Xiaomi Redmi’s “Other Files”: What They Are, Why They Take Up Memory, and How to Delete Them

Have you ever gone into your Xiaomi Redmi memory settings and seen the mysterious Other Files category take the lion's share? It's not just numbers -- it's real gigabytes that eat up space on your device, even though you haven't set anything new. What's the catch? It's that the term hides app cache, temporary data, remnants of deleted programs, system logs, and even patches that haven't been cleaned properly.

Compounding the problem, standard cleaning methods (e.g., Settings → Memory → Cleanup) often do not affect these files, and as a result, users face memory shortages, even though there is nothing superfluous on the phone. Worse, some “other files” can be critical to the system’s operation – their accidental deletion will lead to failures. How to find a balance between freeing up space and keeping data safe? In this guide, we will discuss 5 secure ways, including hidden MIUI functions, ADB commands and verified third-party utilities.

Before we clean up, it's important to understand that "Other files" are not garbage in the usual sense. Some of them can indeed be deleted without consequences, but some elements (such as Dalvik-cache files or Android/obb data) are related to the operation of applications. Cleaning them can lead to re-downloading data the next time a program starts, or even errors. So our motto is "Analysis first, then action."

What are Xiaomi Redmi’s “Other Files” and Why Do They Take So Much Space?

If you open Settings → Memory → Memory Analysis on any Redmi smartphone (be it Redmi Note 12 or Redmi 10C), you will see a graph with the space distribution. Among the categories Photos, Videos and Applications, there will necessarily be an item Other, which can take from 5 to 20 GB — even on a nearly empty device. What is it?

The term “Other Files” in MIUI is used to refer to:

• 📁 App cache and systems are temporary data that are created to speed up programs, such as YouTube cache or Google Play Services.
• 🗑️ Remnant applications – files that were not completely erased during uninstallation (for example, folders in the /Android/data/ or /Android/obb/).
• 📜 Log files and dumps are records of system operation, errors and crashes, and many of them accumulate after updates. MIUI.
• 🔄 Update fragments – undeleted firmware packets or temporary files created during the installation of updates.
• 🎮 Game data – saves, texture packs and other resources that games download in the background.

Interesting fact: on Xiaomi with MIUI 14+ firmware, some of the “other files” may refer to virtual memory (swap), which the system uses to optimize multitasking.

Why doesn't MIUI clean them automatically? It's all about the logic of Android, because it thinks you might need those files again, like Chrome or Instagram cache, which allows you to load frequently visited pages faster, but over time, that cache grows to uncontrollable sizes and is only deleted by force.

Method 1: Cleaning through built-in MIUI tools

Let's start with the simplest and safest method, which is to use standard MIUI features, which does not require root rights and is suitable even for beginners.

Step 1. Clean up the app cache

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Slip on the three dots in the top right corner and select "Sort by size."
3. Open the apps with the largest cache (usually Google Play Services, YouTube, Facebook or MIUI Gallery).
4. Click Clear Cache (not to be confused with Clear Data – this will remove all app settings!).

Step 2: Deep Cleaning Through “Safety”

• 🛡️ Open the Security app (Icon with shield).
• Go to the section "Cleaning up» → «Deep cleaning».
• Wait for the analysis and tick the “Residual Files” and “Large Files” points.
• Press "Clear."

Step 3: Delete Unnecessary Files through Files

• 📂 Start the Files app (or File Manager»).
• Go to the category "Analysis" or "Storage".
• Select “Other Files” and manually check folders: Download – Old Downloads; Android/data and Android/obb — play-off; MIUI/backup — backup; DCIM/.thumbnails — photo-picture.

⚠️ Note: Do not delete folders called com.android. or com.xiaomi. – this is system data. Also avoid files with extensions.dex,.oat or.art – they are associated with the Dalvik cache.

Method 2: Using ADB for deep cleaning (without root)

If the built-in tools didn't work, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), Google's official tool that lets you control your device through a computer, which doesn't require superuser rights, but gives you access to hidden cleaning commands.

What you need:

• 💻 Computer with Windows, macOS or Linux;
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original);
• 📥 Installed drivers ADB (You can download from the Google website or through SDK Platform Tools).

