Xiaomi’s “Other Files”: What They Are, Why They Take Place, and How to Clean Them Without Risk

Have you ever walked into the storage of your Xiaomi, Redmi or Poco and seen that the Other Files partition takes up gigabytes of memory — sometimes even more than photos or apps? — One of the most common problems MIUI users have, which not only eats up precious space, but also slows down the smartphone. Unlike cache or downloads, these files are not deleted by standard means, and their origin is often a mystery.

In this article, we’ll explore what other files are on Xiaomi, why they appear, and how to clean them safely — from simple ways through built-in tools to advanced methods using ADB and third-party utilities. You’ll also learn which files can be deleted without risk to the system, and which should not be touched so as not to break your smartphone. If your Mi 11, Redmi Note 12 or Poco F5 constantly issues a warning about memory shortage, this guide is for you.

What are Xiaomi’s “Other Files” and Why Do They Take So Much Space?

The Others (or “Other”) section of MIUI storage analysis is a dump for all files that the system failed to categorize as standard (photos, videos, apps, cache, etc.)

• 📁 Remnants of Remote Applications – Temporary Files, Settings, and Data that Have Not Cleared After Uninstallation.
• 🔄 System Logs and Memory Dumps – Debugging files that are created when crashes or updates occur MIUI.
• 🎮 Cache games and heavy applications such as Genshin Impact or PUBG Mobile can leave gigabytes of junk here».
• 📥 Hidden downloads – files downloaded in the background (updates, map updates, media from messengers).
• 🔐 Encrypted data – for example, backups of Mi Cloud or files from enterprise applications.

Why is this partition growing? It's because of the MIUI file system.

1. Aggressive caching – The system stores data “just in case” even when it’s not needed.
2. Incorrect removal of applications – many programs do not clean temporary files.
3. MIUI Updates – Older versions of libraries and configurations remain after updates.
4. File Manager errors – sometimes MIUI simply “loses” files and sends them to Others.

For example, after the Redmi Note 10 Pro upgrade from MIUI 12 to MIUI 14, users often see a 3–5GB increase in Other Files – these are remnants of older versions of the system that were not automatically deleted.

⚠️ Note: If the “Others” section is more 10 GB on a smartphone 64/128 GB of memory is not normal, and it's likely that critical logs or corrupted files have accumulated in the system, which can lead to lags.

How to check which files are in the “Other” section

Before you clean Other Files, you need to understand what's stored in this section. Blind deletion can cause MIUI to crash or lose important data. Here's how to diagnose:

Method 1: Integrated analysis of MIUI storage

The easiest way is to use a standard tool:

1. Open the settings → About the phone → Memory.
2. Slip on the “Other” (or “Other”) section.
3. The system will show the distribution by file types (e.g., Logs, Downloads, Application Remains).

Limitation: MIUI does not always correctly classify files, so the data may not be complete.

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

If you have an unlocked bootloader and root rights, use Root Explorer or Solid Explorer:

1. Open the root directory (/).
2. Go to the folders: /data/log – system logs; /data/local/tmp – temporary files; /data/media/0/MIUI/backup – backups; /data/app-lib – remnants of remote applications.

Sort files by size to find the “heavy” items.

⚠️ Note: Delete files from system folders (/system, /vendor) root-free can lead to a device blink. Do not touch files with extensions.odex,.apk or no extension!

Method 3: ADB-Analysis commands (without root)

If there is no root-rights, but there is a computer, connect your smartphone using ADB and do:

adb shell


du -h -d 1 /data | sort -h

This command will show the largest folders in the /data section (where most of the Other Files are stored).

Safe Ways to Clean Other Files on Xiaomi (without root)

If you are not willing to risk system stability, start with these methods, which do not require root rights and are suitable for most models (Xiaomi 13, Redmi A2, Poco X5, etc.).

Method 1: Cleaning through MIUI Optimization

MIUI has a built-in garbage disposal tool:

1. Open the Security app (shield icon).
2. Go to the “Optimization” section → “Deep cleaning”.
3. Select “Other Files” and click “Clear”.

This method deletes mainly cache and temporary files, but does not touch system data.

Method 2: Manual cleaning through file manager

Use the standard “Files” from Xiaomi or Google Files:

1. Open the menu («☰») → «Analysis of the vault».
2. Select the category “Other” → “View files”.
3. Manually remove: 📂 Folders called com.miui. or com.xiaomi. are the remnants of system updates. 📄 Files with extensions.log,.tmp,.bak. 🎮 Game folders (/Android/obb), If you haven’t used them for a long time.

Method 3: Resetting cache through Recovery

If Other Files take up more than 5GB, try resetting the cache:

1. Turn off your smartphone.
2. Press Power + Volume Up to Enter Recovery.
3. Select “Wipe Cache” (not to be confused with “Wipe Data!”).
4. Reset the device.

This will delete temporary system files, but will not affect user data.

Method 4: Remove old MIUI updates

The system stores update packs that can be safely removed:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → System update.
2. Tap it on three points («⋮») → «Remove the downloaded package».
3. Also check the /Download/rom folder – there may be old firmware.

💡

Recovery cache resetting is the most effective way to do it without root, but it doesn’t help if Other Files take >10GB (advanced methods are needed).

Advanced methods: Cleaning with root rights and ADB

If standard methods didn't work, and "Other Files" still take tens of gigabytes, you'll have to use advanced tools, which require caution, but can remove up to 90 percent of the garbage.

Method 1: Cleaning through ADB (no root)

Connect your smartphone to your PC and do:

adb shell pm list packages -f | grep -E "com.miui|com.xiaomi" | awk -F= '{print $2}' | xargs adb shell pm clear

This command will reset the cache of all Xiaomi system applications.Warning: After execution, the settings of the themes, launcher and some services may reset.

Method 2: Remove system logs (root required)

Logs (.log,.dmp) can take up to 5-10 GB. Remove them via Root Explorer:

1. Go to /data/log.
2. Delete all files with extensions:.log – standard logs;.dmp – memory dumps in case of failures;.trc – tracing of system processes.

Method 3: Cleaning Dalvik cache (root or custom Recovery required)

Dalvik cache is an optimized file to speed up applications, and can be reset:

1. Enter TWRP Recovery.
2. Select "Advanced» → «Wipe Dalvik Cache».
3. Reset the device.

Do not touch files without extension or with the names lib*, com.android*.