How to Clean the Other folder on Xiaomi: 7 proven ways to free up memory

Why does the Other folder take up gigabytes of memory on Xiaomi?

You open your storage settings on your Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 or POCO X5 Pro, and suddenly you find that the mysterious “Other” folder has eaten 10, 20, or even 30 GB of precious space? It’s not a glitch or a virus — this is the architecture of MIUI. Unlike the folders “Photo”, “Video” or “Audio”, where everything is on shelves, the “Other” section becomes a dump for files that the system can not uniquely classify.

This is where you accumulate the remnants of deleted apps, temporary update files, cache of system processes, debugging logs, and even fragments of messaging media downloaded by messengers. For example, when you clear the Telegram or WhatsApp cache through settings, some of the tails remain in the Other. And if you've ever used the ADB backup feature or recovered data through the Mi Cloud, there may be gigabytes of unnecessary backups left in this folder.

But the big problem is that MIUI doesn't directly access the content of The Other, you can't just open the file manager and delete everything like a regular folder, and you need a systematic approach, from cleaning the cache safely to cleaning it deep through an engineering menu, or you risk deleting critical files and getting a brick instead of a smartphone.

What exactly is stored in the “Other” folder on Xiaomi?

Before we get to the cleanup, we'll see what concretely lies in this section. According to an analysis of MIUI 14 and HyperOS firmware, the Other folder is 80 percent:

• 📁 System application cache – remnants from Google Play Services, Miui Daemon, Security and other services that are not cleaned by standard methods.
• 🔄 Temporary update files – packages OTA, Those who have not yet been given a break, but have not yet been given a break).
• 🗑️ Logs and dumps - error reports (/data/tombstones), processor logs, sensor data.
• 📦 Remnants of remote applications – configuration files, databases (.db,.sqlite) that are not deleted with the program.
• 🔗 Symbolic links are “broken” links to files that no longer physically exist but take up space in the file system.

The remaining 20% is unique to each device data: for example, if you used the developer mode (adb), there may be debugging keys; if you connected your smartphone to Xiaomi PC Suite – temporary sync files. On devices with HyperOS (for example, Xiaomi 14) in the “Other” also stores data for work. AI-functions such as scene recognition in the camera or battery optimization.

Method 1: Cleaning the cache of system applications

The safest method is to remove the cache of embedded MIUI services. This data is not critical for the system, but often takes several gigabytes. For example, the cache of Google Play Services can inflate to 1-2 GB, and Miui Gallery – to 500-800 MB.

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, Download Manager) and click Clear Cache.

⚠️ Warning: Do not clean data (Data Clear) system applications – this can lead to malfunctions MIUI (For example, notifications will stop coming or access to network settings will disappear).

Method 2: Delete temporary update files

Every time your Xiaomi downloads a firmware update (OTA), packet is saved to the folder /data/ota_package or /cache. Even after successful installation, files are often left dead on devices with a dead load. MIUI 13/14 These packages can weigh from 1,5 before 3 GB!

How to delete:

1. Connect your phone to your PC and enable USB Debugging (Settings → About Phone → MIUI version – press 7 times, then go back to Additional Settings → For Developers).
2. Open the command line (Windows) or the terminal (Mac/Linux) and enter: adb shell su rm -rf /data/ota_package/* rm -rf /cache/*.zip
3. Reset the device.

If you do not have root rights, use an alternative method:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → System update.
2. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Remove the downloaded package.

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If the phone starts to slow down after cleaning the updates, restart it in Safe Mode (Plug the Power button → Restart in Safe Mode) this will reset the temporary processes that could “hang” after deleting the files.

Method 3: Cleaning Logs and Dumps Through Engineering Menu

MIUI keeps detailed logs of everything from the communication module to the GPU, which are diagnostic logs, but are rarely used by ordinary users, but they can take up to 5-7 GB in the Other folder.

You can remove them through the hidden engineering menu:

1. Open the Phone app and enter the combination: ##4636##.
2. Select Usage Statistics (Usage Statistics).
3. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Clear logs.

For deeper cleaning (root required):

adb shell


su




rm -rf /data/tombstones/*




rm -rf /data/anr/*




rm -rf /data/log/*




rm -rf /data/system/dropbox/*

⚠️ Note: Deleting logs can make it harder to diagnose problems if you contact Xiaomi’s service center, for example, without files from the site. /data/tombstones Engineers will not be able to determine the cause of sudden reboots.

Method 4: Removing Remnants of Remote Applications

When you uninstall an app through Settings or Google Play, MIUI doesn’t always delete all associated files.

• 📂 Databases (.db,.sqlite) – for example, chat history in Viber or game settings.
• 🖼️ Cashed media – image miniatures, video preview.
• 📝 Configuration files – settings of themes, fonts, widgets.

To find and remove this garbage:

1. Install a file manager with access to system folders, such as FX Explorer or Solid Explorer (root required).
2. Go to /data/data and find folders with names of remote applications (e.g. com.viber.voip).
3. Delete folders completely or only files with extensions.db,.cache,.tmp.

⚠️ Note: Do not delete folders of current applications, this will lead to their collapse, and avoid files with the extension.odex or.vdex, they are critical for the operation of programs.

Method 5: Cleaning through Safe Mode

If standard methods don't work, try booting into Safe Mode, which disables all third-party applications, and you can clear the cache of system processes without the risk of conflict.

How to activate:

1. Press the power button before the off menu appears.
2. Press and hold the “Off” option (or “Reboot” on some models).
3. Confirm the transition to safe mode.

In safe mode:

• 🧹 Clear the cache of all applications through Settings → Warehouse → Clear the cache.
• 🔍 Check the “Other” folder – in this mode, some hidden files become visible.
• 🔄 Restart your phone in normal mode.

This method is especially effective if the Other folder has bloated after installing custom themes or modified firmware. In Safe Mode, MIUI resets the theme’s temporary settings, which can free up to 1-1.5 GB.

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Safe Mode is the only way to clear the cache of system processes that are blocked in normal mode (for example, MiuiHome or SecurityCenter).

Method 6: Reset to factory settings (last resort)

If all previous methods failed, and the Other folder still takes up an unnecessarily large amount of space, then hard reset remains, which erases all data on the device, including system debris, but requires pre-preparedness.

How to do the reset correctly:

1. Create a backup through Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset or Mi Cloud.
2. Transfer important files to a PC or external drive.
3. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
4. Choose to erase all data and confirm.

⚠️ Note: On HyperOS devices (e.g. Xiaomi) 13T Xiaomi 14, or Xiamo 14, can take up to 15-20 minutes to reset, and don't interrupt the process, even if the screen is stuck on the logo for a long time. MI. Also note that after the reset you will have to reconfigure your Google account and confirm the rights to the applications (due to the fact that you have to reset your Google account). FRP).

After resetting, the Other folder usually loses weight to 1-3 GB, which is normal for a clean system, but it will grow again over time, so it is recommended to repeat cleaning the cache every 1-2 months.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the folder “Other” on Xiaomi