How to Clean the Others section on Xiaomi: The Complete Guide

Xiaomi’s MIUI or new HyperOS smartphones are famous for their functionality, but over time, even the most powerful devices are suffering from a lack of space. Users often face the frightening situation when storage is crowded and the lion’s share of space is occupied by a mysterious section called “Other.” This item can inflate to tens of gigabytes, occupying up to 30-40% of all available memory, which critically slows down the system and prevents new applications from being installed or photos taken.

Many phone owners panic when they see a red occupancy scale and start frantically deleting important photos or deleting favorite games, but this rarely helps, because the problem lies deeper. The Others section is not a system bug, but a special storage where the OS puts the cache of applications, remnants of deleted programs, temporary browser files and error logs. Understanding the nature of these files is the first step to successfully cleaning up, which will return your device to its previous speed.

In this article, we will discuss in detail what this volume consists of, why it is not cleaned by standard methods, and what are safe ways to return gigabytes of free space. We will look at both built-in tools and more advanced methods for power users. It is important to understand that the complete removal of the “Other” partition is possible only after a complete reset, but there are methods to minimize its volume without losing personal data.

What is hidden in the “other” section in fact

Before we take decisive action to make room, we need to be clear about what we're fighting. The Android operating system that underlies MIUI doesn't have a single file called "other." It's a collective image of all the data that the system can't uniquely classify as images, videos, audio or documents, most often an app cache that accumulates through the use of instant messengers, social networks and browsers.

For example, popular messengers like Telegram or WhatsApp have a habit of saving all images and videos viewed to temporary storage. Even if you delete a photo from the chat, a copy of it can remain in the cache, continuing to occupy space, and also includes residual files after deleting games and programs, logs of system crashes and temporary update files that were not deleted automatically.

⚠️ Warning: Don't try to delete files from system folders manually through file managers without understanding their purpose.Deleting critical libraries can lead to Xiaomi unstable operation or a cyclical device reboot.

Another reason for the growth of this section is streaming services and navigators. Maps downloaded for offline mode in Yandex.Navigator or Google Maps are often classified by the system as “Others.” The same applies to downloads from YouTube or Spotify, unless they are labeled as standard music or video files. Understanding this structure helps you choose the right cleaning strategy.

Basic cleaning with Xiaomi’s staff funds

The safest and first step that every Xiaomi or Redmi owner should take is to use the built-in optimization tool.The system provides a powerful mechanism for removing safe debris that does not require installing third-party software. To begin, open the Security app, which is preinstalled on all devices of the brand, and select Cleanup.

The system will analyze the device and suggest removing temporary files, residues of installation packages and other debris. However, standard cleaning is often superficial. To get to it, click on Clean, and then select the option Deep Clean, and here you will see a more detailed breakdown by category, including large files and rarely used applications.

• 🗑️ Remove the cache of all installed applications through the Memory Management Menu.
• 📦 Find and delete APK-Installation files left over after program updates.
• 📸 Check the Recycle Bin folder in the gallery, as deleted photos often take up space for another 30 days.
• 📱 Turn off automatic status saving in messengers so that they do not accumulate in hidden folders.

It is important to regularly perform this procedure to prevent the accumulation of a critical mass of data. Xiaomi's regular tools are smart enough not to touch important system files, but they can skip some hidden caches. So after using the built-in utility, it is recommended to check the storage manually through the settings.

Clearing the cache and data messengers

The main culprit behind the “Other” bloat is messengers in 90% of cases. Telegram, Viber, WhatsApp and Instagram create huge amounts of temporary data. Unlike simply cleaning the cache through the phone’s settings, a more nuanced approach is required. The applications themselves often have built-in memory management tools that work more efficiently than the system.

Consider Telegram. Go to Settings → Data and Memory → Memory Use. Here you will see the amount of cache you are cacheing. By clicking Clear Cache, you will free up gigabytes of space, while your correspondence and important files will remain in the cloud and reboot as needed. This is the most effective way to combat the Other.

