How to Clean the “Other” Section on Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 128 GB: Full Guide

The “Other” section of Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 9 memory is a real headache for owners. A 128GB smartphone suddenly runs out of space, even though you’ve deleted all the unnecessary photos, videos and apps. The system persistently shows that tens of gigabytes are in the mysterious “Other” category. Why? Why cache cleanup and standard methods don’t help?

The problem is that MIUI and Android work in a container for system files, temporary data, logs, updates, and debris from remote applications. On the Redmi Note 9 with its 128GB of storage, this section can grow to 20-30GB, blocking new software installations or high-resolution video capture. In this article, 5 proven cleanups, including hidden MIUI features and manual methods for power users.

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

In MIUI, the Other section is a dump for files that the system cannot categorize as standard (photos, videos, apps).

• 📁 Update cache – temporary firmware files that have not been deleted after installation.
• 🗑️ Remnants of Remote Applications – Configuration Files, Databases, and Cache of Programs You Uninstalled Long Ago.
• 📜 System logs – error reports, memory dumps and work logs MIUI.
• 🔄 Dalvik-cache files – optimized data to speed up application launches.
• 📦 Archives and backups – Automatic backups created by a system or applications.

On the Redmi Note 9, the problem is compounded by the fact that 128 GB of memory is formatted in F2FS (rather than ext4), which leads to fragmentation of small files. The system does not always correctly count the space they occupy, which makes the Other show inflated numbers, for example, the real amount of garbage is 5 GB, and the MIUI displays 15 GB.

⚠️ Note: Do not attempt to delete files from the Other section manually through the file manager unless you understand the structure of Android. Deleting system files can lead to a cyclical smartphone reboot or loss of functionality MIUI.

Before you start cleaning, check the actual state of the memory.

1. Open the settings → About the phone → Memory.
2. Click on the memory usage schedule and wait for the detail.
3. Compare the numbers in the categories System, Applications and Other.

Method 1: Cleaning through built-in MIUI tools

MIUI has hidden tools for cleaning system debris that you can't see on the standard menu.

1. Go to Settings → Memory → Cleanup.
2. Slip on the Deep Clean icon (usually in the upper right corner).
3. Select the "Residual Files" option and wait for the scan.
4. Remove all items found except those marked as “system Important”.

If this method doesn’t help, use the hidden storage menu:

1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
2. Tap 5 times on the MIUI version to activate the developer mode.
3. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
4. Find the Warehouse. → Cleaning up the garbage and start the process.

These methods allow you to delete up to 30-40% of files from the “Other” section without risking system stability, but they do not clear the update cache and error logs – this will require more radical measures.

Create a backup copy of important data|Charge your phone at least 50 times%|Connect to Wi-Fi (for downloading updates)|Disable two-factor authentication in Mi Account (if you are planning a reset)-->

Method 2: Remove the update cache and temporary firmware files

One of the main “eaters” of memory in the “Other” section is undeleted files. OTA-Even after installing the firmware, they can take anywhere from 1 to 5 GB to remove:

1. Open the file manager (standard or Mi File Explorer).
2. Go to the root directory (/storage/emulated/0/).
3. Find folders:.OTA — here are stored downloaded firmware. Download — check for files with the.zip extension (usually weighing 1-3 GB). MIUI → Cache — temporary update files.

update.log

If the.OTA folder is not visible, turn on the hidden files in the file manager settings. On Redmi Note 9, the path to the hidden folders can look like this: /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.xiaomi.market/files/Download/ – here too, the update remnants accumulate.

⚠️ Attention: Do not delete the folder MIUI The entire folder will cause a system failure.

After cleaning, restart the phone. The system will automatically recalculate the space occupied, and the "Other" section should decrease by 2-7 GB.

💡

If after deleting the update files, the system downloads them again, disable the automatic update in Settings. → The phone. → Updating the system → Settings (⚙️) → Auto-update.

Method 3: Reset the partition cache (Wipe Cache Partition)

If standard methods didn't work, it's time for hardware cleaning. The Wipe Cache Partition method removes temporary system files, including corrupted data, that MIUI can't clean on its own, which doesn't affect user data, but requires a reboot to recovery mode.

Instructions for Redmi Note 9:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Power and Volume buttons simultaneously before the Mi logo appears.
3. In the recovery menu (in English), select Wipe & Reset (use volume buttons for navigation, power button for selection).
4. Then select Wipe Cache.
5. Confirm the action and wait for the completion (it will take 1-3 minutes).
6. Restart your phone through Reboot → System.

After rebooting, check the Other section in the memory settings. Usually this method frees up from 500 MB to 2 GB, but if the garbage has accumulated a long time ago, the effect can be significant.

Method 4: Manual removal of system logs and dumps

System system MIUI It keeps detailed logs that grow to giant sizes over time. On the Redmi Note 9, these files are stored in hidden folders and can take up to 5-10 GB. ADB-team.

If you don’t have root rights, use the Android Debug Bridge (ADB):

1. Enable USB Debugging in Settings → For Developers.
2. Connect your phone to your PC and open the command line (Windows) or terminal (Mac/Linux).
3. Enter the commands in turn: adb shell su rm -rf /data/log/* rm -rf /data/tombstones/* rm -rf /data/anr/* rm -rf /data/system/dropbox/*
4. Reboot the phone.

If the commands issue a Permission denied error, you don't have root rights, in which case only the factory reset remains (see next section).

Method 5: Complete factory reset (last chance)

If all previous methods failed, and the Other section is still 15+GB, the last resort is factory reset, which is guaranteed to clear up all unnecessary things, but delete all user data, including photos, contacts and apps.

How to do the reset correctly:

1. Create a backup through Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset → Local Backup.
2. Move the copy to your PC or cloud (like Google Drive or Mi Cloud).
3. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
4. Select “Delete all data” and confirm.
5. After the reboot, recover the data from the backup (but don’t restore system settings – it can bring back garbage!).

It's also worth limiting the background activity of applications.

1. Go to Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Management.
2. Select “Background Limitation” for unnecessary applications (such as social networks or instant messengers).
3. Turn off auto-run for underutilized programs in Settings → Permissions → Auto-run.

These measures will reduce the system load and reduce the number of temporary files created.

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning up the "Other" on the Redmi Note 9