Have you ever looked into your Xiaomi storage settings and found that the mysterious Other section takes up 10, 20, or even 30 GB of precious space, and neither photos, nor apps, nor even browser cache weigh that much, where does this mysterious garbage come from, why does the system not clean it automatically, and most importantly, can you delete it without risking the phone?
This problem is familiar to owners of almost all Xiaomi models, from the budget Redmi Note 12 to the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra. Unlike the obvious categories like “Apps” or “Media Files”, the “Other” item does not have a clear description in the MIUI. The manufacturer is silent about its content, and users either ignore it or try to clean “blindly”, at the risk of disrupting the system. In this article, we will examine in detail what really hides behind this point, why it grows to incredible size and how to reduce its volume without harming the smartphone.
What is “Other” in Xiaomi memory: the official version vs reality
According to Xiaomi’s documentation, the “Other” section includes:
- 📁 System files (logs, dumps, temporary OS data)
- 🔄 Cache of system applications (not to be confused with cache of user programs!)
- 📊 Update files (firmware residues, packages) OTA)
- 🔍 Service data (indices for search, metadata of media files)
In practice, however, memory errors in MIUI often fall into this category when the system misclassifies files, such as videos uploaded to Telegram that can be displayed as “Other” if they are saved in a non-standard folder, as well as files from WhatsApp, VK, or even screenshots that for some reason did not make it to the “Images” section.
Another common reason for the Other’s proliferation is memory fragmentation, where the ext4 file system (or F2FS in newer models) accumulates junk blocks that don’t get released even after deleting files, especially on eMMC-drive devices like Redmi 9A, where the memory controller is less efficient than current UFS 3.1.
Top.-5 The reason why the other takes up so much space
If your Xiaomi’s Other section is larger than 5-10GB, one or more of these reasons is to blame:
- Remains of updates MIUI. Every one. OTA-The update leaves behind packages of weight 1–3 GB in a folder /data/ota_package. The system must delete them automatically, but often forgets to do so.
- Logs and error dumps. Applications and systems create.log and.dmp files for debugging, and on root-access devices, they can be found in /data/log or /data/tombstones.
- Google Play Services cache. This app can take up to 500MB-1GB in the Other section, and standard cache cleaning through settings does not help.
- ARCore and Google files VR. If you have ever run an augmented reality application (like Google Measure), you will be left with memory. 3D-modelling.
- Accounting errors MIUI. Sometimes the system "loses" files and assigns them to the "Other" -- for example, downloaded torrents or files from the FX File Explorer.
Interesting fact: on devices with MIUI 14 and later, the Other problem has become less noticeable due to the optimization of the file system. However, on older firmware (for example, MIUI 12.5 on the Redmi Note 10 Pro), this partition can take up to 20-30% of the total memory!
Where exactly are the files of the Other stored?
How to Check What’s in the Other’s Place
Before you delete something, you need to know which files are in this category.
1. Built-in MIUI analyzer
Go to Settings → Memory → Memory Analysis, and here the system will show you the file categorization, but unfortunately, without detailing "The Other," but you will see if the media files or documents have been mistakenly included.
Third-party annexes
Utilities like Files by Google, SD Maid, or Storage Analyzer can show hidden files. For example, SD Maid finds:
- 🗑️ Remnants of Remote Applications (.apk,.odex)
- 🧹 Empty folders and temporary files (.tmp,.bak)
- 📦 Duplicate files (especially relevant for photos)
3. ADB-Teams (for advanced teams)
Connect your phone to your PC and do it in ADB Shell:
adb shell
du -sh /data/* | sort -rh | head -n 20This team will show the top-20 The folders that occupy the most space in the section /data (where the other is hidden»).
⚠️ Note: Do not delete files from folders /system or /vendor — It's going to make the phone inoperable, and even if they seem like garbage, they're critical to the job. MIUI.
Safe Ways to Clean the Other in Xiaomi
Now, to the point: how to make room without disrupting the system, the important thing is that not all methods are equally safe, let's start with the most innocuous and end with the ones that require caution.
1. Cleaning the cache of system applications
Many utility programs (such as Google Play Services or MIUI Daemon) accumulate cache that is not visible in the standard file manager to delete it:
- Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select "Show Systems."
- Find Google Play Services, Android System WebView, MIUI System and clear the cache.
2.Removal of old MIUI updates
Folder with OTA-packet (/data/ota_package) It can weigh a few gigabytes to clean it:
- 📱 Use a root-access file manager (e.g., Root Explorer).
- 🖥️ Or connect to the ADB and perform: adb shell rm -rf /data/ota_package/*
3. reset of the cache partition (wipe cache partition)
This won't delete your data, but it will clear the temporary files of the system.
- Turn off the phone.
- Press Power + Volume Up to Enter Recovery.
- Choose Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache.
- Reset the device.
Make a backup copy of important data
Check the battery charge (minimum 50%)
Close all background applications
Use only proven methods-->
4. Memory re-marking (for experienced)
If the Other takes more than 15 to 20 GB, rewiring the /data partition might help.
- 🔧 Root access;
- 📱 Unlocked loader;
- 💻 Knowledge of fastboot and adb commands.
The procedure is risky - if you make a mistake, the phone may stop loading. If you are not sure, you should contact the service center.
⚠️ Warning: Don’t use cleaners like Clean Master or CCleaner! they often delete critical files, leading to a cyclical phone reboot or bugs. MIUI.
What NOT to do when cleaning the “Other”
Some "tips" off the Internet can permanently knock your phone out of action, and this is strictly forbidden:
| ❌ Prohibited action | 💥 Effects of consequences |
|---|---|
| Removing /system or /vendor folders | The phone will not turn on (bootloop) |
| Formatting /data without backup | Loss of all data, including photos and contacts |
| Using rm-rf/or fastboot erase userdata commands without understanding | Full reset to factory settings |
| Delete files with the.odex or.vdex extension | Crash of system applications (for example, Settings will stop opening) |
If you see advice like, "Just delete everything from the /data folder," ignore it. Even experienced users back up TWRP or ADB Backup before mass deletion of files.
💡
Before any manipulation of the Other, check whether Data Protection is included in Settings → Special features → Data Protection. It can block access to system folders.
How to Prevent the Spread of the Other in the Future
To avoid this problem again, follow the following simple rules:
- 🔄 Update regularly MIUI — In new versions optimized work with memory.
- 📵 Limit the background activity of applications in Settings → Battery → Background restriction.
- 🗑️ Use the “Lite” version of the application (for example, Facebook Lite instead of the main client).
- 🔍 Periodically check your memory through Settings → Memory. → Analysis.
- 📥 Do not save files to the root folder of downloads – use separate directories.
If your Xiaomi supports UFS 3.1 (such as Xiaomi 13T or Redmi K60), the Other problem will be less noticeable due to a more efficient file system. On devices with eMMC 5.1 (such as Redmi 10), you will have to clean more often.
💡
The safest way to reduce the Other is to regularly clean the cache of system applications and remove old ones. OTA-All other methods require caution!