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

Have you ever gone into your Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO memory settings and seen the lion's share of the mysterious Other Files section? Sometimes it eats up tens of gigabytes, even though you haven't installed anything new. Unlike photos, videos or apps, this data has no explicit source -- you can't just pick it up and delete it. But why does it appear, and most importantly, how do you get rid of it without risking the system?

In this article, we’ll look at what’s hidden under the term “Other Files” in MIUI, why this section grows over time, and provide 5 working ways to clean it up — from standard tools to hidden features and third-party utilities. You’ll also learn which files can be removed without fear and which should not be touched so as not to disrupt the smartphone. If your Xiaomi 12T, Redmi Note 11 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 section (or "Other" in the English version of MIUI) is a container for all data that the system cannot categorize as standard (photos, videos, audio, documents, applications).

• 📁 Application cache and systems – temporary files that were not deleted after using the software.
• 🔄 Logs and error dumps – crash reports that Android creates for diagnosis.
• 🗃️ Remnants of remote applications – fragments of data that remain after uninstallation of programs.
• 🔗 Symbolic links and metadata – file system service information.
• 🎮 Save games and user data – some games store files in non-obvious folders.

On Xiaomi, this section is often expanded due to the features of MIUI:

1. Aggressive caching – The system saves cache even for background processes to speed up work.
2. Data Duplication – Some applications (such as a gallery or music player) create copies of files for previews.
3. Incorrect Cleanup – The built-in Cleaner doesn’t always delete all temporary files.

For example, on the Xiaomi 13 Pro with 256GB of memory, “Other Files” can take up to 30-50GB after a year of use – and this is despite the fact that the user regularly cleans the cache!

Method 1: Cleaning through the built-in MIUI Cleaner

The easiest and safest method is to use the standard MIUI tool, which will not delete all “Other Files”, but will help to get rid of some of the garbage:

1. Open the settings → About the phone → Memory.
2. Slip on the “Other” (or “Other”) section.
3. Click on “Clean” or “Manage” (depending on the MIUI version).
4. Select Cash and Garbage, and the system will show you how much you can free.

🔹 What will be deleted: temporary application files, browser cache, image thumbnails.

🔹 What will remain: system logs, game saves, user data.

⚠️ Attention: If the Others section fills up quickly again after cleaning, the problem may be in a particular application, most often the fault is messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp), social networks (TikTok, Instagram) or games with aggressive caching (Genshin Impact, PUBG Mobile).

Method 2: Manual deletion through file manager

For power users, there is a more radical method of manually cleaning through a file manager (such as the built-in Files or Solid Explorer).

Where to look for garbage:

🔹 How to remove:

1. Open the file manager with root rights (if you want to delete system files).
2. Enable the display of hidden folders (in the manager settings).
3. Follow these steps and delete unnecessary files.
4. Reboot the phone.

If you're not sure if you can delete the folder, rename it (e.g. add old at the end) and check your phone for a day. If all is well, delete it safely.

Method 3: Resetting cache via Recovery Mode

If standard methods don’t help and Other Files take more than 20GB, it’s worth trying to clean the cache through Restore Mode.This won’t delete your data, but will reset all temporary system files.

Instructions:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Power button + Volume up until the MI logo appears.
3. In the Recovery menu, select the language (if you have a choice).
4. Go to Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache.
5. Confirm the action and wait for the completion.
6. Restart the phone (Reboot).

🔹 What will this method do:

• 🧹 Remove the cache of all applications and systems.
• 🔄 Reset temporary data that could be "stuck».
• 🚀 Speed up the phone (especially relevant for the Redmi Note 9, POCO X3 and other budgetary models).

⚠️ Warning: Don't confuse Wipe Cache with Wipe Data! The second option (hard reset) will delete ALL your data, including photos, contacts and apps.

Method 4: Using ADB for deep cleaning

For advanced users who are not afraid of the command line, there is a way to delete “Other files” through ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which will clear the cache of system applications that are not accessible through the standard menus.

🔹 What's the matter:

• 💻 Computer with installed ADB-driver.
• 📱 Included debugging by USB on the phone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI (tap 7 times) → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB).
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).

🔹 Cleanup commands:

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


adb shell pm clear com.android.providers.media # Cleaning up media storage




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




adb shell rm -rf /cache/* # Cleaning system cache

🔹 What do these teams do:

1. pm clear – resets the data and cache of the specified application.
2. rm -rf - deletes files in the specified folders (caution with system!).

💡

Before using ADB, back up your data via adb backup or built-in MIUI (Settings → System & Device → Backup).

Method 5: Third-party cleaning utilities (SD Maid, Files by Google)

If manual methods seem complicated, you can use specialized applications that automatically find and delete unnecessary files, including those that fall into the “Others” section.

🔹 The Best Utilities for Xiaomi:

🔹 How to use (by example) SD Maid):

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Start and grant access to memory.
3. Select the “CorpseFinder” tab (search for remnants of remote applications).
4. Press "Run" and wait for analysis.
5. Delete the unneeded files found.

⚠️ Attention: Some applications (e.g, SD Maids require root rights for deep cleaning. Without them, they can only remove some of the trash. If you're not ready to root, use Files by Google, which works without additional permissions.

How to prevent the re-accumulation of “Other Files”

Cleaning up memory is good, but it’s even better to prevent it from clogging, and here are some tips for owners of Xiaomi, Redmi, and POCO:

• 📱 Turn off automatic downloading of media in messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram), this will reduce the number of unnecessary photos and videos.
• 🔄 Regularly clean the cache manually (once in a week). 1-2 weeks through Settings → Annexes → Application management.
• 🎮 Use cloud-based saves for gaming (if supported) to avoid straining your phone’s memory.
• 🗑️ Remove unused applications – even uninstalled programs can leave data behind.
• 🔍 Check the Download folder – often unnecessary files accumulate there.

🔹 For advanced users:

• 🛠️ Disable unnecessary system applications through ADB (for example, pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.weather2 weather-removal).
• 📊 Use Tasker or MacroDroid to automatically clean your cache on schedule.

💡

Regular cache cleaning and monitoring of downloads is a guarantee that the “Other Files” section will not grow to critical sizes.

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