Xiaomi and Redmi smartphone owners often face the uncomfortable situation of running out of space, and the system reports that memory is full and the main consumer is the mysterious “Other” category, which can take up tens of gigabytes, turning a fast flagship into a slow device that constantly slows down.
In fact, this name hides temporary application files, remnants of remote programs, messenger cache and system error logs. Standard cleaning tools do not always cope with deep debris, since many files are hidden from the average user for the sake of system security.
In this detailed guide, we’ll break down what this section consists of, why it grows to giant sizes, and how to clean it properly. You’ll learn about the hidden features of the MIUI and HyperOS shell that will help you get your phone back to its previous speed without losing important data.
What is hidden in the “Other” section on Android
Xiaomi’s smartphone storage system analyzer groupes files that could not be identified as photos, music, videos or installed apps into the “Other” category, a kind of file system black box that includes archives, documents, APK installation packages and, most importantly, social media cache.
This section is particularly bloated by messengers like Telegram or WhatsApp, which store images and videos you've viewed into hidden folders to speed up re-uploads, and over time, this data accumulates in huge volumes, but the standard cleaner often doesn't see it as junk, considering it important app data.
It also stores crash logs and error reports that are automatically generated by the system. If you're actively using a navigator or streaming service, offline maps and buffered video can also be classified into this category, and understanding the structure of this data is the first step to a successful cleanup.
- 📁 Application cache: temporary files that speed up programs, but take up space.
- 📦 Residual files: data of remote games and programs that remain in the system.
- 📝 System Logs: Error Reports and Action History Created by Android.
- 📲 Previous articleJunk from messengers: media files from chats hidden in the depths of memory.
⚠️ Note: Do not delete files from the Other section manually through the file manager unless you are sure of their purpose. Deleting system libraries can lead to unstable phone operation or cyclical restart.
It's important to distinguish between system debris and personal data. If you download a work document or a book in.pdf, it can also appear in this category. Blind cleaning everything threatens to lose important information, so always check the contents before deleting.
Standard cleaning through the Security app
The easiest and safest way to start the fight for space is to use the built-in Security app. In the MIUI and HyperOS shells, this tool has extended access rights to system folders, which allows it to find more garbage than a standard conductor.
To start, open the app and select Cleanup, and the system will scan and suggest removing obvious debris, but for deep cleaning, click on the garbage cleanup icon inside the app or go to Deep Cleanup, where the algorithm will analyze large files and rarely used applications.
And you should pay special attention to the Big Files section, which is often where forgotten videos or archives that are formally part of the Other are hidden, and you can sort them by size and delete the unnecessary ones, and it's safe and it doesn't affect the system.
Use Acceleration to close the background processes. While this won't reduce the amount of memory you're using directly, it will free up RAM, which will have a positive impact on overall device performance. Regular use of these tools prevents critical storage from filling up.
- 🚀 Start Scanning: Open the Security app and click “Clean up».
- 🔍 Analysis: Wait for all memory partitions to be checked.
- 🗑️ Delete: Press the Clean button for selected file categories.
Don't just rely on automatic cleaning. Built-in algorithms are sometimes too conservative and afraid to remove something extra, so manually checking scan results before final confirmation of removal is a must for an experienced user.
Cleaning the cache of messengers and social networks
Social media and instant messengers are the main culprits in filling the “Other” section. Telegram, VK, TikTok and Instagram cache every image and video viewed. Over time, this cache can grow to 10-20 gigabytes, remaining invisible to the gallery, but occupying a place in the system.
To clean up, go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Find a problematic app like Telegram. Go to Storage and click Clear Cache. It is important not to confuse it with the Clean All button, which will delete your correspondence and logins.
Some apps, like Telegram, have built-in memory management tools, and you can find the Data and Memory section on the messenger itself → Memory Use, where you can set automatic cache deletion after 3 days or a week.
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In the Telegram settings, enable the “Autodelete Media” function so that the cache does not grow uncontrollably in the future.
A similar procedure is worth doing for YouTube and browsers. In Chrome or the built-in Mi Browser, the accumulated cache of sites also belongs to the “Other” section. Cleaning it will not delete your passwords or browsing history if you choose the right menu item.
⚠️ Attention: Clearing the data (not the cache) will result in logging out of your account. You will have to re-enter your password and configure the application.
Cleaning the cache of heavy applications regularly is the most efficient way to keep the Other partition in check. Do this once a month and you'll notice that memory will stop disappearing so quickly, especially for models with a small amount of built-in storage.
