Xiaomi smartphone owners often face the mysterious situation of internal storage filling up with data that the system classifies as “Other.” On the Redmi Note 8T model running the MIUI 12 shell, this section can grow to tens of gigabytes, occupying up to 40-50% of the total available volume, which causes serious slowdown of the interface, problems with installing new applications and the inability to shoot high-resolution video.
The storage system analyzer doesn't always correctly display the contents of the folder, hiding the real sources of garbage from the user. In most cases, it hides cached messenger data, remnants of remote games, system error logs and temporary update files. Understanding the nature of these files is the first step to effectively clean the device without losing important data.
In this guide, we will discuss safe ways to free up space that do not require root rights or flashing the device. You will learn to use built-in debugging tools, properly clean the cache of specific applications and remove system debris that is hidden from the eyes of the average user. Follow the instructions consistently to return your Redmi Note 8T performance.
The Nature of the Other in Android and MIUI
The Other section is not a specific file folder, but rather a collection of data that the Android operating system cannot uniquely classify as images, videos, audio or documents. In the MIUI 12 shell, categorization algorithms sometimes work incorrectly, enrolling even very ordinary files into this category if their headers are corrupted or the format is non-standard.
Special attention should be paid to messengers like Telegram and WhatsApp, which save the media files viewed in their own secure directories, which the system sees as “other data”, and there can be files of system updates that were not deleted after successful installation, and memory dumps created when programs malfunction. If you actively use navigators, maps can also occupy a significant amount in this section.
⚠️ Note: Do not attempt to delete files from system folders through root-access file managers without understanding their purpose. Deleting critical libraries may result in bootloop or complete inoperability of the Redmi Note. 8T.
It is important to understand the difference between user cache and system files. Cache can and should be cleaned, because it only speeds up the load of frequently visited pages or interface elements. System files, such as contact databases or account settings, can not be touched. Clearing the Other should be done point-by-point, through specific application settings or special debugging commands, and not by blindly removing the content of folders.
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Use Safe Mode for diagnosis. If the Other partition takes up significantly less space in Safe Mode, then the problem is caused by a third-party application that actively generates temporary files.
Basic cleaning with built-in MIUI 12 tools
Before you go to complex methods, you need to use the regular cleaning functionality built into MIUI 12. The standard Security app can find obvious garbage files, but often ignores the cache. For more in-depth analysis, open the Security app and select Cleanup. The system will scan and suggest removing temporary files, but this method often releases no more than 100-300 MB.
To work more efficiently, go to Memory within the Security app or through Settings → Memory. This displays a visual storage map. Click on the Other category (if it's interactive in your firmware version) or analyze the list of apps that occupy the most space. Often, it turns out that the lion's share of the Other is hidden inside a particular app, such as Instagram or TikTok.
Use the Deep Clean feature, which can be accessed from the Security menu (sometimes hidden in the optional menu or available through a security update).This tool scans folders with log files, empty folders and remnants of remote programs. It is also recommended to check the Recycle Bin section in the gallery and in the file manager, as deleted files continue to take up space in the system until they are permanently erased.
Remember to reboot your device regularly. As you run, MIUI 12 creates a lot of temporary files that are tagged to be deleted the next time you restart. A simple system restart can free up a few gigabytes that were formally listed as being busy, especially after major updates to the application or the system itself.
Analysis and cleaning of cache of individual applications
The most effective way to reduce the size of the Other section is to manually cache heavy apps. Messengers and social networks are the main culprits of memory overflow. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Sort the list by size of space, and you will see that the top programs are the ones that you consume content through.
Select an app like Telegram. Go to Warehouse. Here you'll see two buttons: Clear cache and Clear all data. Clicking Clear cache securely will delete temporary files, but save your logins and settings. If you click Clear all data, the app will return to state immediately after installation, and you'll have to re-enter password and configure notifications.
- 📱 Telegram: Inside the application go to Settings → Data and memory → Memory usage and click "Clear Cache" and you can set up auto-delete media files there.
