How to Clean Up “Other” on Xiaomi MIUI 13: A Step-by-Step Guide to Dealing with Hidden Files

Xiaomi’s “Other” section of MIUI 13 storage is a real black hole for users. It can take from a few gigabytes to tens, but the system stubbornly doesn’t show what it is stored there. Attempts to clean it through standard settings often end in nothing: memory is not released, and the smartphone continues to slow down. In this article, we will examine what is really hidden under the “Other” item, why it grows and how to safely reduce it without risking damage to the system.

To make matters worse, MIUI 13 actively caches application data, backs ups and temporary files that aren't always deleted correctly, for example, after updating a system or deleting programs, their tails can stay in this section for years, and we've tested all the working methods on Redmi Note 11 Pro+, Xiaomi 12T and POCO F4 models, and we're ready to share the results.

What is the Other in Xiaomi’s Storage and Why Does It Take So Much Space?

The Other section is a dump for files that MIUI cannot categorize as standard (photos, videos, apps, etc.) and includes:

• 📁 Cache of system applications (e.g. com.miui.home or com.android.systemui) that is not automatically cleaned.
• 🔄 Remnants of remote applications: configuration files, databases (.db), log files (.log).
• 🔗 Symbolic links and temporary files created while running Android.
• 📦 Backup copies MIUI, The system creates before the updates (folder) /MIUI/backup).
• 🤖 Virtual machine data ART/Dalvik (folder /data/dalvik-cache), pre-existing 1–2 GB.

On MIUI 13, the problem is compounded by the F2FS file system that Xiaomi uses on many devices, which is optimized for speed but does not do a good job of cleaning up garbage. For example, after deleting a large file, the space may not be freed immediately — the system marks it as “free,” but the physical data remains until overwritten.

Another nuance: MIUI 13 aggressively caches data to make it faster, for example, if you use Google Maps or social media a lot, their cache can go up to several gigabytes, and it all goes to "Other," and the standard cleaner in the settings deletes only a fraction of these files.

Method 1: Clearing the cache of system applications through settings

The safest method is to remove the cache manually, which requires no root rights and is suitable for beginners, but this method only clears part of the Other (usually 10-30% of the total volume), since it does not affect system files and remnants of deleted programs.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Show System Processes.
3. Sort the applications by size (click on the filter icon).
4. Select large cache apps (e.g. Google Play Services, MIUI System, Gallery) and click Clear Cache.

Pay special attention to these processes:

• 📱 com.miui.home (launcher) MIUI) — cache can take up to 500 MB.
• 🔍 com.google.android.gms (Google Play Services) – up to 1-2 GB.
• 📷 com.android.gallery3d (Gallery – stores thumbnails and metadata.

⚠️ Warning: Do not clean data (Data Clear) system applications – this can lead to malfunctions MIUI. Remove only the cache (Clear the cache).

Method 2: Remove Remnants of Remote Applications with ADB

If you install and uninstall programs frequently, their tails remain in /data/data and /data/app-lib folders. The standard means to avoid them is to use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires a PC connection but allows you to free up to 3-5 GB.

Step-by-step:

1. Enable USB Debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times, then go back to Additional Settings → For Developers).
2. Connect your smartphone to your PC and open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux).
3. Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices should appear the name of your device.
4. Remove the residues of the packets (replace com.example.app with the remote application package name): adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.example.app

To find the names of remote application packages, use the command:

adb shell pm list packages -u

It will show all the packages marked uninstalled -- that's "junk." Delete them one at a time, because a mass cleaning can damage the system.

⚠️ Note: Do not delete packages with the names com.android, com.miui or com.google - these are system components).

Method 3: Clean up /MIUI/backup and other hidden directories

MIUI 13 automatically backs up before updates, but often doesn't delete them after. These files can take up to 5-10 GB and are stored in /MIUI/backup.

• 📂 /MIUI/debug_log — Log files for debugging (can be deleted).
• 📂 /MIUI/screenrecorder — screen-recording.
• 📂 /Android/obb — cache of games (e.g. Genshin Impact or PUBG It can leave gigabytes of data here).

To access these folders:

1. Connect your smartphone to your PC and enable File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. Open the device folder in Windows/macOS Explorer.
3. Go to the Inner Memory → MIUI and delete the contents of the backup folders and debug_log.

For the /Android/obb folder:

• Delete folders with the names of games that you have not used in a long time.
• If the game is installed, but the.obb folder weighs several gigabytes, try reinstalling the game (sometimes the files are duplicated).

💡

If the /MIUI/backup folder is not visible in Explorer, turn on the display of hidden files in your OS settings (in Windows: View → Hidden Items).

Method 4: Using a root-access file manager (for advanced ones)

If you have root rights, you can manually clean up system folders that are not normally available, like the Root Explorer or FX File Explorer file manager.

• 🗑️ /data/dalvik-cache — Virtual machine cache (can be cleaned completely).
• 🗑️ /data/system/package_cache — cache.
• 🗑️ /data/log — System Logs (Delete Everything Except Current Files).

Step-by-step:

1. Open a file manager with root access.
2. Go to /data/dalvik-cache and delete all files with the.dex extension.
3. Clear the folder. /data/system/package_cache.
4. Restart the device – the system will restore the necessary files automatically.

⚠️ Note: Delete files in /data without root rights or through unverified applications can lead to data loss or system failure.

💡

Cleaning /data/dalvik-cache can speed up the smartphone as the system reassembles the cache from scratch, removing outdated data.

Method 5: Recovery Mode cache reset (without data loss)

If previous methods didn’t work, try resetting the cache through Restore mode.This won’t delete your files or apps, but will clear the system cache, which can take up to 3–5GB.

Instructions:

1. Turn off your smartphone.
2. Press the Power button + Volume up until the MIUI logo appears.
3. From the Recovery menu, select Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache (use volume buttons for navigation, power button for selection).
4. Confirm the action and wait for the completion.
5. Restart the device (Reboot) → Reboot to System).

This method is particularly useful if:

• 📉 The smartphone began to slow down after the update MIUI 13.
• 🔄 Apps began to spontaneously close.
• 📱 In the "Other" section, it appeared +1GB after installing a major update.

After the cache is reset, the first download can take up to 5-10 minutes – this is normal, since the system recovers the necessary data.

Method 6: Disabling unnecessary MIUI system services

MIUI 13 contains many background services that constantly create temporary files, some of which can be disabled without harming the system.

• 📊 Mi Analytics (com.miui.analytics) – collects data about smartphone usage.
• 📡 Mi Push Service (com.xiaomi.push) – responsible for notifications from Xiaomi.
• 🎵 Music FX (com.android.musicfx – effects for music (rarely used).

To turn them off:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find a service by name (e.g. Mi Analytics).
3. Click Disable (Do not delete!).
4. Confirm the action.

This will not only reduce the volume of the Other, but also prolong battery life, as the background processes will no longer consume resources.

Method 7: Complete reset to factory settings (last resort)

If the Other takes up more than 15 to 20 GB and other methods have failed, it’s just hard reset, which will delete all data, including apps, photos and settings, but return the smartphone to a “clean” state.

How to reset:

1. Create a backup of important data (photos, contacts, messages).
2. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
3. Choose to erase all data.
4. Enter your password (if required) and confirm.

After discharge:

• 📱 Do not restore data from backup MIUI — It may contain the same “garbage».
• 🔄 Install applications selectively, avoiding unnecessary ones.
• 📁 Clean the cache regularly (once every 1-2 weeks).

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (such as the Redmi Note 10 Pro) may require re-assigning your Mi Account to unlock the bootloader after a reset!

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning up 'Other' at MIUI 13