Have you ever looked into your Xiaomi storage settings and wondered why the Other partition takes up gigabytes of storage even though you didn’t consciously save anything there? It’s one of the most puzzling categories in a MIUI system that can grow to 10 to 20 GB or more — especially on devices with a lot of internal storage. Unlike the obvious categories like Photos, Videos or Applications, it hides files that the system can’t uniquely categorize as standard data types.
In this article, we will not only list what goes into the Other on Xiaomi, but also explain why these files accumulate, which can be deleted without risking the stability of the phone and which should not be touched. You will also learn about the hidden MIUI mechanisms that generate “junk” even when you use a smartphone, and get step-by-step cleaning instructions.
What is the “Other” section of Xiaomi’s storage?
The Other section of MIUI is a sort of basket for everything else, where the system drops files that don't fit into the standard categories. Unlike Android in its pure form, where similar data can be distributed across /data or /cache folders, Xiaomi aggregates them into one group for user convenience. But this convenience turns into a problem: without special tools, you can't understand what exactly occupies space.
In essence, the “Other” includes:
- 🗑️ Application cache and systems are temporary files that should be deleted automatically but often remain due to crashes.
- 📁 Residual data from remote applications – folders and files that were not completely erased when uninstalled.
- 🔄 Logs and dumps of the system are debugging files that are created in case of errors or for diagnostics (for example, /data/anr or /data/tombstones).
- 📊 Application databases – for example, Google Play Services cache or Mi Account.
- 🔗 Symbolic links and virtual files are technical artifacts that take up space but are not visible to the user.
Interestingly, some of these files can be duplicated, for example, a YouTube or TikTok cache can be counted in the Apps and Others section simultaneously if the system misclassified it, which is one of the reasons why the sum of all categories in storage sometimes exceeds the actual storage capacity of the device.
Top.-5 «Memory Eaters in the “Other” Section»
Not all files in The Other are equally useful. Some can be deleted, others can only be as a last resort. Here are the main culprits behind the overflow of storage on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO:
- Xiaomi Cache (com.xiaomi.*) Analytics, push notifications and cloud services files (e.g. miui.analytics or mipush) can take up to 3-5 GB. They are needed for branded functions, but they can be cleaned without consequences.
- System logs (/data/log) contain error, reboot, and diagnostic records; useful for developers, but useless for the average user; can be deleted.
- Residual APK and OBB Installer Files (.apk) and additional data (.obb) from remote games/applications, often left in /data/app-lib folders.
- Google Play Services cache can take up to 1-2 GB and be updated daily, and cleaning up will temporarily slow down Google’s services, but will not harm the system.
- Update files (/cache/ota) Downloaded but not installed MIUI firmware. You can delete if you do not plan to update.
🔍 How do you check what exactly is taking up space? Use a root file manager (like Solid Explorer) or Google Play's Storage Analyzer app. They'll show you the exact folder sizes like this. /data/data or /data/media/0.
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If the memory is quickly filled up again after cleaning the Other, check the sync settings of Mi Cloud and Google Photos – they can automatically download backups in the background.
How to Safely Clean the Other Without Root Rights
If you don't have superuser rights, you can clean Other with standard MIUI or third-party applications, and the rule of thumb is: don't manually delete files from system folders (e.g. /data or /system) unless you're sure of their purpose. This can cause crashes!
📌 Cleaning methods:
- 🧹 Built-in utility "Cleaning" Go to Settings → Warehouse → Cleaning. You can delete the cache of applications, unnecessary files and residual data.
- 🔄 Resetting cache in Recovery Clutch Power + Volume up, select "Wipe Cache Partition." This will delete temporary files without losing data.
- 📱 Cleaning applications SD Maid or Files by Google can find and delete duplicates, empty folders and residual files.But avoid "aggressive" cleaning!
- ☁️ Disabling unnecessary services in Settings → Annexes → Application Management Disable Background Activity for Mi Analytics, Mipush, and Other System Utilities.