- 📷 Instagram: Often requires a complete reinstallation or cleanup of all data through Android settings, as the built-in cache cleanup function may not be available or it does not work properly.
- 🌐 Chrome/Browsers: In the browser settings, find “History» → «Clear history» → Select “Images and other files saved in cache».
For applications that you rarely use but don’t want to be removed, you can use the Freeze feature (if available in your version of MIUI) or simply force them to stop before clearing the cache. This ensures that when you clean the application, you don’t create new temporary files. After cleaning, check the volume of the Other partition – the changes should be displayed almost instantly.
☑️ Checklist of manual cleaning applications
Using Developer Mode and Debugging over USB
If standard methods don't work, you can use the developer tools, which is a more advanced way to see the real structure of files. To activate, go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click on MIUI 7 times. You'll be notified "You're a developer."
Now, the settings menu will have a new option called "Additional → For developers," where you can find the USB debugging option and turn it on. Connect your smartphone to your computer. On your computer, you'll need ADB (Android Debug Bridge) to send commands directly to the file system.
One useful command for analysis is adb shell dumpsys meminfo, which will show memory usage, but for working with files it is better to use the command adb shell ls. -l /data/data (However, for a user without root rights, a safer option is to use a command to clear the packet manager cache or force media files to be rechecked.
adb shell pm trim-caches 999999999This command (pm trim-caches) instructs the package manager to free up space by trimming cache files. A number denotes the desired number of free bytes. It's a secure system call that removes the cache of applications starting with the least used. It's one of the few legal ways to massively clear the cache of all applications immediately without losing data.
⚠️ Attention: When working with ADB Be extremely careful when entering commands: Incorrect syntax or use of delete commands (rm) -rf) without understanding the path can lead to the loss of personal photos and documents.
Radical Methods: Resetting and Formatting
When the Other section has grown to critical values and no cleanings help, the last effective method is a complete factory reset. On the Redmi Note 8T with MIUI 12, it is often the only way to get rid of system debris that has stuck to the file system. Before doing this, make sure to back up all the important data to the cloud or to your computer.
To perform the reset, go to Settings → About Phone → Settings Reset → Factory Reset. The device will reboot and begin the cleanup process. Important: after initial setup, do not restore applications from the backup immediately. Install only the necessary programs. Often, it is the restoration of old applications along with their bloated cache that returns the “Other” problem.
| Cleaning method | Efficiency | Security of data | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard cleaning | Low (up to 500 MB) | Safe. | Low. |
| Cleaning up the app cache | Medium (1-5 GB) | Safe (when cleaning the cache) | Medium |
| ADB teams | Tall. | It requires caution. | Tall. |
| Reset (Factory Reset) | Maximum | Complete deletion of data | Medium |
There is also a myth about formatting internal memory as a USB-In modern versions of Android, this is difficult and not recommended, because it disrupts encryption and can make the phone unusable without flashing it.
What if the “Other” grows again quickly?
Preventing overcrowding of storage
To prevent the problem with the “Other” section on the Redmi Note 8T from returning, you need to change your smartphone usage habits. First of all, set up automatic cache cleaning in messengers. For example, on Telegram you can set a limit on storing media files in the cache (for example, 1 GB or 3 days), which will prevent its uncontrolled proliferation.
Check the Downloads and Bluetooth folder regularly, at least once a month, often downloading APK installation files that are no longer needed, or heavy documents, and keeping an eye on MIUI updates. Sometimes newer firmware versions fix file managers that misread memory.
Use cloud storage for photos and videos. Enable sync with Google Photos or Mi Cloud and use the Free Space feature, which removes originals already uploaded to the cloud from the device, leaving only compressed copies, which will significantly reduce the load on internal memory and reduce the volume of the Other partition, as the gallery will no longer index giant amounts of media.
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Regular memory hygiene (cleaning the cache once a week) is more effective than rare radical measures: set up automatic cleaning in messengers so that the system does not get clogged with garbage.