Xiaomi’s ‘Other’: Hidden Files, Cache and Garbage – A Complete Cleanup Guide

Have you ever looked into your Xiaomi memory settings and wondered why the Other partition takes up gigabytes of space even though you haven’t installed new apps in a long time?It’s one of the most puzzling categories in smartphone storage on MIUI — it doesn’t reveal its contents, but can eat up to 30% of the device’s total memory. Unlike obvious partitions like Photos, Videos or Apps, The Other one combines dozens of file types that the system can’t categorize.

In this article, we’ll not only look at what’s hidden under the Other in Xiaomi’s memory, but also show you how to safely shrink it without risking system damage. You’ll learn about hidden caches, logs, temporary files, and even the remnants of remote apps that continue to take up space. And we’ll also tell you what MIUI tools and third-party utilities will help clean up — and why some “tips” from the Internet can harm your smartphone.

What is the Other in Xiaomi’s Memory and Why is it Growing?

The Other section of MIUI is a kind of garbage can for files that the system cannot automatically classify.

• 📁 Application cache and systems are temporary files that must be deleted automatically but often remain “forgotten».
• 📜 Error Logs and Dumps – files that are created when operating systems or applications fail (e.g. logcat, tombstones).
• 🗑️ Remnants of Remote Applications – Folders, Settings, and Data that were not completely erased when uninstalled.
• 🔄 Temporary update files – archives of firmware that have been downloaded but not installed (for example, after an interrupted update is made). OTA-update).
• 🎮 Game data – saves, cache and additional files that games download in the background.

The main problem is that MIUI does not provide the user with direct access to these files through a standard file manager, and some are protected by root rights, and can only be deleted using special tools or ADB-But it's not that bad, because you can manually clean some of the garbage, and some of the garbage can be cleaned with built-in functions.

Why is The Other growing over time? Much of this has to do with how Android and MIUI work:

• 🔄 Automatic cache cleaning doesn’t work perfectly – many apps (especially social networks and instant messengers) leave behind tails».
• 📱 Background processes create temporary files that are not always deleted (for example, when an application is suddenly closed).
• 🔧 Updates MIUI Packages are often downloaded in advance, but not always removed after installation.

How to see what exactly takes place in the “Other” section

Unfortunately, MIUI does not show the detailed composition of the Other section in the standard interface, but there are several ways to get more information:

Method 1: Built-in memory analyzer

Open Settings → Memory → Memory Analysis. Here you will see a general diagram, but for detail:

1. Click on the "Other" section.
2. The system will show subcategories: “Cash”, “Downloads”, “Other files”.
3. Click Clear to remove the unnecessary (but this will only delete a portion of the files!).

Method 2: File Manager with root rights (for advanced)

If you have root access, use Root Explorer or Solid Explorer to look at the system folders:

• 📂 /data/log/ — Logs of system and applications.
• 📂 /data/tombstones/ — Error dumps (can weigh hundreds of megabytes!).
• 📂 /data/dalvik-cache/ — Dalvik cache (old for newer versions of Android, but can stay on older devices).

⚠️ Note: Deleting files from these folders without understanding their purpose can cause system failures, such as deleting files from the folders. /data/dalvik-cache/ Android 10+ It will not have any effect, but on Android. 7-9 It can cause errors when running applications.

Method 3: ADB-analysis

If you are familiar with ADB, you can get a detailed report on the occupied space:

adb shell df -h

This command will show you how much memory is used by section. For more detailed analysis, use:

adb shell du -sh /data/* | sort -h

This will sort folders into /data/ by size, and you can see which directories take up the most space.

💡

If you’re not sure about your ADB, use Google Play’s Storage Analyzer utility, which visualizes occupied space without the need for root rights.

