What is Xiaomi’s Other and how to clean it up without risking the system

Have you ever looked into your Xiaomi storage settings and seen the lion’s share of memory occupied by the mysterious “Other” section? These are not just junk files — behind this item are system caches, application logs, temporary data and even remnants of deleted programs. Unlike obvious categories like “Photo” or “Video”, the “Other” section does not have a “Delete” button and often reaches 10–30 GB, eating precious space.

Compounding the problem, Xiaomi’s MIUI (branded shell) is actively using caching to speed up the system, but it doesn’t always clean it properly. As a result, users are faced with reports of a lack of memory, although there are few visible files on the device. In this article, we’ll look at what is stored in the Other section, what data can be deleted without harming the smartphone, and what should not be touched. You’ll also learn about hidden MIUI tools that help free up space, and alternative methods for power users.

What’s hidden under the “Other” item in Xiaomi’s memory

The “Other” section of MIUI is a container for all files that the system cannot categorize as standard (photos, videos, audio, documents, etc.) and includes:

• 🗑️ System cache is a temporary file created by Android and MIUI to speed up work (e.g., Dalvik cache or ART).
• 📝 Logs and dumps are records of errors, crashes, and application operation (files with the.log,.dump extension).
• 🧹 Remnant applications are folders and files that remain after uninstallation of programs (e.g., in /data/data/).
• 🔄 System updates are downloaded but uninstalled OTA packages (may weigh 1–3 GB).
• 📁 Hidden application folders are data that programs hide from the user (for example, the cache of messengers or games).

Xiaomi’s feature is that the MIUI shell actively uses caching to optimize performance, for example, after a system update, old files can remain in memory for months, taking up space, and some applications (especially games and social networks) create shadow copies of data that are not displayed in the standard file manager.

According to Xiaomi’s user analysis on the 4PDA and Mi Community forums, the average “Other” section is:

Critical: On devices with MIUI 12-14, the Other can be artificially inflated by a memory error when the system duplicates data in statistics, which does not mean that files physically take up space, but visually creates the illusion of crowded storage.

Why The Other Takes So Much Space: 5 Reasons

If the Other section has grown to inadequate sizes (for example, 30 GB on a 128 GB smartphone), the reason is usually one or more of the following:

1. Automatic updates MIUI. The system downloads OTA packets in the background and stores them in /cache even if you don't install the update. On Redmi Note 10 Pro, such files can weigh up to 2,5 GB.
2. Google Play Services cache: Google services actively cache data to speed up work, but often don't clean it up.For example, the Google Play Store's cache can reach 1GB.
3. Residues after resetting. If you did a hard reset but didn't format internal memory, the old data may remain in hidden folders.
4. Aggressive caching apps: Messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp), social networks (TikTok, Instagram) and games (Genshin Impact, PUBG Mobile) store gigabytes of temporary files.
5. Mistakes in MIUI memory accounting: In some shell versions (e.g. MIUI 13.0.4), the storage statistics show incorrect data due to a bug in StorageManager.

Interesting fact: on Xiaomi smartphones with Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets (for example, Poco X3 Pro or Redmi K40), the “Other” section is often larger than on devices with MediaTek (for example, Redmi 9A).

⚠️ Warning: If the size of the Other hasn’t decreased after cleaning the app cache (via Settings → Apps), don’t rush to use programs like Clean Master. They often delete critical system files, which leads to a cyclical reboot of the smartphone.

Safe Ways to Clean the Other in MIUI (without root)

Before you start taking drastic measures, try standard methods that do not require superuser rights and do not risk the stability of the system.

Delete the application cache | Clear downloads and shopping cart |Remove old MIUI |Deactivate automatic backup |Virus check-->

1. Clearing the cache of all applications

The easiest and safest way to do this is:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Sort by size.
3. Open each app from the top of the list and click Clear Cache.

Pay particular attention to:

• 📱 Google Play Services (can take up to 1-2 GB).
• 💬 Messengers (Telegram, Viber – cache of media files).
• 🎮 Games (Call of Duty Mobile, Free Fire)

2.Removal of old MIUI updates

Downloaded but uninstalled OTA packets can take up gigabytes:

1. Open Settings → About the phone → Update MIUI.
2. Click on the three dots in the top corner and select Remove the downloaded package.
3. Confirm the action.

If you do not have the option to delete, check the /cache folder through the file manager (for example, Mi File Manager) and manually delete files called update.zip or miui_*.zip.

3. Cleaning Download folder and basket

Many people forget that the files in Downloads and Recycle Bin also fall into the “Other” section:

1. Open the Mi File Manager (or any other manager).
2. Go to the internal memory → Download and delete unnecessary files.
3. Then open the basket and clean it (Management → Clean the basket).

4. Resetting the vault statistics

If MIUI miscalculates the occupied space, resetting:

1. Go to Settings. → Memory.
2. Click on the three dots in the top corner and select Update.
3. If the size of the Other had decreased dramatically, the problem was accounted for.

