Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphone owners often face cryptic memory overflow notifications, and storage analysis reveals that the lion’s share is not photos or apps, but a baffling section called “The Other,” which can grow to tens of gigabytes, turning a flagship’s performance into a push-button phone.
MIUI or HyperOS does not always classify data correctly, dropping everything it could not recognize as a standard media file or installation package into this basket. You can not ignore filling this section: crowded cache and temporary files block the normal operation of the operating system and lead to sudden program crashes.
In this article, we will take a closer look at the nature of these files, explain why standard cleaning is often inefficient, and provide a step-by-step algorithm for safe garbage removal, learn how to distinguish system debris from important data, and return your gadget to its original speed.
The nature of the “Other” section
The Other section is a collection of data that Android puts in all the data that didn't fall into the standard categories like Photos, Videos, or Apps, which includes messenger cached data, browser temporary files, remnants of remote programs and system process logs, and is often inflated by streaming services that save buffered portions of video for smooth playback.
App cache is the main culprit: Social networks like Telegram or Instagram store thousands of thumbnails, stickers and viewed stories that the system doesn't always correctly identify as the user's media files. They are listed as system junk, even though they are actually content that you've already seen.
Another reason may be incomplete downloads or files left over after a system update crash, sometimes backups created by third-party utilities that are not clearly linked to a specific application in the Android registry.
Why is the volume of the section constantly growing?
Analysis of space through standard tools
Before you start taking any drastic measures, you need to do a good diagnostic. Xiaomi's built-in tools give you a first idea of what exactly occupies space. To do this, go to Settings → About Phone → Warehouse. Here you will see a color diagram, where the "Other" section is usually marked in gray or viole biol.
Click on this section to see the details. The system will try to break "Other" into subcategories: "System Data," "Cache" and "Other." If the volume is large, try using the built-in cleaner. Go to the Security → Cleanup app. Click "Clean" button, but don't rush to agree to delete everything in a row.
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Use the built-in storage analyzer in the Files app from Google or Xiaomi, which visually shows which folders occupy the most space, making it easier to find heavyweights.
It's important to understand that a standard analyzer often shows just the tip of the iceberg. Real files can be hidden deep in the system directories or have altered attributes that prevent the system from properly classifying them, so manually checking through a file manager is often more effective than an automatic scanner.
Note the date of the last change in the cache folders, and if you see files that haven't changed in months, it's generally safe to delete them, but you shouldn't touch fresh files that are several days old, because that's the active data of the apps that are running.
Cleaning the cache of messengers and social networks
The most effective way to free up space is to work with messengers. Telegram, WhatsApp and Viber create huge amounts of data. Telegram, for example, can cache more than 10 GB. To clean, go to Settings → Data and memory → Memory Use and click “Clear Cache.” This will not delete your correspondence, but remove downloaded media files that can be re-downloaded if necessary.
On WhatsApp, the situation is similar. Go to Settings → Data and Storage → Storage Management. Here you will see a list of chats sorted by volume, deleting files from this menu is safe for text history, but will permanently delete photos and videos from the chat gallery.
Social networks like VKontakte or Odnoklassniki also cache content, and in the settings of these applications, there is often a clause "Clear cache." If there is no such item, you will have to act through the Android settings: Settings → Annexes → All applications → [Select an application] → Warehouse → Clear the cache. Don't confuse it with the "Clear Data" button, which will reset the app to the state it has set.
After clearing the messenger cache, the volume of the "Other" partition may not immediately decrease. The system must recalculate the file indexes. Reboot the device so that the changes take effect and appear correctly.
Manual cleaning through the file manager
For advanced users, manual cleaning is available. Open a standard File Explorer or download a more functional counterpart, like Total Commander or Files by Google. You need to find the Android/data folder. This is where the application data is stored. Inside, you'll find folders with packet names, like com.telegram.messenger.
Inside the app folders, look for cache and temp directories. You can delete their contents safely. You can also look at the Download folder at the root of internal memory. Often users forget about the downloaded installers. APK, PDF-documents and pictures that have been dead for years.
