Xiaomi Redmi Note 8: a complete guide to cleaning and management

You opened the memory settings on your Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 to make room, but instead of the expected photos or apps, you saw a huge section “Other” that takes up gigabytes? This mysterious category often becomes a headache for Xiaomi smartphone users – especially on models with limited internal storage (32 or 64 GB). Unlike the obvious “Photos”, “Video” or “Apps”, “Other” does not reveal its content at first glance, but can eat up to 30-50% of the total storage.

In this article, we will not only explain what the Other is in the memory of the Redmi Note 8, but also show how to safely reduce it without risk to the system. You will learn what files are hidden under this label (cache, temporary data, remnants of deleted applications), why they accumulate over time, and what tools – both built into MIUI and third-party – will help return precious gigabytes.

What is the Other section of the Redmi Note 8?

To start with, "Other" is a collection category for files that the system cannot uniquely classify as standard types (music, documents, images).

• 📁 Service files MIUI Android: Error logs (.log), memory dumps, update files that were not cleaned after installation.
• 🔄 Backup files: Automatic backups of messages, contacts, or application data created by the system or third-party utilities.

The Redmi Note 8 (and other Xiaomi smartphones on MIUI) feature aggressive caching. The system actively reserves space for temporary files to speed up the re-launch of applications. For example, after watching a YouTube video or scrolling through a TikTok tape, fragments of content remain on the disk that can take up hundreds of megabytes, while the standard “cleaner” in MIUI does not always delete them completely.

Another reason for the Other’s growth is the fragmentation of the file system, where small files (such as messenger cache) are scattered over time across different memory sectors, and the system spends extra space indexing them, especially on the Redmi Note 8 with eMMC 5.1 memory, which is slower to process write/delete operations than modern UFS 2.1/3.0.

Why The Other Takes So Much Space: 5 Reasons

If your Redmi Note 8 has a “Other” section that exceeds 5-10GB, one or more factors are likely to work:

1. Long-term use without resetting. The longer you don't reset your phone to factory settings, the more garbage accumulates, for example, after a year of active use, "Other" can take up to 15-20 GB.
2. Frequent installation/deletion of applications: Each application leaves behind folders with settings in /data/data and /sdcard/Android, which are not always cleaned.
3. Automatic updates MIUI. The system downloads service packs (.zip files weight) 1-2 GB) and not always remove them after installation.
4. Telegram, WhatsApp and VK cache media files even if you have disabled autoload. For example, Telegram can store up to 5 GB of junk in the /sdcard/Telegram/Telegram Audio folder.
5. File system errors: If the power is cut or crashes, files can “hang” in the “deleted” state, taking up space.

Interesting fact: on the Redmi Note 8 with MIUI 12.5+ firmware, part of the “Other” can be occupied by Swap virtual memory, a paging file that the system creates when there is a lack of RAM. Its size is usually fixed (1-2 GB), but it does not appear in the standard storage menu.

How to see what exactly occupies a place in the “Other”

Standard Settings menu → Memory in MIUI It doesn't give you detailed information about the content of The Other, and to figure out, you'll need third-party tools or hidden system features.

Method 1: Built-in "Memory Analysis" (hidden function)

MIUI 11-13 firmware has a hidden tool for detailed analysis.

1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
2. Click 5 times on the MIUI version to activate the developer mode.
3. Return to Settings → Additional → Memory Analysis (will appear after activation).
4. Select Detailed Analysis – the system will show the distribution of files by type, including hidden ones.

Method 2: Applications for Memory Analysis

Third-party utilities give more control. The best options for the Redmi Note 8 are:

• 🔍 Files by Google: Shows "junk" files, including cache and app residues. There's a prompted Cleanup feature.
• 📊 SD Maid (requires root): scans folders /data and /cache, Find duplicates and empty directories.
• 🛠️ Storage Analyzer: Visualizes occupied space in the form of a diagram, making it easier to find large files.

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If you are using SD Maid, enable the Recycle Bin option in the settings so you don’t accidentally delete important files.

Method 3: Manual examination of folders

With a file manager (such as Mi File Manager or Solid Explorer), check the following directories:

⚠️ Note: Do not delete files in folders /system, /vendor or /data/app without root rights, this can cause a failure MIUI.

How to Safely Clean the “Other” on Redmi Note 8: Step-by-step

Before cleaning, back up important data (contacts, photos, messages). Use Settings → Google → Backup or Mi Cloud.