Top.-5 The reason why the other takes up too much space

If the Other has grown to 5-10GB (and up to 20GB on some devices!), one of these reasons is likely to be to blame:

Critical information: On Xiaomi devices with MIUI 12-14, a bug is often encountered in which the system duplicates the application cache in the /data/app-lib/ folder. This can take up to 2-3 GB of extra space. This can only be corrected by resetting to factory settings or updating to the latest firmware version.

How to Safely Clean the Other Without Harming the System

Before you start cleaning, remember the main rule: do not delete files that you do not know the purpose. Many system folders are critical to Android, and their damage can lead to a device "brick".

Step 1: Cleaning the application cache

The easiest and safest way to do this is:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Sort the apps by size (click on the three dots in the upper right corner).
3. Select apps with a large cache (such as YouTube, Chrome, Facebook) and click Clear Cache.

Step 2: Delete temporary files via MIUI Optimizer

MIUI has a built-in garbage cleaning tool:

1. Open “Security” (the shield icon in the app menu).
2. Select "Cleanup."
3. Click on “Deep Clean” and wait for analysis.
4. Delete unnecessary files (especially pay attention to File Remains and System Cache).

Step 3: Manually Clean Download folder

Many users forget that the folder "Downloads» (/Download/) Check it through any file manager and delete unnecessary files (especially old ones). APK, archives).

Step 4: Using Third-Party Utilities

If the built-in tools don’t help, try:

• 🧹 Files by Google – Shows “junk” files and suggests you delete them.
• 🔍 SD Maid – Finds Remnants of Remote Applications and Temporary Files.
• 🛠️ CCleaner – Clears cache and history (but be careful with settings!).

Backup of important data

Check the vacant space before and after cleaning

Do not delete files with the.odex or.apk extension

Reboot the device after cleaning-->

⚠️ Warning: Don’t use apps like Clean Master or 360 Security – they often delete useful files and show false virus warnings to force you to buy a premium version. MIUI It already has all the necessary cleaning tools.

What to do if the Other grows again after cleaning

If, after a week or two, the Other is a few gigabytes back, the problem is deeper.

Reason 1: Automatic Log Creation

On some Xiaomi devices (especially custom firmware) the system constantly records logs in the /data/log/. You can turn it off through ADB:

adb shell setprop persist.logd.size 0

But keep in mind: this will disable log entry completely, making it harder to diagnose problems in the future.

Reason 2: A cache duplication bug

As mentioned earlier, MIUI 12-14 sometimes has cache duplication.

• Update the firmware to the latest version through Settings → System Update.
• Make a reset to the factory settings (pre-save the data!).

Reason 3: Application background processes

Some apps (e.g. Facebook, TikTok, UC Browser) aggressively cache data in the background.

• Limit background activity in Settings → Apps → Permissions → Autostart.
• Turn off media caching in the settings of the applications themselves.

💡

If the Other is growing for no apparent reason, check your device for malware with Google Play Protect or Malwarebytes. Some viruses masquerade as system files and create debris in the background.

Myths and Dangerous Advice: What Not to Do

You can find a lot of Xiaomi memory cleanup tips online that actually harm the device, and here are some of the most common myths:

Myth 1: “You need to format the /data partition”

Some "experts" recommend formatting the /data partition through TWRP, promising that it will "clean up the garbage completely."

• ❌ This will result in a complete reset of the device (delete all data, including photos and apps).
• ❌ On new devices with FBE (File-Based Encryption: This Can Make Your Phone Unusable.

Myth 2: “Delete the Android/obb folder – it’s just garbage”

The /Android/obb/ folder contains game and application data, including saves and additional files, and when it is cleaned, it will lead to:

• Losing progress in games.
• Re-download additional files (sometimes weighing several gigabytes)

Myth 3: “Switch off the call and message log – it takes up a lot of space”

Call log and SMS weigh a few megabytes, not a gigabyte. Cleaning it won't solve the problem with "Other," but it can delete important information.

• Export important SMS via applications like SMS Backup & Restore.
• Clean the call log every few months.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi’s “Other” section