How to Free Up Space in the Other section on Xiaomi: From Cache to Hidden Files

The “Other” section of Xiaomi’s smartphone memory is one of the most puzzling and annoying categories for users, and can take up 5 to 30 GB for no apparent reason, with standard cleaning methods (deleting apps, cleaning cache) having little impact on it. In this article, we’ll look at what exactly the “Other” is hiding, why this section is growing, and how to reduce it without risk to the system.

The problem is especially relevant for MIUI devices (including Redmi, POCO and Black Shark), where the system actively caches data to speed up work. But even on pure Android (like Xiaomi 13 Ultra with HyperOS), the “Other” section can take up an unnecessarily large amount of space. We have tested all the methods on models from Redmi Note 10 Pro to Xiaomi 14 – and are ready to share working solutions.

It's important to understand that the "Other" is not just garbage, but a combination of system files, logs, MIUI temporary data, and remnants of remote applications that Android doesn't classify as "cache" or "media." Trying to clean it manually without understanding the mechanisms can cause a malfunction of the smartphone, so we divided the methods into safe (for beginners) and advanced (require root or ADB).

What is the Other in Xiaomi’s Memory and Why Does It Take So Much Space?

In the MIUI storage menu, the Other section (Other in English) combines all files that the system cannot categorize as standard: photo, video, audio, applications or cache.

• 📁 System logs and dumps: logcat, dmesg files, error reports (/data/anr, /data/tombstones). Accumulate when applications or systems fail.
• 🗃️ Remnants of Remote Applications: Folders /data/data and /data/app-lib, which are not completely cleaned when uninstallation.
• 🔄 Temporary files MIUI: cache of themes of registration, system updates, backup copies (MIUI/backup).
• 📱 Virtual machine data: Dalvik-cache files (/data/dalvik-cache) and ART-cache that are created when optimizing applications.
• 🔒 Encrypted files: Application data protected by Android Keystore (such as passwords or tokens).

On devices with MIUI 12-14 and HyperOS, the Other section often grows due to aggressive caching of system processes. For example, Xiaomi reserves up to 1-2 GB for MIUI Optimization, a service that analyzes smartphone use to “improve performance,” which is not visible to the user, but takes up space.

Another reason is file system fragmentation, where frequent updates or F2FS/ext4 (the file systems used by Xiaomi) cause memory holes that Android labels as “Other,” especially on 32-64GB devices where free space runs out quickly.

Method 1: Clearing cache and temporary MIUI files (without root)

So, to start with the safest methods that don't require superuser rights, the first step is to clean up the hidden MIUI cache that you can't see on the standard storage menu.

1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
2. Press the MIUI version 7-10 times until you are a developer!
3. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
4. Activate the option Do not save logging (Disable logging in English).

This option disables the recording of debugging logs, which can take up to 500 MB-1 GB per week, but once the device is restarted, logs will start to accumulate again - so the method is temporary.

Next, we will clean the cache of system applications:

• 🧹 Go to Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
• 🔍 In the search, enter MIUI and select all applications with this name (e.g, MIUI Daemon, MIUI Optimization).
• 🗑️ For each, click Warehouse. → Clear the cache.
• 🔄 Reboot your smartphone.

Pay special attention to the Security app, which caches scan data that can take up to 2-3 GB to clean it up completely:

Settings → Applications → Application Management → Security → Storage → Clear data

⚠️ Attention: Security data cleanup will reset the antivirus and spam blocker settings. After the procedure, it is recommended to update the virus database manually.

Method 2: Remove Remnants of Remote Applications

When you uninstall applications via Settings or Google Play, MIUI often leaves their folders in /data/data and /data/app-lib. These files are not visible to the user, but take up space in the Other section to delete them:

Method 1. Through ADB (without root)

• 🖥️ Install Platform Tools on PC.
• 📱 Turn on Debugging. USB In Settings → For developers.
• 🔌 Connect your smartphone to your PC and execute the command:

adb shell pm list packages -u

This command will show you a list of apps that are labeled uninstalled -- these are junk packages -- to remove them completely:

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.example.package

Replace com.example.package with the name of the package from the list, for example, to remove the residues of Facebook:

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.facebook.katana

Method 2. via Files by Google (for beginners)

Files by Google can find and delete residual files:

• 📲 Install Files by Google.
• 🔍 Go to the Cleanup section. → Unnecessary files.
• 🗑️ Select Application Residues and confirm removal.

