Xiaomi’s ‘Other’ Storage: What It Is, Why It Grows, and How to Clean Up Without Risk

You opened your storage settings on Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO, and there's a mysterious "Other" section that takes 10, 20, maybe 30 GB, and it doesn't show you which files are stored there, and standard memory cleaning doesn't help. What's the catch?

In fact, the Other is not a bug, but a feature of MIUI (Xiaomi firmware), which hides system caches, temporary application files, update data, log files, and even remnants of deleted programs, and the problem is that over time, this garbage grows, eating precious space, and the user can not control it through standard tools. In this article, we will understand what exactly goes into the Other, why it takes up so much space and how to safely reduce it, from simple methods to “surgical” methods for experienced people.

Importantly, not all files in the Other section can be deleted without consequences, some of them are critical to the system, and cleaning them can lead to failures, and we will show you which data you can touch and which is better to leave.

What is hidden under the “Other” in the storage Xiaomi: a full analysis

The “Other” section of MIUI is a landfill for files that the system cannot categorize as standard (photos, videos, apps, etc.) and includes:

• 📁 App cache and systems are temporary files that are created to speed up programs, such as the cache of Google Play Services or Mi Browser can weigh several gigabytes.
• 🔄 Residual data from remote applications — not all programs are deleted “cleanly”; many leave behind configuration files, databases, or log files.
• 📦 Update files MIUI — After installing a new firmware version, old update packages often remain in memory and take up to 1-2 GB.
• 📜 Log files and dumps are records of system operation, errors and failures, useful for diagnosis, but rarely needed by the average user.
• 🖼️ Miniatures and previews – sketches of images and videos that are created by a gallery or file manager.
• 🔒 Encrypted data – some system files are stored in encrypted form and displayed as “Other».

Why is this partition growing? The fact is that MIUI doesn't always properly clean temporary files after you've used them, for example, after watching a video in your browser, its cache can remain in memory indefinitely, and the same thing happens with updates: the system downloads the package, installs it, but does not delete the original file.

Another reason is data fragmentation, and when you delete files, they don't always get physically erased: the system just labels them as "free," but in fact, they can stay on disk until they're overwritten, which is especially true for devices with eMMCs (found in the low-end models of Redmi and POCO).

How to Check What’s in the Other’s Place

Before you clean the Other, you need to understand what files are stored there. Unfortunately, the standard MIUI Storage Analysis doesn't show the details of this section.

Method 1: Through "Settings" (partial analysis)

Open Settings → Phone → Memory → Others. Here you'll see the total volume, but not the composition.

1. Click on “Other” and wait for the data to load (may take 1-2 minutes).
2. If the system shows subcategories (for example, “Cash”, “Downloads”), choose the most voluminous.
3. Click “Clean” – this will remove some of the unnecessary files.

Method 2: File Manager with root rights (for advanced)

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

• 🔍 Move to the /data — Here is stored cache and application data.
• 🔍 Check it out. /cache — time-file.
• 🔍 Look in. /system/priv-app — Sometimes there are “tails” from updates.

Without root rights, these folders will not be available, but alternative methods can be used (detailed below).

Method 3: Third-party applications for memory analysis

Apps like Files by Google, SD Maid or Storage Analyzer can show a more detailed picture, SD Maid finds out:

• 🗑️ Residual files of remote applications.
• 📂 Empty folders and duplicates.
• 🔄 Cash that is not cleaned by standard means.

Example of SD Maid report for Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro:

⚠️ Note: Do not delete files with.db,.odex extensions or folders /system — It could lead to a crash. MIUI and the need for reflashing.

Safe Ways to Clean the Other Without Root Rights

If you don't have root access, don't despair. Here are 5 proven methods to help free up 5-15 GB without risk:

1. Clearing the cache of all applications

The easiest way to do this is to go to Settings → Apps → Application Management, then:

1. Sort programs by size (click on the three dots in the upper right corner).
2. Choose the most "heavy" (usually Google Play Services, Mi Browser, Facebook, TikTok).
3. Click on “Clear Cache” (not data!).

This method can free up 1 to 5 GB, especially if the cache has not been cleaned for a long time.

2. Delete MIUI update files

After installing the updates, their packets remain in memory to delete them:

1. Open Files → Categories → Installers.
2. Find files with names like this. miui_*.zip or update.zip.
3. Remove them (they weigh 1.5-2.5 GB each).

