You opened the storage settings on your Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 to make room, and you saw a mysterious "Other" item that takes up gigabytes of memory. What are these files? Why is the system not showing them explicitly? And most importantly, can they be safely deleted without disrupting your smartphone?
This article will look at the problem from the technical reasons for the Other to the practical ways to clean it up. MIUI (including versions of the Redmi Note 9/9Pro/9T), Why do they grow over time, and we'll check out a memory release checklist without risking the system? 10/11, which are set up in this model.
Spoiler: 80 percent of the time, The Other is not trash, but critical cache, log, and temporal files, but some of them can be manually deleted. Read on to find out how.
What is the “Other” in Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 storage?
The “Other” item in the Settings menu → Storage is a “basket” for files that MIUI cannot categorize as standard (photos, videos, apps, etc.) and includes:
- 📁 Cache of system applications (e.g. com.miui.gallery or com.android.providers.media)
- 📜 Error logs and reports (generated when applications crash or updates)
- 🔄 Temporary files from the installer APK, loader MIUI and Google services
- 🗃️ Dalvik-ART (optimized cache to speed up application launches)
- 🔐 Encrypted files (e.g. Mi Account backups or Secure Folder data)
On the Redmi Note 9 with Android 10/11 and MIUI 12/13, the Other is often also included:
- 🎵 Musical metadata (album covers, Mi Music cache)
- 📡 Files. OTA-Updates (remain after installing firmware)
- 🤖 Virtual machine data (used for Google Play Services)
Why doesn't the system show these files separately? It's simple: MIUI groups them together to make the interface easier. For example, the com.android.vending cache (Google Play Store) can weigh 500 MB, but you'll only see it in "Other" and not in the "Applications" section.
⚠️ Warning: If the Other is over 5GB on a Redmi Note 9 with clean firmware, it's not normal.Possible causes: Media Provider malfunction (responsible for scanning files) or a virus masquerading as system processes.
Why does the Other grow with time?
On the Redmi Note 9, the volume of the Other increases due to the features of Android and MIUI:
- App caches are not automatically cleared, such as YouTube or TikTok, which can store gigabytes of temporary files.
- System logs (/data/log/) are written constantly, especially if USB debugging is enabled (Settings → About Phone → MIUI → 7 taps).
- Update residues. OTA-.zip files are often left in the /cache/ or /data/ota_package/.
- Data fragmentation: When files are deleted, MIUI does not always clear up space correctly, leaving debris blocks.
In practice, if you’re actively using your smartphone (installing/deleting apps, shooting videos, updating firmware), The Other can grow from 1 GB to 3-4 GB in 6 months.
| The reason for growth | Typical volume (in 3 months) | Can it be cleaned? |
|---|---|---|
| Cache of user applications | 500 MB - 1.5 GB | Yes (through settings or manually) |
| Logs of the system (logcat, dmesg) | 200-800 MB | Yes (requires root or ADB) |
| Residues OTA-update | 300MB - 1GB | Yes (delete via File Manager) |
| Data from Dalvik/ART | 100-300 MB | No (critically for the system) |
| Encrypted backups | 100 MB - 500 MB | Conventionally (via Mi Cloud) |
Critical information: On the Redmi Note 9 with MIUI Global Stable 12.5+ firmware, part of the Other can be linked to the operation of the App Vault feature (the icon to the left of the home button) and caches widgets and data for quick access, taking up to 1 GB.
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If the Other has grown dramatically since the MIUI update, check the /data/miui/oversea/ folder, which may contain duplicate language packs that are safely deleted.
How do you check what is in the “Other”?
To understand exactly what files are hidden under the “Other”, use these methods:
1. Built-in File Manager (without root)
Open the Files → Categories → Other. Here you will see:
- 📂 Android folder (app cache)
- 📂 Download folder (forgotten downloads)
- 📂 folder MIUI (themes, wallpapers, widgets)
2.Analysis through ADB (for advanced)
Connect your phone to your PC and execute the commands:
adb shell
du -sh /data/* | sort -hThis will show the size of the folders in /data/, where garbage is often hidden. Look for large folders like /data/log/ or /data/dalvik-cache/.
