Xiaomi’s “Other” in Memory: What Are These Files and How to Clean Them Without Risk

Have you ever looked into your Xiaomi, Redmi, or POCO memory settings and seen the mysterious “Other” section that takes up gigabytes of space? These gray files are not photo, video, or app, but somehow stubbornly “bloat” internal memory. In this article, we will understand what is hidden under the “Other” label, why the system does not allow you to delete them in one click – and how to make room without harming your smartphone.

Spoiler: some of these files can be deleted, but some are critical to MIUI. We tested all the ways on models from Redmi Note 10 Pro to Xiaomi 13 Ultra and selected only those that are guaranteed to work on current versions of firmware (including MIUI 14 and HyperOS).

What is the Other in Xiaomi’s Memory and Why Does It Take So Much Space?

The Other section of MIUI is the garbage bin of the operating system, where files that could not be automatically classified end up.

• 📁 Cache of system applications (e.g. com.miui.home or com.android.systemui) that is not cleaned by standard means.
• 🔄 Temporary update files (OTA-Packages that remain after new versions are installed MIUI.
• 📱 Logs and memory dumps that the system creates when it crashes (for example, files with the.log or.dmp extension).
• 🗑️ Remnants of remote applications that have not been cleaned completely (such as settings or databases).
• 🔐 Encrypted files from applications like Mi Cloud or Mi Pay that the system cannot read.

On new smartphones (for example, Xiaomi 14 or POCO F6), the “Other” section can take from 1-2 GB, but on older models (like Redmi 5 Plus), its volume sometimes reaches 10-15 GB! The reason is the accumulation of garbage over the years of use and the features of the F2FS file system, which Xiaomi uses on most devices.

It is important to understand that not all files in Other can be deleted, such as system logs (/data/log) or configuration files (/data/system) are critical to the stable operation of the phone, and deleting them can lead to a cyclical reboot or even a bricking up of the device.

Method 1: Clearing the cache of system applications (without root)

The safest method is to remove the cache of embedded MIUI services. These files are not critical to the system, but often “inflated” to several gigabytes. For example, the cache of com.miui.gallery (Gallery) or com.android.vending (Google Play) can take up to 500-800 MB.

How to clean:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select “Show System Processes”.
3. Sort the applications by size (click on "Size").
4. Select large cache apps (e.g. MiuiDaemon, SecurityCenter, DownloadProvider) and click Clear Cache.

com.miui.home

com.android.systemui

com.miui.gallery

com.android.vending

com.miui.securitycenter

⚠️ Note: Do not clear cache from com.qualcomm.qti... (processor modules) or com.android.phone (telephony) services.

Method 2: Delete temporary update files (manually)

Every time your Xiaomi receives an update MIUI «airborne» (OTA), The system saves the installation package in the folder /data/ota_package. Even after installation, these files are often left behind and taken from 1,5 before 3 GB.

To remove them:

1. Connect your phone to your computer and turn on “Debugging by USB” (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version → 7 times click on the build number → return to Additional Settings → For Developers).
2. Use it. ADB-Command: Adb shell su rm -rf /data/ota_package/* exit exit
3. If you don’t have root rights, try using a file manager (such as MiXplorer) to follow the path. /data/ota_package manually delete files with the.zip extension.

💡 Useful advice: If you do not plan to update through OTA, You can turn off automatic packet loading in Settings → The phone. → Updating the system → Three points. → Settings → Auto-downloading updates.

Method 3: Cleaning Logs and Dumps (for Power Users)

MIUI maintains detailed logs of all processes, which are useful for diagnostics, but are completely useless for the average user.

• /data/log is the main log of the system.
• /data/anr – dumps when applications freeze (ANR).
• /data/tombstones – logs of critical crashes.

You can remove them through ADB:

adb shell


su




rm -rf /data/log/*




rm -rf /data/anr/*




rm -rf /data/tombstones/*




exit

⚠️ Note: Do not delete files in /data/system! This will result in the loss of all settings (including accounts, Wi-Fi networks and passwords), and if you accidentally delete something important, only a factory reset will help.

Method 4: Use of Hidden MIUI Functions (without root)

MIUI has deep cleaning tools built in, but they're hidden from the user, and one of them is "Storage" in developer mode.

How to activate:

1. Enable Developer Mode (as in Method 2).
2. Go to Settings → Additional settings → For developers.
3. Find the "Storage" item and click on it.
4. Select “Clear all data” (this will remove the cache of all applications, including system ones).

🔍 What it does: Frees up to 1-3 GB of space, but resets the settings of some applications (for example, Mi Browser or Themes).

💡

If the phone is slower after cleaning, restart it, and the system will restore critical cache files within 5-10 minutes.

Method 5: Complete Fastboot reset (extreme case)

If the Other partition takes up more than 5GB and previous methods didn’t work, it leaves a full reset via Fastboot, which removes all data, including system debris, but requires a computer and knowledge of commands.

Step-by-step:

1. Sweep through the clean firmware via the Mi Flash Tool (select the "Clean all" option).

⚠️ Note: This method will delete all data, including photos, messages and apps. Before the procedure, make a backup through Settings. → The phone. → Backup or Mi Cloud Backup.

💡

Resetting via Fastboot is the only way to completely clear the Other section on older Xiaomi models (like the Redmi 4X or Mi A1), where the garbage buildup reaches 10+GB.

What can not be done when cleaning the “Other”

Some of the “tip” on the internet can permanently break your Xiaomi.

• 🚫 Delete files in /system, /vendor or /boot — This will make it impossible to load the phone.
• 🚫 Use applications like SD Maid or Clean Master with root rights for "deep cleaning" and often delete critical files.
• 🚫 Format a section /data through TWRP It erases all data, including IMEI on some models.
• 🚫 Delete files with the.odex or.vdex extension – they are responsible for optimizing the operation of applications.

If you’re not sure if you can delete a specific file, check it out via VirusTotal or ask on forums like 4PDA or XDA-Developers.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the "Other" section