Owners of budget smartphones like the Redmi 6A often face a critical shortage of internal memory, compounded by the mysterious “Other” category in system storage, which can take up gigabytes of usable space, which often expands to a huge size, blocking the installation of updates and new applications.
Understanding the nature of this data is the first step to solving a problem, and unlike photos or music, the contents of the Other folder are not always obvious to the user, and may be hiding messenger cache, remnants of remote programs, error logs, and temporary system files.
Don’t panic if you see that this category is over 5-10 GB. There are proven methods of safe cleaning that do not require root rights or deep knowledge of programming. The main thing is to act consistently and understand which files can be deleted without risking the operation of the MIUI operating system.
Anatomy Category Others on Redmi 6A
The MIUI “Other” category is a kind of file system black box, where the Android operating system puts everything it couldn’t automatically classify as images, videos, audio or documents, most often inflated by the cache of social networks like Telegram and WhatsApp, which store the media files viewed in hidden directories.
And there may be app performance data that you don't even use on a daily basis, and system logs, error reports, and temporary update files are also deposited in this section, and it's important to understand that the standard analyzer doesn't always correctly map the actual size of those folders, which creates the illusion of even more consumption.
Sometimes, the Other hides the remnants of deleted games or programs, and if the uninstallation goes wrong, the data folders can remain dead weight, which is why manually checking the file structure often yields better results than automatic cleaners.
⚠️ Note: Do not delete files with the extension.apk or system libraries (.so,.dex) from the Others folder manually unless you are sure of their origin.
The analysis shows that the majority of the garbage is generated by user applications, not by the system itself, so the fight for space should start with the revision of installed programs.
Use of the built-in Security application
The easiest and safest way to start cleaning is to use Xiaomi’s regular tool, which is already pre-installed on Redmi 6A and has access to system cleaning features not available to third-party software.
To start the procedure, you need to open the application and select the "Clean Up" item, the system will analyze the device and suggest removing obvious debris: cache, application residues and advertising, but this may not be enough to deep-clean the "Other" category.
Inside the app, there's Deep Clean, which scans large files and duplicates, and the algorithm works so that it doesn't touch important system files, but sometimes it skips over the bulky folders of messengers.
Regular use of this tool helps maintain order, but does not solve the problem radically if too much garbage has accumulated.
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Start a deep cleanup only when the phone is connected to Wi-Fi and charged at least 20% so that the process does not stop suddenly.
Cleaning the cache of messengers and social networks
The main culprits in filling the category “Other” are almost always messengers. Telegram, WhatsApp and Viber by default store all the photos and videos viewed in the memory of the device, over time these files turn into giant archives, which the system marks as “Other”.
The most effective method is to clean through the settings of the app itself. Telegram needs to go to Settings → Data and memory → Memory use and click “Clear cache.” This action is safe and will not delete your correspondence, the files will simply be re-uploaded if necessary.
On WhatsApp, the situation is similar: go to Settings → Data and Storage → Storage Management. Here you can selectively delete heavy video files or clear the entire cache at once. Often this frees up 2 to 5 GB of space.
- 📱 Open the settings of a specific messenger.
- 💾 Find a section related to memory or data.
- 🗑️ Select the cache cleanup option (not to be confused with data cleanup!).
- ✅ Confirm the action and check the vacated place.
After this procedure, the Other category should be significantly reduced in size, and if it didn't, then the debris has gone deeper into the system.
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Clearing the messenger cache is the most effective way to quickly free up space on Redmi 6A without losing personal data.
Manual deletion of files through Explorer
For more advanced users, manual cleaning through the built-in Explorer is a way to visually assess which folders are taking up space, and you need to go to the root directory and sort the folders by size.
Particular attention should be paid to folders with names Android/data and Android/obb. It stores game and application data. Deleting folders from games that have already been deleted is completely safe and often gives good results.
Also worth checking is MIUI/gallery/cloud if you've used cloud sync, or Tencent if you've got games or apps installed from that developer, often with heavy temporary files left over.
Way to check: Internal drive → Android → data → com.android.vending (example of cache)Be careful when deleting files inside your Android folder, and only remove directories that are familiar to you and that are related to remote applications.
⚠️ Warning: Never delete folders with the names system, config, miui or com.android.providers unless you know exactly what they are for.
The manual method requires care, but gives you complete control over the contents of the storage.
Reset application settings and clean up data
If standard methods don’t work, you can try resetting specific “heavy” applications, which will return the program to a post-install state by removing all the accumulated cache and temporary files.
To do this, go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Find the app that consumes the most resources (often browsers or social networks), and select Memory. Click Clear and select All Data.
Keep in mind that after this operation, you're going to have to log in again to the app, and all the settings inside the program are going to be reset to factory, which is a radical but very effective method of dealing with bloated cache.
☑️ Checklist before application data reset
Use this method selectively, only for those programs that take up a disproportionate amount of space in the Other category.
Comparison of Memory Cleaning Methods
To choose the best cleaning method for your situation, it is worth comparing the available methods in terms of efficiency and complexity. Some methods are safe but give little result, others are effective but require caution.
The table below compares the main approaches to cleaning the category “Others” on Redmi 6A.
| Cleaning method | Efficiency | Security | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built-in cleaning | Low. | Tall. | Low. |
| Clearing messenger cache | Tall. | Tall. | Low. |
| Manual removal in the Conductor | Medium | Medium | Medium |
| Resetting of application data | Very high. | Tall. | Medium |
As you can see from the table, cleaning messenger cache is the middle ground in terms of risk and outcome. Manual deletion requires more technical literacy.
Why is the Other category growing again?
Radical measures: complete resetting of the device
If nothing helps and the Other category continues to grow, taking up almost all of the memory, the last option is a full reset to the factory settings (Hard Reset), which is guaranteed to remove all software debris, viruses and file system errors.
Before starting the procedure, be sure to back up all important contacts, photos and documents, as in the process, absolutely all user information will be deleted.
To perform the reset, go to Settings → About Phone → Settings Reset → Erase all data. The device will reboot and begin the cleanup process, which can take 10 to 30 minutes.
Once the reset is complete, the system will be clean and the Other category will be as small as possible, the best way to extend the life of an older smartphone like the Redmi 6A and speed up its performance.
⚠️ Warning: Make sure the battery is at least 50% charged before starting a full reset. interruption of the process during the formatting phase may cause damage to the system partition.
Use this method only as a last resort when other methods have exhausted their effectiveness.