Why the Other takes up gigabytes of memory on Xiaomi and how to fix it
Have you ever looked into Settings → Memory on your Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO and seen the Other partition take 10, 20, or even 30 GB? It's not a system bug — it's hidden files that MIUI doesn't classify as apps or media. In this article, we'll look at what's hidden under the Other, why it grows, and how to safely clean it without losing important data.
The main problem is that MIUI (the Xiaomi shell) does not always correctly classify files, which includes: cache of system applications, remnants of deleted programs, error logs, temporary update files, and even data from messengers that do not fall into the Document category, for example, Telegram or WhatsApp can save media files here if they are not transferred to a separate folder.
It's important to understand that you can't just delete "Other" with the "Clean" button -- MIUI won't. But there are 5 working methods that we've tested on the Xiaomi 13 Pro, Redmi Note 12 and POCO F5 models. All methods are safe if you follow the instructions.
Before you start, check how much the “Other” takes:
- Open the Settings → Memory.
- Click on the memory usage schedule.
- Find the “Other” section (may be called “System Data” or “Other”).
If it is more than 5 GB, it is time to clean it.
Method 1: Cleaning the cache of system applications
The most common reason for the Other is the cache of system applications that MIUI doesn't show in the standard cleanup menu, such as Google Play Services, MIUI System, Security and others that work in the background.
How to clean:
- Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- In the top menu, select “All Apps” (not “Installed”).
- Sort by size by clicking on three dots in the upper right corner.
- Find apps called com.android., com.miui., com.google.*.
- Open each and click Clear Cache (not data!).
Which apps to clean first:
- 📱 com.miui.system - shell cache MIUI (It can weigh up to 1-2 GB).
- 🔍 com.miui.securitycenter – Security Center (stores scan logs).
- 🌐 com.google.android.gms — Google Play Services (update cache and geodata).
- 📊 com.android.providers.media – media storage (miniatures, metadata).
⚠️ Note: Do not clean data (clean all data) from system applications – this can lead to malfunctions MIUI. Just the cache!
Clear cache from com.miui.system
Clear the cache from com.google.android.gms
Check out com.android.providers.media
Do not touch the "Data Clear" system applications-->
Method 2: Remove Remnants of Remote Applications
When you delete an application through Settings or Play Market, MIUI doesn’t always remove all of its files, leaving: folders in /Android/data/, cache in /Android/obb/, configuration files.
To find and remove garbage:
- Connect your smartphone to your PC or use a file manager (such as Mi File Explorer or Solid Explorer).
- Go to /storage/emulated/0/Android/.
- Open the data and obb folders, where the remnants of remote games and programs are stored.
- Delete folders with the names of applications that you have long uninstalled.
Examples of folders that can be deleted:
- 🎮 com.tencent.ig - residues PUBG Mobile.
- 📺 com.netflix.mediaclient - Netflix cache.
- 💬 Whatsapp – if WhatsApp has been deleted long ago.
- 🎵 com.spotify.music - Spotify cache.
⚠️ Warning: Do not delete the folders of current applications, this will lead to their collapse.
How to distinguish garbage from the right files?
Method 3: Cleaning the system’s logs and dumps
MIUI actively maintains error logs and memory dumps for diagnostics, which can take up to 3 to 5 GB, but are never shown in the standard cleanup menu, and can only be deleted through ADB or hidden settings.
Method 1: Through the Engineering Menu (without root)
- Open the Phone app and enter the code ##4636##.
- Select "Usage statistics" (Usage statistics).
- Click on the three dots at the top and select “Clear logs”.
Method 2: ADB (for Advanced)
If the engineering menu doesn’t help, use the command:
adb shell pm trim-caches 1000GThis command compulsorily clears the cache of all applications, including system ones.
What files are deleted:
| Type of file | Size | Can I remove it? |
|---|---|---|
| MIUI Logs (/data/log/) | 50–500 MB | Yes. |
| Memory dumps (/data/tombstones/) | 100 MB-2 GB | Yes. |
| Google Logs (/data/misc/apex/) | 20–200 MB | Yes. |
| Update logs (/cache/) | 100 MB-1 GB | Yes. |
⚠️ Note: Do not manually delete files from folders /data/ or /system/ without root rights – this can lead to a complete failure of the system and the need for flashing.
💡
If the “Other” logs are cleaned and grows quickly again, turn off USB debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (7 times, then in Additional → For Developers → USB debugging).
Method 4: Transfer and clean up messenger media files
Messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber) often save media files (photos, videos, voice) to hidden folders that MIUI refers to as “Other” (for example, Telegram downloads all files to /storage/emulated/0/Telegram/ by default, but not all of them fall into the gallery).
How to clean:
- Open the file manager and go to the messenger folder (for example, /Telegram/Telegram Images/).
- Sort files by date and remove unnecessary ones (old memes, screenshots, voice messages).
- In the settings of the messenger, turn off autoload media: 📱 On WhatsApp: Settings → Warehouse and data → Autoboot media. 📱 In Telegram: Settings → Data and memory → Autoboot media.
How much can be released:
- 📸 Photo from chat rooms: 1-5 GB.
- 🎥 Videos and GIFs: 5–15 GB.
- 🎤 Voice Messages: 500MB-2GB.
- 📄 Documents (PDF, APK): 100 MB-1 GB.
⚠️ Note: If you delete files from your messenger folders, they will disappear from chat rooms forever.
💡
Disabling autoload media in instant messengers prevents the growth of the “Other” by 30-50% per month.
Method 5: Reset partition cache (without data loss)
If previous methods didn’t work and “Other” still takes 10+GB, try a Wipe Cache Partition reset that won’t delete your files or apps, but will clear temporary system data.
Instructions:
- Turn off your smartphone.
- Press the Power button + Volume up until the Mi logo appears.
- Select the language (if the menu appears).
- Go to Recovery → Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache
- Confirm the action and wait for the completion.
- Reboot your phone (Reboot → System)
What does it mean?
- 🧹 Deletes temporary update files MIUI.
- 🗑️ Clears the system recovery cache.
- 🔄 Resets the kernel error logs.
⚠️ Warning: Don't confuse Wipe Cache with Wipe Data (full reset)!The second option deletes all your data, including photos and apps.
More tips: how to prevent the growth of the “Other”
To prevent the Other from growing again, follow these guidelines:
- 🔄 Clean the cache regularly (once every 1-2 weeks) through Settings → Memory. → Clean up.
- 🚫 Turn off autoboot in messengers (see Method 4).
- 📁 Use it. SD-Media file storage card (if supported).
- 🔍 Check the Download folder – unnecessary files often accumulate there.
- 📱 Update. MIUI — In new versions, garbage cleaning is better optimized.
You should also install a memory analysis app, like Files by Google or SD Maid, which shows which files are in the Other section.
💡
If your Xiaomi supports MIUI 14+, turn on Easy Mode in Settings → Special Features. It reduces background activity of system processes, which reduces the number of logs created.