For WhatsApp, the procedure is a little different. Inside the app, go to Settings → Data and Storage → Storage Management. The system will show the files that take up the most space. Here you can selectively delete large videos or forwarded documents that you no longer need. Remember that cleaning the application data (not the cache, but the data) will completely delete the correspondence, so act carefully.

Use of Third-Party File Managers

The MIUI Explorer is convenient, but deep cleaning often requires more powerful tools. Third-party file managers like Total Commander, FX File Explorer or Files by Google allow you to see hidden folders and analyze file structure in more detail. Installing such an application is a great way to find heavyweights hiding in the bowels of the system.

And you should pay special attention to the Android folder, which is the data and obb branches. It stores game and application data. Often, after you delete a game, the folder with its name remains and continues to occupy space. By manually removing these tails, you can significantly reduce the volume of the Other partition.

• 🔍 Search for folders with names of remote applications and delete them.
• 📂 Use the Disk Analysis feature to visualize the largest files.
• 🗑️ Clean the Download folder, where forgotten installers often lie.
• 📁 Check the folder. DCIM/.thumbnails — There may be stored miniatures of deleted photos.

When working with a file manager, always turn on the display of hidden files (usually through the Explorer settings menu), this will allow you to see folders that start from a point that often contain temporary debris. Be careful: removing files from folders with the names of system services or active applications can lead to their malfunction.

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Use the Files by Google app – it has a built-in “Cleanup” feature that automatically finds duplicates, blurred photos and old screenshots, prompting them to be removed with a single click.

Radical methods and resetting settings

If neither cleaning the cache nor removing debris through the file manager helped, and the Others section continues to take up an abnormally large volume (for example, 20-30 GB on an empty phone), it is possible that the file system is damaged or a critical log file has accumulated. In this case, the only effective solution is a complete reset to factory settings, this is guaranteed to clean everything, returning the phone to a “store-like” state.

Before doing this, it is critical to back up all your data completely. Use Xiaomi Cloud, Google Drive, or local storage on your computer. Once reset, all apps, contacts, photos, and settings will be deleted without recovery, so you can't neglect the backup.

To perform the reset, go to Settings → About Phone → Settings Reset → Erase all data. The system will warn you of the consequences several times. After the reboot, the cleaning process will begin, which can take from 5 to 15 minutes. Upon completion, you will get a clean system where the Other partition will occupy the smallest possible volume.

⚠️ Warning: Make sure the battery is at least 50-60% Interrupting the process due to battery discharge can damage the system partition and prevent the phone from turning on.

After reset, take your time to install all the apps at once. Try using your phone for a couple of days in a clean form. If the Other starts to grow at an abnormal rate again without active operation, this may indicate a hardware memory problem or a deep software failure that requires flashing through the computer.

Prevention and optimization of storage

To keep the problem of crowded Others from returning, you need to develop digital hygiene habits: Regular smartphone maintenance takes no more than 5 minutes a week, but saves hours of nerves and finding free memory at the right time.Modern Xiaomi smartphones are smart enough, but they need a little user help.

Set up automatic cleaning where possible. For example, Telegram can set auto-delete the cache: if a file hasn't been opened for 3 days or a week, it will be deleted automatically. Enable cloud-based sync and Free Space, which deletes the original photos from the device after successfully uploading to the cloud.

Also keep an eye out for system updates. Xiaomi engineers are constantly working on optimizing MIUI and HyperOS, fixing bugs that lead to memory leaks. Updating firmware often solves problems with incorrect display of occupied space.

• 📅 Once a month, audit installed applications and remove unnecessary.
• ☁️ Set up automatic uploading photos in Google Photos or the Xiaomi Cloud.
• 🚫 Turn off auto-save in chats messengers, if this is not urgently necessary.
• 🔄 Regularly reboot your smartphone – this clears RAM and some temporary files.

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Regular prevention and setting up auto-cleaning in messengers allow you to forget about the problem of memory shortage by 90%.