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

Xiaomi Redmi smartphone owners are eventually confronted with the mysterious category of “Other Files” in the Storage section, which can take from a few gigabytes to tens of them, but still remain invisible to the user. Why is this happening? The fact that under “other files” MIUI hides the cache of applications, temporary data, remnants of deleted programs, log files of the system and even fragments of updates. The system does not always correctly classify them, which causes them to accumulate, eating precious space.

Compounding the problem, standard cleanups (such as the built-in Cleanup utility) often ignore these files, which means that the user sees that the memory is full, but does not understand what it is, and in this article we will learn how to safely delete “other files” on Xiaomi Redmi without damaging the system, and what tools will be needed to do this, from built-in MIUI functions to third-party utilities.

What are “Other Files” in Xiaomi Memory and Why Do They Appear?

The other files category in MIUI is the garbage box of the operating system.

• 📁 App cache that was not deleted after uninstallation (for example, game or social network remnants).
• 📜 Log files of the system and applications (error logs, crash reports).
• 🔄 Temporary files created while programs are running (e.g. unsaved drafts in editors).
• 🗑️ Remains of updates MIUI, which were not cleaned after installation.
• 🔍 Hidden files from enterprise applications (e.g. com.miui.analytic or com.xiaomi.market).

The main reason for the accumulation is the malfunction of the cleaning mechanism in MIUI. The system must automatically delete temporary data, but often this does not happen due to:

• 🛑 Interrupted processes (for example, if the user has forced the application to close during cache recording).
• 🔄 Frequent updates MIUI, Leave “tails” in the form of old versions of files.
• 📱 Features of the file system F2FS or ext4, used in Xiaomi smartphones.

Interestingly, on some models (for example, Redmi Note 10 Pro or POCO X3 Pro) “other files” can take up to 15-20 GB – this is due to the architecture of the chipset and the version of MIUI. The older the firmware, the worse it manages garbage.

How to check how much space “Other Files” takes up

Before you delete anything, you need to understand the scale of the problem.

1. Open the Settings → Storage.
2. Click on Other Files (or Others in older versions of MIUI)
3. The system will show the total volume and distribution by category (if supported).

On some devices (e.g. Redmi 9A or Redmi 8), the Other Files section may not be in the storage menu.

• 🔍 Use File Manager (Files app from Xiaomi).
• 📊 Install third-party utilities like DiskUsage or Storage Analyzer from Google Play.

⚠️ Note: If the “other files” take up more than 20 GB, this may indicate file system damage or malware action.

How to delete “Other Files” without root rights

If you do not have superuser rights (root), you can use the built-in MIUI tools and third-party applications.

1. Cleaning through the built-in utility "Cleaning"

The simplest method is:

1. Open the Security app (shield icon).
2. Select Cleanup. → Deep cleaning.
3. Check all categories, including Cash and Garbage Files.
4. Click Clean and confirm the action.

This method deletes up to 30-50% of “other files,” but often leaves log files and update residues.

2.Using the Files app from Xiaomi

In the File Manager there is a hidden function of storage analysis:

1. Open the Files app.
2. Go to Storage Analysis (may be called Storage).
3. Click on the Other or Other category.
4. Select the unnecessary files and delete them.

Note: here you can see large files (such as memory dumps or backups) that take up several gigabytes.

3. Third-party cleaning applications

If the built-in tools don’t help, try:

• 🧹 SD Maid – removes the remnants of uninstalled applications and cache.
• 🗑️ Files by Google – Finds duplicates and temporary files.
• 🔍 CCleaner – clears log files and browser cache.

⚠️ Warning: Don’t use “optimizers” like Clean Master or 360 Security – they often show false threats and can delete important system files.

Delete “Other Files” with root rights (for power users)

If you're willing to take the risk of root access, you can delete virtually all unnecessary files, including hidden system data.

1. Obtaining root rights

Most Xiaomi Redmi root models are obtained through:

1. Unlock the bootloader through the official Xiaomi website.
2. Installation of custom recavery (TWRP).
3. Magisk firmware for root rights management.

The process takes 15-30 minutes and resets all the data on the device!

2. Cleaning through Root Explorer

With root rights, you can manually remove:

• 📂 folder /data/log — This is where the log files of the system are stored.
• 🗑️ folder /data/local/tmp — temporary update files.
• 🔄 folder /data/dalvik-cache — Dalvik cache (you can only delete if you are ready to restart your device).

For this:

1. Install Root Explorer or Solid Explorer.
2. Go to /data and find the folders listed.
3. Remove the contents (not the folders themselves!).
4. Reboot your smartphone.

How to Prevent the Accumulation of Other Files in the Future

To avoid recurring problems, follow these tips:

• 🔄 Clean the cache manually regularly (once every 1-2 weeks).
• 📱 Turn off automatic app updates in Google Play – this will reduce the number of temporary files.
• 🚫 Don’t use memory “optimizers” – they often create more trash than they remove.
• 🔍 Check the storage after installing major updates MIUI.

Also useful:

• 📁 Transfer heavy files (photos, videos) to SD-map.
• 🔄 Perform a cache reset via Settings → The phone. → Cache reset (does not delete user data).

💡

If you install and delete games frequently, use the Cleanup after removal feature in Google Play settings.This will prevent the accumulation of residual files.

Frequent cleaning errors and how to avoid them

Many users make critical mistakes when trying to free up memory, and here are the most common ones:

Another common problem is deleting files that are then restored, such as the WhatsApp or Telegram cache can be downloaded again after being cleaned, to avoid this:

• 📥 Limit background loading in mobile traffic settings.
• 🔄 Turn off automatic media download in messengers.

💡

Never delete files with the.odex or.vdex extension, which are critical to the operation of applications and systems.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions