“Other” in Xiaomi memory: what it is and how to clean without harming the system

Have you ever looked into your Xiaomi, Redmi, or POCO memory settings and seen the mysterious Others take the lion’s share? The screen can display 10, 20, or even 30GB of “unexplained” junk — with fewer photos, videos, and apps — a problem that is common to all MIUI devices (version 12 to current 14), and it’s not only annoying, but it’s really intruding: the phone starts to slow down, apps fly out, and the system warns of memory shortages.

In this article, we will not only explain how to clean up Other on Xiaomi, but also explain what exactly is hidden under this section (spoiler: it’s not always garbage!).

• 🔍 Top.-3 Why Others Are Growing to Giant Size (and How to Prevent It).
• ⚙️ Hidden settings MIUI, which allow you to clear the cache of the system without root rights.
• 📱 The difference between the models: why POCO F5 Redmi Note 12 “Other” weighs more than Xiaomi 13T.
• ⚠️ What can’t you do to keep your phone from breaking (yes, even a simple cleaning can cause crashes!).

Important: The methods in this article are tested on MIUI 13.0.6–14.0.20 and work on all the brand’s current devices, including Xiaomi 14, Redmi K60 and POCO X5 Pro. If you have an older firmware version (e.g. MIUI 11), some menu items may differ – but the cleaning principles remain the same.

What is the Other in Xiaomi’s memory and why does it take up so much space?

The Others section of MIUI is a kind of black box where the system drops everything that doesn't fall into the standard categories (Applications, Photos, Videos, etc.) and includes:

• 🗑️ System cache - temporary files MIUI, They need to be cleaned automatically, but often get stuck».
• 📁 Remnants of remote applications – not all programs are completely deleted, leaving behind configs and logs.
• 🔄 Update files - packages OTA, Those who have gone down but have not been established (or have been established but have not departed).
• 📊 Logs and dumps are error reports that MIUI It is used for diagnostics (sometimes it takes several gigabytes!).
• 🎮 Game data – many mobile games (e.g. Genshin Impact or PUBG Mobile) stores the cache in "Other».

On POCO and Black Shark, Others often grow due to aggressive caching — the system reserves memory for games, but does not always free it up. On Redmi budget lines (for example, Redmi 10A), the problem is exacerbated by a small amount of internal memory (32-64 GB), where even 5-10 GB of garbage is critical.

Interesting fact: in MIUI 14, Xiaomi tried to solve the problem by adding a Deep Clean feature (Settings → Memory → Deep Cleaning). However, it does not work on all models and often removes too much - up to resetting the settings of some applications.

Method 1: Clearing the cache of system applications (without root)

The safest method is manually clearing the cache for MIUI service applications.It does not require superuser rights and works on all models, including the Xiaomi 12S Ultra and Redmi K50i.

Here are the apps that most often “clog” the “other”:

How to clean:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. In the upper right corner, click on three dots and select “Show all processes” (or “Show system”).
3. Find the application from the table above, open its page.
4. Click on “Clear Cache” (not “Clear Data”!).
5. Repeat for all applications from the list.

⚠️ Note: Do not clear cache for com.qualcomm.qti.telephonyservice (on Snapdragon devices) and com.android.phone – this can cause network loss or call crashes!

Method 2: Delete update files and logs via MIUI Hidden Settings

MIUI It hides from the user some folders where gigabytes of unnecessary files are accumulated — /data/ota_package, And even after you install the firmware, they often stay there for years.

How to remove them:

1. Install. MIUI Hidden Settings (or any other file manager with access to root folders, for example) FX Explorer).
2. Open the manager and go to the /data/ota_package.
3. Delete all files with the.zip extension (these are firmware archives).
4. Go to /data/log and delete files older than 1-2 weeks (they have names like bugreport-2023-10-15.zip).

Critical information: if you see the /data/log file anr_* or tombstone_* — These are system error dumps. They can be removed, but if they appear regularly, it's a sign of unstable firmware (maybe you should check it out).

On the POCO F4 GT and other devices with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, you often find the /data/vendor/radio folder, which stores the modem logs, and you can clean the contents safely, which will speed up the mobile Internet.

