Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones are eventually faced with a mysterious notification of a shortage of space, and when you try to analyze the storage in detail, it turns out that the lion’s share of memory is occupied by a category that is marked as “other” in the MIUI or HyperOS interface, which causes bewilderment and even a slight panic, because the user does not understand what exactly occupies gigabytes of precious space.
To make matters worse, standard cleaning tools often fail to do this: You can delete cache, you can transfer photos to the cloud, but the volume of Other remains frighteningly large. In fact, behind this name lies the system logic block, where the Android operating system puts everything that it could not classify as media files, applications or documents.
In this article, we will take a closer look at the anatomy of this category, see if it can be deleted and what safe methods exist to free up memory, and understand the structure of the file system will allow you to effectively manage the resources of the device without risking damage to the firmware.
The nature of the category “Other” in MIUI
The Android operating system that runs the MIUI shell has a complex directory structure, and when it scans memory, it tries to distribute files into types it knows: images go to Photos, installation packages to Apps, music to Audio. However, there are many formats and data that don't fall into any of the standard categories.
Other files are a kind of file system black box, automatically including remnants of deleted applications, logs of system operation, temporary update files, data from messengers that the system did not recognize as media, and much more, and this category grows especially often after updating firmware or actively installing and deleting various programs.
⚠️ Warning: Blindly deleting files from system folders through a file manager can cause your smartphone to work in an unstable way.Do not delete files that you do not know the purpose of unless you are sure of their origin at 100%.
It's important to understand that this category is dynamic, and it can grow dramatically after watching high-resolution videos in your browser or downloading a lot of documents in a work chat, and the system simply doesn't have time or can't index this data correctly, leaving it in the buffer zone.
What is hidden inside the section
To effectively combat memory overflow, you need to know the enemy in person. Within the category “Other” most often hide the following types of data, their composition can vary depending on the model of your Xiaomi Redmi Note or flagship Xiaomi 14.
First of all, it's the cache of system services and applications. Browsers, social networks and navigators create huge amounts of temporary data to speed up work, over time these files are no longer useful, but continue to occupy space, and this includes update files that the system did not delete automatically after successfully installing a new version of the software.
Telegram and WhatsApp often store uploaded files in their own directories, which the system perceives as an unknown format, such as voice messages, stickers, temporary copies of documents and chat databases.
- 📂 Residual files of remote applications (configurations, error logs).
- 📂 Temporary System and Application Updates Files from Google Play.
- 📂 Cache of streaming video and music from browsers and streaming services.
- 📂 Hidden databases of messengers and archives of correspondence.
Another important component is the log files, which are created when applications crash, and if an application crashes frequently, it can generate error reports that accumulate and take hundreds of megabytes.
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Use the built-in Security app for initial assessment, which often shows a more detailed breakdown by type of garbage than a standard conductor.
Safe cleaning methods with standard means
Before resorting to radical measures, it is worth trying to clean Other Files with Xiaomi’s standard tools, which is the safest way to minimize the risk of deleting critical system data.
The first step is to use the Explorer app. Go to the Analysis section (or Cleanup depending on the version). MIUI). The system will offer to remove obvious garbage: advertising files, APK-Installators and large files. Be careful with the last item, make sure you don't delete important documents.
The second method is to clean through application settings. If you notice that a particular application (such as a browser or messenger) takes up a disproportionate amount of space in the “Other” category, go to Settings → Apps → All Apps. Select the problematic application and click “Clear” → “Cache Clear” This will delete temporary files without affecting your personal data and logins.
⚠️ Warning: Do not click on the “Clear All” or “Reset App Settings” button unless you want to lose authorization and local saves in games or programs.
Also effective is to reboot the device. When enabled, Android performs a self-service procedure, during which some temporary files from the system folders can be automatically deleted, freeing up space in the “Other” category.
☑️ Checklist for safe cleaning
Deep cleaning through computer and ADB
For advanced users who are not afraid to work with the file system directly, there is a method of cleaning through a connection to the PC, which allows you to see the real structure of folders and remove what is hidden from view in the interface of the smartphone. USB-cable.
Connect your smartphone to your computer in file transfer mode (MTP). In the window that opens, find the Android folder. It has data and obb folders inside it. This is where the application data is stored. Be very careful: deleting the folder with the name of a particular application (for example, com.telegram.messenger) will result in the loss of all the data of this application, including cache and settings.
A more powerful tool is USB debugging and the ADB console. This method requires you to turn on the developer mode. Click on the build number in the About Phone menu seven times, then activate USB debugging in the advanced settings.
adb shell pm list packages -3This command will show you a list of third-party packages, and you can use the command to clear the cache of all applications immediately:
adb shell pm trim-caches 999999999Using ADB gives you complete control, but requires technical literacy. An error in command entry can lead to the removal of system components.
What is a folder.thumbnails?
Comparison of cleaning methods: efficiency and risks
The choice of cleaning method depends on your technical background and the degree of memory overflow, and below is a table that will help you assess the pros and cons of each approach.
| Cleaning method | Efficiency | Risk of data loss | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built-in MIUI cleaner | Low/Mediocre | Minimum | Low. |
| Cleaning up the app cache | Medium | Low (Settings only) | Medium |
| Removal via PC (Conductor) | Tall. | Medium (human factor) | Medium |
| ADB teams | Maximum | High (in case of mistake) | Tall. |
As you can see from the table, for most users, the best solution is a combination of built-in tools and manual folder checks via PC. Using ADB is justified only in critical situations when other methods do not help.
It's worth noting that regular prevention is more effective than dealing with the consequences: periodically check the Download folder and clear the cache of heavy apps like TikTok or Instagram, which tend to accumulate gigabytes of temporary garbage.
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Regular manual cleaning of the Downloads folder and messenger cache prevents the growth of the Other category to critical sizes.
Memory prevention and management
To prevent the category “Other files” on your Xiaomi from growing uncontrollably, you should adhere to certain rules of digital hygiene. Smartphone memory is a resource that requires management, especially on models with a storage capacity of 64 or 128 GB.
First, set up automatic cleaning in messenger apps. In Telegram, for example, you can set auto-delete the cache in 3 days or a week, which will drastically reduce the amount of space you take up. On WhatsApp, a similar feature is in the data usage settings.
Second, avoid installing applications from unknown sources (APK-These programs often do not have a digital signature and, after deletion, leave behind many “tails” in the system, which settle in the “Other” section».
- 🚀 Regularly update your system and applications – new versions often fix memory leaks.
- 🚀 Use cloud storage (Google Photos, Mi Cloud) for backup media files.
- 🚀 Disable auto-save the received files in messengers, if this is not urgently necessary.
If you notice that the memory fills up on its own even after cleaning, it may indicate the presence of malware or a malfunction in one of the system processes, in which case it makes sense to conduct a full antivirus check or reset to factory settings.
⚠️ Warning: Hard Reset will completely destroy all data on your phone.Be sure to back up your contacts, photos and important documents before the procedure.
Compliance with these simple guidelines will allow your Xiaomi to work quickly and stably, and the problem of space shortage will no longer be relevant.