Owners of Xiaomi Mi 9 flagship smartphones often face a paradoxical situation: it seems that there are few photos, applications are installed only necessary, and free space on the internal drive disappears rapidly. When analyzing storage, the system shows a mysterious partition that can take from 10 to even 40 gigabytes, which is critical for a model with a basic memory capacity of 64 or 128 GB. This partition is often labeled as “Other”, “Other” or “System Data”, and its bloating turns the use of Android into a real nightmare due to constant notifications of space shortage.
The nature of these files lies in the way MIUI and Android work. Over time, apps accumulate huge amounts of temporary data, cache, residual files after deleted programs and incorrectly running logs. Cleaning the Other section on Xiaomi Mi 9 is safe if you understand which files you are deleting and back up important data before radical actions. In this article, we will examine proven methods that will help you return gigabytes of free space without the need to flash the device.
Don’t ignore memory overflow, as it’s not just an inconvenience. When the space runs out, the system starts to run slower, there may be errors when you start apps, and in the worst case, the phone can go into a cyclical reboot. Understanding where the digital junk is hiding will allow you to keep the Xiaomi Mi 9 in excellent condition throughout its life.
Storage analysis: what is hidden by the “Other” section
Before we take drastic action to delete files, we need to understand what exactly this mysterious volume consists of. The standard storage analyzer in MIUI settings often shows only the big picture, without going into detail. The Other section is a hoard where the system dumps everything that it could not correctly classify as photos, videos, music or installed applications.
The bulk of this volume is primarily occupied by messenger cached data. Telegram and WhatsApp have a habit of storing all media files viewed in local memory, even if you have already seen them on another device, and may also contain offline maps of navigators, temporary video editor files and streaming services data that cache content for faster playback.
System logs and error dumps also fall into this category, and if an application is not working properly or crashes, the system can record error reports that grow to gigabytes over time, and content analysis is the first and most important step that should not be skipped to avoid accidentally deleting important system files.
Cleaning with standard MIUI tools
The safest and easiest way to start the fight for space is to use built-in cleaning utilities. The MIUI shell already has a Security app that can find and delete some junk files. However, many users are limited to surface cleaning without going into the deep settings of this tool.
To clean up more thoroughly, you need to run the Security app and select Clean up. After the initial scan, the system will prompt you to remove obvious debris. But the secret is the Clean Up Garbage button, which often opens an extended menu, and you can find old APK installation packages that were left behind after the app update, and large files that you might have forgotten in the download folder.
And remember, Deep Clean, which analyzes similar photos, screenshots and rarely used apps. Xiaomi Mi 9 is equipped with a fairly powerful processor, so the scanning process is quick. Regular use of these tools at least once a week will prevent critical growth of the “Other” partition.
☑️ Xiaomi Weekly Cleanup
Manual cleaning of the cache of messengers and social networks
As mentioned, the main culprits of filling up memory are messengers. Telegram, for example, stores all the content viewed in the cache, which is not formally considered part of the chat, but takes up space on the disk. To get to this data, you need to go to the settings of the application itself, not the general settings of the phone.
In Telegram, the path is: Settings → Data and memory → Memory usage. Here you will see the amount of cache you are cacheing. By clicking Clear Cache, you will free up gigabytes of space, while the correspondence history and the files themselves will remain in the cloud and download again as needed. Similar to WhatsApp, where you need to go to Settings → Data and Storage Management → Storage Management.
Social networks like VK or Instagram are also prone to accumulating temporary files. These apps often have a "Cache" option in their settings that can be safely cleared. If the built-in tools fail to clean everything, you can use the system menu: Settings → Apps → All Apps → [Select App] → Storage → Clear Cache. It is important not to confuse "Cache Clearing" with "Clean All Data", since in the second case you will lose the usernames and settings of the application.
⚠️ Note: When clearing messenger data, make sure you remember the password from your account or that the linked phone number is available, as after a complete data clearing, re-authorization may be required.
Use of Third-Party File Managers
The standard MIUI Explorer is good, but for deep analysis of hidden folders, specialized file managers with permission to access system partitions are better suited. One of the best solutions is the Total Commander application or X-plore File Manager, which allows you to see the real structure of folders and find heavyweights that are hidden from the eyes of the average user.
With these tools, you can find folders with names like.thumbnails that can grow to incredible sizes. It's also worth checking the Android/data folder where apps store their work data. Sometimes a remote application leaves its "memory" here, which needs to be manually deleted.
For advanced users, Root is available, which allows access to all system files. However, on Xiaomi Mi 9, obtaining superuser rights can lead to a loss of warranty and the inability to use banking applications without additional manipulation.
Should I delete the folder.thumbnails?
Resetting settings and radical methods
If the software methods don’t help and the Other section continues to grow, occupying a critical volume, the last, but most effective method is a complete reset.This procedure will return the Xiaomi Mi 9 to a factory state, completely removing all user data, applications and, most importantly, accumulated system debris.
Before starting the procedure, make sure to back up all important data. You can use the Mi Cloud service, Google Drive or save files to your computer. Also make sure that the battery is at least 50% so that the phone does not turn off during the reset process.
To perform the reset, go to Settings → About Phone → Settings Reset → Erase all data. The system will request the screen unlock password and the Mi Account password for confirmation. Once you reboot, you will get a clean system where the Other partition will occupy the minimum possible volume.
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After resetting, don’t rush to restore all applications from backup at once.Install only the most necessary ones to check if memory starts to fill up again with garbage due to one particular application.
| Cleaning method | Efficiency | Risk of data loss | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard MIUI cleaning | Low (up to 1GB) | No. | Very easy. |
| Clearing messenger cache | Medium (1-5 GB) | Minimum | Easy. |
| File managers | High (5-15 GB) | Medium (needs attention) | Middle-Average |
| Full reset (Factory Reset) | Maximum (frees everything) | Tall (replica needed) | Hardly. |
⚠️ Warning: Full reset permanently deletes all photos, contacts and messages. Make sure the backup is successfully created and verified on another device before starting the process.
Prevention and useful advice
To prevent the problem of overflowing the “Other” section on Xiaomi Mi 9 from returning too often, you should introduce a few useful habits: First, set up automatic cache cleaning in messengers. In the same Telegram, you can set a media storage limit, for example, “3 days” or “1 week”, after which old files will be deleted automatically.
Second, check the Downloads folder regularly. Often users download documents, browser pictures, or installation files and forget about them. These files don't always fall into categorized sections and settle into the "Other" section. Use desktop widgets for quick access to memory management.
Finally, keep an eye out for MIUI updates. Xiaomi engineers are constantly working to optimize the file system, and newer versions of firmware can make cleaning algorithms more efficient. Don't ignore notifications about available updates, but only install them when there is enough free memory.
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Regular prevention and setting up auto-cleaning in instant messengers saves up to 80% of the time to combat memory shortages in the future.