Using a Storage Analyzer to Find Large Files
Often users don't know what exactly takes up space. Xiaomi's built-in storage analyzer allows you to visualize occupied memory. It shows which folders and files weigh the most, even if they are hidden in system directories.
To use this tool, go to Settings → Memory (or About Phone → Storage). Click on a color diagram or the Busy button. The system will show a list of categories. Often, heavy files are hidden in the Documents or Others section.
You can sort files by size, and that can quickly find forgotten movies, backups, or archives that you downloaded six months ago, and deleting those files instantly frees up gigabytes of space in the Other category.
And you can look at the Android/obb and Android/data folder, and it stores game and application data, and if you delete the game but the folder is still there, the contents continue to take up space, and you can manually delete files from that folder, but only if you're sure that the app is no longer needed.
What to do if the file is not deleted?
Using third-party analytics apps like Files by Google or Total Commander also yields great results.They can show hidden folders that the standard MIUI explorer hides from the user by default.
- 📊 Visualization: The diagram helps to understand the distribution of space.
- 🔎 Duplicate search: Many analyzers can find the same photos.
- 📂 Sorting: The ability to see the largest files first.
Regular monitoring of storage allows you to detect problems at an early stage, and if you see that one folder has started to grow dramatically in size, this is an occasion to check the corresponding application for errors or cache inflating.
Delete residual files after deleting applications
When you remove apps in the standard way, Android often has tails, folders with settings, autosaves, and temporary files that software developers leave in case they re-install, and over time, this tail becomes significant.
You can use a file manager to find those residues, go to the root of the internal memory, and look at the folders that contain the names of the games or programs that you've deleted, and if you're sure the application is removed, you can delete it.
Pay special attention to Tencent folders (if you’ve used a company’s product), Alipay, or card cache, which can store gigabytes of data, such as navigation apps that store offline maps that don’t always get erased when you remove an app.
☑️ Verification of residual files
There's a myth that reinstalling applications often helps to clear memory, which actually adds to the system and creates new temporary files, and it's better to remove the leftovers once than to reinstall the software all the time.
If you use Root rights, you can use advanced snails like SD Maid that automatically find and delete "orphaned" files, but for ordinary users, manual method through the file manager is the most secure.
⚠️ Note: The Android folder contains critical data, remove only those subfolders that are the same as the apps you have already deleted.
Cleaning residual files is a procedure that should be done every few months, not only frees up space, but also potentially resolves conflicts that can arise when installing new versions of programs on top of old tails.
Resetting settings as a radical cleaning method
If the Other partition takes up an unrealistically large amount of space (e.g., 40-50GB on a 64GB phone) and no methods help, it is possible that the file system is corrupted or has accumulated critical errors, in which case a complete reset helps.
Before you do this, make sure to back up all your important data to your computer or the cloud. Reset will delete everything: contacts, photos, apps and settings.
To perform the reset, go to Settings → About Phone → Settings Reset → Erase all data. The system will warn you of the consequences several times. Once the reboot is done, the phone will be clean and the Other section will take up as much as possible.
| Cleaning method | Security | Efficiency | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security Annex | Tall. | Medium | Low. |
| Cleaning up the app cache | Tall. | Tall. | Medium |
| Manual deletion of files | Medium | Tall. | Tall. |
| Full reset (Factory Reset) | Demands backup. | Maximum | Medium |
After reset, take your time to restore all applications from the backup at once. Install them one by one and monitor the memory filling, which will help identify the culprit application if the problem was caused by a software failure of a particular software.
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A full reset is a guaranteed way to remove the Other section, but it takes time to reset the phone and install apps.
Use this method only as a last resort, and 90% of the time, it helps to clean the cache properly and delete large files, and reset is needed when the file table structure is broken and the system stops correctly displaying real memory.
Preventing the Filling of Memory in the Future
To keep the problem from coming back, you need to change your smartphone usage habits, first of all, set up automatic cleaning in messengers, which will save you from having to manually clean gigabytes of cache every two weeks.
Use cloud storage for photos and videos. Google Photos or Xiaomi Cloud can automatically free up space on the device, leaving only thumbnails. Originals will be stored online and downloaded as needed.
Check Downloads regularly, which often accumulates installation files, presentations, and documents that you no longer need, and train yourself to clean this folder once a week.
Should I use the Cliner Apps?
Also, keep an eye out for MIUI or HyperOS updates. In newer firmware versions, developers often optimize the file system and improve memory algorithms. An outdated version of the software may work less efficiently.
Following these simple rules will allow your Xiaomi or Redmi to run fast for years to come.Memory is a resource that requires management, but with the right approach, you will forget about the messages "Not enough space."