Xiaomi’s Other Files: What They Are, Where They Come From, and How to Work With Them

You opened your memory settings on your Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO, and suddenly you found that the mysterious category “Other Files” is the lion’s share? It’s not a system bug or a virus — that’s how MIUI works. In this article, we’ll go into detail about what’s behind this item, why it can inflate to tens of gigabytes, and what to do about it.

Let me warn you right away: most files in this category are critical to the smartphone, and if they are blindly deleted, they can cause crashes, data loss, or even a build-up of the device, but that doesn't mean they can't be worked with, because there are safe ways to clean and optimize them, and then there's a detailed guide to sort out each type of "other file," diagnostic instructions, and proven memory release methods.

What are the “Other Files” in Xiaomi Memory?

The Others category (or “Other” in the English version of MIUI) is a garbage bin for files that the system cannot categorize as standard: photos, videos, audio or applications.

• 📁 Application cache and systems – temporary files that are created to speed up the operation of programs (for example, image thumbnails, web page data).
• 🗄️ Logs and dumps – records of system operation, errors, application crashes (files with extensions.log,.dmp).
• 🔧 Configuration files – Application and system settings (e.g, shared_prefs Android).
• 🗂️ Remnants of remote applications are tails from programs you have long uninstalled, but their data remains.
• 🔒 Encrypted data – files protected by the system (for example, data from Mi Account or banking applications).

In MIUI, this category often takes up 5 to 30 GB depending on the model, firmware version and smartphone usage. For example, on Xiaomi 13 Ultra with active use of the camera and games, “Other Files” can “weigh” up to 20 GB, and on the budget Redmi Note 12 – about 3-7 GB.

It's important to understand that not all files here are useless.

• 🔄 System Updates – Downloaded but not installed packets OTA.
• 🎮 Game data – saves, texture packs, mods (for example, for Genshin Impact or for the game). PUBG Mobile).
• 📱 Backups – Automatic Backups MIUI Third-party applications (e.g. Titanium Backup).

Why do “Other Files” take up so much space?

There are several reasons why this section grows to a giant size:

1. Smartphone usage: The more you install/delete apps, play games or shoot videos, the more temporary files you create, such as TikTok or Instagram, which can leave 1-2 GB of cache in a month.
2. Cleanup errors: When you delete applications through Settings → Applications, their cache and data are not always cleared. Residues accumulate in Other Files.
3. Updates MIUI. The system downloads service packs (.zip files) to a hidden folder. /cache, But they don’t always remove them after installation.
4. Logs and dumps. If your smartphone reboots frequently or apps crash, the system creates debugging files that can take hundreds of megabytes.

On some models (such as the Xiaomi Mi 11 or POCO F4), the problem is exacerbated by the features of the F2FS file system, which fragments smaller files more than ext4, resulting in “junk” takes up more space than it should.

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If you notice that Other Files have grown by 5+GB in a week, check apps for updates. Often bugs in older versions of programs lead to uncontrolled cache growth.

Which files can be deleted and which ones can’t?

Before you clean something, you need to understand what's stored in the Other Files.

1. Connect your smartphone to your PC via USB (in File Transfer mode).
2. Use a file manager (such as Total Commander or FX File Explorer) with root permissions (if any) or enable the display of hidden folders.
3. Check the following directories: /data/log — logistic; /cache — update cache; /data/data — Application data (root rights required); /sdcard/MIUI/backup — backup.

Let’s see what you can do without risk:

⚠️ Note: Never delete files from folders /system, /vendor or /data/app This can lead to bootloop or complete data loss.

How to Safely Clean Other Files?

If you decide to vacate space, follow this algorithm (from the safest to the riskier method):

Clear the cache through settings MIUI|Remove downloaded updates|Analyze folders manually (without root)|Use specialized utilities (SD Maid, Files by Google)|Reset the settings to factory (extreme case)-->

Method 1: Integrated MIUI tools

The easiest way is to use standard functions:

1. Open the Settings → Storage.
2. Click on "Other Files» → «Clean up».
3. Go to Cache Data and clear it.

This will delete temporary files, but will not affect critical data.

Method 2: Removal of MIUI Updates

If there are uninstalled update packs in the memory:

1. Connect to the PC and open the folder /sdcard/Downloaded_rom.
2. Delete all files with the.zip extension.
3. Reboot your smartphone.

If the problem does not disappear, try:

1. Reset the partition cache via Recovery: Turn off your smartphone. Press Power + Volume up to log in to Recovery. Select Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache.
2. Turn off automatic diagnostics (if not): Go to Settings → About Phone. Click 5 times on MIUI Version to enable Advanced Settings. Go back to Settings → Additional → Developer and turn off Automatic Reporting.

Myths and misconceptions about “Other Files” in Xiaomi

There are many tips on how to clean up your memory online, but many of them are dangerous or useless.

• 🚫 «You can delete everything from the folder. /data» — This will cause you to completely reset your settings and lose your data. SMS, Contacts, Wi-Fi settings and more.
• 🚫 «Formatting internal memory will solve the problem, which is the equivalent of a hard reset, and all data will be erased, including photos and apps.
• 🚫 «Apps like CCleaner will clean up garbage completely – most of these utilities only remove surface cache and often leave behind even more garbage.

Another common misconception is that “Other files” can be reduced by turning off logs. In fact, disabling logcats can make it harder to diagnose crashes, and the space savings will be minimal (no more than 100-200 MB).

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If you're not sure what you're doing, you don't have to take any risks. Most of the "other files" don't interfere with your smartphone, and deleting them can have the opposite effect: the system has to recover lost data, which will take up even more space.

FAQ: Frequent Questions About Xiaomi's "Other Files"