How to Clean Up “Other” on Xiaomi: The Complete Guide

Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphone owners often face the mysterious situation of internal storage overflowing and the specific source of the problem hidden in a section called “Other.” This section can grow to tens of gigabytes, taking up the precious space needed to install apps or save photos. The user sees that memory is busy, but standard tools do not give a clear understanding of what exactly is stored there.

The MIUI shell and the new HyperOS classify files by type, but system debris, app cache, and residual files often fall into the same category. This is not a bug, but a feature of the Android file system that does not always correctly tag temporary files for deletion. In this article, we will discuss proven ways to safely delete excess without losing personal data.

Before we take any drastic measures, it is important to understand the nature of the origin of such files, most often it is the cache of streaming services, downloaded documents from messengers or fragments of remote applications. The “Other” section on Xiaomi often contains system logs and temporary update files that can be deleted without risking stability.

What is hidden in the category "Other"

Many users mistakenly believe that this section contains only system files that are dangerous to touch, in fact, the lion's share of the volume is occupied by user content that the system failed to classify, including archives, APK installation files, card cache and offline navigation, and game data that was not recognized as game files.

Telegram, WhatsApp and Viber have a habit of saving all the media files they receive into their own folders, which are often ignored by the standard memory analyzer. Over time, these folders grow to giant sizes. If you actively use channels with video and heavy documents, they form the basis of the Others section.

System processes also contribute: Error logs, usage reports, and temporary files can take up space when installing updates; sometimes, after a major Android update or shell, old firmware files remain in the system; deleting them is safe, but requires understanding which folders to touch. Below is a table that classifies the main file types in this section.

Understanding the structure of the data is the first step to a successful cleanup, and don't be afraid to delete files if you're sure of their origin, but it's always best to double-check the contents of the folder before deleting it completely, especially if the file names don't tell you anything.

Use of the built-in "Security" application

The easiest and safest way to start cleaning is to use the system’s regular tools. Every Xiaomi smartphone has a Security app preinstalled, which includes a powerful memory management tool that automatically scans the device for junk files and suggests that they be removed.

To start a deep cleaning, you need to open the application and select the Cleanup option. The system will analyze and show the amount of garbage. However, the standard mode often skips the hidden cache. Click on the Garbage icon or go to the memory management section to see a more detailed breakdown. Here you can selectively delete the cache of specific applications.

Deep Cleaning allows you to find large files, duplicates, and rarely used apps, and it’s a great way to identify the heavyweights that are hiding in the Other section, for example, you can find old videos that you haven’t watched in a long time, or game installers that you don’t need anymore.

It's important to note that a regular cleaner doesn't always see all files, especially those in secure system directories, so after automatic cleanup, it's recommended that you do a manual analysis through the file manager, which will take longer, but will give you a better result.

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Use the “Accelerate” function in the Security app before cleaning – it will close the background processes and allow the system to more accurately estimate the amount of free memory.

Manual cleaning through the file manager

For more advanced users, manual cleaning through standard Explorer or third-party file managers such as Files by Google or Material Files is a method that requires care, as you work with the file system directly. Go to the root folder of internal storage.

First of all, look at social folders. The Android/data directory (which is limited in new versions of Android but is available through system Explorer) stores app data, and check the MIUI, DCIM (for hidden thumbnails) and Download folders, often with forgotten files that the system refers to as "Other."

⚠️ Be very careful when deleting files inside the folder Android/data and Android/obb. Deleting important files can result in resetting game progress or loss of app settings.Remove only cache (cache folder) or clearly understandable files.

Pay special attention to the folder MIUI/Gallery/cloud, If you are using the cloud, or MIUI/Debug_log. Debugging logs can take several gigabytes. Deletion is completely safe and often gives you an instant boost to free space. It's also worth checking the.thumbnail folder in hidden files, which stores gallery thumbnails that sometimes swell to incredible sizes.

If you're not sure what the file is, you'd better rename it first or move it to your computer, rather than delete it immediately, so you can check if the file doesn't work, and in a couple of days, if it's stable, you can delete it permanently.

Cleaning the cache of messengers and social networks

The leaders in filling the “Other” section are traditionally messengers. Telegram, for example, stores the entire history of media files in cache, unless the autodelete function is enabled. To clear it, go to the settings of the application itself: Data and memory → Memory Use → Clear cache.

On WhatsApp, the situation is similar. Go to Settings → Data and Storage → Storage Management. Here you can see which chats take up the most space and delete media selectively. Often users forget that the transmitted videos and pictures are stored by them, taking up space.

Social networks like VK, Instagram and Facebook are also actively cacheing content for fast downloads. These apps often have a “Clear Cache” option in their settings. If they don’t, you’ll have to go to the phone’s settings: Apps → All Apps → [App Name] → Memory → Clear Cache.

• 🗑️ Telegram: Settings → Data and memory → Use of memory → Clear the cache.
• 💬 WhatsApp: Settings → Data and storage → Storage management.
• 📱 VK: Settings → Annex → Clear the cache (or through Android settings).
• 📸 Instagram: Settings → browser → Clear the cache (or reinstallation).

Once the cache is cleared, apps will reload images and videos when viewed, which can temporarily increase traffic consumption, but this will free up a significant amount of memory, and checking these settings regularly is the best way to prevent memory overflow.

Delete residual files after deleting applications

When you delete an app from your phone, it doesn't always remove all of its traces. Residual files, settings, and cache can stay in memory while still occupying space in the Other section, which is especially true for heavy gaming and graphics editors.

To find these tails, use a file manager and sort folders by size. Look for folders with names of remote applications or their developers. For example, after removing a game from Gameloft or Asphalt, a folder with gigabytes of data may remain in the root of the storage or in Android/obb.

It's also worth checking the Download and Bluetooth folder. Files that are received via Bluetooth or downloaded from the browser often stay there forever. The system analyzer may not consider them garbage, but for the user it's just extra gigabytes. Regular audit of these folders will help keep the memory in order.

⚠️ Note: Before deleting folders with developer names, make sure you delete all of the company’s apps, or you may lose the data or settings of the remaining programs.

To automatically search for such files, you can use specialized analyzer utilities, such as DiskUsage or Storage Analyzer, which visualize the occupied space, showing which folder is eating up memory, even if it is hidden deep in the system.

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Residual files after deleting applications are one of the main reasons for the growth of the “Other” section, and regular search for folders of remote programs is a must.

Radical Methods: Resetting and Formatting

If none of the soft methods worked and the Other section continues to take up an abnormally large amount of space (e.g., 20-30GB on an empty phone), there may have been a file system error, in which case the solution would be a complete reset.

Before you do this, make sure to back up all your important data. Reset will delete everything: contacts, photos, apps and settings. Phone will go back out of the box and the Other section will disappear as the file system is formatted again.

You can reset via the menu: Settings → About Phone → Settings Reset → Erase all data. Once rebooted, the phone will be clean. This is guaranteed to solve the problem of software errors of garbage accumulation that can not be removed manually.

In rare cases, the problem may be hardware or associated with the degradation of flash memory. If after resetting and clean installation of applications, the Other section grows again rapidly, you should consider diagnosing the device in the service center.

• 🔄 Make a full backup of data to your computer or the cloud.
• 🔋 Charge your phone to at least 60% before resetting.
• 🔑 Remember the password from the Mi-account, it will be required after the reset.
• ⏳ The process can take 10 to 30 minutes, do not interrupt it.

This method takes time to set up the phone and install the apps, but it's guaranteed to work, and often after this procedure, the phone starts to work faster, as not only space is freed up, but the system is optimized.