How to Clean Up Other Files on Xiaomi Redmi 6: 7 Proven Ways

Xiaomi Redmi 6 owners will sooner or later face the mysterious category of “Other Files” in the Storage section, which takes up gigabytes of memory, but are not identified by the system as photos, videos or applications. Where do they come from? Most often, these are app cache, remnants of deleted programs, temporary MIUI files, error logs and even update fragments that were not cleaned automatically.

The problem is that standard cleaning tools (like the built-in Cleanup utility) often can’t handle this garbage, and as a result, users see up to 10-15 GB of memory occupied by unknown things, and the smartphone begins to slow down, overheat or issue notifications about space shortages. In this article, we will discuss 7 working methods to safely delete “Other files” on Redmi 6 – from simple to advanced, with explanations for beginners and warnings about possible risks.

1.What are "Other Files" and why do they take up so much space

The Others category in MIUI is the basket for everything the system failed to classify.

• 🗑️ App cache (including social networks, instant messengers, games) for example, Facebook or Telegram can accumulate up to 1-2 GB of cache in a few months.
• 📁 Residual files after deleting programs. Many applications leave behind folders with settings or data.
• 🔄 Temporary update files. MIUI Downloads updates in the background, but does not always delete them after installation.
• 📜 System logs and error dumps. These files are created when crashes or for debugging, but rarely deleted automatically.
• 🎮 Game data. Many mobile games, for example, PUBG Mobile or Genshin Impact store additional files in this category.

On Redmi 6, with its modest 16/32GB of storage, Other Files can take up to 30-50% of the total.

• ⚠️ Slowing down the smartphone (lag, hanging).
• ⚠️ Inability to install updates or new applications.
• ⚠️ Automatically remove photos or videos from the gallery (if the “Free Space” function is enabled»).

⚠️ Note: Some Other Files may be system-based, and deleting them will cause a crash. Never manually clean folders with system, priv-app, or framework names!

2. Method 1: Clearing the application cache through settings

The safest and fastest method is to remove the app cache, which does not affect personal data (photos, messages, accounts), but frees up to 1-3 GB of memory.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select "Sort by size."
3. View the list: Apps with cache over 100MB are the top candidates for cleanup.
4. Slip on the app → “Storage” → “Clean the cache”.

Pay particular attention to:

• 📱 Google Play Services (can take up to 500 MB-1 GB).
• 💬 Messengers: WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber (cache of stickers, media files).
• 🎵 Music services: Spotify, Yandex Music (offline cache of songs).

Tap on Google Play Services and clear the cache

Check the messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp)

Delete the browser cache (Chrome, Mi Browser)

Clear the game data (if you are not playing)

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Once cleaned, restart your smartphone.If the cache is quickly piling up again, consider turning off background activity for unnecessary apps in the Battery and Performance section.

3. Method 2: Using the built-in utility "Cleaning"

MIUI has its own memory-free utility, Cleanup (or Security in international firmware), which removes debris, residual files and cache, but often skips deep Other Files.

How to use:

1. Open the Security app (shield icon).
2. Go to the "Cleaning" tab.
3. Click on “Deep Clean” and wait for analysis.
4. Mark all categories (especially Residual Files and Cache) and click Clear.

If the utility finds little trash, try:

• 🔍 Run the analysis in safe mode (hold the off button). → «Safe regime»).
• 🔄 Reboot the smartphone and repeat cleaning.

⚠️ Attention: Cleanup has an Optimization feature that closes the background processes. Don't confuse it with memory cleanup, which is a temporary solution, not a file deletion!

Once a week.

Once a month

Only when memory ends

Never clean.

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4. Method 3: Manual cleaning through file manager

For power users, there's a method of manually cleaning through the file manager, which allows you to delete unnecessary files that the system doesn't see as garbage, use built-in Explorer or third-party applications like FX File Explorer.

