Xiaomi’s “Other Files”: How to Clean Your Computer Without Risk

Have you ever encountered a situation where the memory on Xiaomi is full to the limit, but the storage settings display a mysterious category of “Other files” occupying gigabytes of space? These files are not related to photos, videos or applications, they can not be deleted by standard means of the phone, and the system is stubbornly silent about their origin. If you tried to make space through built-in tools, but unsuccessfully, the decision lies with the computer.

In this article, we’ll look at what other files are in Xiaomi’s memory, why they accumulate, and how to safely delete them via a PC. You’ll learn about hidden folders in the system, the cache of applications that don’t automatically clear, and even the fragments of deleted data that continue to take up space. We’ll look at three working methods, from simple analysis through Windows Explorer to the use of specialized utilities like ADB or Mi PC Suite. Important: some operations require superuser rights (root), but we’ll show you how to do without them.

We warn you that not all “other files” can be deleted without consequences, for example, system log files or application data can be critical to the stable operation of MIUI. So each step will be accompanied by an explanation of what can and cannot be touched.

What are Xiaomi’s “Other Files” and Why They Can’t Be Deleted in Standard Ways

The category “Other files” in the Xiaomi storage menu is the “garbage box” of the MIUI operating system.

📁 Application cache that is not cleared through settings (for example, residues from remote programs).
🔄 Temporary file systems that should have self-destructed but were forgotten».
🗃️ Log files (.log,.tmp) that are created for debugging but never deleted.
🧩 Fragments of updates MIUI, who have not been able to do so, but have not.
🔗 Symbolic links to deleted files (ghost data taking up space).

The problem is that MIUI doesn't provide the user with tools to work with these files, and even the Cleanup feature in the storage settings ignores them, because they:

🔒 Protected by access rights (owned by system applications).
📡 Distributed to hidden folders (/data/data/, /system/cache/).
🛠️ They do not have extensions by which they can be identified.

Moreover, some of these files may be tied to Google or Xiaomi services, which will cause app crashes or system upgrades to fail, so cleaning through a computer requires caution.

📊 How often do you clear your memory on Xiaomi?

Once a week.

Once a month

Only when the place ends.

Never clean.

Preparation for cleaning: what you need and how to connect Xiaomi to the PC

Before you start deleting “other files,” prepare:

🖥️ Windows computer 10/11 or macOS (for the ADB need a terminal).
📱 Xiaomi smartphone with unlocked bootloader (for advanced methods).
🔌 Cable USB Type-C (preferably original – cheap can not transfer data).
🛠️ Utilities: Mi PC Suite (official software from Xiaomi). ADB Platform Tools (for working with command line). 7-Zip WinRAR (for archival analysis).

Connect your phone to your PC and follow the following steps:

On your smartphone, go to Settings → About the phone and tap 7 times on the item "Version" MIUI», activate the developer mode.
Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable: “Debugging via USB”; “Installation via USB” (if you plan to use ADB).

Device Manager

Xiaomi

MTP

Mi PC Suite

💡

If the PC can’t see Xiaomi, try connecting it to another. USB-port (preferably 3.0) or reboot both devices.

Hidden files may require permission to access the root folder. If you don't have root permissions, use methods without them (described below).

⚠️ Note: When connecting through MTP (Standard mode: you won’t see system folders /data/ or /system/. You need to see them. ADB root-access.

Method 1: Cleaning through Windows Explorer (without root)

This method is suitable for removing non-systemic “other files” such as cache of user applications or temporary data, and does not require special knowledge, but has limitations:

✅ You can remove up to 1-3 GB of garbage.
❌ Does not affect system files (risk of damage) MIUI minimal).

Instructions:

Connect Xiaomi to your PC in MTP (file transfer) mode.
Open This Computer → Find Xiaomi Device → Go to Internal Storage folder.
Turn on the hidden file display: In Windows: View tab → Hidden Items tick. In macOS: Command + Shift +.

folder	What can be removed	Risks.
.thumbdata	Image miniatures (galleries cache)	No (restores automatically)
DCIM/.thumbnails	Outdated photo/video sketches	No.
Android/data/ → Remote Apps folders	Residual data of uninstalled programs	No (if the application is removed)
Download/ → files with the extension.tmp,.part	Unproven or broken files	No.

Folder.thumbdata|*.tmp files in Download|Cache of remote applications in Android/data|Empty folders in DCIM-->

Don't touch the folders:

🚫 MIUI, Xiaomi – System Data.
🚫 Android/obb/ — Game files (only delete if the game is uninstalled).
🚫 Any folders named com.android. or com.xiaomi..

After cleaning, restart your phone. If you notice lags or errors in applications, restore deleted data from the cart (if you used Recycle Bin in MIUI).

Method 2: Using ADB for deep cleaning (without root)

Android Debug Bridge (ADB) is a command-line tool that can delete files that are not available through MTP, but without superuser rights, but even in this mode, you can clear:

🧹 Cache of all applications (adb shell pm clear) --user 0 com.package.name).
🗑️ Temporary files in /sdcard/ (For example,.nomedia,.log).
🔄 Remains of updates MIUI into /cache/.

