Xiaomi’s “Other Files”: What It Is, Where It Is, and How to Clean Memory

Have you ever looked into the storage of your Xiaomi smartphone and wondered why the Other Files partition takes up gigabytes of memory even though you haven't downloaded anything? This mysterious category can eat up to 30-50% of your internal drive, and the system doesn't show what it is that goes in. Unlike photos, videos or apps, Others is a kind of Android black box, where residual data, cache, temporary files and even fragments of deleted programs get into it.

In this article, we will look at what specifically applies to Xiaomi’s Other Files, why they accumulate (even if you clean your phone regularly), and how to reduce their volume without risking a system breakage. We will focus on hidden MIUI folders, which are not visible in a standard file manager, but can take up to 5-10 GB. You will also learn which files can be deleted manually and which cannot be touched categorically – with examples from real-life users.

What are Xiaomi’s “Other Files” and Why Do They Take So Much Space?

The Others category in Xiaomi’s storage is a shared container for all the data that the system cannot categorize as standard sections: apps, media, documents or cache.

• 📁 Residual files of remote applications are fragments of programs that have not been completely uninstalled (for example, settings or databases).
• 🔄 Temporary system process files – logs, memory dumps, update files that are not deleted after installation.
• 🗃️ Hidden folders MIUI — for example, /miui/backup (backup copies of settings) or /MIUI/extra (Data for functions such as “Dual Applications»).
• 🤖 System cache services, such as Google Play Services or Mi Cloud data that is not cleared by standard means.
• 📱 Files. OTA-Updates – archives of firmware that remain after updating “over the air” (may weigh) 1-3 GB).

On Xiaomi smartphones, the problem is aggravated by the features of the shell MIUI. For example, the Smart Cleanup feature often skips hidden folders, and the built-in antivirus can block access to some system files, preventing them from being deleted, MIUI actively uses cloning applications (for the second account), which creates duplicate data in the folder /data/data — They also get into "The Others».

⚠️ Note: If the Other Files partition takes up more than 15 GB on a 64 GB device, this may indicate file system damage (for example, after an incorrect update.

Where to store “Other files” on Xiaomi: paths and hidden folders

To understand what is taking up space, you need to know where to look. Most of the "other files" are hidden from the user, but they can be found through a root file manager (such as Solid Explorer or FX File Manager) or by connecting the phone to a PC.

Especially a lot of garbage accumulates in the /data/data folder, which stores data from all installed and deleted applications. For example, if you deleted Facebook, but its cache and settings may remain in the com.facebook.katana subfolder. The same applies to games:.obb files often remain in /Android/obb even after uninstallation.

How to Safely Clean Other Files on Xiaomi: Step-by-step instructions

You need to be careful about removing "other files" so you don't damage the system, and let's start with safe methods that don't require root rights:

1. Clean up the system app cache: Go to Settings → Apps → App management, select the All tab and sort by size. Clear the cache from Google Play Services, Mi Cloud, Mi Video and other system programs.
2. Removal of old OTA-Updates: Find the file manager folder /cache and delete files with the.zip extension (for example, update.zip). They weigh. 1-3 GB and remain after updates.
3. Manual cleaning of Download folder: Often unnecessary APKs, archives and media files are accumulated in /Download. Delete everything except current downloads.

Deep cleaning requires superuser (root) or ADB rights. If you have root, use SD Maid or Root Explorer to search for debris in /data/data. Without root, you can try ADB commands:

adb shell pm list packages -u

This command will show you a list of applications with the raw data, and then delete the residual files for the specific package:

adb shell pm clear com.example.app

⚠️ Note: Do not manually delete files from folders /system or /vendor — This will lead to a device brik (breaking the firmware), and avoid folders called lib, bin or etc.

Top.-5 Applications to clean “Other Files” on Xiaomi

If you don't want to go through folders manually, use specialized utilities.

• 🛠️ Files by Google – Shows “junk” by category (including “Other Files”) and offers secure removal.
• 🧹 CCleaner clears cache, residual files and duplicates. The pro version has a storage analysis.
• 🔍 SD Maid is the most powerful root solution for users, finding dead files in the Internet. /data And he suggests removing them.
• 📊 Storage Analyzer — visualizes what's in place, including in the "Others" section.
• 📦 Mi File Manager (built-in) - in the latest versions MIUI A section called Deep Cleanup appears, which partially deletes other files».

When choosing a utility, pay attention to Xiaomi user reviews – some programs (such as Clean Master) can conflict with MIUI and cause lags. Also avoid “optimizers” who promise to “speed up the phone by 300%” – this is a marketing scam.

💡

Before using any cleaners, disable Mi Optimizations in the developer settings (if enabled) to prevent conflicts with the MIUI background processes.

What happens if you delete all the “Other Files” on Xiaomi?

Cleaning the Others section completely can free up gigabytes of memory or break the system, depending on which files you delete:

• ✅ Securely Delete: Application and System Services Cache. Residual files of remote programs (APK, OBB). Temporary update files (.zip in) /cache). Logs and dumps (.log,.dmp).
• ❌ Dangerous to delete: Files from /system or /vendor. Folders. /data/dalvik-cache (Files with the.odex or.vdex extension, any files associated with com.android or com.xiaomi.

If the phone starts to restart, or fails to turn on after cleaning, then the critical files have been deleted.

1. Recovery through Mi Recovery (if there is a backup).
2. Fastboot flashing (requires PC and cable).
3. Contact the service center (if you do not have experience with firmware).

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If you're not sure if a file can be deleted, you'd better leave it. MIUI often creates duplicates of critical data, and deleting it can lead to a brick.

How to prevent the accumulation of “Other files” on Xiaomi

To prevent the “Others” section from growing to tens of gigabytes, follow the simple rules:

1. Clean the cache regularly: In Settings → Storage → Cleanup, use the Deep Clean feature (available on MIUI 12+). Also clean the cache of individual applications once a month.
2. Delete apps correctly: Don’t just click “Delete” but use the “Delete and Clear Data” option (in the app settings) to delete all associated files.
3. Turn off automatic MIUI backup: Go to Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset and turn off Automatic Backup. This will prevent data from accumulating in /miui/backup.
4. Use cloud services: Move rarely used files (archives, documents) to Google Drive or Mi Cloud to avoid clogging internal memory.
5. Update your firmware: Newer versions of MIUI have improved your memory management system. Update through Settings → System Update.

If you are actively using dual apps (MIUI for the second account), remember that they create duplicate data. Check the /data/data folder regularly for unwanted clones.

Frequent Questions About “Other Files” on Xiaomi