“Other” in the storage Xiaomi Redmi: hidden files, cache and system debris – a complete analysis

Have you ever looked into your Xiaomi Redmi’s storage settings and wondered why the Other partition takes up gigabytes of storage, even though you didn’t consciously save anything there? This mysterious item can eat up to 5 to 20 GB — and the system does not offer ways to clean it in one click. Unlike obvious categories like Photos, Videos or Apps, Other hides a layer of service data that is not easily accessible. MIUI Does not directly disclose to the user.

In this article, we will go into detail about what is included in the Other, why this section grows over time, and most importantly, how to reduce it without risking damage to the system. MIUI, And you'll get step-by-step cleaning instructions for Xiaomi's firmware, and you'll get a special focus on the unique chips» MIUI, Because of which the standard tips for “pure” Android do not work here.

What’s hidden under the “Other” item in Xiaomi Redmi’s storage

The Other section is a collection of files that the system cannot uniquely categorize as standard (music, documents, applications, etc.) and includes:

• 📁 Application cache and systems: temporary files that are created to speed up programs, but often remain after they are deleted.
• 🔄 Residual data from remote applications: fragments of programs that were not completely erased during uninstallation.
• 📄 Logs and dumps of the system: debugging files that MIUI Generates for diagnosis (especially active after failures).
• 🔗 Symbolic links and metadata: file system service information that takes up space but is not visible to the user.
• 🖼️ Miniatures and Previews: Miniature copies of images and videos created by the gallery and other applications.
• 🔒 Encrypted data: files protected MIUI (For example, backups of settings or data for Find Device).

It's important to understand that not everything in The Other is garbage. Some files are critical to the system, like Dalvik-cache or data. ART (Application runtime) takes up space, but deleting them can lead to brakes or errors. However, up to 30-50% of the volume of this partition usually falls on unnecessary residual files.

Why The Other Takes So Much Space: 5 Reasons

If you notice that the “Other” section has grown to an unreasonable size (e.g. 10)+ GB on a 64-gigabyte smartphone, the fault may be:

1. Active use of social networks and instant messengers, applications like Telegram, VK or TikTok caches gigabytes of media files that are not always deleted correctly.
2. Frequent updates MIUI. Each firmware update leaves behind backups of system files in case of rollback (/cache/ota).
3. File system errors, such as after incorrect extraction SD-card or file recording failure.
4. Background processes. MIUI Actively uses logcat (event logs) and traces (program execution tracks), which can take up to 1-2 GB.
5. Install and remove a large number of applications. Each application leaves behind tails in the /data/data and /data/app-lib.

Interesting fact: Xiaomi Redmi with firmware MIUI The 12-14 section of the Other is often inflated because of the way MediaProvider works, a service that indexes media files, and if you have thousands of photos in a gallery, your database can weigh hundreds of megabytes without the system showing it explicitly.

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To check the actual cache size of the gallery, install a file manager with access to root folders (such as Solid Explorer) and view the contents. /data/data/com.miui.gallery.

How to see what exactly takes place in the “Other”: 3 ways

By default. MIUI It does not give a detailed analysis of the "Other" section, but there are workarounds:

1. Built-in tools MIUI

Go to Settings. → Memory. → The other one. Here, the system will show you the approximate composition:

• 🗑️ App cache (can be cleared in one click).
• 📊 Application data (requires manual cleaning for each application).
• 🔧 System data (usually not recommended to touch).

However, this section often shows an incomplete picture – many files remain “off-screen”.

2. File managers with storage analysis

Apps like Files by Google, SD Maid or Storage Analyzer scans memory and shows the:

• 📂 Large folders (e.g, /Android/data or /MIUI).
• 🗃️ Duplicate files.
• 🧹 Residual files of remote applications.

3. ADB-Teams for Advanced Users

If you have experience working with ADB, You can execute a command for detailed analysis:

adb shell du -h -d 1 /data | sort -h

This team will show the size of all folders in the /data (where most user and system data is stored. Be careful: delete files through ADB Without understanding their purpose, the system may fail.

Step-by-step: how to clean the “Other” without harming the system

Before you start cleaning, back up your important data. Follow the algorithm:

Sync Contacts and Photos with Mi Cloud

Keep a backup copy SMS (for example, through SMS Backup & Restore)

Write down a list of installed applications (you can use Titanium Backup)

Check the battery charge (should be at least 50%)-->

1. Cleaning the application cache and system

The safest step is:

1. Open the Settings. → Memory. → Other → Cash app.
2. Click “Clean” (this will delete the temporary files of all applications).
3. For deep cleaning, go to Settings → Annexes → Manage applications, select each application and click “Clear cache».

2. Deletion of residual data of annexes

After deleting programs, their files can remain in:

• /Android/data (user-data).
• /Android/obb (game-file).

Use the file manager to manually delete folders with the names of remote applications, for example, if you have deleted PUBG Mobile, you can safely wash the folder /Android/data/com.tencent.ig.

Cleaning of system logs and dumps

This is where the app will fit. SD Maid (requires root rights for complete cleaning):

1. Open up. SD Maid and go to the "CorpseFinder" section».
2. Run the scan and it will find the residual files and empty folders.
3. Remove anything that the program has marked as safe to clean.

4.Reset gallery and media index cache

If the gallery is loading photos or takes up a lot of space:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Gallery → Storage.
2. Click Clear Data (this will reset the media file index, but will not delete the photos themselves).
3. Restart the phone and the system will rebuild the media database.

5. Removing old MIUI updates

Residual update files are stored in /cache/ota and can weigh up 1–2 GB to remove them:

• Use the File Manager with access to the root folders.
• Move to the /cache/ota Delete all files with the.zip extension.
• Also check the folder. /data/ota_package.

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Do not delete files from /system or /vendor — This can lead to a “brick” (inoperability) of the device.

What NOT to do when cleaning the “Other”

Some actions can cause irreparable harm to the system, and here are the red flags to avoid:

⚠️ Note: Never delete files from folders /system, /vendor or /boot This will cause the bootloader to break down, and the phone will stop turning on.

Also dangerous:

• 🚫 Delete files with the.odex or.oat extension – they are necessary for the operation of applications.
• 🚫 Clear the file. /data/dalvik-cache without rebooting (this will cause errors when starting programs).
• 🚫 Use cleaners like Clean Master – they often delete important files, disguised as “optimization».
• 🚫 Format a section /data without backup (this will erase all user data).

If you're not sure what the file is, don't delete it. You'd better look it up online or go to forums like this. 4PDA Xiaomi Community.

How to Prevent the Spread of the Other in the Future

To the “Other” section does not take up gigabytes of memory, follow the simple rules:

Another effective way is to reboot your phone regularly, and many temporary files are cleared automatically when rebooting, especially if you use the Safe Mode Reboot option (hold the power button). → «Restarting in Safe Mode»).

1. Go to Settings. → Memory. → Auto-cleaning.

2. Enable the option and set a schedule (e.g. once a week).

3. Add to the exceptions critical applications (messaging, banking programs).-->

Comparison of cleaning methods: what works best

Not all methods of cleaning the Other are equally effective, and the following are comparisons of popular methods by safety, efficacy and complexity:

For most users, the best solution is a combination of:

1. Regularly clean the cache through settings MIUI.
2. Use of the SD Maid without root to delete residual files.
3. Manual file check /Android/data and /cache time 1–2 month.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the “Other” section of Xiaomi Redmi