Xiaomi Redmi’s ‘Other’ Storage: Decrypting the Secret Partition and 7 Ways to Clean It

Have you ever looked into your Xiaomi Redmi’s storage settings and found that the mysterious “Other” section takes up gigabytes of precious space?This item has no explicit description, does not apply to photos, videos or apps, but can “eat” up to 30% of the device’s total memory. Unlike MIUI Cache or Downloaded files, its contents are not obvious, and attempts to clean it through standard means often lead to frustration: the system either finds nothing, or offers to delete a few megabytes of “junk” instead of the promised gigabytes.

In this article, we will not only explain what is hidden under the Other in Redmi’s storage, but also show how to reduce its size by 40-70% without root rights. You will learn which system files get there, why MIUI does not show them in the conductor, and what tools (including hidden shell functions) will help regain control of memory. Spoiler: 80% of the time, the cache of updates, logs of system applications and dead data from remote programs is to blame.

We warn you right away that some methods require caution, such as cleaning the /data/log folder can cause Google Services to crash, and deleting files from /MIUI/backup can cause you to lose your settings backups. But don't worry, we'll detail what you can touch and what you can avoid touch.

1.What is the "Other" in Xiaomi Redmi's storage?

The Other section of MIUI is a container for files that the system cannot categorize as standard (photos, videos, audio, documents, applications) and everything that cannot be classified is included in it:

• 📁 System cache: remnants from updates MIUI, installer-file APK, Google Play Services and Mi Account.
• 📜 Logs and dumps: debugging files (.log,.dump) that are created when applications or systems fail.
• 🗑️ «Dead data: Remnants from deleted apps (such as Facebook cache that didn’t clear after uninstallation).
• 🔄 Backups: Automatic backups of settings MIUI, Mi Cloud data and local copies of Titanium Backup (if used).
• 📦 Files. OTA: Downloaded but uninstalled service packs (weigh 1GB to 3GB!).

Why doesn't MIUI show these files in Explorer? It's simple: most of them are stored in secure folders (/data,/system) that are restricted even to the user, like the /data/log folder can weigh 500MB, but you won't see it without root or ADB.

Fun fact: Redmi with MIUI 12-14 has an average 15% higher share of the Other than pure Android smartphones, which is due to aggressive shell caching and duplication of logs for diagnosis.

2.How do you check what exactly occupies a place in the "Other"?

Before you clean, you need to understand which files eat up your memory, and there are several methods for doing this, from standard MIUI tools to third-party utilities.

Method 1: Built-in storage analyzer

Go to Settings → Storage → Memory analysis. The system will show the categorization, but the Other will be generalized.

1. Click on the line "Other."
2. Wait for the scan (may take 1-3 minutes).
3. The system will show subcategories: “Cache updates”, “Logins”, “Other files”.

Method Limitation: MIUI does not show files weighing less than 10MB and hides system folders.

Method 2: Conductor with root rights (for advanced)

If you have root access, use Root Explorer or Solid Explorer to check the following folders:

/data/log # System Logs (up to 1 GB)


/cache # Update cache and temporary files




/MIUI/backup # Local backups (up to 2–5 GB)




/data/app-lib # Remnants of Remote Applications




/data/dalvik-cache # Dalvik Cache (old for Android 8+)

Without root, these folders will be empty or inaccessible.

Method 3: ADB-teams (without root)

Connect your phone to your PC, turn on USB Debugging (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version → 7 times press) and do it in ADB:

adb shell


du -sh /data/log




du -sh /cache

This will show the size of the logs and the cache.

adb shell ls -la /data/data | grep -E "([0-9]+M|[0-9]+G)"

💡

If the du command doesn’t work, try the adb shell df-h, which will show you the space you’re using by section, but without file detail.

3. TOP-7 How to clean the “Other” without harming the system

Now, let's get to the practice. Here are 7 proven methods, from the safest to the most careful, start with the first one and go down if you don't have a seat.

✅ Method 1: Cleaning Update Cache MIUI

The /cache folder and hidden OTA files can weigh up to 3GB.

