“Other files” in Xiaomi smartphones: a complete guide to cleaning and management

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 puzzling categories in the MIUI system, which often raises questions among users. Unlike photos, videos or apps, the content of Other Files isn't always obvious - it can hide both temporary data and critical system caches.

In this article, we will not only reveal what is included in the “Other Files” on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices, but also show how to safely clean them without risking the smartphone, you will learn why these files accumulate over time, which ones can be deleted manually and which ones are better left to the system, and we will also analyze common myths (for example, that “Other Files” are viruses) and give practical recommendations for memory optimization.

If your smartphone is constantly giving out space warnings and Other Files are taking up the lion's share of storage, this guide will help you regain control of your memory. Spoiler: 80 percent of the time, the problem is solved without being reset to factory settings, if you know where and what to clean.

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

In the MIUI operating system (and in Android as a whole), the category “Other Files” is a kind of “junk box” for data that does not fall into the standard categories: Photo and Video, Applications, Audio, etc. This includes:

• 🗑️ 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).
• 📁 Logs and dumps are debugging files that the system generates when crashes or for diagnostics (e.g. logcat, tombstones).
• 🔄 Residual data from remote applications are fragments of programs that were not completely erased during the uninstallation.
• 📄 Configuration files – user interface settings, network connection parameters and other system data.
• 🖼️ Mini sketches and previews – reduced copies of images and videos that are created for quick viewing in the gallery.
• 🔗 Symbolic links and temporary files are technical artifacts that are created when installing updates or transferring data.

On Xiaomi devices, this category often grows due to the features of MIUI:

1. Aggressive caching to speed up the shell (e.g. animations and transitions).
2. Automatically backup settings and data (even if you didn’t manually enable this feature).
3. Incorrect cache cleaning of some system applications (e.g. com.miui.gallery or com.android.providers.media)

According to the analysis of user reports, on Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI 12-14 “Other files” average between 3 and 15 GB — and that’s assuming the user doesn’t install hundreds of apps. 13T Or the Redmi Note 12 Pro.+) This category can grow faster due to the increased cache volume for the 4K HDR-Content and Game Optimization.

Which files can be deleted and which ones can’t

Not all Other Files are equally useful (or secure to delete) and are categorized below with recommendations:

Especially careful is to treat files in folders:

• 🚫 /system — System files, the deletion of which will lead to a brick (inoperability) of the device.
• ⚠️ /data/dalvik-cache — virtual machine cache ART/Dalvik. Removal will speed up the first launch of applications, but can cause lags.
• 🔍 /data/media/0/MIUI — It stores the settings for the themes, wallpapers and widgets, and it'll reset them to standard.

⚠️ Note: If you see a folder in Other Files called com.xiaomi.midrop or MiShare, don't delete it completely. This is data for Mi Drop. Deleting it may disrupt wireless synchronization.

Step-by-step: how to clean “Other Files” on Xiaomi

Before you start cleaning, make sure to back up your important data, and even safe methods can result in lost games or settings.

Sync Contacts and Photos with Mi Cloud|Save passwords from browser to manager (e.g. Google Password Manager)|Write down your Wi-Fi settings (if you use hidden networks)|Check the vacant space (at least 10% of the total volume is required)-->

Method 1: Integrated MIUI tools

1. Open the Settings → Memory.
2. Slip on "Other Files."
3. The system will offer cleaning options: 🧹 Unnecessary files – temporary cache and logs. 🗑️ Large files - archives, APK, arch-load. 📁 Empty folders – artifacts of remote applications.

Clean up

Method 2: Manual cleaning through file manager

For this, the standard application Files or Solid Explorer is suitable:

1. Open the file manager and enable the display of hidden files (in the settings).
2. Go to /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/.thumbnails /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/ [remote application folders] /storage/emulated/0/Download/ [old downloads]
3. Delete unnecessary files (e.g..apk,.zip,.log).

Method 3: Resetting cache through Recovery

This method will delete all temporary data, including the update cache and dalvik-cache, but will not affect personal files:

1. Turn off your smartphone.
2. Press the Power button + Volume up to enter Recovery Mode.
3. Choose Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache.
4. Confirm the action and restart the device.

To prevent the growth of “Other Files”, follow these guidelines:

1. Turn off automatic caching for unnecessary applications (each app has a “Cash” option in its settings).
2. Limit background activity for social networks and instant messengers (in Settings → Battery → Charge Optimization).
3. Use lightweight versions of apps (e.g. Facebook Lite instead of the main client).
4. Clean up downloads regularly – the Download folder is often clogged with unnecessary.apk and archives.
5. Update MIUI – new versions fix caching bugs (for example, MIUI 14 optimized the cleaning of sketches).

Myths about “Other Files” in Xiaomi: what is true and what is not

There's a lot of rumors going around this category, and we're going to look at the most popular ones.

One of the most enduring myths is that the other files can only be erased by factory resetting, which is actually a last resort, and 90 percent of the time, the combination of:

1. Cleaning the cache through Settings → Memory.
2. Remove unnecessary files manually.
3. Reboot the device.

💡

If, after all the manipulations, Other Files continue to grow, the problem may be in the damaged /data partition, in which case only the firmware through Fastboot will help.

What to do if the “Other Files” are not cleaned

If standard methods don’t help and the “Other Files” category is stubbornly 10+GB, try these steps:

1.Verifying for broken updates

Sometimes update files (update.zip) are not deleted after installation.

1. Open a file manager with root rights (or through ADB).
2. Move to the /data/ota_package or /cache.
3. Delete files with the.zip or.pkg extension.

2.Resetting media storage settings

This procedure will reset the database of media files (including sketches and metadata):

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the Multimedia Warehouse (com.android.providers.media).
3. Slip "Storage" → "Delete data".
4. Reboot your smartphone.

⚠️ Note: After that, the gallery and music players will take longer to load on the first run, as the system will have to re-index files.

3. Checking through ADB (for advanced users)

If you are familiar with ADB, follow these instructions for diagnosis:

adb shell df -h # View the occupied space by section


adb shell du -sh /data/* | sort -rh | head -n 10 # Top-10 folders occupying the most space




adb shell pm clear com.android.providers.media # Reset media cache

4.Flashing through Fastboot

Extreme measure, if other ways don't work.

1. Download the official firmware for your model from the Xiaomi website.
2. Unpack the archive and launch the script flash_all.bat (for Windows or flash_all.sh (for macOS/Linux).
3. Connect your smartphone in Fastboot mode (Power button + Volume down).

After flashing, all data will be erased, but the Other Files will return to its original state (~1-2 GB).

Alternative ways to make room on Xiaomi

If fighting with Other Files doesn’t work, consider these methods:

• 📱 Transfer of applications to SD-For this purpose: Insert a memory card (preferably) UHS-I Or faster. B settings. → Select the program and tap "Move to" SD».

Cloud storage

Google Photo

Mi Cloud

Optimizing storage

Files by Google

Removal of duplicates

CCleaner

SD Maid

Archiving rarely used files

.zip

For devices with dynamic memory (such as the Xiaomi 12S Ultra with UFS 3.1), it will also help:

• 🔧 Disabling animations (in Settings) → Special facilities → Remove animations – reduces the load on the cache.
• 🎯 Using Performance Mode Instead of Battery – Reduces Background Caching.