How to clean the “Other” in memory Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro: 7 proven ways

Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro is a powerful smartphone with a productive Snapdragon 860 chipset, but even it suffers from a typical MIUI problem: the “Other” partition in memory takes up tens of gigabytes for no apparent reason. Users are faced with the fact that at 128 GB of internal memory, only 10-20 GB are free, although applications, photos and videos take up much less. What is the matter?

It's about MIUI architecture and how Android works on Xiaomi, and it automatically creates app cache, temporary update files, log files, and backups that fall into the Other category, and the /data/media/0 section can contain hidden folders from remote applications that are mistakenly labeled "systemic," and in this article, we'll look at how to securely clean that "other" without losing data or rooting.

Important: The methods are suitable for the Poco X3 Pro on MIUI 12/13/14 (including HyperOS). If you have custom firmware, some of the methods may not work.

1.What is the “Other” in Xiaomi’s memory and why it grows

The “Other” section of MIUI is a collection category for files that the system cannot classify as standard types (photos, videos, audio, documents).

• 📁 App cache – temporary files that create messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp), social networks and games. For example, TikTok can accumulate up to 5 GB of cache per month.
• 🔄 Remnants of remote applications – folders com.android.*.obb or Android/data from long-uninstalled programs.
• 📱 System Logs and Dumps – Debugging Files (/data/tombstones), which are created when applications fail.
• 🔄 Update files MIUI — zip-weighted packages 1-3 GB that remain after OTA-updates.
• 📂 Hidden folders MIUI — For example,.miui or.thumbnails (miniatures for gallery).

On the Poco X3 Pro, the problem is compounded by the F2FS file system, which fragments smaller files more than ext4. As a result, "junk" takes up more space than it should. For example, 10,000 cache files of 10 KB each can "inflate" to 200-300 MB instead of the real 100 MB.

⚠️ Note: Do not confuse “Other” with “Other” /system or /vendor. These sections occupy 5-8 GB and not subject to cleaning without root - they contain firmware and drivers.

2. Method 1: Clearing the cache of all applications

The easiest and safest method is to remove the cache of all installed applications. This will not delete your data (photos, messages, game saves), but will free up 1-5 GB.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Slip on the three dots in the top right corner and select "Sort by size."
3. Click on the app (like YouTube or Facebook) → Storage → Clear the cache.
4. Repeat for all applications with a cache > 100MB.

To speed up the process, use batch cleaning:

1. Go to Settings → Memory → Cleanup.
2. Click Deep Clean → tick all applications → Clean.

Close all apps (especially messengers)

Connect charging (the process can take 5-10 minutes)

Check the free space before and after cleaning.

Do not interrupt the process (may cause applications to fail)

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After cleaning, restart the smartphone - this will allow the system to correctly recalculate the space occupied.

Method 2: Removing Remnants of Remote Applications

When you delete an app through Play Market or Settings, its main files are erased, but the data folders (Android/data and Android/obb) are often left behind. On the Poco X3 Pro, this can take up to 10GB!

How to find and delete:

1. Connect your smartphone to your PC through USB-cable (file transfer mode).
2. Open the internal memory folder → Android → data.
3. Delete folders with app names you have uninstalled (e.g., com.tencent.ig is PUBG Mobile).
4. Repeat the same for Android → obb.

If you are not sure which application matches the folder, use the App Code Finder service (it shows the codes of the packages of installed programs).

⚠️ Note: Do not delete folders of current applications (for example, com.whatsapp or com.android.vending) – this will cause crashes!

Method 3: Cleaning up MIUI update files

Xiaomi Stores Update Packs in a Folder /data/ota_package or /cache. Even after installing the update, these files (update.zip) can stay and occupy 1-3 GB.

How to delete:

1. Open Explorer (e.g. Files by Google or standard MIUI File Manager).
2. Enable the display of hidden files (in the Explorer settings).
3. Go to the Inner Memory → cache or data → ota_package.
4. Delete all files with the.zip extension or names like miui_*_global.

If there is no folder, check through ADB (for advanced users):

adb shell


su




rm -rf /data/ota_package/*




rm -rf /cache/*

After cleaning, restart the device. If the updates are re-downloaded, turn off automatic booting in Settings. → The phone. → Updating the system → ⚙️ → Downloading.

Less than 5GB

5-10 GB

10-20 GB

More than 20GB

I don't know how to check.

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5. Method 4: Reset the partition cache (Wipe Cache Partition)

If standard methods don’t work, try resetting /cache through recavers.This won’t delete your data, but will clear temporary system files.

Instructions:

1. Turn off the Poco X3 Pro.
2. Press Volume Up + Power and hold for 10 seconds until the MI logo appears.
3. From the Recovery menu, select the language → Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache.
4. Confirm the action and wait for the completion.
5. Reboot your smartphone (Reboot).

This method helps if the "Other" is inflated because of:

• 🔄 Errors in updating MIUI.
• 📱 Failures in Google Play Services.
• 📁 Fragmentation of the file system.

⚠️ Note: Do not confuse Wipe Cache with Wipe Data! The second option will delete all your data!

💡

If the smartphone takes a long time to load after the cache is reset (5-10 minutes), it is normal.

6. Method 5: Using ADB for deep cleaning

For users willing to work with Android Debug Bridge (ADB), there is a way to remove hidden system files that are not visible through Explorer.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB-driver.
• 📱 Included debugging by USB Poco X3 Pro (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times tap the version → return to → For developers → Debugging by USB).
• 🔌 Cable USB Type-C (preferably original).

Cleanup commands:

adb shell


pm clear com.miui.cleanmaster # Cleaning up a standard MIUI cleaner




rm -rf /data/local/tmp/* # Delete temporary files




rm -rf /data/dalvik-cache/* # Clearing Dalvik cache (requires a reboot)

To remove gallery thumbnails (can free up to 1 GB):

rm -rf /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/.thumbnails/*


rm -rf /storage/emulated/0/Pictures/.thumbnails/*

Once you have completed the commands, restart the device. If ADB issues a Permission denied error, then your Poco X3 Pro has disabled root access (this is normal for standard firmware).

7. Method 6: Disabling unnecessary system processes

Some MIUI system applications actively create cache and logs, even if you don't use them.

• 🎵 Mi Music and Mi Video – Download Covers and Metadata.
• 📡 Mi Browser – Stores web page cache.
• 📊 Analytics and MSA — Collect data for Xiaomi.

How to turn it off:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find an app (such as Mi Browser) → Disable.
3. To completely remove system applications, root or ADB will be required:

adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.android.browser

List of safe applications to disable:

After disabling, restart the Poco X3 Pro and check the “Other” section in Settings → Memory.

💡

Disabling system applications won’t free up much space at once, but it will stop the growth of the Other in the future.

Method 7: Formatting as a new (last resort)

If all the methods didn't work, and the Other takes 20+GB, you'll have a full reset, which will delete all the data, but it will return the smartphone to its "clean" state.

How to reset:

1. Back up your important data (photos, contacts, messages) via Mi Cloud or Google Drive.
2. Go to Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Reset settings.
3. Choose to erase all data and confirm.
4. After the reboot, set up your smartphone as new.

To avoid repeated littering:

• 🚫 Do not install unnecessary applications.
• 🔄 Clean the cache regularly (once a month).
• 📥 Turn off automatic app updates in the Play Market.

⚠️ Attention: After the Poco reset X3 Pro may "lose» 5-10 GB of memory on system files is normal. The real space will be visible after the first restart.

FAQ: Frequent Questions About The Other on Poco X3 Pro