How to Clean the Other section on Xiaomi: A Complete Guide with Proven Methods

The Other section of Xiaomi’s smartphone memory is a mystery to most users, which can take anywhere from 5GB to 30+GB, but doesn’t give a clear explanation of which files are getting there. Unlike the obvious categories like Photo or Video, The Other collects system debris, app cache, temporary files, and even remnants of remote programs, and if you notice that the phone’s memory is running out and cleaning the standard methods doesn’t help, this is the problem.

In this article, we will discuss 5 Proven ways to clean the “Other” section on Xiaomi (relevant to the MIUI 14/15, including the Redmi Note models 12/13, POCO X5/F5, Xiaomi 13/14). You will learn how to delete unnecessary files without root rights, what tools to use for deep cleaning, and why some methods can cause system failures if used incorrectly. MIUI.

What is the “Other” section on Xiaomi and why is it growing?

In MIUI, the Other is a kind of black box where files that the system cannot categorize as standard are placed.

• 🗑️ Application cache – temporary data that programs save for fast operation (for example, thumbnails of images in a gallery or data messengers).
• 📁 System Logs and Dumps – Error Report Files that are Created When Failures (/data/tombstones, /data/anr).
• 🔄 Remnants of Remote Applications – Not Completely Erased Files After Uninstallation of Programs.
• 📱 Update files – firmware packages that have downloaded but not installed (/cache, /data/ota_package).
• 🎮 Game data – saves, texture packs and other resources that games download in the background.

The main reason for the growth of the Other is the malfunction of the cache cleaning mechanism in MIUI. The system must automatically delete unnecessary files, but often this does not happen because:

• 🛑 Bugs in firmware (especially relevant for bet versions) MIUI).
• 🔄 Frequent updates – each update leaves a trail in the form of temporary files.
• 📱 Use of third-party launchers that conflict with system processes.

Fun fact: On some Xiaomi models (like the Redmi Note 10 Pro), the Other section can take up up to 40% of the total memory if not cleaned for a long time, while the standard Cleanup tool in the settings removes only 10-15% of debris.

Method 1: Cleaning through the built-in Security app

The easiest and safest method is to use the standard Security app (or Security in global firmware), which is on all Xiaomi smartphones and allows you to remove some of the garbage without risk to the system.

Instructions:

1. Open the Security app (the shield icon).
2. Go to the Cleaner (or Cleaner) section.
3. Press Deep Clean and wait for the scan.
4. Select the category “Junk Files” and click “Clean”.
5. Return to the main menu and select Memory Management → Another, then delete the unnecessary files.

⚠️ Attention: Built-in cleaning removes only surface debris - application cache and temporary files. System logs, dumps and update residues will remain intact. 10 GB, this method will only help to free up 1-3 GB.

To increase efficiency, before cleaning:

• 🔋 Reboot your phone – it will reset temporary files in memory.
• 📵 Turn off mobile internet and Wi-Fi during cleaning (so that background processes do not interfere).
• 🛠️ Update the Security app via Google Play or Mi App Store.

Method 2: Manually cleansing through file manager

If the standard cleaning didn’t work, you can manually delete unnecessary files through the file manager, which is suitable for both the built-in Files application and third-party tools like Solid Explorer or FX File Manager.

Key folders that can be cleaned without risk to the system:

⚠️ Note: Do not delete files from folders /system, /vendor or /data/app — This will cause the system to crash and require you to flash your phone, and avoid folders called com.android. and com.xiaomi. MIUI.

If you use Root rights, you can clean your system folders, but that requires experience. For beginners, it's better to limit yourself to the secure directories in the table above.

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Before deleting folders, take a screenshot of their contents – if there are problems after cleaning, you can recover critical files.

Method 3: Using ADB for deep cleaning

For advanced users, there is a method of cleaning through ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which allows you to delete files that are not available through standard tools, but requires connecting the phone to your computer.

Instructions:

1. Download and install Platform Tools (includes adb).
2. Turn on USB Debugging on your phone: Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times to activate Developer Mode), then Settings → Additional → Developers → Debugging over USB.
3. Connect your phone to your PC and type in the command line: adb devices (the device should appear).
4. Follow the commands to clean the cache: adb shell pm clear --user 0 com.android.providers.media adb shell pm trim-caches 1000000000 (the second command clears the cache of all applications).

To remove dumps and logs, use:

adb shell rm -rf /data/tombstones/*


adb shell rm -rf /data/anr/*




adb shell rm -rf /data/log/*

⚠️ Attention: Rm teams -rf They delete files irreversibly. If you go wrong (e.g., type in rm). -rf /data/*), This will cause the phone to be completely reset. Always check the paths before you run!

Method 4: Resetting cache via Recovery Mode

If the phone is slowing down and the Other partition is over 15GB, it will help to reset the cache through Recovery Mode, which does not delete user data, but clears the system cache, which can weigh several gigabytes.

How to do this:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Power button + Volume up until the Mi logo appears.
3. From the Recovery menu, select Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache (manage volume buttons, confirmation – power button).
4. After cleaning, restart the phone (Reboot → System).

This is especially useful after unsuccessful updates or if the phone has started spontaneously restarting. /cache often stays in memory and takes up space in the "Other" section.

⚠️ Warning: Don't confuse Wipe Cache with Wipe Data! The second option will completely reset the phone to factory settings, removing all data.

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Resetting cache via Recovery is the safest way to clean system temporary files without losing data.

Method 5: Cleaning Apps (SD Maid, Files by Google)

If manual methods seem complicated, you can use third-party applications.

• 🧹 SD Maid is a deep cleaning of cache, duplicates and residues of applications. There is a feature called CorpseFinder that finds dead files from deleted programs.
• 📂 Files by Google is a simple tool with Cleanup function that will tell you which files can be deleted.
• 🔍 CCleaner is a classic cleaner, but on MIUI It is unstable (may not see system folders).

How to use SD Maid:

1. Download the app from Google Play.
2. Run the scan (Analysis).
3. Go to the CorpseFinder section and remove the remnants of old apps.
4. In SystemCleaner, clear the cache and logs.

⚠️ Note: Some applications (such as Clean Master) may delete important files or show false virus warnings.

Also, check out the automatic cleaning in Files by Google:

• 📅 Set up a weekly check in Settings → Cleanup.
• 🗑️ Enable the option to Delete files in the Recycle Bin older than 30 days.

What NOT to do when cleaning up the “Other” on Xiaomi

Some actions can permanently disable your phone or cause data loss.

• 🚫 Deletion of folders /system, /vendor, /boot — This will lead to a blink (the phone will not turn on).
• 🚫 Using fastboot erase commands without understanding – you can erase the partition with the firmware.
• 🚫 Formatting a section /data through TWRP Without a backup, it is a complete reset.
• 🚫 Delete files with the.odex or.vdex extension – they are necessary for the operation of applications.
• 🚫 Cleaning the folder. /data/dalvik-cache manually, this will lead to a cyclical reboot.

If you are in doubt about whether you can delete a file, check its name on Google or on the XDA Developers/4PDA forums. For example, files named lib*.so or framework*.jar are critical to the system.

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If the phone gets worse after cleaning, reset it to factory settings immediately, which could mean that important system files have been deleted.

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning up the "Other" on Xiaomi