Owners of the popular Xiaomi Redmi 9 smartphone often face the same problem: the device’s internal memory is running out of steam, even though you haven’t installed new apps or taken thousands of photos. When you try to understand the storage, the system displays a mysterious category “Other”, which can take anywhere from 5 to 20 gigabytes, which causes confusion and irritation, because standard methods to delete these files can not work.
In fact, the Other is a system category where MIUI folds the app cache, remnants of deleted programs, temporary update files and logs. Redmi 9, which is not the fastest memory by modern standards, is particularly sensitive to storage overflows, which can lead to noticeable interface lags. Understanding the structure of this data is the first step to speeding up your gadget.
In this article, we will go into detail about safe and advanced ways to clean this section. We will not rely on questionable “accelerators”, but use built-in tools and proven methods that are guaranteed to return free space to you without risking damage to the firmware.
Anatomy of the "Other" section in MIUI
Before you start taking any radical action, you need to understand what exactly occupies space on your Xiaomi Redmi 9. The “Other” category is dynamically generated and includes heterogeneous data that the system cannot classify as “Photos”, “Apps” or “Documents.” Often the lion’s share of this volume falls on the cache of messengers such as Telegram or Viber, which store the media files viewed in hidden folders.
It also stores offline navigation map files, downloaded episodes of streaming services and, most importantly for Redmi 9, system backup files. Sometimes this section gets stuck with tails from long-deleted games or applications that have not been properly uninstalled, and the system sees these files as important to work, so it hides them from the average user.
⚠️ Warning: Do not attempt to delete files from system folders manually through hidden menus unless you are sure of their purpose. MIUI or loss of specific application settings.
It is important to note that the volume of the category "Other" is often displayed incorrectly. The real size may differ from what the memory manager shows. For accurate diagnosis, it is better to use specialized disk space analyzers that visualize the structure of folders, allowing you to find the heaviest files.
Basic cleaning through Xiaomi’s built-in tools
The easiest and safest way to start the fight for space is to use the regular Cleanup tool. On Xiaomi Redmi 9, it is built into the Security app. Click on the broomstick icon to run the scan. The system will find temporary files, but often misses the deep cache hidden in the Other category.
For more in-depth analysis, go to Settings → Memory. Here you will see a color diagram of the data distribution. Click on Clear Memory to see the detail. Some versions of MIUI have Deep Cleanup, which allows you to find large files, duplicates and rarely used applications. This is a good start, but for the Other section, this is often not enough.
- 🧹 Open the Security app and select Cleanup to remove surface debris.
- 📂 Go to "Settings» → «Memory and check the Apps section to find the heaviest programs.
- 🗑️ Use the Deep Clean feature to find duplicates and forgotten downloads.
- 🔄 Restart the device after cleaning so that the system recalculates the file index.
☑️ Checklist of basic cleaning
Don't expect miracles from standard tools. They work in a pattern and are afraid to touch files that the system might theoretically need. However, using these features regularly helps prevent critical debris from growing. If the Other section still takes up more than 5-7 GB after these actions, you need to switch to manual methods.
Manual garbage removal through the conductor
To access hidden files, we need a file manager. Xiaomi’s standard Explorer is quite functional, but for advanced users, File Manager+ or Total Commander is better. Our goal is to find folders that occupy space but do not appear in the gallery or app list.
Turn on hidden files. In standard Explorer, click on three bars on the menu and select Settings, then activate Show Hidden Files. You now have system directories available. Pay special attention to the Android/data folder. This is where the cached data of games and heavy apps is stored. For example, card cache or offline translators can take up gigabytes.
Inside the data folder, look for folders with application names (e.g. com.whatsapp or com.tencent.mm) that often contain files or cache. Deleting the contents of the cache folder is safe is temporary. You need to be careful with the files folder: your personal application data may be there.
⚠️ Note: When manually deleting files from Android/data Make sure you don't erase game saves or important work application documents.
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Use the Size Sort feature in Explorer to instantly see the largest files, regardless of their type, to help you find forgotten video files or archives.
Also check the folder. MIUI It's at the root of the internal memory. debug_log, And if you're not a developer, you don't need those files, and you can delete them, and sometimes they're just a few gigabytes in weight, which is what Redmi does. 9 With limited memory, critically.