Third-party annexes
Utilities like Storage Analyzer or Files by Google can detail "Other" but require permission to access files. Careful: some apps show incorrect data for system partitions.
⚠️ Warning: Do not use deep cleaner applications like Clean Master or CCleaner. They often delete critical files, leading to crashes. MIUI (Google Play Services is no longer available or the wallpaper is gone).
Make sure important files are backed up|See the folder size. /data/log/|Check the cache of the Google Play Store (Settings) → Annexes → Google Play Store → Memory)|Disable debugging by USB, if you don't need it-->
How to Safely Clean the Other on Redmi Note 9?
Below are the step-by-step methods, from the safest to the risky, starting with the first point and moving on only if the problem is not solved.
1. Cleaning up the app cache
Go to Settings → Applications → App Management, select the heaviest app (like Facebook or Telegram) and click Memory → Clear cache. Repeat to:
- 📱 Google Play Services
- 📷 Gallery (com.miui.gallery)
- 🎵 Mi Music or YouTube Music
2. Delete temporary files via File Manager
Open Files → Categories → Other and manually delete:
- 🗑️ Download folder (if there are no files required)
- 📦 folder Android/obb/ (game cache, for example, PUBG Or Genshin Impact)
- 📥 folder MIUI/backups/ (backups)
3. Media Storage Data Reset
If there is a lot of trash from media files in the Other, reset the Media Provider settings:
- Go to Settings → Applications → All applications.
- Find the Multimedia Warehouse (com.android.providers.media).
- Press Memory. → Clear the data.
- Reboot the phone.
⚠️ After that, the Gallery and Music will scan the files (may take 5-10 minutes).
4. Delete logs via ADB (requires PC)
For power users: connect your phone to your PC and do:
adb shell
su
rm -rf /data/log/*
rm -rf /data/tombstones/*This will remove error logs and memory dumps. Don't use this command unless you're sure! A mistake along the way can lead to data loss.
What if the “Other” has grown again after cleaning?
What should I do when cleaning the “other”?
Some actions can permanently damage the Redmi Note 9 firmware.
- 🚫 Deletion of folders /data/dalvik-cache/ or /data/app/ — It's going to crash the system.
- 🚫 Use of rm commands -rf /data/* or factory_reset backup.
- 🚫 Clearing the cache of system applications through Titanium Backup or analogues (risk of losing Mi Account data).
- 🚫 Formatting a section /data through TWRP without prior backup (on the Redmi Note) 9 This often leads to bricking).
Also not worth it:
- 🔧 Change the permissions to access system folders without root.
- 📦 Delete files with the.odex or.oat extension – they are critical for Dalvik to work.
- 🔄 Disable system services via adb shell pm disable (e.g. com.miui.analytics) if you do not know their purpose.
⚠️ Attention: On the Redmi Note 9 s MIUI 13+ file-delete /data/system/ You can only recover the phone from the Fastboot and completely flash it.
How can we prevent the growth of the Other in the future?
To “Other” does not take up gigabytes of memory, follow these rules:
- Clean the cache regularly (once every 1-2 months) through Settings → Storage → Clean.
- Turn off automatic update downloads in Settings → The phone. → Updating the system → ⋮ → Settings → Downloading.
- Use cloud backup services (such as Mi Cloud or Google Drive) to avoid storing backups locally.
- Set a cache limit for individual applications (e.g., for Telegram in Settings → Memory → Limit cache).
- Do not install apps from unknown sources – they often create hidden files in Other.
For the Redmi Note 9, it is especially important:
- 📵 Turn off auto-save media in messengers (WhatsApp, Viber). These files are often duplicated in "Other».
- 🔄 Reboot your phone regularly (every 3-4 days) This clears the temporary files of the Android kernel.
- 📱 Don’t use Google Play’s “memory optimizers” – they often break. MIUI.
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On the Redmi Note 9 with MIUI 12.5+, the Other part is the App Vault files, which cannot be deleted without root, but you can turn off the function in the launcher settings.