash card (Offline) | Android/data/.../cache | Low (needed for offline) | Loss of offline cards |
Use this table as a reference before deleting files, understanding what you delete will prevent accidental loss of important data, and data security should always be a priority.
Using ADB for Advanced Cleaning
For users who are not afraid of the computer and command line, there is a powerful tool called Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which allows you to delete files and cache of system applications that are not available to the average user, and this is especially true for the Other section, where system plugs often hide.
To get started, you need to enable USB debugging in the Developer menu. Then connect your phone to your PC and execute a command to access the shell. With ADB, you can safely delete the batch manager cache or temporary update files.
adb shell pm trim-caches 999999999This command forces Android to delete all the apps' cached data if the free space is less than the specified value (in bytes). By specifying a large number, you force the cache to be cleared. It's a powerful tool that can instantly free gigabytes in the "Other" section.
Risks of using ADB
⚠️ Attention: Teams ADB They give you full access to the system. Never delete files from system partitions (/system, /vendor) It can turn a phone into a brick, if you're not an expert».
Preventing memory overflow in the future
To prevent the “Other” partition problem from returning regularly, you need to develop a digital hygiene habit, especially when it comes to setting up automatic cleaning. Xiaomi offers built-in scripts, but they are often not enough.
It is recommended to check the autoload settings of media in instant messengers regularly. Turn off auto-save photos and videos in the gallery for group chats, where there is a lot of junk content, this will prevent duplicate files and their falling into the category “Other”.
It's also worth rebooting your smartphone periodically, and when you reboot, it clears temporary files and completes processes that the memory counter might have hung up, a simple but effective way to keep things in order.
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Regularly restarting the device and setting up auto-delete the cache in messengers are the best ways to prevent the accumulation of garbage in the “Other” section.
Use cloud storage to archive old photos and videos. Google Photos, Yandex.Disk or Mi Cloud allow you to free up space on your device by deleting local copies after synchronization, which frees up space not only in the gallery, but also indirectly affects the overall structure of files.