Cleaning the cache of messengers and social networks
The main culprit inflating the category “Other” on Xiaomi Redmi 9 is most often messengers. Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber and TikTok store every photo and video you viewed in the memory of the device, even if you did not save them to the gallery. Standard cache cleaning in the phone settings often does not see this data as “junk”.
The most effective way is to use the built-in cleanups inside the apps themselves. On Telegram, go to Settings → Data and Memory → Memory Use. There you will see the Clear Cache button and the Storage Media slider. Set a limit of, say, 3 days or 1 week, which will automatically delete old files, freeing up space.
On WhatsApp, things are more complicated. Go to Settings → Data and Storage → Storage Management. The app will show you a chat list sorted by space you occupy. You can selectively delete videos and documents from specific dialogs without deleting the entire correspondence. This allows you to pinpoint the gigabytes that the system refers to as "The Other."
| Annex | The path to cleanup | Security of removal | Type of data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telegram | Settings → Data and memory | High (messages in the cloud) | Cash media, temporary files |
| Settings → Storage | Medium (you need to choose chat rooms) | Photos, videos, documents | |
| TikTok | Profile → Settings → Free up the place | Tall. | Cash preview, drafts |
| Settings → Account → Use of data | Medium | Cash tapes and storis |
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Regularly cleaning the cache of messengers through their internal settings is more effective than using third-party applications-cliners.
Don’t forget social media. VK or Facebook also aggressively cache content. In the settings of these apps, find the “Cash” section and clear it. After this procedure, the “Other” section in Xiaomi’s memory should decrease significantly in volume.
Using ADB for deep cleaning
If standard methods don’t work, ADB (Android Debug Bridge) is a powerful tool for developers to manage a smartphone file system from a computer. For Redmi 9, it’s often the only way to remove “unremovable” system logs or update remnants.
First, you need to enable USB debugging. Go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click on MIUI Version 7 times. You will see a message saying “You’ve become a developer.” Then, in the “Additional” → “Developers” menu, activate the USB debugging switch. Connect the phone to your PC with a cable.
adb shell pm clear com.android.cache
adb shell rm -rf /data/local/tmp/*These commands will clear the batch manager system cache and temporary local storage files. Be extremely careful when typing commands in the terminal. A syntax error can lead to the removal of important system files. To run ADB, you will need to install Xiaomi USB Driver drivers and the SDK Platform-Tools platform on your computer.
⚠️ Attention: Use ADB It requires precision. -rf It permanently deletes files without recovery, and make sure that you clean the cache, not the system partitions.
ADB can also help you identify which app is creating the most garbage. The adb shell dumpsys package will give you a detailed report of each package installed, including the size of the cache and data, find suspiciously overgrown apps on the list and clean them through your phone's settings or delete them.
What to do if your computer can’t see your phone?
Cardinal measures: Resetting and flashing
When the Other takes up half the memory and the cleanup doesn't help, maybe the Xiaomi Redmi 9 file system is damaged or has accumulated critical errors, in this case a complete factory reset is guaranteed to remove all the garbage, but also erase all your personal data.
Before reset, make sure to back up. Use Mi Cloud or local copy to your computer. Go to Settings → About Phone → Reset → Erase all data. The process will take 10-15 minutes. Once turned on, you will get a clean system where the category "Other" will occupy the smallest possible volume.
If even after a reset, the problem returns too quickly (within a couple of days), this may indicate a failure in the firmware itself, in which case it is recommended to flash the device through the Mi Flash Tool utility. Download the official firmware for your model from the MIUI bootloader site and follow the recovery instructions.
- 💾 Make a full backup of contacts, photos and documents before resetting.
- 🔋 Charge your phone to at least 60% before starting the recovery procedure.
- 📥 Use the original cable to connect to your PC when flashing.
- 🌐 Make sure the Internet connection is stable when downloading firmware.
Once you're back to factory settings, try not to install questionable applications from unknown sources. Often they generate hidden debris. Install a reliable antivirus and regularly check the device. Redmi 9 is a reliable smartphone, but it requires file system care, especially given the peculiarities of the MIUI shell.