Xiaomi’s “Other Files”: What They Are, Why They Are Lots, and How to Clean Your Memory Without Risk

Why Other Files Are Eating Memory on Xiaomi and What to Do About Them

Have you ever looked into your Xiaomi storage and wondered where these mysterious "Other Files" that take up gigabytes of memory came from? It's not just garbage, it's a name that hides app cache, temporary data, update remnants, and even fragments of deleted files that the system couldn't properly clean up. Unlike photos or videos that are easy to identify, "Others" is a "black box" of memory where data that doesn't fall into the standard categories accumulate.

The problem is that over time, this partition grows to 10 to 20 GB (and on some Redmi or POCO models, up to 30 GB!), even though you haven’t downloaded anything, because of the aggressive MIUI caching policy, the background work of Google and Xiaomi services, and the features of the F2FS file system that the manufacturer uses on most devices. But the good news is that up to 70% of these files can be safely deleted without root rights and resets, if you know where and what to clean.

In this article, we will discuss:

• 🔍 What exactly is hidden under the category “Other files”** and why they can not be simply erased.
• ⚡ Top.-5 Cleaning methods – from built-in tools MIUI Up to Hidden Features for Experienced Users.
• ⚠️ What files can not be touched so as not to break the system (spoiler: it is not only a problem) /data/dalvik-cache).
• 📱 Features for specific models - why on the Redmi Note 12 and POCO F5 cleaning methods differ.

What is “Other files” in Xiaomi: we analyze the composition of garbage

When you open Settings → Memory, MIUI divides all the data into categories: Apps, Images, Videos, etc. Anything that doesn't make it into those groups automatically goes to Others. But what exactly is there?

According to the analysis of the file structure of Xiaomi (conducted by enthusiasts with XDA Developers), this section includes:

• 🗑️ Application and system services cache – temporary files that should be deleted automatically, but often remain due to failures.
• 📦 Remains of updates - packages OTA, which the system has downloaded but has not installed (or has installed incorrectly).
• 🧹 Logs and dumps - debugging files (/data/log), which are created when applications crash or system errors.
• 🔄 Fragmented data – “snippets” of files that are left behind after incorrect deletion (for example, through Gallery or Files).
• 📁 Hidden application folders – some programs (such as Facebook or TikTok) store data in non-obvious directories such as /Android/data/com.facebook.katana/cache.

Interesting fact: on devices with MIUI 14+, the share of Other Files has increased due to the integration of HyperOS. The new shell uses cache more actively to speed up animations and transitions, but it cleans it worse. For example, after upgrading to HyperOS 1.0, Xiaomi 13 users complained about a sudden increase in this partition by 5-8 GB.

⚠️ Attention: If Other Files have more than 15GB and you haven't installed heavy games or programs, it could be a sign of a virus.Some malicious apps mask their data as system files. Check the device through Google Play Protect or Malwarebytes.

Method 1: Built-in memory cleanup in MIUI – does it work?

The most obvious method is to use the built-in Security → Cleaner tool, but there's a nuance here: by default, it only removes surface debris (browser cache, thumbnails, temporary files) without affecting deep Others.

1. Open Settings → Memory.
2. Tap on “Other files” (if the section is clickable – on some firmware it simply displays the volume).
3. Select “Deep Clean” (or “Advanced”, depending on the version of MIUI).
4. Confirm the deletion of only those files that are marked as secure by the system.

What to pay attention to:

• 🔹 Not all files in this section can be deleted through a standard cleaner, such as the Google Play Services cache (/data/data/com.google.android.gms) often remains intact.
• 🔹 Nana POCO and Redmi with MIUI for POCO There is a separate item "Cleaning up" POCO», more aggressive.
• 🔹 After cleaning, restart the device – this will allow the system to recalculate the occupied space.

The method efficiency: 30-50% (depending on the model and firmware version). On Xiaomi 12T with MIUI 14, this way it is possible to release 2-4 GB, on older devices (for example, Redmi Note 9) - up to 1-2 GB.

Method 2: Manual removal via Files by Google – hidden folders

Files by Google (available on the Play Market) can find and delete files that the standard MIUI cleaner skips.

1. Install and open Files by Google.
2. Go to the section "Cleaning up» → «Other files».
3. Select “View Files” (don’t just click “Clear!”).
4. Hand-mark the trash folders.

