The “Other” folder on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro is a real headache for many users, it can take up 5 to 20 GB of storage, but it remains a mystery: what exactly is stored inside? App cache, temporary files, update remnants or something else? Unlike the “Photo” or “Video” folders, the content of “Other” is not displayed in the gallery and is not deleted by standard methods.
Compounding the problem, the Redmi Note 8 Pro (begonia) has limited storage — only 64 or 128 GB depending on the modification. When the Other grows, the phone starts to slow down, applications fly out, and the system warns of space shortages. In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways to clean the folder, including hidden methods that are not described in the official documentation of Xiaomi.
It's important to understand that not everything in The Other can be deleted without consequences. Some files are critical to MIUI, and cleaning them can cause malfunctions. We'll explain in detail what you can touch and what you can't touch so you don't damage the system.
What is the “Other” folder and why does it take up so much space?
The Other folder is a collection of all files that don't fall into the standard categories (photos, videos, music, documents).
- 🗑️ Application cache – temporary data that programs save to speed up work (for example, thumbnails in the gallery, data messengers).
- 🔄 Update residues – firmware files that have not been deleted after installation MIUI.
- 📁 Hidden system files – error logs, memory dumps, Android configurations.
- 🎮 Game data - saves, texture packs, cache PUBG Mobile, Genshin Impact and other heavy projects.
- 📱 Files of messengers – stickers, gifs, media from Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber, which did not get into the gallery.
On the Redmi Note 8 Pro, the Other folder is often sprawled due to the features of MIUI 12/13/14:
⚠️ Attention: Shell MIUI aggressively caches data to speed up the interface, for example, after updating to MIUI 14 Many users have noticed that the Other takes 3-5 GB more than before the upgrade.
Another reason is a file manager error, and sometimes Xiaomi misclassifies files and they end up in the Other instead of their folders, such as downloaded.apk files or archives that might end up there instead of Downloads.
Method 1: Cleaning the application cache through settings
The safest method is to remove the app cache.This doesn't affect personal data, but can free up 1 to 5GB.
Instructions:
- Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Sort by size.
- Scroll down the list, the heaviest apps will be at the top: 📱 Messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber). 🎮 Games (PUBG Mobile, Call of Duty, Genshin Impact). 🌐 Browser (Chrome, Mi Browser). 📺 Social networks (TikTok, Instagram, Facebook).
Warehouse
Clear the cache
To speed up the process, you can use the group cleaning function:
- Go to Settings. → Memory.
- Click Clean in the section "Junk files".
- Check all categories and confirm removal.
⚠️ Warning: Do not clear the cache of system applications (e.g. com.android.systemui or com.miui.home) This can cause the launcher to crash or the icons on the desktop to disappear.
Clear the messenger cache (Telegram, WhatsApp)|Delete the game cache (PUBG, COD)|Clear browser data (Chrome, Mi Browser)|Delete temporary social media files (TikTok, Instagram)|Clean the cache of system applications (com.android.*)
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Method 2: Remove the remnants of MIUI updates
Xiaomi is known for leaving duplicate firmware and temporary files on the device after updates, which can take up to 3-7 GB and are not deleted automatically.
To find and remove them:
- Connect your phone to your PC and activate File Transfer Mode (MTP).
- Open internal memory through Windows/macOS Explorer.
- Go to the.MIUI folder (it is hidden – turn on the display of hidden files in the Explorer settings).
- Delete the folders: update_log — Logs of updates. download - downloaded firmware (if the update is already installed). backup - backups before updating.
Also check the folder. Downloaded_rom At the root of the vault, there may be older versions. MIUI.
| Folder/file | What it keeps. | Can I remove it? |
|---|---|---|
| .MIUI/update_log | Logs for installing updates | ✅ Yes. |
| .MIUI/download | Loaded firmware | ✅ Yes, if the update is installed) |
| Downloaded_rom | Backup copies of firmware | ✅ Yes. |
| MIUI/backup | Backup copies before updating | ⚠️ Unless you're planning to roll back. |
Critical information: If you delete the MIUI/stable folder, the phone may stop loading. This folder contains the current firmware!
💡
Before you delete update files, check the current version of MIUI in Settings → About Phone. If the version matches the date of the files in the download folder, you can safely delete them.
