The “other” in the memory of Xiaomi Redmi 9A: what is it and how to make room

Xiaomi Redmi 9A owners often encounter a mysterious “Other” partition in their memory settings that takes up gigabytes of space but doesn’t tell you what’s stored there. The system shows that there’s critically little space left, and it’s impossible to delete these files using standard methods.

The problem is not new: on Redmi 9A, the Other can take anywhere from 3 to 10 GB — it’s the cache of system applications, temporary update files, remnants of deleted programs and even hidden MIUI logs. The manufacturer does not provide built-in tools for deep cleaning, so you have to act manually. In this article, proven ways to help free up space without resetting to factory settings.

Important: The methods are suitable for the Redmi 9A based on MIUI 12/13/14 (including global and Chinese firmware versions).If your phone is running on an older version, update the software first - this can automatically fix some memory problems.

What is the Other in Xiaomi’s Memory and Why is it Growing?

The “Other” section of Xiaomi Redmi 9A is the “junk bin” of the operating system.

• 📁 Application cache (including system) that is not automatically cleared.
• 🔄 Remains of updates MIUI — Temporary files that should have been deleted after installation, but remained.
• 🗑️ Error logs and memory dumps that the system creates when it crashes.
• 📱 Dalvik-cache files – optimized data to speed up Android.
• 🔗 Symbolic links to deleted files that take up space.

On the Redmi 9A with 32GB of storage, the Other can take up to 30% of the total, which is critical if you store photos, videos or install heavy applications.

• 🔄 Frequent updates MIUI (particularly by air» — OTA).
• 📱 Use of Duplication of Applications or Second Space.
• 🚫 Incorrect removal of programs (without data cleaning).
• 🛠️ Failures in the file system (for example, after an interrupted update).

Fun fact: on the Redmi 9A with MIUI 12.5 firmware and later, the Other part can be linked to the virtual memory (swap) that the system creates to optimize multitasking. You can't delete it, but you can reduce it.

Method 1: Cleaning the cache of system applications

The safest method is to manually remove the cache, which won't hurt the data, but it can free up 1 to 3 GB.

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 Size).
4. Select large cache apps (e.g. Google Play Services, MIUI Daemon, Media Storage) and click Clear Cache.

Pay particular attention to:

• 📱 com.android.systemui (interface) MIUI).
• 🔍 com.miui.securitycenter (security center).
• 📷 com.android.gallery3d (gallery).

⚠️ Warning: Do not clear the data (Clear data) of system applications - this can cause malfunctions in the phone!

If the cache returns quickly after cleaning, it means that the application is actively used by the system, in which case only the restriction of background activity will help (see method 4).

Method 2: Delete temporary MIUI update files

Xiaomi is known for the fact that after the updates “over the air” (OTA) leaves behind a folder with temporary files, which can weigh 500 MB-1.5 GB. These files are useless, but the system does not delete them.

How to find and delete:

1. Connect your phone to your PC and enable File Transfer Mode (MTP).
2. Open the internal memory and go to the.OTA folder (it is hidden – turn on the display of hidden files).
3. Delete all files inside (usually archives with the.zip or.ota extension).

Alternative method (without PC):

1. Install a file manager with access to root folders (such as FX File Explorer or Solid Explorer).
2. Enable the display of hidden files in the manager settings.
3. Go to /data/.OTA and delete the content.

⚠️ Attention: Do not delete folders MIUI Or Android as a whole, it'll cause the phone to crash.OTA and debug_log!

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If the.OTA folder doesn't get deleted, restart the phone and try again. Sometimes files are blocked by the system while you're working.

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

If previous methods didn’t work, try resetting the recovery partition cache, which won’t delete your data, but will clear the system cache, which can take up to 1-2 GB.

Instructions:

1. Turn off Redmi 9A.
2. Press the Power + Volume buttons up at the same time and hold for 10-15 seconds until the Mi logo and Recovery menu appear.
3. Use volume buttons for navigation and select Wipe & Reset (on some versions, Wipe Cache).
4. Confirm the choice and wait until the completion (1-2 minutes).
5. Restart the phone (Reboot).

This method is particularly useful if:

• 📱 The phone stopped after the update.
• 🔄 «Another takes up more than 3GB for no apparent reason.
• 🚫 Apps began to spontaneously close.

Once cached, Redmi 9A can load longer than usual (up to 5-10 minutes) — that's OK. Don't interrupt!

Method 4: Limiting Background Application Activity

Many system and third-party applications create cache and temporary files even when you are not using them, and by limiting their background activity, you can reduce the growth of the Other.

How to do this:

1. Go to Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Management.
2. Select Apps and tick off those that shouldn’t work in the background (e.g. Facebook, TikTok, Mi Video).
3. Press Limit.

For more stringent control:

1. In the same battery settings, select Power Saving Mode.
2. Activate UltraHard Mode – this will limit the background activity of all applications except system ones.

The downside is that some apps (like instant messengers) won’t update notifications in real time, but you’ll save up to 500MB-1GB per month.

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Limiting background activity is the only way to prevent the Other from being refilled with cache.

Method 5: Manually remove unnecessary APKs and application residues

When you delete apps through Settings or Google Play, you often don’t need to. APK-files and folders of data, which can be found and deleted manually.

Where to look:

• 📁 folder /data/app — stored APK-Remote Program Files (root rights required to access).
• 📁 folder /Android/obb — game residues (e.g. cache) PUBG Mobile or Genshin Impact).
• 📁 folder /Android/data — Application data that was not cleared when removed.

How to clean without root:

1. Install Files by Google or SD Maid (the latter requires additional permissions).
2. In the Cleanup or Storage Analysis section, find the residual files (usually labeled as Orphaned files).
3. Remove them.

⚠️ Note: Do not delete files with the.odex or.vdex extension, they are necessary for the operation of system applications..

If you're not sure if you can delete a file, take it to your PC or the cloud, and then check the phone. If everything's stable, delete it.

More tips: how to prevent the growth of the “Other”

To prevent the problem from returning, follow these recommendations:

• 🔄 Clean the cache regularly (once every 1-2 weeks).
• 📱 Do not use “Duplicate Apps” – this feature creates copies APK-files that take up a lot of space.
• 🚫 Turn off automatic updates MIUI (If you do not want the system to download files without your knowledge).
• 📁 Store photos and videos on a memory card (if any) or in the cloud (Google Photos, Mi Cloud).
• 🔍 Periodically check the Download folder – unnecessary files accumulate there.

If you install and uninstall applications frequently, use ADB for deep cleaning.

adb shell pm trim-caches 500M

It will forcefully clear the cache of all applications, limiting its size to 500 MB.

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To be carried out ADB-Commands, turn on debugging. USB In Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (Click 7 times on the line with the version, then return to Additional Settings → For developers).

FAQ: Frequent Questions About Xiaomi Redmi’s “Other” 9A