How to Clean Up Other Files on Xiaomi Redmi 8T: The Complete 2026 Guide

Xiaomi Redmi 8T owners will eventually encounter the mysterious “Other Files” category in the Storage section, which can take anywhere from a few gigabytes to half of internal storage, but it doesn’t give a clear idea of what it is storing. It doesn’t offer a “Delete Everything” button, and standard cleaning methods often don’t work.

In fact, Other Files is a hoard of app cache, remnants of deleted programs, system logs, temporary update files, and even snippets of downloaded media that didn't make it into the main categories. MIUI-based Redmi 8T is particularly prone to accumulating such debris because of its aggressive caching and background optimization policies. In this article, we'll look at how to safely clean these files without deleting anything important, and why they even appear.

Spoiler: There's no one-size-fits-all solution, you'll have to combine system tools, third-party utilities, and manual cleaning, but if you follow the instructions, you can return up to 10 to 15 GB of free space without resetting to factory settings.

What are “Other Files” and Why Do They Take So Much Space?

In MIUI, the Other Files category is anything that the system failed to categorize as Applications, Images, Videos or Audio, and it includes:

• 📁 Application cache – temporary data that programs save to speed up work (for example, thumbnails in a gallery or map data in Google Maps).
• 🗑️ Residual files – “tails” from remote applications that have not been completely cleaned.
• 📜 Logs and dumps – error reports, system log (logcat), emergency diagnostic files.
• 🔄 Update files – downloaded but not installed packages OTA-update.
• 🎮 Game data – saves, texture packs, Unity cache or Unreal Engine.

On the Redmi 8T, the problem is exacerbated by two factors: first, the smartphone was released with 64 GB of memory (of which ~50 GB is actually available), and second, MIUI 11/12 actively caches data to “optimize performance.” For example, after updating the system through OTA, a firmware file weighing ~2 GB may remain in the /cache folder and not be deleted automatically.

To understand the scale of the problem, check the memory distribution:

1. Open the settings → About the phone → Storage.
2. Click on the category "Other Files".
3. The system will show an approximate size, but does not detail the content.

⚠️ Note: If Other Files take up more than 20% of the total memory, this is a signal that deep cleaning is necessary. Ignoring the problem can lead to slowdown, overheating and even automatic crashes of applications due to lack of space.

Method 1: Cleaning the application cache manually

The safest method is to remove the cache for individual applications, which does not affect personal data (photos, messages, accounts), but can free up to 3-5 GB.

Instructions:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Sort the list by size by clicking on three dots in the upper right corner → Sort by size.
3. Select an app with a large cache (e.g. YouTube, Facebook, Google Play Services).
4. Press Warehouse. → Clear the cache.

Pay particular attention to:

• 🎵 Music services (Spotify, Yandex Music) – cache tracks for offline listening.
• 🗺️ Maps (Google Maps, 2GIS) – store loaded regions.
• 📱 Social networks (Telegram, VKontakte) – cache media files from chats.

Clear the Google Play Services cache

Delete Google Chrome data (including history)

Clear the Telegram cache (settings → Data and memory)

Check the game cache (for example, PUBG Mobile, Genshin Impact)-->

If the app is unstable after cleaning the cache (for example, Telegram has a long time to load chats), reboot the smartphone.

⚠️ Warning: Don't click Clear Data instead of Clear Cache - it will delete all settings and accounts in the app! For example, WhatsApp will disappear all chats.

Method 2: Using the built-in Cleanup Tool

MIUI has a built-in garbage removal tool, but it often skips deep files, though it's worth running before manual cleaning.

How to use:

1. Open the Security app (the shield icon).
2. Go to the Cleanup tab.
3. Click the garbage check and wait for analysis.
4. Select all categories (especially Residual Files and App Cache) and click Clear.

Here's what this tool removes:

After cleaning, restart the phone to help the system correctly recalculate the space, and if the tool found less than 500 MB of garbage, then the main problem lies deeper (see Method 3).

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If the space is not free after cleaning, check the /sdcard/Download folder – large files (for example, videos from instant messengers) are often downloaded there and forgotten.

Method 3: Manually delete files through a conductor

For advanced users, there is a method of manually cleaning through a file manager, which is risky but effective, and can remove up to 8 to 10 GB of unnecessary data.

