Xiaomi’s “Other Files”: Hidden Data, Cache and Garbage – How to Find and Delete Them

Have you ever looked into the Storage section of your Xiaomi and wondered why Other Files takes up gigabytes of memory when you haven't downloaded anything? It's one of the most mysterious categories in a MIUI system that can grow to 10 to 20 GB or more -- even on new devices. Unlike photos, videos or apps, there are no explicit folders that you can just delete. So what is this data, why is it accumulating and how to deal with it?

In this article, we will discuss in detail:

• 🔍 What exactly is hidden under the term “Other files” in Xiaomi (spoiler: it is not only cache!).
• 📊 Why does this section grow even if you don’t install anything.
• ⚠️ What files can be deleted and which ones can be touched dangerously (the risk of “bricking” the device).
• 🛠️ Step-by-step cleaning instructions – from standard tools to manual techniques for advanced users.

Important: Some files in this section cannot be deleted through standard means. MIUI — They are protected by the system, but can be “bypassed” by using hidden functions or ADB-We'll show you how to do it safely.

What is “Other files” in Xiaomi memory: analysis by shelves

In MIUI, the Other Files category (or “Other” in English) is a garbage bin for data that the system cannot categorize as standard: photos, videos, audio, documents or applications.

• 🗑️ Application cache and systems – temporary files that are created to speed up the operation of programs (for example, image thumbnails, web page data in the browser).
• 📁 Residual files after deleting applications – not all programs clean folders in the application /data/data.
• 🔄 Logs and dumps of the system – debugging files that are created when crashes (logcat, tombstones).
• 📱 Data data OTA-Updates – downloaded but not installed firmware packages.
• 🔐 Encrypted files of some applications (for example, messengers or banking programs).
• 🎮 Game saves and user data that are not included in the App category».

On the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro or POCO X3 Pro, this section can take up from 3 to 15 GB depending on user activity. For example, if you often play Genshin Impact or PUBG Mobile, there will be their cached resources (textures, models), and if the device has not restarted for a long time, there will be a lot of log files that the system does not delete automatically.

Interesting fact: on Xiaomi with Android 12+ Some of the “other files” may refer to virtual memory (RAM-Extension, which the system reserves on the drive. It's not garbage, it's work data!

Why Other Files Take So Much Space: 5 Top Reasons

If you notice that the section is growing by leaps and bounds, it may be to blame:

1. Automatic caching — MIUI aggressively caches data to speed up work, for example, Google Play Store can download APK-Update files in advance, and Galery – to create previews for all photos.
2. Unremoved Application Remains – When you uninstall the program through Settings → Applications often remain folders in /Android/data or /Android/obb.
3. Logs and dumps – if your smartphone overheats or crashes, the system creates debugging files (e.g. /data/tombstones). On Xiaomi 11T or Mi 11 Ultra, they can weigh 1-2 GB.
4. Mistakes. MIUI — Sometimes the system misclassifies files, for example, documents uploaded via Telegram may end up in Others instead of Documents».
5. Hidden Updates – Downloaded but not installed OTA-packet (/cache/ota) or backups before updating.

On the POCO F3 or Redmi K40 with MIUI 13+, the problem is exacerbated by the Smart Cleanup feature, which does not always correctly delete temporary files. For example, after a firmware update, old versions of libraries may remain in /system/priv-app.

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Before clearing the “other files,” check the /MIUI/Backup folder — there may be backups of SMS, notes, or contacts that the system doesn’t show in the standard file manager.

How to see what exactly takes up space: hidden folders and tools

To figure out what exactly is eating away at memory, you need to look into the hidden system folders.

Method 1: Through built-in "Storage Analysis"

1. Open the Settings → Storage.
2. Slip on “Other Files” → “More details.”
3. The system will show the distribution by categories: “Cash”, “Downloads”, “Logins”, etc.

Limitation: MIUI does not show a complete list of files, only aggregated data.

Method 2: File Manager with root rights

If you have root access, use Root Explorer or Solid Explorer to view folders:

• /data/data are residual application files.
• /data/log is the logs of the system.
• /cache – update cache and temporary files.
• /MIUI/Backup - backups.

Method 3: Through ADB (without root)

Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command:

adb shell du -sh /data/* | sort -rh

This will show the heaviest folders in /data.

How to Safely Clean Other Files on Xiaomi: 4 Proven Methods

Before you delete anything, back up your important data! some operations can cause applications to crash.

Method 1: Standard cleaning through MIUI

1. Go to Settings → Storage → Cleaning.
2. Select “Clean” (the system will delete the cache and unnecessary files).
3. Then go to “Other Files” → “More details” and manually delete unnecessary downloads or logs.

Method 2: Clearing the cache of all applications

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Tap it on three points. → «Size-based sorting».
3. Select apps with large cache (such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube) and click Clear Cache.

Method 3: Recovery Mode Removal (for experienced)

This method will reset only the cache without affecting user data:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press Power + Volume Up to Enter Recovery.
3. Select "Wipe Cache Partition» → «Reboot».

Method 4: Manual removal via ADB (advanced)

If standard methods don’t help, connect your phone to your PC and do:

adb shell pm trim-caches 1000000000 # Clears the cache of all applications


adb shell rm -rf /data/local/tmp/* # Deletes temporary files




adb shell rm -rf /cache/* # Clears the cache partition (requires reboot)

Backup of important data

Charge your phone at least 50%

Make sure that the PC is installed ADB-driver

Disable the antivirus (it can block commands)-->

⚠️ Note: Do not use the rm commands -rf /data/ rm -rf /system/ — This will delete all user data or damage the system.

What to do if “Other Files” are returned: prevention

Even after cleaning, the partition can grow back.

• 🔄 Reboot your phone regularly – this clears temporary files in memory.
• 🚫 Turn off automatic app updates on Google Play (or limit Wi-Fi).
• 📱 Use lightweight versions of apps (e.g. Facebook Lite instead of the main client).
• 🗑️ Set up automatic cleaning in Settings → Warehouse → Autocleaning.
• 🔍 Check the folder. /Download — Often unnecessary files are downloaded there.

On Xiaomi 12 or Redmi Note 11 with MIUI 14, you can enable the Smart Storage feature, which automatically archives rarely used files.

1. Go to Settings → Storage → Smart Storage.
2. Turn on the option and choose which file types to archive.

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If the Other Files take up more than 10GB, it is likely that the system logs or residual data of remote applications are to blame, in which case only manual cleaning through ADB or factory resetting will help.

When to contact the service: signs of serious problems

If the “Other Files” section continues to grow or takes up more than 20 GB after all the manipulations, this may indicate:

• 🐛 A virus or malware that creates hidden files.
• 🔧 Damage to the file system (for example, after an incorrect update).
• 📱 Failure to work MIUI, When the system cannot properly classify files.

In such cases:

1. Try resetting your settings via Settings → About Phone → Resetting (save data!).
2. If it does not help, reflash the device through the Mi Flash Tool (instructions are available on the official website of Xiaomi).
3. If you suspect a virus, use Malwarebytes or Dr.Web to scan.

⚠️ Note: If the “Other Files” section still takes 5+ GB, this can be a memory defect (wear and tear of the flash drive), in which case only replacing the memory module in the service center will help.

FAQ: Frequent questions about “other files” on Xiaomi