Result: These actions usually free up 3 to 10 GB of storage. If the Other partition is still too big, move on to advanced methods.

💡

Standard cleaning methods (cache, download, update) are safe and should be done first, they do not require root rights and do not risk the stability of the system.

Advanced methods: cleaning without root, but with risk

If standard methods don't work, you can try a deeper cleaning, but with caution. These methods don't require root, but can cause failures if you do something wrong.

1. Cleaning the /cache folder manually

The /cache folder contains temporary system and application files, and can be cleared via Recovery Mode:

1. Turn off your smartphone.
2. Press the Power button + Volume up to enter Recovery.
3. Choose Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache.
4. Confirm the action and restart the device.

Warning: Don’t confuse Wipe Cache with Wipe Data – the second option will erase all your data!

2.Dump and Log Removal through ADB

For power users, you can delete unnecessary logs through ADB (Android Debug Bridge). Connect your smartphone to your PC and follow the commands:

adb shell


su




rm -rf /data/tombstones/*




rm -rf /data/anr/*




rm -rf /data/system/dropbox/*




exit




exit

These commands delete:

• 📜 tombstones are memory dumps when applications crash.
• ⚠️ anr is the application not responding log.
• 📦 Dropbox is a system error log.

⚠️ Warning: Deleting logs can make it difficult to diagnose problems if your smartphone starts to glitches. Do not use this method if you plan to contact Xiaomi's service center.

3. Disabling automatic backup

MIUI by default backs up data that goes to the Other:

1. Go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Turn off automatic backup.
3. Remove old backups manually.

This can free up to 1 to 5 GB if the copies have been accumulating for a long time.

4.Using the hidden MIUI Deep Cleanup function

MIUI 12-14 has a hidden option for deep cleaning:

1. Open the Settings → Memory.
2. Click on the Other.
3. If the Deep Clean button appears, press it.
4. Confirm the removal of unnecessary files.

This feature is not available on all devices, but if it is available, it can free up to 2-7 GB.

💡

Before using ADB or cleaning through Recovery, back up your sensitive data. Even secure commands can cause unexpected crashes if the process is interrupted.

Radical methods: cleaning with root rights

If none of the previous methods worked, and the Other section still takes tens of gigabytes, then you only get root permissions, which gives you full control over the system folders, but it is not warranty and can disrupt some functions (for example, Google Pay or Widevine L1 for watching Netflix in HD).

With root access, you can:

• 🔍 Remove system applications (bloatware) that cannot be uninstalled by standard methods.
• 🗃️ Clear the /data/data/ and /data/app/ folders of the remnants of the deleted programs.
• 📊 Use applications like SD Maid or Root Explorer for deep cleaning.

Step-by-step instructions for cleaning with root

To start, get root rights using Magisk (see instructions for your model on 4PDA or XDA Developers).

1. Install Root Explorer or FX File Explorer.
2. Go to /data and delete the following folders (if any): log log logs. tombstones are error dumps. system_dropbox are system reports. local/tmp are temporary files.

su


cd /data/dalvik-cache




rm -rf *

Reboot your smartphone.

Warning: Deleting files in /system or /vendor may cause a device to fail. Do not delete files that you do not know the purpose of!

How to Prevent the Spread of the Other in the Future

To the “Other” section does not take up gigabytes of memory, follow these recommendations:

• 🔄 Clean the cache regularly (once every 1-2 weeks).
• 🚫 Turn off automatic update downloads in Settings → About Phone → Update MIUI.
• 📥 Use an external memory card to store media files.
• 🛡️ Install an antivirus (e.g. Malwarebytes) to prevent infection with malware that creates hidden files.
• 📦 Check the size of the Other after installing new apps — some programs (like Facebook or TikTok) aggressively cache data.

It is also useful to disable unnecessary system services:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find and disable: Mi Video (if you don't use it). Mi Music. Mi Browser. Analytics (Xiaomi statistics collection).

On devices with MIUI 14, a smart cleanup feature has been introduced, which automatically deletes unnecessary files, to enable it:

1. Go to Settings. → Memory.
2. Activate the Smart Cleaning Switch.
3. Set up a schedule (e.g., clean up once a week).

Frequent Mistakes in Cleaning the Other and How to Avoid Them

Many Xiaomi users make critical mistakes when trying to make room, and here are the most common ones and how to avoid them:

One of the most dangerous mistakes is formatting internal memory as an external drive, and some users, when they see the Format option in File Manager, mistakenly think that it will only clear the Other, which actually completely erase all the data on the device, including photos, contacts and apps.

⚠️ Warning: If after cleaning the Other, the smartphone started to brake or overheat, chances are you deleted the critical cache files. In this case, only resetting to factory settings (Settings → Additional → Recovery and Reset) will help.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions About the Other