Xiaomi’s “Other Files”: What They Are, Why They Take Place, and How to Clean Safely

Have you ever looked into the storage of your Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO And we saw that the Other Files section takes up gigabytes of memory -- and it's not clear what that data is, and can you delete it? MIUI: The system hides under this category app cache, update residues, error logs, and even fragments of deleted files, as a result, free space melts before our eyes, and standard cleaning methods (through Cleanup or Files) do not help.

Forums 4PDA This topic is raised daily - users share screenshots where "Others" are taken from the 5 before 20 GB, sometimes more. The reasons are varied, from bugs to bugs. MIUI 14/15 before the features of Android 13/14 In this article, we will discuss all the working ways to clean “Other Files” on Xiaomi, including hidden methods through the use of the software. ADB, TWRP Third-party utilities – with explanations of which data can be deleted without risk to the system, and which to touch dangerously.

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

The “Others” section in Xiaomi’s storage is the “junk bin” of the operating system, where data that MIUI It can not be classified as standard categories (photos, videos, applications, etc:

• 🗑️ Cache of system applications (e.g. com.miui.gallery or com.android.providers.media) that is not automatically cleared.
• 📦 Remains of updates MIUI — temporary files that should have been deleted after installing the firmware, but remained in memory.
• 📜 Error logs and dumps (files with the extension.log,.dmp), which are created when the system crashes.
• 🔄 Deleted File Fragments – When you delete a photo or video, some of the data may remain in memory until you completely overwrite it.
• 📱 Android Virtual Machine Data (e.g., Dalvik-cache files or ART).

On Xiaomi MIUI 12 and later the problem is aggravated due to the features of the file system F2FS (substitute ext4 It's optimized for speed, but it's worse at cleaning the tails of deleted files, MIUI aggressively caches data to speed up work, but often forgets to delete it. OTA In memory, you can still have files up to 1-2 GB that the system does not show in a standard file manager.

Another reason for the rise of The Others is a media scanner bug that creates duplicate thumbnails and gallery cache, especially on Redmi Note devices. 10/11 and POCO X3/X4, Where users complain about their employment 10+ GB “unknown” data, and in some cases, third-party applications (such as Telegram or Telegram) are also to blame. VK), Those who save cache in the wrong memory partitions.

How to check what exactly occupies space in the “Other Files” section

Before you clean it, you need to understand what data is taking up space. Xiaomi's standard file manager only shows the total volume of Others, but doesn't detail them. Here's how to get accurate information:

Method 1: Using the Storage Analysis app (without root)

Download Storage Analyzer or Files by Google (Clean up) from Google Play, and these apps scan memory and show you:

• 📁 Folders with the largest files (for example, /data/log or /data/system/dropbox).
• 🗂️ Distribution by file type (logs, cache, temporary data).
• 🔍 Possibility of sorting by size and date of creation.

For example, if you see that the folder /data/data/com.android.providers.media It weighs a few gigabytes, which means that the media scanner has accumulated a huge cache of thumbnails.

Method 2: ADB (for advanced users)

If you have a debugging for USB (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 taps by assembly number → turn on Developer Mode → Debugging by USB), Connect your phone to your PC and execute commands:

adb shell


su




du -sh /data/* | sort -rh | head -n 20

This team will show TOP-20 file /data, They're sorted by size. Usually, the extra gigabytes are hidden in the middle of the sky:

• /data/log – system logs
• /data/system/dropbox — error-report;
• /data/dalvik-cache — virtual machine cache;
• /data/media/0/MIUI/backup — backup MIUI.

💡

If the su command doesn't work, you don't have root rights. In this case, use the Storage Analyzer method or move to cleaning through the root. TWRP (section).

Method 3: Through TWRP (requires an unlocked loader)

If your Xiaomi has a custom recavator installed TWRP, Go into it (turn it off) → Hold the Power. + Vol+) and select Advanced → File Manager. You can manually check folders here:

• /data/log;
• /data/tombstones (dumping);
• /data/media/0/Android/obb (game-cash).

⚠️ Note: Delete files through TWRP It can cause system failures if you delete critical data. /data/app (applications), /data/data (application settings; and /data/system (system-configuration).

How to Clean Other Files on Xiaomi: From Simple to Complex

Now, let's get to the practice, and the methods are arranged by increasing complexity, from safe (to beginners) to advanced (to require root or root). TWRP).

Method 1: Standard cleaning through MIUI

Start with the basic steps:

1. Open the Settings → Storage.
2. Slip on "Cleaning up» → «Deep cleaning».
3. Select Cash and Garbage» → «Clean up».
4. Go back to the vault» → «Other files» → «Delete” (if the button is active).

This method only removes a portion of the cache, but often does not affect system logs and update residues. If the volume of Others has not decreased after cleaning, proceed to the next method.