Which folders can be cleaned:

• 📂 /sdcard/Android/data — This is where the application data is stored. Only delete the folders of remote programs (for example, if you have deleted TikTok long ago, but its folder is left).
• 📂 /sdcard/Android/obb — Game files (e.g., additional levels for Genshin Impact) Delete if the game is no longer needed.
• 📂 /sdcard/Download — Downloaded files. Often there are old files. APK, documents, archives.
• 📂 /sdcard/DCIM/.thumbnails — Photo and video thumbnails can be deleted (they will be restored automatically).
• 📂 /sdcard/MIUI/Backup — backup MIUI. If backups are not needed, clean up safely.

How to do this:

1. Install a file manager with access to system folders (e.g. Solid Explorer or FX File Explorer).
2. Enable the display of hidden files in the manager settings.
3. Go to the specified folders and delete unnecessary files.

After manual cleaning, check the storage in the settings - changes may not be displayed immediately. If you delete something important (for example, save the game), it will be difficult to restore data.

Method 4: Reset the partition cache (wipe cache partition)

If previous methods failed, try resetting the recovery cache, which will delete all temporary system files, including update residues and error logs, and will not affect user data (photos, contacts).

Instructions:

1. Turn off Redmi 8T.
2. Press the Power + Volume buttons up until the MI logo appears.
3. In the Recovery menu, select a language (e.g. English).
4. Go to Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache.
5. Confirm the action and wait for the completion.
6. Reboot the phone (Reboot) → Reboot to System).

This method is particularly useful if:

• 🔄 The phone stopped after the update. MIUI.
• 📱 Applications are closed spontaneously.
• 🗃️ In the storage there is “invisible” garbage (for example, after resetting the settings).

⚠️ Warning: Don't confuse Wipe Cache with Wipe Data (full reset)! the second option will delete all data on the phone, including photos and apps.

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Resetting the partition cache is the only way to delete update files (OTAs) that the system does not automatically clean. After the procedure, it can take up to 5-10 minutes for the first turn on the phone - this is normal.

Method 5: Remove Unnecessary System Applications (for experienced)

MIUI pre-installes a lot of applications that can't be removed by standard means, some of which (Mi Pay, Mi Video, Cleaner) take up space and run in the background, creating cache, and can be disabled or deleted via ADB.

Step-by-step:

1. Enable USB Debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (click 7 times on the line with the version, then go back to Additional Settings → For Developers).
2. Connect your phone to your PC and install it. ADB-drivers (e.g. via Mi) PC Suite).
3. Open the command line on your PC and type: Adb devices Make sure the device is defined.
4. To remove an unnecessary application (such as Mi Pay), perform: adb shell pm uninstall-k --user 0 com.xiaomi.payment

List of safe packet removal:

Once removed, reboot the phone, not only will space be freed up, but RAM will be freed up, and the background processes of these applications will no longer be loading the system.

⚠️ Note: Do not delete packages called com.android., com.qualcomm. or com.xiaomi.findevice, which are critical system components, and if removed, your phone will be inoperable.

How to Prevent the Accumulation of Other Files in the Future

To avoid the problem recurring, follow simple rules:

• 🔄 Clean the cache regularly (once every 1-2 months) through Settings → Warehouse.
• 🚫 Do not install apps from unknown sources – they often leave debris behind.
• 📥 Use cloud services (such as Google Photos) to automatically download and delete media from your phone.
• 🔄 Update. MIUI Wi-Fi only – this will reduce the risk of interrupted downloads and residual files.
• 📦 Remove unused applications through Settings → Apps, not just from the desktop.

It is also useful to disable automatic caching in some applications:

• In Google Chrome: Settings → Privacy → Clear history when you exit.
• In Telegram: Settings → Data and memory → Clear cache when you exit.
• On YouTube: Limit the quality of your video in your mobile network settings.

If you play mobile games actively, transfer their data to a memory card (if supported), for example, in PUBG Mobile you can do this in the graphics settings.

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Create a Temp folder on your memory card and set up the download of files from the messengers there, so they do not clog the internal memory.

FAQ: Frequent Questions About “Other Files” on Redmi 8T