3. Reset of "Secure Storage" (for MIUI 12–14)

Some versions of MIUI have a hidden temporary data reset feature.

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Click on the MIUI version 5 times to activate the developer mode.
3. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
4. Find the Reset Safe Storage item and confirm the action.

This will remove temporary encryption files and can free up to 1-3 GB.

4.Use of ADB for deep cleaning

If you’re not afraid of the command line, connect your phone to your PC and do:

adb shell pm trim-caches -f 100


adb shell cmd package bg-dexopt-job

These commands will forcefully clear the cache of all applications and optimize the data of Dalvik (Android Virtual Machine).

5.Reboot to Safe Mode

Sometimes, the Other grows because of background processes, to check:

1. Press the power button, then hold the “Switch off” until the Safe Mode window appears.
2. Confirm the reset.
3. In safe mode, check the volume of the “Other” – if it has decreased, one of the installed applications is to blame.

Backup of important data

Check the vacant space (should be ≥10%)

Close all applications

Disable automatic update of applications

Connect the phone to charge (if cleaning takes place) >10 minutes)-->

Radical methods: when nothing helps

If the other still takes 10+GB after all the manipulations, it's time to consider extreme measures, which take longer and can affect the phone, but sometimes that's the only way out.

1. reset to factory settings (Hard Reset)

This will delete all the data, including system debris, but the phone will be clean.

• 📱 Make a backup copy through Settings → Additionally. → Backup.
• 🔐 Make sure you know the username and password from your Mi Account (required to unlock after resetting).
• 📶 Connect to Wi-Fi – after reset, the phone will download fresh firmware.

Reset itself: Settings → About phone → Resetting → Delete all data.

⚠️ Note: On some models (Redmi Note) 8/9, POCO X3) post-discharge IMEI. To avoid this, check before reset whether a copy is saved. IMEI file /data/nvram (root).

2. Flashing through Fastboot

If the reset didn't work, it might be the firmware itself, and then a clean MIUI installation via Fastboot will help:

1. Download the official firmware for your model from the Xiaomi Firmware website.
2. Unpack the archive and connect the phone to your PC in Fastboot mode (clip Power + Volume down when the phone is off).
3. Run the script. flash_all.bat (Windows or flash_all.sh (Mac/Linux).

This will completely reinstall the system, removing all system tails. After flashing, The Other usually takes no more than 2-3 GB, which is the norm for MIUI.

Replacement of eMMC with SSD (for older models)

If your Xiaomi Released is before 2020 (e.g. Redmi 7, Mi A2), it may have an eMMC drive, and these chips wear out over time and start to misrepresent the available space.

• 🔧 Replace the chip with a replacement UFS or SSD (if the model supports upgrade).
• 📉 Use your phone as a “secondary” phone (for calls, without installing heavy apps).

How to Prevent the Spread of the Other in the Future

To prevent the “Other” from taking up gigabytes a month after cleaning, follow these rules:

• 🗑️ Clean the cache regularly (once every 2 weeks) through Settings → Memory. → Cleanup.
• 🚫 Turn off automatic updates MIUI In Settings → The phone. → Updating the system → Settings (⚙️) → Downloading.
• 📥 Delete. APK-files after installing applications (they remain in the Download folder or APK).
• 🔄 Use the “Lite” versions of apps (e.g. Facebook Lite, Messenger Lite) that create less cache.
• 📵 Limit background activity for unnecessary apps in Settings → Battery → Choice of applications.

Also, you should avoid memory optimizers (like Clean Master or CCleaner), which often delete useful files and can make the problem worse, and instead use the built-in MIUI or Files by Google tools.

💡

If you install/remove applications frequently, turn on Auto Clean in Settings → Memory → Auto Clean. It will delete residual files after uninstallation of the programs.

Frequent Mistakes in Cleaning the Other and How to Avoid Them

Many users, in an attempt to make room, are doing things that only harm the phone, and here are the most common mistakes and their consequences:

Another common mistake is ignoring backups. Before any manipulation of system files, save data via Settings → Additional → Backup or Mi Cloud. This will take 10 minutes, but save you recovery hours if something goes wrong.

💡

If after cleaning, the Other has grown again after a week, the problem lies in the background processes. Check the activity of applications in Settings → Battery → Battery use and disable unnecessary ones.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions About Xiaomi’s “Other”