Owners of Xiaomi Poco X3 smartphones often face an annoying problem: the internal memory of the device is rapidly running out, and a detailed analysis of the storage reveals that the lion’s share of space is occupied by a mysterious section called “The Other” This section can grow to 10, 20 and even 30 gigabytes, turning a modern gadget into a sluggish machine. Android system and the shell MIUI store temporary files, app cache, remnants of remote programs and system logs that are not automatically deleted.
It is important for the user to understand that simply deleting photos or videos rarely solves the problem, as they occupy a separate, visible partition. It is hidden data in the category "System files" that requires a specific approach to clean. In this article, we will discuss proven methods of freeing up memory that are safe for your Poco X3 NFC or Poco X3 Pro operating system.
Ignoring overflows in this partition can cause major interface slowdowns, problems installing updates, and even cyclical reboots. The critical threshold is filling the Other section with more than 80% of the device’s total internal memory. Below are step-by-step instructions that will help you get back gigabytes of free space.
Analysis of the contents of the “Other” section
Before we start taking drastic measures, we need to figure out what exactly takes up space. In standard MIUI, detail is often hidden, so it's worth using an integrated analyzer or third-party utilities. The system groupes everything into this category that can not be uniquely classified as photos, music or documents. The cache of messengers such as Telegram and WhatsApp is the most common culprit of overflow.
Many users are unaware that the video and files they have viewed in the channels are stored in the phone’s memory forever unless automatic cleaning is configured. Also, offline maps of navigators and cache of streaming services can accumulate in the “Other” section.
⚠️ Note: Do not manually delete files through root-righted file managers unless you know exactly what they are intended for. MIUI or loss of application data.
For accurate diagnostics, you can use the security app built into the Xiaomi Poco X3, which provides basic information about which applications occupy the most space, but for deep analysis, you can use specialized tools that visualize the file system.
Cleaning the cache of messengers and social networks
The most effective way to make room quickly is to work with messengers. Telegram is famous for storing the entire history of media files locally. To clean up, go to the application settings, select Data and Memory, then Memory Use, where you can safely delete the cache without losing correspondence.
The same is true for WhatsApp and Viber, which back up and store media files in hidden folders that the system classifies as “Other” — regular cleaning through the apps’ built-in features is the safest method. Don’t rely on standard Android cleaning, it’s often superficial.
Social networks like Instagram and TikTok also aggressively cache videos they’ve watched. These apps often don’t have a “Clear Cache” button in their settings, so you have to go to your phone’s settings. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps, find the social network you want, and select “Clear Cache.”
- 📱 Open the messenger settings and find the "Storage" section».
- 🗑️ Click the “Clear Cache” button inside the app, not just in the system.
- ⚙️ Enable autodelete media files in the settings "Data and memory».
- 📂 Check the Downloads folder for old files from chat rooms.
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Use the chat Archivation feature in Telegram before clearing if you’re afraid of losing important documents, although cloud storage usually keeps everything secure.
Use of the Files app by Google
The standard MIUI tools don’t always work well for finding duplicates and large forgotten files. Files by Google (or simply Files) is the official Android solution and works flawlessly on Poco X3, and it can find blurry photos, screenshots that are no longer needed, and large video files.
Once installed, the app will analyze memory and suggest categories to clean up, safely delete temporary files that the system has flagged as unnecessary, and unlike aggressive “cleaners,” the tool doesn’t delete system files that are necessary for Android to work.
Special attention should be paid to the Download tab, which often accumulates APK installation files from updated programs that are no longer needed, and the application finds duplicate files that may have formed when sync failures.
| File type | Where to find | Is it safe to remove | Potential volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash app. | Settings → Applications | Yes. | 1-5 GB |
| Files.apk | Download folder | Yes (if the appendix is installed) | 100-500MB |
| Logs of the system | Section "Other" | Only through ADB or reset | up to 10GB |
| Miniatures photo | Folder.thumbnails. | Yes (recreated) | 500MB - 2GB |
☑️ Checking the vault
Cleaning system logs through ADB
If standard methods didn't help and the "Other" section is still big, it's probably the system logs. X3 shelled MIUI They can take up gigabytes, and you'll need a computer and a minimum set of tools to remove them. ADB (Android Debug Bridge).
First, activate Developer Mode. Go to Settings → About Phone and quickly press 7 times on MIUI Version. Then, in the advanced settings, turn on USB Debugging. Connect your phone to your PC and select File Transfer Mode.
To clean the logs, a command is used that is secure for user data but requires care. Open the command line on your computer in the ADB folder and enter a command to clean the log partitions.
adb shell pm trim-databasesThis command forces the system to recount databases and often frees up space taken up by "junk." You can also try to clear specific logs, but this requires root rights that the average user may not have.
⚠️ Attention: When working with ADB Be careful when you type commands. A syntax error can lead to the deletion of the wrong data or instability of the system.
Once you have completed the commands, be sure to restart the device. Android will re-index the files, and the volume of the "Other" partition should decrease. If this does not happen, it may be a problem with a particular application that creates files indefinitely.
What if the ADB can’t see the phone?
Resetting settings as a radical method
When software bugs have been accumulating for years and cleaning the cache doesn't help, the last effective method is a complete factory reset, which is guaranteed to remove the "Other" section, as it is generated during operation. Be sure to back up important data to the Google cloud or computer before doing so.
To perform the reset, go to Settings → About Phone → Reset. Select “Delete All Data.” The process will take about 10-15 minutes. Once enabled, the Poco X3 will appear as a new, clean file system.
It is important not to restore the backup of applications immediately "wholesale"; it is better to install the applications again from Google Play. When you restore from the backup, often those very faulty configs or cache that led to the problem return.
- 🔒 Make a full backup of contacts and photos.
- ☁️ Check sync with your Google account.
- 🔋 Charge your phone to at least 60% before resetting.
- 🚫 Do not interrupt the reset process and do not turn off the phone.
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Full Reset is the only 100% way to remove system debris that is not manually cleaned but takes time to reset the phone.
Prevention of memory overflow
To keep the problem from reverting to the Other section on Xiaomi Poco X3, you need to change your smartphone usage habits. Regular memory hygiene is more important than one-time cleanings. Try not to store hundreds of thousands of photos in the gallery, but to transfer them to an external medium or to the cloud.
Use the Memory Extension feature if it is available in your version of MIUI, but remember that it uses part of the internal storage for virtual RAM, which can slightly reduce the amount of available file space.
Turn off auto-save WhatsApp and Stories from Instagram if you don’t use them all the time.These files are instantly in the “Other” section and are often forgotten by users. Regular monitoring of the storage once a month will help keep things under control.