How to Clean the Other folder on Xiaomi smartphones: A Complete Guide to Safe Techniques

The Other folder in Xiaomi’s smartphone storage is one of the most mysterious and annoying features of MIUI firmware. It can take from several hundred megabytes to tens of gigabytes, but the system does not show which files are stored there. Users often face a situation where free space on the device is running out, and in the Settings → Storage section you can see that this “Other” occupies the lion’s share.

Unlike the Apps, Images, or Video folders, where the content is obvious, the Other section collects everything the system cannot uniquely classify, from the update cache to temporary game files and remnants of deleted applications. Moreover, standard cleaning tools (such as the built-in Optimizer) often don’t cope with this folder. In this article, we will discuss 7 proven ways to clean the Other on Xiaomi, including hidden system tools and third-party utilities that do not require root rights.

What is the “Other” folder in Xiaomi and why is it growing?

The Other folder (or Other in the English version of MIUI) is a container for files that the system cannot categorize as standard.

• 🗑️ Update cache – temporary firmware files that are downloaded but not deleted after installation.
• 🎮 Game remnants – saves, cache, and application data that have not been completely deleted.
• 📁 System logs – debugging files, memory dumps and error logs (especially a lot of them accumulate with frequent failures).
• 🔄 Temporary files – created by applications to speed up work, but often not cleared.
• 📱 Data data MIUI — settings of themes, widgets and other shell functions.

The main problem is that MIUI does not provide the user with direct access to these files, and even through the file manager, the Other folder appears as a single block without the ability to view the content, and the system often overstates its size due to the nature of the occupied space count (for example, backups and compressed data are taken into account).

On some Xiaomi models (for example, Redmi Note 12 Pro+ or POCO F5), the “Other” folder can take up to 15-20 GB, even if the real amount of garbage does not exceed 3-5 GB. This is due to the fact that MIUI reserves part of the memory for system needs, but displays it as “busy”.

Method 1: Clean Update Cache Through Hidden Menu

One of the most effective ways to reduce the size of the Other folder is to remove the MIUI update cache, which accumulates after each new firmware version is checked and can take up to 2-4 GB.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Go to the About Phone (or About Device) section.
3. Tap 5-7 times on the MIUI version until you become a developer!
4. Go back to the main Settings menu and open a new section for developers.
5. Find the Update Clearup (or Storage → Clear Update Cache in English).
6. Confirm removal.

After restarting the device, the “Other” folder should decrease by 1-3 GB. If this does not happen, check for undeleted update files manually:

Go to the file manager → Internal memory → folder MIUI → downloaded_rom


Delete all files with the.zip extension or names like miui_*.zip.

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If the folder downloaded_rom missing, try to enable the display of hidden files in the file manager settings (usually in the “More” menu» → «Settings» → «Show hidden files»).

Method 2: Using the built-in Optimizer with the correct settings

The standard tool, the Optimizer (or Security → Cleaner) in MIUI often ignores some of the garbage in the Other folder to make it work better:

1. Open the Security app (shield icon).
2. Go to the Optimizer (or Cleaner) section.
3. Press Deep Clean (not fast!)
4. Turn on all the boxes, especially: 🧹 Residual files (remains of remote applications). 🗃️ Application cache (including system cache). 📄 Large files (check manually so you don’t delete important files).

Start cleaning and restart the phone.

If the “Other” folder hasn’t decreased after this procedure, try turning off automatic optimization:

Settings → Applications → Application Management → Three points (menu) → Show system → Find Optimizer → Stop → Clear the cache

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Deep cleaning in Optimizer removes up to 50% of the garbage from the Other folder, but can slow down the first load of some applications (they will reassemble the cache).

Method 3: Manually delete temporary files via ADB (without root)

For advanced users, there is a way to clear some of the system debris without superuser rights, through ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which removes temporary files that are not visible in a standard file manager.

You'll need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed Xiaomi and ADB-tools drivers.
• 📱 Included debugging by USB on the phone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 taps → For developers → Debugging by USB).

Instructions:

1. Connect the phone to the PC and confirm the debugging permission.
2. Open the command prompt (or Terminal on Mac/Linux) in the adb.exe folder.
3. Follow the commands in turn: adb shell pm clear com.miui.cleanmaster # Cleaning the Optimizer cache rm -rf /data/local/tmp/* # Delete temporary files rm -rf /cache/* # Clean the system cache (requires reboot)
4. Reboot the phone.

This method can free up to 500MB-1GB of space, but it requires caution. Don't manually delete files from /system or /vendor folders, this will cause a system crash!

Method 4: Remove application residues via MIUI Hidden Settings

When you delete applications through a standard manager, MIUI often leaves their data in the Other folder to delete them completely:

1. Install the MIUI Hidden Settings app (requires MIUI 12+).
2. Open the App Manager section.
3. Turn on the Show System Apps filter (show system applications).
4. Find previously deleted applications (they will be marked as Not installed).
5. Tap on the app. → Clear Data → Clear Cache.

You can also clean up the following in this application:

• 📂 Widget Data (Widget Data).
• 🎨 Cash Tem (Theme Cache).
• 🔍 Search indexes (Search Index).

Make a backup copy of important data

Close all background applications

Connect your phone to charge (the process can take 10-15 minutes)

Do not interrupt the cleaning until it is completed.-->

This is especially useful if you frequently install and remove games or heavy apps (such as Genshin Impact or PUBG Mobile) and their residual files can take up to 2-3 GB in the Other folder.

Method 5: Reset partition cache (without data loss)

If previous methods didn't work, try resetting the /cache partition cache.This won't delete your files or settings, but will clear the temporary system data.

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the buttons Power + Volume up at the same time (on some models - Power + Volume down).
3. When the MI logo appears, release the buttons and you will be taken to Recovery Mode.
4. Use volume buttons for navigation and power button for selection.
5. Select Wipe Cache Partition (in Chinese firmware may be called ).
6. Confirm the action and wait for the completion.
7. Select Reboot System Now to reboot.

This method frees up 300-800MB and helps if the phone is slowing down or overheating frequently, but it does not affect user data (photos, videos, messages).

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If the phone is loaded for a long time (5-10 minutes) after the cache is reset, it's normal.

Method 6: Use of third-party utilities (with caution!)

Third-party cleaning apps (such as CCleaner, SD Maid or Files by Google) can help with the Other folder, but require caution. We only recommend proven tools:

Warnings when using third-party utilities:

⚠️ Note: Applications like CCleaner can delete important data MIUI, For example, settings for themes or widgets. Always check what you want to clear before confirming.

⚠️ Note: If the utility requests root access, refuse - it can disrupt the work MIUI strip away.

Method 7: Extreme measure - reset to factory settings

If the Other folder takes up more than 10GB and other methods have failed, it's a radical way to reset, but it's guaranteed to clear all the files you don't need before you reset.

• 📱 Make a backup copy through Settings → Additionally. → Backup and reset.
• ☁️ Sync contacts, photos and notes with Mi Cloud or Google Account.
• 🔐 Write down passwords from Wi-Fi and apps (they will be deleted).

Resetting instructions:

1. Open Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Select to erase all data (reset to factory).
3. Enter your password (if required) and confirm.
4. Wait until it is completed (it will take 5-15 minutes).

Once reset, the Other folder will take up to 500-800MB (normal MIUI size), but remember that this method deletes all data, including:

• 📸 Photos and videos (if not saved to the cloud).
• 💬 Messages in messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram, etc.).
• 🎮 Game saving (if not linked to an account).

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Resetting to factory settings is the only way to completely clear the Other folder, but only use it as a last resort. Once reset, the phone will run faster, but it will take time to set up.

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