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on USB Debugging on your smartphone: Go to Settings → About Phone; Tap 7 times on MIUI Version to activate Developer Mode;li> Return to Settings, open Additional → Developer → and enable USB Debugging.

"File transfer"

cmd

Windows

Terminal

macOS/Linux

adb devices

If the device appears in the list, move on.

adb shell pm trim-caches 1000G


adb shell cmd package bg-dexopt-job

The first command clears the cache of all applications, the second - optimizes Dalvik cache.

adb shell rm -rf /data/local/tmp/*


adb shell rm -rf /cache/*

⚠️ Attention: Rm teams -rf They delete files permanently. Don't use them for folders. /system or /vendor — This will cause the device to fail.

💡

If the phone is slower after the ADB commands are executed, restart it. The system will restore the necessary cache files automatically.

Method 3: Third-party applications for analysis and cleaning

If manual methods seem complicated, you can use specialized utilities. We tested the 3 most effective applications for working with "other files" on Xiaomi Redmi:

How to use SD Maid (the most effective solution):

1. Click "Execute" and confirm the cleanup.

⚠️ Note: Apps like Clean Master or 360 Security often show false threats and aggressively clear cache, which can slow down the phone.

Method 4: Manual cleaning through File Manager (for power users)

If you’re willing to dig through the file system yourself, this method will help you find and remove hidden junk files that aren’t visible by standard means.

What folders can be cleaned:

How to enable the display of hidden files:

1. Open the File Manager (File Manager).
2. Slip three lines in the top left corner and select Settings.
3. Activate the option “Show hidden files”.

What NOT to delete:

• 🚫 Folders with names com.android., com.xiaomi., com.google.;
• 🚫 Files in /system, /vendor or /boot;
• 🚫 Any files with extensions.apk,.odex,.vdex.

💡

Manual cleaning is the most effective method, but also the riskiest. Always check file extensions before deleting and don't touch system folders.

Method 5: Reset to factory settings (last resort)

If all previous methods failed, and the “other files” still take up 10+GB, the last option is a complete reset, a radical solution that will remove all data from the device, including apps, photos and settings, and use it only as a last resort!

How to do the reset correctly:

1. Back up important data: Photos and videos – copy to your computer or the cloud; Contacts – sync with your Google account; Messages – use applications like SMS Backup & Restore.

Settings → About the phone → Resetting settings

"Erase all data."

Enter your password (if required) and confirm the reset.

After restarting, set your phone as new.

⚠️ Note: Some Redmi models (e.g. Redmi Note) 11) After the reset, there may be a folder. MIUI/backup Remove it manually through File Manager.

What to do after the discharge:

• 🔄 Don’t restore data from a backup right away – first check how much space “other files” take up on a clean system;
• 📱 Install applications one at a time and watch for changes in occupied space;
• 🔍 Clean the cache regularly through Settings → Memory.

💡

If the "other files" reappeared after a week, the problem may be in a particular application: Try uninstalling the recently installed programs and watching for memory changes.

How to Prevent the Accumulation of Other Files in the Future

To avoid the problem again, follow these recommendations:

1. Set up automatic cleaning:

• 🤖 Enable “Auto Cleaning” in the “Security” app (Settings) → Cleanup → Autocleaning);
• 📅 Set a schedule (for example, once a week).

2. Control the application cache:

• 🎮 For games (such as Genshin Impact or Free Fire), limit background activity in Settings. → Annexes → Data limitation;
• 🌐 In browsers (Chrome, Mi Browser) disable “Page Preload” in the settings.

3. Keep an eye out for updates:

• 🔄 After each update MIUI check the folder /cache for the presence of temporary files;
• 📦 Remove old service packs in Settings → The phone. → Updating the system → Three-pointed → Remove the downloaded package.

4. Use cloud services:

• ☁️ Transfer rarely used files to Google Drive, Mi Cloud or Yandex Disk;
• 📸 Enable “Autoupload Photos” in Google Photos so that the originals don’t take up space on the phone.

Important: On devices with MIUI 14+, some of the “other files” may refer to the “Memory Extension” function (using part of the internal drive as RAM). You can turn it off in Settings → Additional → Expansion of memory, but this can reduce multitasking.

FAQ: Frequent questions about “other files” on Xiaomi Redmi