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → System update.
2. Press three points (⋮) → Remove the downloaded package.
3. Reboot the phone.

If you do not have the option to delete the package, use File Manager (built into MIUI):

1. Open Explorer, enable the display of hidden files (Settings → Show hidden files).
2. Go to the internal memory → MIUI → download → rom.
3. Delete files with the.zip extension (these are old firmware).

✅ Method 2: Delete logs through the engineering menu

MIUI hides the option of cleaning logs, but it can be called through the code:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Enter the code: ##4636###.
3. Select Usage Statistics → Clear logs.

This method removes up to 500MB of logs, but does not touch critical files.

⚠️ Method 3: Manual cleaning through ADB (skilled)

If you are ready to work with the command line, do:

adb shell pm trim-caches 500M # Clears the cache of all applications


adb shell rm -rf /data/log/* # Deletes logs (requires rights)

⚠️ Attention: command rm -rf /data/log/* This may disrupt Google Services and Mi Account, and after you do it, restart your phone and check your account sync.

✅ Method 4: Use SD Maid (without root)

SD Maid (available on the Play Market) can find dead files even without root:

1. Install SD Maid and start the scan.
2. Select the CorpseFinder tab (search for remnants of remote applications).
3. Delete the files found (usually.odex,.apk in the folders of remote programs).

⚠️ Method 5: Reset partition cache (not reset settings!)

This method deletes all temporary system files, but does not affect personal data:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press Power + Volume up to enter Recovery.
3. Select Wipe Cache Partition (use volume buttons for navigation).
4. Reset the device.

After this procedure, the first MIUI launch can take up to 5 minutes – this is normal.

✅ Method 6: Disabling Automatic Reservation MIUI

The system creates local backups of settings that can weigh up to 1-2 GB.

1. Go to Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset.
2. Turn off Local Backup.
3. Remove old backups in /MIUI/backup folder.

🔧 Method 7: Reinstallation MIUI (last resort)

If the Other takes up more than 10GB and doesn't clear, the file system may be damaged.

1. Make a backup of your data (Mi Cloud or Google Drive).
2. Download the latest firmware for your model from the official website.
3. Install it through Recovery (instructions in the section "Update and firmware").

⚠️ Warning: Flashing will delete all data from internal memory, including photos and apps. Do not use this method unless you have a backup!

Make a backup copy of important data|Check the vacant space (should be available) ≥1GB)|Disable automatic update of applications|Close all background programs-->

4. Which files in the "Other" should not be touched?

Not all files in the Other section are safe to delete, but below is a list of folders and extensions that can cause the system to crash:

Also, avoid deleting files with extensions:

• 🚫.db,.db-wal – Application databases;
• 🚫.So - System Libraries;
• 🚫.Pro - Configuration Files.

If you accidentally delete something from this list, restart your phone immediately, and in 50% of cases, the system will restore critical files automatically.

5. Why does the Other grow again after cleaning?

Even after a successful cleanup, the Other section may re-fill, and here are 4 main reasons and ways to fix them:

1. Automatic caching MIUI: Xiaomi aggressively caches data to speed up work: 📱 Turn off Settings. → Additionally. → Optimization → Autoclean (it often duplicates files). 📱 Set cache limit for applications: Settings → Annexes → Application management → [Select the application] → Warehouse → Clear the cache.

System failure dumps:

If the phone reboots frequently or apps crash, MIUI creates.dmp dumps to reduce them:

• 💾 MicroSD Memory Card: On Redmi with microSD support (e.g. Redmi Note 10 Pro, Redmi) 9A) You can transfer part of the applications: Insert a map (class is recommended) UHS-I U3 for speed. Go to Settings → Warehouse → Map. SD. Click Format as internal memory (Warning: After that, the card can not be retrieved without losing data!). Move the applications through Settings → Annexes → [Choose] → Warehouse → Change. → Map. SD. ⚠️ Note: Not all applications support portability SD. WhatsApp and Google Maps cannot be moved.