☑️ Safe manual cleaning
Pay special attention to the folder DCIM/.thumbnails. So, this is where you store thumbnails of your photos, and if you've deleted thousands of photos, but the space hasn't been vacant, it's probably this hidden folder that's bloated, and it's safe to clean it up, but when you open the gallery next, the system will recreate the thumbnails, which can temporarily load the processor.
When you manually delete files, always use the seven-measure principle if you're not sure what a file with a name is responsible for. data_123.bin, Removing system configs can lead to unstable application performance.
Use of Developer Mode and ADB
If standard methods don't work, you can use debugging tools. Turn on developer mode by seven times clicking on the build number in the About Phone section. Then activate Debugging via USB. Connecting the phone to your computer, you can use the ADB (Android Debug Bridge) utility for deep cleaning.
The adb shell pm list packages will show you a list of all the packages. ADB You can remove system applications that can't be removed through the interface, but it requires caution. ADB command:
adb shell pm trim-caches 999999999This command will try to free a specified number of bytes (in this case, almost everything possible) from the cache of all applications, a powerful tool that works where the usual "Clean" button passes.
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Use of the ADB-commands allow you to clear the system cache deeper than standard tools, but requires a PC connection and basic command line knowledge.
ADB also allows you to access hidden system folders that are not visible to you when you connect to them as a media device, but it is best for beginners to limit themselves to the graphical interfaces of the ADB shells so that they don’t damage the structure of the file system.
Cardinal measures: Resetting and flashing
When the Other partition is more than 20-30 GB and can not be cleaned, it may be that the file system is damaged or has accumulated indexing errors, in which case a full reset to factory settings helps. Before you make a backup of important data to the Mi Cloud cloud or to your computer.
To perform the reset, go to Settings → About Phone → Settings Reset → Erase all data. The phone will go back to the “out of the box” state. This is guaranteed to remove all debris, but you will lose all user data, so the method is considered a last resort.
| Cleaning method | Efficiency | Risk of data loss | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built-in cleaner | Low. | No. | Minimum |
| Clearing messenger cache | Medium | No (media only) | Low. |
| Manual deletion of files | Tall. | Medium. | Medium |
| Reset to factory settings | Maximum | High (all data) | Tall. |
An alternative to a full reset is to clean the recovery partition. Turn off your phone, press the button combination (usually Volume Up + Power) to log into Recovery Mode. Select Wipe Cache (not to be confused with Wipe Data!) This will delete temporary system files without affecting personal photos and contacts.
⚠️ Warning: Before performing a reset via Recovery Mode, make sure you choose Wipe Cache. Data/Factory Reset will result in the complete removal of all information from the device!
Prevention and healthy habits
To prevent the Other problem from returning, set up automatic cleaning. Many modern HyperOS shells have a “Cache Clean Automatically” function in their storage settings, if less than 1 GB is free. Activate this option so that the system can monitor the order itself.
Check your autoload media settings regularly in instant messengers. Turn off auto-save photos and videos to the group chat gallery, where postcards and useless videos are constantly being dropped, which will prevent duplicate files and the media database from growing.
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Set a rule: once a month, review the folder "Downloads" and delete the old APK-installer files. They're useless after you install the app and they only take up space.
Also keep an eye out for system updates. With new versions of MIUI and HyperOS, Xiaomi is constantly improving memory algorithms and fixing errors that lead to proliferation of system partitions. Outdated firmware may contain bugs that cause memory leaks.
Use cloud storage to archive old photos and documents. Moving files to the cloud frees up local space and reduces the size of the media scanner database, which has a positive effect on the size of the Other partition.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is it safe to delete all files from the Other folder manually?
Why does the place end quickly after cleaning?
Does the “Other” section affect the speed of the phone?
Can I move the "other" section to the SD-map?
⚠️ Warning: Don’t use the dubious accelerator apps from Play Market that promise to clean everything up in one click, often as a source of advertising junk and only make the problem worse.