Method 3: Manually remove garbage through file manager
Many of the files in Other are leftovers from deleted applications, incorrectly downloaded files or duplicates, and can be found manually.
Instructions:
- Open the standard Files (or install Solid Explorer, FX File Manager).
- Enable the display of hidden files (in Solid Explorer: Settings → Show hidden files).
- Check the following folders: 📁 Android/data — This is where the application data is stored. Only delete the remote program folders. 📁 Android/obb — Game cache (can be deleted if game is deleted). 📁 Download – often unnecessary.apk, archives, documents accumulate here. 📁 DCIM/.thumbnails — Photo and video miniatures (can be cleaned). 📁 MIUI/extra — temporal files of theme and wallpaper.
Pay special attention to the Android/data folder, for example, if you deleted Facebook long ago, but the com.facebook.katana folder is still there, you can delete it. The same goes for games: after uninstalling PUBG Mobile, a com.tencent.ig folder weighing 1-2 GB often remains.
⚠️ Note: Do not delete folders of current applications (for example, com.whatsapp, if WhatsApp is installed.
How to distinguish safe folders in Android/data?
Method 4: Using ADB for deep cleaning
If standard methods don't work, you can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a tool for advanced users, which allows you to delete files that are not available through a regular interface.
Instructions:
- Install ADB and Fastboot Tools on PC.
- Turn on USB Debugging on your phone: Go to Settings → About Phone. Tap 7 times on MIUI to activate Developer Mode. Go back to Settings → Additional → For Developers and enable USB Debugging.
cmd
Terminal
adb devices(Your device should be displayed)
adb shellsu(If you have root access, or miss this command)
cd /datadu -sh * | sort -rhThis team will show the largest folders in the section /data. Look for suspiciously large directories (such as logs, system_update).
rm -rf /data/folder for deletefolder
log/old
Most often, /data can be safely cleaned:
- 📜 /data/log — Old Logs (releases) 500 MB – 1 GB).
- 🔄 /data/system_update — update-sheet.
- 🗑️ /data/tombstones — Error dumps (can be deleted if the phone is stable).
⚠️ Attention: Do not delete folders /data/app, /data/user or /data/dalvik-cache. It's going to crash the system!
💡
ADB is a powerful tool, but it requires caution, and if you're not sure about the team, you'd better skip it or consult a specialist.
Method 5: Reset to factory settings (last resort)
If the Other takes up more than 10GB and the previous methods didn't work, it's a hard reset, which will delete all the data, but it will return the phone to its original state.
How to do the reset correctly:
- Back up important data (photos, contacts, messages) through Settings → Additional → Reservations and Resets.
- Go to Settings → Additional → Recovery and Reset.
- Select Resetting → Delete all data.
- Confirm the action and wait for the reboot (it will take 5-10 minutes).
After discharge:
- 📱 Do not restore data from backup MIUI — It may contain the same garbage.
- 🔄 Update first thing. MIUI Up to the latest version through Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.
- 🚫 Do not install applications that previously created a lot of cache (or immediately limit their background activity).
Critical information: The Redmi Note 8 Pro may lose Internal Storage after reset. This is a MIUI 12-14 bug. To return memory, restart your phone in Recovery Mode (press Power + Vol Up) and select Wipe Data again.
How to prevent the growth of the “Other” folder in the future?
To prevent the “Other” folder from taking up gigabytes again, follow these tips:
- 🔄 Clean the cache regularly (once every 1-2 weeks) through Settings → Memory.
- 🚫 Limit the background activity of applications: Go to Settings → Battery and productivity → Battery management. Select an app (e.g. Facebook) → Limit background activity.
- 📥 Set up automatic cleaning: In Settings → Memory turn on Autoclean. Set a cache limit (e.g. 500MB).
- 🛡️ Use lightweight alternatives to heavy apps: Replace Facebook with Facebook Lite. Use Telegram X instead of regular Telegram. Use NewPipe instead of YouTube to watch videos.
- 📁 Transfer files to SD-Card (if supported): In Settings → Select Memory by Default SD-Bring music, videos and documents.
You should also disable automatic updates to the Play Market and manually update them, which will prevent unnecessary updates from being downloaded, which then remain in the Other.