/storage/emulated/0/Android/data/*/cache


/storage/emulated/0/Android/obb/ (if there are remnants of deleted games)




/storage/emulated/0/MIUI/backup/ (backups that have not been deleted)




/storage/emulated/0/Download/.thumbnails (download miniatures)

What can not be manually removed:

• 🚫 Folders called com.android.* (system data).
• 🚫 Files in /data/app (These are installed applications).
• 🚫 Any files with the.odex or.vdex extension (application components).

Files by Google has the advantage of showing the size of each file, which helps to identify the “heavy” residues, for example, after removing a Genshin Impact game, a file weighing 1-2 GB may remain in the /Android/obb folder.

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If you have files older than 6 months in /MIUI/backup, you can delete them – these are outdated backups that the system no longer uses.

Method 3: Cleaning through ADB for advanced users

If the built-in methods didn’t help, and Other Files still take 10+GB, you can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires connecting the phone to your computer, but allows you to remove debris that is not available through the GUI.

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on "Debugging by" USB» In Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (Tap 7 times, then return to "More» → «For developers»).
2. Connect your phone to your PC and confirm access to debugging.
3. Open the command prompt (or Terminal on Mac/Linux) and type:

adb shell


su




cd /data




du -sh * | sort -rh | head -n 20

This command will show the 20 largest folders in the /data section. Usually, the garbage accumulates in:

• 📂 /data/log — Logs of the system (can be cleared by the rm command) -rf /data/log/*).
• 📂 /data/tombstones — error dumps (remove: rm) -rf /data/tombstones/*).
• 📂 /data/dalvik-cache — Don't touch it! It's critical for the apps to work.

⚠️ Attention: Rm teams -rf They delete data irreversibly. If you're not sure about the folder, check the contents first through the ls/path/to/folder!

For Xiaomi users with MIUI 13+, there is an alternative way through MIUI Hidden Settings (an app for revealing hidden features). It can be found in the item "Storage Cleaner", which offers advanced cleaning options that are not available in the standard menu.

Method 4: Recovery Mode Cache Reset – Radical but Effective

If none of the methods worked and Other Files still took up an unnecessarily large amount of space, you can try resetting your cache through Recovery Mode, which won’t delete your data, but will clear the system cache, which can weigh several gigabytes.

Instructions:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Power button + Volume up until the MIUI logo appears.
3. From the Recovery menu, select Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache.
4. Confirm the action and wait for the completion.
5. Reset the device.

What does it mean?

• ✅ Removes the update cache (/cache), weighable 1–3 GB.
• ✅ Clears temporary kernel and module files.
• ❌ Does not affect user data (photos, messages, etc.).

On some devices (such as Xiaomi 11T or Redmi K50) after this procedure, the system can boot longer – this is normal, as it recovers the cache of applications.

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Recovery cache dumping is the safest “radical” method, as it does not affect user data, but it does not clean up debris in /data, so it is only effective in combination with other methods.

Method 5: Using Third-Party Utilities – Risks and Recommendations

There are hundreds of apps in the Play Market that promise to magically clear up memory, but most of them are either useless or dangerous. We tested the top-end utilities and made a list of those that actually work (and don't steal data):

Our verdict is that SD Maid and Files by Google are the best options for manual cleaning, but CCleaner and similar utilities are best avoided: they often remove too much, which leads to lags or errors in the application.

Important point: do not use memory optimizers like DU Speed Booster or Clean Master.

• 🚫 Slow down the phone while working in the background.
• 🚫 Can delete important data (e.g. game saves).
• 🚫 Often contain malicious code (according to Malwarebytes, 1 in 5 such applications are fake).

What do you do when nothing works?

If, after all the manipulations, the “Other Files” still take 15+ GB, there are two options:

1. Reset to factory settings, completely erases all data, including system debris.

• 🔄 Write down logins/passwords (for example, through Google Password Manager).

After resetting, the system will be “clean”, but you will have to adjust everything again.

1. Fastboot flashing.Extreme measure for power users. requires unlocking the bootloader and can lead to loss of warranty. Detailed instructions are available at xiaomi.eu.

Before you go for radical measures, check:

• 🔍 Do you have pirated apps installed (they often disguise their data as system apps).
• 🔍 Are there any hidden archives in Other Files (e.g.,.zip or.rar in the folder) /Download).
• 🔍 Are you using the Memory Extension feature** (on some Redmis, it creates a hidden partition that appears as "Others»).

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If the Other Files grow quickly again after resetting, the problem may be with the firmware. Try upgrading to the latest version of MIUI or rolling back to a stable build.

FAQ: Frequent Questions About Xiaomi's "Other Files"