Backup important data | Check free space before and after cleaning | Do not delete files with the.db or.odex | Use only verified applications |Reboot your phone after cleaning-->
⚠️ Warning: If the phone starts to brake or overheat after cleaning, then the critical files have been deleted, in which case only resetting to factory settings (with loss of data) will help).
What to do if the “Other” takes 20+ GB?
If the Other section has grown to incredible sizes (for example, 20-30 GB on the Xiaomi 12T or Redmi Note 11 Pro+), most likely the problem lies in one of the following scenarios:
| Reason. | How to check | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Misfire of MIUI Update | /cache/ota folder weighs a few GB | Delete update files manually or through Recovery |
| Abuse of game cache | /Android/obb or /data/data/com folders are filled in.* | Clear the cache of a specific game in the application settings |
| File system error | The phone makes errors when connecting to the PC | Run fsck through ADB or re-mark memory |
| Virus or malware | Unknown Processes in Settings → Battery | Scan the phone Malwarebytes or Dr.Web |
💡 Critical case: If neither method helped, and the Other continues to grow, a hardware error in flash memory (cell wear) may be to blame. NAND). In this case, only the replacement of the memory module in the service center will help.
How do I check for memory wear?
Xiaomi Hidden Folders That Are Worth Checking
Many files in Other are stored in hidden folders that don't appear in the standard file manager. To see them, turn on the hidden files in the Mi File Explorer settings or use Root Explorer (if there's root).
- 📂 /data/data/com.xiaomi.market — cache and data from Mi App Store.
- 📂 /data/system/package_cache — cache of installed packages.
- 📂 /data/media/0/MIUI/debug_log — log-debugging.
- 📂 /data/media/0/Android/data/com.xiaomi.gallery — thumbnails and cache Gallery.
- 📂 /data/media/0/Download/.thumbnails — sketches of uploaded files.
⚠️ Attention: Delete files from folders /data/data or /data/system If you don't have root, you can have bootloop. If you're not sure, don't take risks!
🔧 How to safely delete unnecessary files?
Use it. ADB-commands to clear the cache of specific applications. For example, to clear the Mi Analytics cache, run:
adb shell pm clear com.xiaomi.midropPrevention: How to prevent the growth of the “Other”
The best way to fight The Other is to keep it from growing, and here are some simple rules to keep the vault under control:
- Turn off automatic update download Go to Settings → About Phone → System Update and disable Auto Download. This way you avoid accumulating unnecessary.zip files in /cache.
- Limit the background activity of applications In Settings → Battery → Power Saving Mode, select Strict Mode for unnecessary applications.
- Clean the cache regularly Use Settings → Storage → Clean up once every 1-2 weeks.
- Avoid “cleaners” with aggressive algorithms Apps like Clean Master can delete the right files, which will lead to failures.
- Transferring heavy files to SD-If your Xiaomi supports memory expansion, use it to store media files and games.
📊 Interesting fact: On phones with MIUI 14 and later, the "Other" section may take up less space due to an optimized cache compression mechanism, MIUI (12) the problem remains relevant.
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Regularly cleaning the cache and disabling unnecessary system services (e.g., Mi Analytics) can reduce the size of the Other by 30-50% without losing functionality.
Frequent mistakes in cleaning the “Other”
Many Xiaomi users make critical mistakes when trying to make room in the Other, which leads to even more problems.
- ❌ Delete files with the.db or.odex extension These are databases and optimized application files. Losing them can disrupt the operation of programs.
- ❌ Format a section /data without backup, this will lead to complete loss of data and the need for flashing.
- ❌ Use rm commands -rf One typo and the phone will turn into a brick».
- ❌ Disable system applications through ADB Without knowing the consequences, for example, disabling Mi Share can disrupt Bluetooth.
⚠️ Warning: If after cleaning the “Other” phone became slower to work, check the processor boot in Settings → The phone. → System status: It's possible that performance-critical files were deleted.