Redmi 9’s ‘Other’: What It Is and How to Clean Your Phone Without Risk

You opened your memory settings on your Xiaomi Redmi 9, and there's a mysterious "Other" section that takes up gigabytes of precious space, app cache, junk files, update remnants? Or is it something more serious that you can't touch? In this article, we'll look at what exactly is hidden under "Other" in the memory of your smartphone, why the system doesn't show its contents and how to safely free up space without the risk of turning the phone into a "brick."

The Redmi 9 (and other MIUI devices) are unique in that it aggregates multiple types of data to “Other” at once, from temporary files to utility logs, while standard cleaning tools (like the built-in Optimizer) often ignore this category, and we tested everything from manual cleaning to hidden MIUI features, and only collected those that actually work on the Redmi 9 with MIUI 12-14 firmware.

Importantly, not all files in the Other section can be deleted. Some are critical to the system's stability. So we'll not only show you how to clean up your memory, but we'll also explain what you can touch and what you can leave behind. If you have any questions after reading, check the FAQ section at the end of the article.

What is the “Other” in the memory of Xiaomi Redmi 9?

The “Other” section in Settings → Memory is a “basket” for files that the system cannot uniquely categorize as “Apps”, “Images” or “Video” and it falls into:

• 📁 Cache of system applications (e.g. com.android.systemui or com.miui.home) that is not cleaned by standard means.
• 📄 Logs and dumps (files with the extension.log,.dmp), which are created when crashes or for debugging.
• 🔄 Remains of updates (folders) /cache and /data/ota_package), Those who have not been removed after the new version has been installed MIUI.
• 🗑️ Temporary files from applications (e.g.,.tmp,.temp) that were supposed to self-destruct but remained.
• 🔒 Encrypted data (such as *.db-crypt files) that the system cannot read without a key.

Redmi 9 with MIUI 12-14 also features the following:

• 🎵 Musical metadata (album covers, player cache).
• 📡 Geolocation files (cache) GPS and AGPS).
• 🤖 Virtual machine data (if Xiaomi HyperOS or emulators were used).

On Redmi 9, up to 30% of the volume of the Other can be used by the cache of the system application com.lbe.security.miui, which is not cleaned through the standard interface. This is not a mistake - this is how MIUI works. But it can be manually deleted (more on this below).

Why does the other take up so much space?

There are three main reasons why the Other section grows to unreasonable sizes:

1. System processes are not working properly: For example, if com.android.providers.media fails to update the multimedia database, it creates duplicate indexing files.
2. Mistakes when updating MIUI. /cache should be cleared after installing the update, but sometimes files remain (especially if the update is interrupted).
3. Active use of MIUI functions. For example, enabled Usage Analytics or Screen Record generates logs that fall into "Other".

Redmi 9 is also influenced by the feature of the F2FS file system that Xiaomi uses for internal memory: It is optimized for speed, but less efficient in cleaning up "garbage" compared to ext4.

⚠️ Note: If the Other takes more than 5GB, it may indicate file system damage, in which case cleaning won’t help – you need to reset to factory settings or refashion the phone.

How to Safely Clean the Other on Redmi 9?

Back up your important data before cleaning, and even if you delete junk, there is always a risk of damaging critical files, and we recommend using Mi Cloud or Google Drive to back up contacts, photos and documents.

Methods of cleaning the "Other" by the degree of efficiency (from the safest to the most radical):

1. Standard MIUI facilities

Go to Settings → Memory → Clean up and click “Clean” and this will remove some of the cache, but will not affect the system files. Efficiency: ~10-20% of the volume of “Other”.

2. Cleaning through Files (File Manager)

• 📂 Open the File Application (or File Manager).
• 🔍 Go to Categories → Garbage.
• 🗑️ Select files with the tags “Temporary Files” or “Unnecessary Files” and delete them.

3. Manually clean folders (root or ADB rights required)

For power users: Connect to your phone via ADB and follow the commands:

adb shell


su




rm -rf /data/local/tmp/*




rm -rf /cache/*




rm -rf /data/log/*

Note: Do not delete files in /system or /vendor – this will cause system failure.

Backup important data | Check the vacant space (should be ≥1 GB) | Disable automatic application updates |Close all background applications-->

4.Cache reset via Recovery

This will delete all temporary files, including update cache and dumps:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press Power + Volume Up to Enter Recovery.
3. Select Wipe Cache Partition (use volume buttons for navigation).
4. Confirm the action and restart the phone.

⚠️ Warning: If the phone starts to brake or overheat after cleaning, it means that critical files have been deleted.

💡

The most efficient and safe way is to combine standard cleaning through Settings + Cache Resetting in Recovery, which removes up to 70% of the “junk” without risk to the system.

Which files from the “Other” can be deleted and which ones can’t?

Not all files in the Other section are equally secure to delete, but here's what you can clean without consequences:

• 🧹 folder /cache — temporary system files. You can delete them completely.
• 📝 Files with the extension.log,.tmp,.bak – logs and backups.
• 🗃️ folder /data/local/tmp — template.
• 🔄 folder /data/ota_package — update-sheet MIUI.

Here's what you can't touch:

• 🚫 Files in /system and /vendor — These are system components.
• 🚫 Files with.db or.db-wal extensions – Application databases.
• 🚫 folder /data/dalvik-cache — virtual machine cache ART.
• 🚫.odex or.oat files – optimized application code.

If you're not sure what to delete, use memory analysis apps like Files by Google or SD Maid. They tag files that are safe to delete.

How to prevent the re-accumulation of “garbage”?

To prevent the Other from growing again, follow these guidelines:

1. Turn off automatic analytics. Go to Settings → About Phone → Debugging → Usage Analytics and deactivate the option.
2. Limit the cache for apps. In Settings → Apps → App Management, select a heavy app (like Facebook) and click Clear Cache.
3. Use lighter alternatives. For example, instead of Google Chrome, install Chrome Lite or Bromite, which generates fewer temporary files.
4. Clean Downloads folder regularly. Even if you don’t intentionally download files, many apps save data there (such as instant messengers).

It's also useful to turn off the background activity of unnecessary applications.

1. Go to Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Management.
2. Select an app (such as Mi Video) and set the Background Activity limit.

💡

If you update frequently MIUI "airborne" (OTA), After each update installation, reboot your phone to Recovery and select Wipe Cache Partition. /cache.

What if the “Other” is not decreasing?

If the “Other” section still takes up a lot of space after all the manipulations, the reasons may be more serious:

• 🦠 Virus or malware: Some viruses masquerade as system files and take up space in "The Other." Check the phone through Google Play Protect or Malwarebytes.

To diagnose the problem:

1. Install the AIDA64 app and check the memory status in the Storage section.
2. If there are read/write errors (I/O errors), this confirms a hardware malfunction.

If you suspect a virus:

1. Load your phone to Safe Mode (clip Power, then hold down Power Disconnect until the option appears).
2. In Safe Mode, check the volume of Other. If it has decreased, the problem is in one of the installed applications.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the “Other” in Redmi’s memory 9