Method 2: Clean up through Xiaomi Files (Hidden Folders)

Open the Files app, tap three dots in the upper right corner → «Show hidden files. Then:

1. Go to internal memory → Android → data.
2. Find the folders: 📁 com.miui.gallery (galleries cache); 📁 com.android.providers.media (miniatures); 📁 com.xiaomi.market (Mi App Store cache).

Delete the contents of these folders (not the folders themselves!).

⚠️ Note: Do not delete folders with other applications’ names (e.g. com.whatsapp) unless you want to reset their settings.

Method 3: Resetting cache via Recovery (without data loss)

This method removes all temporary system files, including update cache and dumps:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press Power + Vol+ to enter Recovery.
3. Choose a language → «Wipe & Reset» → «Wipe Cache».
4. Confirm the action and restart.

After this procedure, the Other Files can be reduced by 1-3 GB. The method is secure and does not affect user data.

Backup of important data|Enable debugging on USB|Install ADB PC-only|Download Storage Analyzer for analysis|Connect your phone to your PC via cable-->

Method 4: Cleaning through ADB (advanced)

If previous methods didn’t help, connect your phone to your PC and follow the commands:

adb shell


pm clear com.miui.gallery #Cleaning up gallery cache




pm clear com.android.providers.media # Cleaning up the media scanner




rm -rf /data/local/tmp/* # Delete temporary files




rm -rf /data/log/* # Delete logs (requires root)

To remove error dumps (.dmp and.tombstone files) use:

rm -rf /data/tombstones/*


rm -rf /data/anr/*

⚠️ Attention: Rm teams -rf They require root rights and can cause system instability if you delete critical files.

Method 5: Removal through TWRP (maximization)

If you are established TWRP, Go in there and:

1. Select Advanced → File Manager.
2. Go to /data/log and delete all files.
3. Move to the /data/system/dropbox and clean the folder.
4. Back to the main menu TWRP and choose Wipe → Advanced Wipe → mark Dalvik / ART Cache → Swipe to Wipe.

Then do the reset:

1. Settings → About the phone → Resetting settings.
2. Select “Delete all data”.
3. After restarting, restore the data from the backup.

It's a radical method, but it's guaranteed to clean all the "tails" of system files. MIUI 14/15 After resetting, “Other Files” usually take up no more than 500 MB.

What to do if the “Other Files” are returned after cleaning

If the Others section grows back after a while, the problem lies in system processes or specific applications.

Reason. 1: The media scanner bug (mini_thumb)

On Xiaomi MIUI 12–15 A bug is common when a system creates thousands of thumbnails (mini_thumb) And it's for the gallery, even if the original photos are gone, and these files take up gigabytes and are stored in a gallery:

/data/media/0/DCIM/.thumbnails

Decision:

1. Delete the.thumbnails folder through Xiaomi Files (enable the display of hidden files).
2. Open the Gallery» → «Settings» → Turn off "Show miniatures».
3. Reboot the phone.

Reason 2: Logs from MIUI Optimization

com.xiaomi.miui.optimization creates logs in a folder /data/system/dropbox, weighable 2–3 GB. To turn off their generation:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find it «MIUI Optimization» → «Warehouse» → «Clear the data».
3. Return to the application settings and turn off Auto Start.

Reason 3: Cache updates MIUI

After each OTA-Updates in memory remain files with the extension.zip or.tmp in the folder:

/data/ota_package

Remove them manually through Xiaomi Files or TWRP. To prevent re-accumulation:

• 🔄 Turn off automatic updates in Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.
• 📥 Delete update files immediately after installation.

Reason 4: Apps that save cache to “Other Files”

Some applications (for example, Telegram, VK, TikTok) saves cache in non-standard folders that MIUI It's called "Others." Check it out:

• /data/media/0/Android/data/org.telegram.messenger/cache;
• /data/media/0/Android/data/com.vk.android/cache;
• /data/media/0/Android/obb (game-cash).

Clean these folders manually or limit the cache in the app settings.

Table: Safe and dangerous files in the "Other" section

⚠️ Note: If you are not sure about the type of file, do not delete it. TWRP or ADB Backup (adb backup -all), And then experiment.

Prevention: How to prevent the accumulation of “Other Files”

To prevent the “Others” section from growing again, follow these recommendations:

• 🔄 Clean the gallery cache once a month through Settings → Annexes → gallery → Warehouse → Clear the cache.
• 📥 Turn off automatic updates MIUI (or delete update files after installation).
• 📁 Use lightweight launchers (like Nova Launcher) that don’t create extra cache.
• 🛡️ Limit the background activity of applications through Settings → Battery → Background restriction.
• 🔍 Periodically scan your memory using Storage Analyzer or Files by Google.

If you often install custom firmware or modifications, keep an eye on the folder. /data/media/0/TWRP — There may be backups and temporary files from the recavery.

💡

Regular cleaning of gallery cache and disabling automatic updates MIUI Reduce the accumulation of “Other Files” by 60-70%.

FAQ: Frequent Questions About Xiaomi's "Other Files"