Where to go “Other files” on Xiaomi: cleaning and analysis

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones often face a mysterious situation: internal memory is full, although few photos are installed, and applications are installed. When you analyze the storage in detail, a huge category called “Other Files” pops up, which can take anywhere from 10 to 50 gigabytes, which creates a feeling of lack of space and slows down the MIUI or HyperOS operating system.

This category is a collection of system logs, residual files of remote programs, messenger cache and temporary data. Understanding the structure of this partition is critical for proper maintenance of the device. Blind deletion of data can lead to malfunctioning applications, so you need to clearly understand what is behind this tag in the conductor.

In this article, we will examine in detail the nature of the emergence of “Other files”, learn how to safely clean the storage with standard means and consider advanced methods of analysis through the computer. You will learn which folders should not be touched categorically, and which can be painlessly deleted, making room for your personal data.

What is hidden in the category "Other files"

Xiaomi’s memory system analyzer groupes all data in the “Other” section that could not be automatically classified as images, videos, music or documents, primarily an application cache that does not have a clear reference to a particular type of media files, which can be downloaded maps in the navigator, offline translations or temporary files of streaming services.

The second important component is the remnants of remote programs. Even after uninstallation of the game or utility, folders with settings and logs often remain in the back of the file system. Android does not always properly clean these tails, and over time they grow to giant sizes, and also includes system update files that were not deleted automatically after successful installation.

• 📂 Residual files after deleting apps and games.
• 🗺️ Offline maps and navigation data.
• 📜 System Logs and Error Reports.
• 🎵 Temporary clipboard files and streaming.

⚠️ Warning: Do not delete files from system folders manually unless you are sure of their purpose.Error can lead to a cyclical smartphone reboot.

It's important to understand that the volume of Other Files is a dynamic metric, and it changes constantly depending on user activity. If you actively use messengers, watch high-quality videos, or edit photos, this section will grow faster than usual, and regular monitoring allows you to keep things under control.

Analysis of occupancy through a standard conductor

The first step in the battle for space is diagnostics. The built-in MIUI provides enough information for the initial analysis. You don't have to go straight to third-party software. The standard Cleanup tool can show the overall picture of memory filling and highlight the main categories of space consumption.

To get started, open the Security app and select Cleanup. The system will scan and give you a list of recommendations. However, for a deep analysis, you'd better go to the Settings menu, then About the phone, and select Warehouse. Here, the visualization is more detailed, and the category "Other Files" will be highlighted in a separate color.

Click on the relevant section to see a detailed breakdown. Often, the system itself tells you which applications occupy the most space in this category. Storage analytics helps identify heavyweights, programs that consume resources disproportionately to their functionality.

If a standard analyzer shows an abnormally large volume, such as more than 20 GB, it signals a deeper check. Sometimes a failure in file indexing leads the system to see the space as occupied, although it is physically free, in such cases, a simple reboot of the device, which forcibly updates the file table, helps.

Cleaning the cache and application data

The most effective and safest way to reduce the volume of Other Files is to work with the cache of specific applications. Social networks and messengers like Telegram, ViberInstagram, tend to accumulate huge amounts of temporary data, these files speed up the program, but when the memory is full, they become ballast.

To clean up, go to Settings → Applications → All apps. Find the most voluminous application (usually marked with a folder icon or large size) click on it, select Memory and then Clear cache. It is important not to confuse this button with the Clean Everything feature, which will delete your logins and correspondence.

In some cases, such as YouTube or music services, the cache can take up gigabytes because of the clips saved for offline viewing. Check the settings of these apps separately. Often users forget about downloaded playlists that formally refer to Other Files if the system does not recognize them as music because of the format or location of the save.

⚠️ Warning: Clearing the data (not the cache) will result in a complete reset of the application. You will lose your correspondence history, authorization and personal settings.

After the cleaning procedure, the volume of Other Files should be significantly reduced, and if this does not happen, then the problem lies deeper, in system files or remnants of remote programs, in which case you should use specialized analysis tools, which will be discussed below.

Using the Files application for deep cleaning

Xiaomi’s File Manager has hidden potential, unlike a simple folder viewer, it can analyze the contents of internal memory and sort files by type and size, and is a powerful tool for manually reviewing what the system has classified as “Other.”

Launch an app and go to Internal Memory. Look at folders with app names like com.whatsapp or com.google.android.youtube. They often have cache or temp folders inside them, and their contents often make up the lion's share of the garbage that's not clear. You can delete files inside these folders, but with caution.

It’s also worth checking the Download and MIUI folder, which often stores update logs and reports about how the system works, files with the.log or.tmp extension can be deleted safely, but if you see files with unclear names, you better look up information about them on the Internet first.

For a more convenient search for large files, use size sorting. Xiaomi’s Size Sort feature will display the heaviest objects, which allows you to quickly find forgotten video archives or application installation files (.apk) that also fall into the Other category.

Comparison of methods of cleaning the storage

There are several approaches to freeing up space on Redmi and Poco. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages. Standard cleaning is safe but shallow. Manual removal through conductor is efficient but requires knowledge. Third-party utilities are convenient but can contain advertising.

Below is a table comparing the basic methods of working with memory, which will help you choose the best strategy depending on your situation and level of technical training.

As you can see from the table, the maximum result is a complete reset, but this is an extreme measure. The optimal balance is a combination of cleaning the cache and manually removing large files through the explorer. You should not rely only on automatic means, as they often ignore deeply hidden debris.

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The combined approach (cache + manual cleaning) gives the best result without the risk of losing important data.

Advanced Methods: Analysis through PC and ADB

If the smartphone's built-in tools fail, the computer comes to the rescue. Connecting the device via USB in file transfer mode (MTP) allows you to see the real structure of directories. On a large screen, it is easier to navigate the file system and find forgotten archives.

For users with technical skills, the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) analysis method is available, which allows you to access hidden parts of the system and see files that are not displayed in normal mode. The adb shell dumpsys diskstats command can provide detailed statistics of disk usage by each process.

adb shell pm list packages -f | grep "appendix name"

Using this command, you can find specific packets that have swelled to obscene sizes, and you can use utilities like DiskUsage (requires superuser rights or special permissions) that build a visual memory card, showing which file is taking up space.

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Use a USB 3.0 cable and a USB 3.0 port on your computer to quickly transfer large amounts of data when backed up before cleaning.

Remember that interfering with system files through ADB requires extreme caution: Deleting critical libraries can turn a smartphone into a brick. Always back up important data before doing a deep cleaning of the system partition.

Prevention of memory overflow

To keep the Other Files problem from returning regularly, you need to develop a digital hygiene habit: don't wait for your memory to fill up. Regular prevention takes a few minutes a week, but saves you from sudden system brakes.

Turn on automatic cleaning in your security settings. In the Security app, find the janitor's settings and set the frequency, for example, once a week, and it's also helpful to set up automatic uploads of photos and videos to the cloud and then delete them from the device.

• 🗑️ Regularly clean the Downloads folder of unnecessary files.
• 📸 Set up gallery sync with the cloud.
• 🔄 Update apps only through official stores.
• 🚫 Avoid installing dubious programs from unknown sources.

⚠️ Note: Installation of applications from unknown sources (Unknown Sources) is a common cause of hidden miner and junk files that inflate the Other section».

By following these simple rules, you can keep your Xiaomi in great shape. Your smartphone memory is its work resource, and the freer it is, the faster and more stable the device will work. Don't ignore the system's space shortage signals, react promptly.