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If the phone started to work faster after deleting the logs, it means that the problem was memory fragmentation. To consolidate the effect, perform memory optimization in the settings: Settings → Memory → Optimize

Method 3: Using ADB for deep cleaning (for advanced)

If the first two methods didn’t work, and the Other still takes 15+GB, you’ll have to connect to your phone via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a method that requires a computer but allows you to delete files that aren’t available through standard settings.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB Tools.
• 📱 Included debugging by USB on the phone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times click on the version, then return to the → For developers → Debugging by USB).
• 🔌 Cable USB (preferably original).

Instructions:

adb shell


su




rm -rf /data/log/*




rm -rf /data/ota_package/*




rm -rf /data/local/tmp/*




rm -rf /cache/*




exit




exit

After you've done the commands, restart the phone.

• 🗃️ All contents of folders with logs and temporary files.
• 🔄 Remains of failed updates.
• 📦 Packet installer cache (/data/local/tmp).

⚠️ Attention: Command rm -rf It deletes files irrevocably. If you go wrong (e.g., type in rm). -rf /data/ without specifying the folder, this can cause system failure.

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ADB-Cleaning is the most effective way, but only for users who are confident in their actions. If you have never worked with the command line, you should skip this method or seek help from a specialist.

Method 4: Recovery Mode cache reset (if the phone is slowing)

If the Other not only takes up space but also causes lags, resetting the cache through Recovery Mode will help, a method that does not delete user data, but clears all temporary system files.

How to do this:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Power button + Volume up (on some models, such as Redmi 9A, you need to keep Power + Volume down).
3. When the Mi logo appears, release the buttons and you will be taken to Recovery.
4. Select a language (if required), then go to Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache.
5. Confirm the action and wait for the completion.
6. Reboot the phone (Reboot) → Reboot to System).

This method is especially useful if:

• 🐢 The phone has become slower since the update. MIUI.
• 🔄 Applications are closed spontaneously.
• 📱 Memory is filled with “other” faster than usual (in a few days).

On the Xiaomi 13 Pro and other flagships with MIUI 14, Recovery may not have Wipe Cache. In this case, select Advanced → Wipe Dalvik Cache – the effect will be similar.

Method 5: Disabling unnecessary system processes (for experienced)

MIUI runs a lot of background processes that are constantly writing data to Others, some of which can be turned off without harming the system.

• 📡 MiuiDaemon – service responsible for collecting analytics (you can disable it).
• 🔍 MSA (Mi Service Framework – Xiaomi push notification service (if you do not use branded services, you can knock out the service).
• 🎵 MusicFX - System Equator (if not used).

How to turn it off:

1. Install App Manager (or ADB AppControl)
2. Find an app on the list (e.g. com.xiaomi.msa.global for MSA).
3. Select “Disable” (not “Delete!”).
4. Reboot the phone.

⚠️ Warning: Disabling com.xiaomi.finddevice will make it impossible to track your phone when you steal! Also, don’t touch processes with names like android, media or bluetooth – this can break key functions.

On POCO X3 Pro and other MIUI devices for POCO, you can additionally disable com.miui.personalassistant, which will free up another ~500 MB in the Others section.

How to prevent the “other” from being refilled?

Cleaning is good, but if you don't change your habits, the Others will grow back in a week, and here are 5 rules to keep your memory in check:

• 🔄 Turn off automatic app updates on Google Play (or limit it to Wi-Fi only).
• 📸 Do not edit photos in a standard gallery – it creates duplicates in cache.
• 🎮 Clean the cache of games manually (for example, in Genshin Impact, the cache can weigh 5).+ GB!).
• 📥 Do not download files directly to your phone’s memory – use a memory card or cloud.
• 🔍 Periodically check the Download folder - unnecessary ones often accumulate there. APK archives.

It is also worth turning off the collection of analytics in MIUI:

1. Go to Settings → Additional → Privacy → Special Permissions → Usage Data.
2. Turn off the options “Send Error Reports” and “Improving MIUI”.

On the Xiaomi 12T and later, there is a "Light Mode" feature that reduces the background activity of the system.

Settings → Special features → Easy mode

FAQ: Frequent questions about “other” in the memory of Xiaomi