Backup | Charge your phone to 50%+| Connect to Wi-Fi (to download tools) |Close all applications-->

Step 1: Cleaning the application cache

The safest way to free up 1-3 GB is:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Sort by size (click on the icon) ⋮ → By size).
3. Select apps with a large cache (e.g. YouTube, Facebook, TikTok).
4. Press Warehouse. → Clear the cache.

Step 2: Delete unnecessary files through the Cleaner

The built-in MIUI tool removes debris, but it is not always effective:

1. Open Security. → Cleaner.
2. Choose a Deep Clean (not quick!)
3. Mark items: "Unnecessary APK", "Log Files", "Cash thumbnails".
4. Press Clean (can take 5-10 minutes).

Step 3: Manual removal of application residues

This is the case with Files by Google:

1. Open the app and go to the Cleanup tab.
2. Select Application Residues.
3. View the list and delete unnecessary files (such as remote game cache).

Step 4: Clean Download folder and instant messenger downloads

The /sdcard/Download folder is often clogged with unnecessary files:

• 📁 Remove the old ones. APK-files (application installers).
• 🎵 Remove music and videos that can be re-uploaded.
• 📄 Check the messenger folders: /sdcard/Telegram/Telegram Documents /sdcard/WhatsApp/Media /sdcard/VKontakte

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Do not delete files with the.nomedia extension – they hide media files from the gallery, but do not take up much space.

Step 5: Reset the system cache (advanced method)

If the previous steps didn’t help, reset the system cache via Recovery:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press Power + Volume Up to Enter Recovery.
3. Choose Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache.
4. Confirm the action and restart the phone.

⚠️ Note: This method does not delete personal data, but it can reset some app settings.

What if the other one is growing again?

Cleaning up the Other is a temporary solution. To keep the problem from coming back, set up the Redmi Note 8 to auto-optimize:

1. Turn off automatic media download in messengers

On WhatsApp:

1. Open the Settings. → Warehouse and data.
2. Select Autoload Media.
3. Turn off download for mobile data and Wi-Fi.

On Telegram:

1. Go to Settings → Data and memory.
2. Select Autoload Media and disable it for all file types.

2.Tune the cache cleanup to schedule

Use MacroDroid (free on Google Play) to clean up automatically:

1. Create a new macro.
2. Specify the trigger: Time of day (for example, 3:00 a.m.).
3. Add Action: Clear the app cache.
4. Select the apps with the largest cache.

3. Transfer data to the memory card

Redmi Note 8 supports microSD up to 512 GB.

• 📷 Photo and video (via Gallery) → Settings → Preservation site).
• 🎮 Game data (in game settings, select Move to SD).
• 🎵 Music and podcasts.

⚠️ Note: Do not transfer applications to SD through settings → Applications – This will slow them down due to the low microSD read speed compared to the built-in memory.

4.Update MIUI firmware

The new MIUI 12.5+ features an optimized memory management mechanism to update:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → System update.
2. Click Check for updates.
3. If a new version is available, download and install it.

💡

Check for feedback on forums (e.g. 4PDA) before updating – sometimes newer versions of MIUI contain memory bugs.

Myths about the “Other” in the memory of Xiaomi: what is true and what is not

There's a lot of rumors going around the "Other" section.

Myth 1: “Cleaning the Other Will Speed Up the Phone”

Reality: Deleting the cache may temporarily speed up work, but systemsoon will restore the necessary files. The main effect on performance is free RAM, not storage. If the Redmi Note 8 is slowing down, first check the RAM load in Settings → About Phone → System Status.

Myth 2: “The Other Can Be Completely Deleted Without Consequences”

Reality: Some of the files in Other are critical to the system, such as deleting the /data/dalvik-cache folder will result in a cyclical reboot of the phone. Always leave at least 1-2 GB of free space.

Myth 3: “Shaping a phone will fix the problem forever”

Reality: Once reset to factory settings, the Other will actually shrink to 1-3 GB, but it will grow again over time. The reason is because of the MIUI architecture, which actively caches data, and regular cleaning (once every 1-2 months) is more effective than a complete reset.

Myth 4: “The Other is a Virus”

Reality: 99% of the time, the Other is system files, not malware. However, if a partition suddenly grew by a few gigabytes in a day, check the phone with an antivirus (e.g., Malwarebytes). → Annexes.

Myth 5: “Memory card will solve the problem with the Other”

The reality is that MicroSD helps make room for media files, but it doesn’t affect the system cache that stays in the internal memory, and many apps (like WhatsApp) don’t allow data to be transferred to the SD.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the “Other” in the memory of the Redmi Note 8