Step-by-step:

Download ADB Platform Tools from the official website and unpack the C:\ disk root (e.g., C:\platform-tools\).
Open the command line (Win + R → enter cmd).
Go to the folder with ADB: cd C:\platform-tools\
Check the device connection: Adb devices should appear the name of your Xiaomi with the status of “device”.
Follow the instructions for cleaning: adb shell pm clear --user 0 com.miui.gallery # Clean gallery adb shell rm -rf /sdcard/*.tmp # Delete temporary files adb shell rm -rf /sdcard/*.log # Delete the logs

To clean the cache of all applications, use:

adb shell pm list packages | awk -F: '{print $2}' | xargs -n1 adb shell pm clear

What if the ADB can’t see the device?

1. Make sure that the debugging is USB 2. Reinstall drivers via Mi PC Suite. 3. Try another one. USB-cable (possibly damaged data wire). 4. In the command line, execute: adb kill-server adb start-server

After you've done the commands, restart your phone, and if you notice that some apps (like Gallery or Music) are slowing down, it's okay, they're cache-recovery, and in 5-10 minutes, everything's back to normal.

⚠️ Note: Do not use the command adb shell rm -rf /data/* — It will delete all user data and cause the phone to reset to factory settings, even with root rights, it's dangerous!

Method 3: Complete cleaning with Mi PC Suite (official method)

Mi PC Suite is Xiaomi's proprietary software for controlling your smartphone from your computer.

📊 View occupied space by category.
🧹 Clear cache and debris (including parts of other files»).
🔄 Recovering data after a failed cleanup.

How to use:

Download Mi PC Suite from the official website and install it.
Connect Xiaomi to your PC and wait for the device to be recognized.
In the main menu of the program, select “Cleaning” → “Deep cleaning”.
Wait for the analysis (may take 5-15 minutes).
In the results, find the “Other Files” section and tick the boxes: 🗑️ «Temporary files»; 📄 «Log files»; 🔗 «Empty folders».

Clean up

Advantages of the method:

✅ System-Secure (the program does not allow you to delete critical files).
✅ Suitable for beginners (intuitive interface).
✅ You can roll back changes if something goes wrong.

Disadvantages:

❌ Not everything is cleaned (for example, it does not touch the cache of system applications).
❌ It's slower than it is. ADB.

💡

Mi PC Suite is the safest way, but it only cleans surface debris. Use ADB or manual method for deep cleaning.

What to do if the other files are back in a week

Even after a complete cleanup, the "other files" can reappear. This is normal: MIUI and Android are constantly generating temporary data to minimize the accumulation of data:

🔄 Turn off automatic app updates on Google Play (they leave cache in the app). /data/app/).
📱 Use lighter versions of apps (e.g. Facebook Lite instead of the main client).
🗑️ Clean the cache regularly through Settings → Warehouse → Clean up.
🛠️ Install a memory monitoring app (e.g. Files by Google or Google) SD Maid).

If “other files” grow too fast (over 500MB per week), check your phone for viruses using Malwarebytes or Dr.Web. Some malware masquerades as system processes and generates garbage.

It is also worth paying attention to:

📸 Photo/video applications (e.g. CapCut or Snapseed) – they leave gigabytes of cache.
🎮 Online cash games (PUBG Mobile, Genshin Impact – Their data can weigh tens of gigabytes.
📥 Download managers (e.g, IDM or ADM) — They save parts of the files in /Download/.temp/.

If the problem doesn't get resolved, consider resetting to factory settings (but back up first!) This is a radical method, but it deletes all "other files," including hidden system data.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi’s “other files”

Can I delete “Other Files” without a computer?

Yes, but with limitations. MIUI has a built-in cleaning feature (Settings → Storage → Clean), but it only removes some of the garbage. For deep cleaning without a PC, you can use applications like SD Maid (requires root) or Files by Google (works without superuser rights, but less efficiently).

Why does the memory fill up again after the “other files” are cleaned?

This is due to the peculiarities of Android and MIUI: the system constantly creates log files for debugging. Apps cache data to speed up work. Some processes (for example, Google Services) generate temporary files. To slow down the accumulation of garbage, turn off unnecessary background processes in Settings → Apps → Autostart.

Can I delete “Other Files” through Recovery Mode?

Xiaomi's standard Recovery doesn't have a feature for selective file deletion, but you can: Reset the cache (Wipe Cache Partition) - this will remove some of the temporary data. Perform a full reset (Wipe Data), but this will delete all user data. Selective cleaning requires custom Recovery (such as TWRP), but installing it requires an unlocked bootloader.

What files in the Others folder can be deleted without risk?

Secure to delete: Files with extensions:.tmp,.log,.bak,.old. folders.thumbdata (cache of thumbnails). DCIM/.thumbnails. Remote applications cache in Android/data/. Don't touch: Files without extensions in MIUI or Xiaomi folders. folders with the names com.android. or com.xiaomi. Files in /system/ (even with root rights).

Will the phone be able to get rid of “other files”?

Yes, but it's an extreme measure, and a full flashing through Fastboot or Recovery will delete all "other files," including system debris: ⚠️ This will result in the loss of all data (do backup!). ⚠️ Requires an unlocked bootloader (on new Xiaomi models, you need to wait 7-15 days to unlock). ⚠️ Risk of “bricking” your phone when you get a firmware error. If the problem is only “other files,” try the methods in this article first.