How to Clean Up the “Other” in Xiaomi Phone: The Complete Guide

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face an annoying situation: the built-in storage analyzer shows that memory is full, and the “Other” partition takes up tens of gigabytes. This is a system category that accumulates app cache, temporary update files, remnants of remote programs and system logs. The accumulation of such digital garbage not only steals precious space, but can also slow down the MIUI or HyperOS interface.

Many users mistakenly believe that a complete factory reset is necessary to solve the problem. However, in most cases, there are more gentle and effective methods to free up space without losing personal photos and contacts. In this article, we will examine proven cleaning methods, ranging from standard tools to advanced methods for power users.

Before we take any drastic action, it's important to understand the nature of these files. The Chinese-made Android shell actively caches data to speed things up, but sometimes the cleanup mechanism doesn't work properly. Understanding the storage structure will help you avoid accidentally deleting critical system files.

Analysis of storage and identification of major consumers

The first step is always diagnostics. The standard Security tool often shows the big picture, hiding details. To see the real distribution of data, you need to look at the memory settings through the system menu. Go to Settings → About Phone → Storage, where the system will reanalyze and show more detailed statistics.

Often, the lion’s share of the Other section is generated by messengers like Telegram or WhatsApp, which store all media files viewed into hidden folders that a standard cleaner may not recognize as garbage. Social media cache can also grow to incredible sizes if you actively use news feeds and video services.

⚠️ Warning: Before deleting any files manually, make sure they do not contain important documents or work correspondence. Android/data Touching without understanding their contents is highly discouraged.

You can use third-party tools to analyze more deeply, but Xiaomi's built-in File Manager Explorer also has powerful sorting functionality. Sort files by size to find heavyweights that have hidden deep in directories. Often, it turns out that Others are just forgotten downloads or backups that the system can't classify.

Standard cleaning methods through MIUI and HyperOS settings

The MIUI shells and the new HyperOS have a built-in maintenance mechanism that is worth using first.The standard procedure is run through the Security app (green shield icon).Click the Cleanup button and the system scans the device for obvious debris, such as advertising files and temporary installer packages.

However, standard cleaning often doesn't affect the deep cache. To do this, the Security app has a Deep Clean section. Here the algorithm will suggest removing large files, duplicate photos and rarely used applications. Automated cleaning can be set to run regularly, which will prevent critical memory filling in in the future.

If automated tools don't work, try to force clear specific app data. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps, select a heavy app (like YouTube or TikTok) and click Memory. There'll be a "Clear Cache" button, which is a secure operation that won't delete your account but resets temporary data.

It is important to distinguish between Clear Cache and Reset Data: The first action is safe and frees up space, the second one completely removes the app along with your settings and login, and be careful when choosing the option in the application memory management menu.

Cleaning the cache of messengers and social networks

Messengers are the main culprits behind the bloating “Other” section. Telegram, for example, stores all the media you viewed in a local cache, even if you have already deleted them from the chat. Standard cleaning through the phone settings often bypasses this data, considering it important for fast download. You will need to go inside the application itself.

In Telegram, the way to save is through Settings → Data and Memory → Memory Use. Here you will see the Cash slider and the Clear Cache button. The smart slider allows you to set a period for which you need to save media files (for example, 3 days or 1 week), and everything else will be ruthlessly deleted. This frees up gigabytes of space instantly.

On WhatsApp, the situation is similar, but it's managed through Settings → Data and Storage → Storage Management. The app will show you a chat list sorted by volume. You can selectively remove videos and GIFs from specific dialogues without touching text correspondence. This is especially useful for work chat rooms where heavy presentations are constantly being dropped.

Social networks like VK or Instagram also aggressively cache feeds, and these apps often have a "Clear Cache" option in their settings, but if they don't, it's easier to reinstall the app, and when you re-install it, you get a clean cache, and your data is stored on the server after you log in.

Use of debugging mode and ADB for advanced users

For those who are not afraid of a computer and want to gain full control of the file system, there is a method of cleaning through the computer. ADB (Android Debug Bridge, which allows you to delete files that are hidden from the average user and even from some file managers, USB-cable and installed drivers ADB.

First, activate Developer Mode. Go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click 7 times on either MIUI Version or OS Version. Then the Developer option will appear in the Additional menu. Turn on USB Debugging.

adb shell pm trim-caches 999999999999

This command forces Android to remove all available cache of applications, numbers indicate a limit in bytes, and specifying a huge number effectively means "remove everything." It's a powerful tool that can make room where other methods are powerless.

⚠️ Attention: Use of teams ADB Incorrect commands can lead to the deletion of system files or unstable operation of the phone. Use this method only if you understand what you are doing.

Also, you can safely remove system applications that are not needed but take up space and generate logs through ADB, but trim-caches is usually enough to simply clean the Other, and after the procedure, the phone can run a little slower when the applications are first launched, as the cache will be created again.

Comparison of cleaning methods: efficiency and risks

Not all methods are equally useful and safe. The choice of method depends on your technical background and how critical data loss is. Below is a table to help you choose the best strategy for your situation.

As you can see from the table, standard methods are safe, but they are ineffective against old garbage. ADB teams give better results, but they require skills. The best solution is a combination of methods: regular cleaning of messengers and periodic cleaning of cache through settings.

It's important to understand that you can't, and you shouldn't, completely get rid of the "Other" category. A small amount of cache speeds up your smartphone, and you should only sound the alarm when this partition starts to take up more than 10-15 GB of free memory.

Preventing and managing memory in the future

To prevent memory overflow from returning too often, you need to change your smartphone usage habits, first of all, disable auto-save media files in the instant messenger gallery, and this will prevent duplicate files from remaining in the chat room, but not taking up space in the shared album.

Use cloud storage for photos and videos. Services like Google Photos or Yandex.Disk allow you to free up space on your device in one click, leaving a preview in the gallery. Cloud sync is the best friend of the smartphone owner with a small amount of internal memory.

It's also worth checking the installed list periodically, many of the programs you've stopped using are still hanging in your memory and updating, and removing unnecessary software is the easiest way to prevent the appearance of an extra "Other".

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)