Where to look:

How to delete:

1. Open Explorer and enable the display of hidden files (in settings).
2. Take one of the paths above.
3. Delete unnecessary files or folders (such as APKs from Download or old logs).

⚠️ Note: Do not delete files with.odex,.apk extensions in the system or priv-app folders – this will lead to system failure!

5. Method 4: Cleaning through Recovery Mode (for advanced)

If standard methods don’t work, you can use Recovery Mode, which removes the system cache and Dalvik cache, which can free up to 500 MB-1 GB of memory. Redmi 6 has stock recovery, but for deep cleaning it is better to use TWRP (if installed).

Instructions for stock recovery:

1. Turn off your smartphone.
2. Press Volume Up + Power before the Mi logo appears.
3. In the recovery menu, select the language (if you have a choice) and go to “Wipe & Reset”.
4. Select “Wipe Cache” (not to be confused with “Wipe Data” – it will reset your smartphone!).
5. Confirm the action and wait for the completion.
6. Reboot the device (Reboot).

After cleaning the cache, the system can boot longer than usual (up to 5-10 minutes) - this is normal.

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If you have custom recovery (TWRP) installed, select Advanced Wipe → tick Dalvik/ART Cache and Cache → swipe for cleaning. This is a deeper cleanup, but requires root rights.

Method 5: Remove Unnecessary System Applications (without root)

Many Other Files are data from pre-installed Xiaomi apps that you don’t use (e.g. Mi Music, Mi Video, Mi Browser) that can’t be deleted by standard means, but can be disabled or deleted via ADB.

Instructions via ADB (without root):

1. Install ADB Tools on your PC.
2. Turn on "Debugging by" USB» on a smartphone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI (tap 7 times) → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB).
3. Connect Redmi 6 to your PC and type in the command line: Adb devices (your device should appear).
4. To remove an unnecessary app (e.g., Mi Browser), type: adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.android.browser List of uninstall packages: com.miui.videoplayer - Mi Video com.miui.player - Mi Music com.miui.weather2 - Weather com.xiaomi.scanner - Scanner

After removing, restart your smartphone. This will free up to 200-500 MB and reduce background activity.

⚠️ Note: Do not delete applications called com.android, com.qualcomm or com.miui.home, which will cause the system to fail!

7. Method 6: Reset to factory settings (last resort)

If none of the methods worked, and the Other Files take up more than 5GB, it will completely reset, which will delete all data, including accounts, photos and apps, so make sure to back up!

How to reset:

1. Go to Settings → Additional → Recovery and Reset.
2. Select "Settings Reset."
3. Mark “Clear everything” and confirm the action.
4. Wait until it is completed (it will take 5-15 minutes).

After discharge:

• 🔄 Do not restore data from the backup right away – first check if the “Other Files” have reappeared.
• 📱 Install applications selectively, avoiding unnecessary ones.
• 🔒 Turn off automatic app updates on Google Play.

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Resetting to factory settings is the only way to remove system debris that has been accumulating for years, but after resetting, "Other Files" can reappear if you don't keep track of the cache and the apps installed.

8. Method 7: Preventing the accumulation of "Other Files"

To prevent the problem from returning, follow simple rules:

• 📵 Clean the cache every 1-2 weeks (via Settings or Cleanup utility»).
• 🚫 Remove unnecessary apps completely, not just “stop” them.
• 🔄 Turn off auto-update for games and social networks in Google Play.
• 📥 Don't keep it. APK-files in smartphone memory – delete them after installation.
• 📂 Use cloud storage (Google Photos, Mi Cloud) for backups.

You can also install third-party utilities for automatic cleaning, for example:

• SD Maid (requires root for deep cleaning)
• Files by Google (shows junk files without root)
• CCleaner (convenient for clearing cache and history)

If you install/remove apps frequently, consider using a memory card (up to 256GB) to store data. Redmi 6 supports microSD with internal memory (but this will slow down the card).

FAQ: Frequent Questions About “Other Files” on Xiaomi Redmi 6