⚠️ Note: Do not delete folders called com.miui. or com.android. – these are system components without which you can use the name. MIUI may not work properly.

Method 3: Cleaning Dalvik-cache and ART-cache (requires root)

The Dalvik-cache section (or ART-cache in newer versions of Android) stores optimized versions of apps to speed up their launch, and over time it grows to 1-3 GB, especially if you update or delete programs often, and you can only clean it with root permissions.

Instructions:

1. Install a file manager with root support (such as Root Explorer or FX File Explorer).
2. Go to /data/dalvik-cache.
3. Select all files (usually with the.dex or.oat extension) and delete them.
4. Reboot your smartphone. The system will restore the cache automatically the next time you run the apps.

The alternative is through TWRP:

• 📱 Boot in. TWRP Recovery.
• 🔧 Go to Advanced. → File Manager.
• 🗑️ Delete the contents of the folder /data/dalvik-cache.
• 🔄 Run the Wipe. → Dalvik/ART Cache.

Once cleaned, the first launches of apps will be slower than usual – this is normal, as the system re-optimizes them.

Method 4: Disabling unnecessary MIUI system processes

MIUI runs a lot of background processes that consume memory and create temporary files, some of which can be turned off without damaging the system.

Through ADB (no root):

• 📱 Connect your smartphone to your PC and do it:

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.analytics

This team disables Xiaomi's analytics collection, which can take up to 300MB per month.Other secure-to-disable packages:

• 📊 com.miui.miservice – Advertising and Recommendations.
• 📡 com.xiaomi.midrop - Mi Drop (unless you use Wi-Fi file transfer).
• 🎵 com.miui.player is a standard music player.
• 📷 com.miui.gallery – gallery (you can turn off if you use Google Photos).

A full list of safe to disable MIUI packages can be found on the XDA Developers or 4PDA forums. Before disabling, check if the application is being used by you.

⚠️ Warning: Do not disable packages named com.android. or com.qualcomm. are critical system components. Also avoid disabling com.miui.securitycenter, as this may disrupt the antivirus.

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Before disabling system applications, back up through Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset. This will allow you to restore them in case of failure.

Method 5: Format the /data partition (last resort)

If all previous methods failed and the Other partition takes up more than 10 GB, it is possible that the file system is fragmented or corrupted, in which case full formatting of the /data partition via TWRP or Fastboot will help.

Warning: This method will delete all data on your phone, including photos, messages and apps, and only use it if:

• 🔄 The smartphone is slowing down due to lack of memory.
• 📉 The “Other” section occupies more than 20% of the total memory.
• 🔧 Other cleaning methods did not help.

Instructions via TWRP:

1. Back up your important data on your PC or in the cloud.
2. Download to TWRP Recovery.
3. Go to Wipe → Format Data.
4. Enter yes to confirm.
5. After formatting, restart and restore the data from the backup.

Instructions via Fastboot (if TWRP is not available):

fastboot erase userdata


fastboot format:ext4 userdata




fastboot reboot

This method will return the /data partition to its “clean” state by deleting all hidden files and fragmented data, but it requires reconfiguration of the smartphone.

How to Prevent the “Other” Section from Spreading in the Future

To avoid the “Other” section taking up a critically large amount of space, follow these recommendations:

• 🔄 Clean the cache regularly: Use the built-in security utility → Cleaning or annex SD Maid (requires root).
• 📱 Turn off automatic optimization MIUI: Go to Settings. → Special facilities → Optimization MIUI and disable unnecessary functions.
• 🚫 Use alternative launchers: Standard launcher MIUI It creates a lot of temporary files. Install Nova Launcher or Lawnchair.
• 🔒 Limit background activity: In Settings → Battery → Battery management disable autostart for unnecessary applications.
• 📤 Transfer the data to SD-If your Xiaomi supports memory cards, transfer media files and applications to them.

It is also useful to disable the automatic loading of themes and wallpapers:

Settings → Wallpaper → Wallpaper settings → Automatic loading (disable)

This will prevent unnecessary files from being downloaded in the background.

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Regularly cleaning the cache and disabling unnecessary MIUI system processes can reduce the Other partition by 30-50% without using root or resetting settings.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi's "Other" section