Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones often face a mysterious situation where the device’s internal memory is almost full, but when analyzing the content in detail, the user can not find files that occupy gigabytes of space. The system shows that a significant amount of space is occupied by the “Other” or “System files”, access to which is limited by standard means, which causes frustration, as it does not make room for the usual deletion of photos or applications.
The problem lies in the way that MIUI or HyperOS hides app cache, remnants of remote programs and system logs from the user’s eyes for security and stability. However, knowing where this data is hidden and how to access it is necessary for any advanced user who wants to optimize the operation of his gadget, in this guide we will examine proven methods for detecting and cleaning hidden partitions.
There are several ways to get into private directories, from using built-in cleaning tools to using third-party file managers with advanced rights. Android/data This can cause applications to malfunction, so you should do everything consciously, first understanding the structure of your device's file system.
The Nature of the Other Section in Xiaomi’s Storage
When you see the mysterious “Other” category in your memory settings, it’s a prefabricated storage system that puts everything that you can’t classify as photos, videos, music, or documents, and it includes messenger cache, temporary update files, offline navigators, and remnants of remote games, and often the volume of this partition is inflated to an incredible size, taking 10, 20, or even 30 gigabytes.
The Android operating system on Xiaomi smartphones strictly regulates access to root folders. The standard conductor, which goes "out of the box," by default hides many system directories so that an inexperienced user does not accidentally delete a vital component. Which is why when you connect to a computer or try a manual search, you may not see the files that actually take up space.
The Android/data folder is particularly worth paying attention to. In the newer versions of Android (starting with version 11), access to this directory was limited by Google's security policies. However, this is where heavy game caches (such as PUBG, Genshin Impact) and multimedia messenger files are stored. Understanding the structure of this partition is key to freeing up space.
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Use the built-in Security app for initial analysis, but don’t rely on it entirely, as it often doesn’t see the deep cache of apps.
Using a built-in conductor to search for hidden
The first step to detecting hidden files is to properly configure the regular Explorer app, which by default works in a simplified mode, hiding system folders. You need to activate the hidden file display to see the directory structure in more detail, which is a basic access layer that does not require superuser rights.
To do this, open the app and go to the settings, usually indicated by three dots or bars in the corner of the screen. Find the Show Hidden Files switch and activate it. After that, folders that start from a dot will appear in the root directory, and some system directories that were previously hidden from view will also become available.
However, even with the option enabled, standard MIUI Explorer can block the Android/data folder by giving a no-enactment message or simply not displaying the content, in which case the system will redirect you to a special limited interface or require an access confirmation, a security mechanism that, however, is easily bypassed.
☑️ Conductor setting
If a standard tool can't handle displaying a full list of files, it's a signal to use more powerful utilities. Don't ignore the system's warnings if you're unsure of the file's purpose, but knowing where the data lies is helpful for diagnosis.
Application of Third-Party File Managers
The most effective way to open up all files on Xiaomi is to install a dedicated file manager, with Files by Google, Total Commander or X-plore File Manager applications leading the way. These programs have their own permission request mechanisms that often work where the standard interface is out of control.
When you first run such a manager on Android 11 And above, you'll get a request to access a special folder, and the system will open a settings window where you'll manually click "Allow" or "Use this folder." Once confirmed, Total Commander or its analog will have full access to the folder. Android/data and Android/obb, Allows you to see and remove content.
The X-plore is particularly handy, which displays the file system as a tree, making it much easier to navigate nested directories. You can visually see which folder has grown to a giant size. For example, you can find that the Telegram or TikTok cache takes up tens of gigabytes, although the application itself displays a smaller volume.
⚠️ Note: When you delete files from the data and obb folders, applications may lose their settings, save to games, or stop running until the data is re-uploaded.
Using third-party software also allows you to copy files to secure directories, which can be useful when installing modifications or transferring data.This turns your smartphone into an open system where you are the full owner of the file structure.
Access through a computer connection
Another reliable way to see all files is to connect your smartphone to your computer through USB-cable. When selecting file transfer mode (MTP) In phone notifications, Windows Explorer or Finder window on macOS will open on PC. Computers often display the file system differently than mobile interfaces, and can show hidden folders without additional settings.
However, in recent versions of Android, when you connect to a PC, the Android/data folder can also appear empty. This is a limitation of the MTP protocol. To get around this, you can use USB debugging mode and tools like ADB (Android Debug Bridge), but this is already a method for advanced users. For most cases, just look closely at the displayed partitions.
If you're using macOS, you'll need an Android File Transfer or OpenMTP app, because the standard Finder doesn't see an Android device. On Windows, everything works natively. The advantage of the method is in the large screen and the ability to quickly sort files by size, finding heavyweights.
| Access method | Difficulty | Access to Android/data | Risk of error |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard conductor | Low. | Limited. | Minimum |
| Third-party FM (Total Commander) | Medium | Full (with permission) | Medium. |
| Connection to PC (MTP) | Low. | Partial/Limited | Minimum |
| ADB/Root rights | Tall. | Complete. | High-pitched |
Analysis of cache and garbage folders
Once you access hidden files, you'll encounter a lot of folders with obscure names, most often the "other" files are the data in the cache directory, temporary files that speed up applications but can take up an unnecessarily large amount of space over time, and can be safely deleted if you understand which application they belong to.
The messenger folders deserve special attention. Android/media/com.whatsapp or similar ones for Telegram and Viber store all the images and videos you receive, even those you have already viewed and “forgot”; often they make up the lion’s share of the occupied space, and cleaning up here gives the most tangible result.
It’s also worth checking the Download folder. Users often forget about downloaded installers. APK, PDF-And the system's memory analyzer doesn't always label them as junk, because it considers them important user data.
What is a.thumbnails folder?
Regularly checking these partitions will help keep things in order. Don't wait until the memory is full, which can cause the system to slow down and not install updates.
Cleaning and optimizing the system
Once you have found and analyzed the hidden files, the cleaning step is in, and if you manually deleted the cache through the file manager, it is recommended that you restart the device, which will allow the system to recalculate the file index and correctly display the freed space in the settings.
You can use Xiaomi's built-in Security app to automate the process. Although it doesn't always see everything, its Cleanup feature effectively removes residual files and empty folders. Combine manually cleaning large files through a third-party manager and automatically cleaning small things through a system application.
If the “Other” section doesn’t shrink even after cleaning, it may be a problem in the statistics display bug, in which case it helps to reset the settings of consumer applications (for example, Gallery or Explorer) through the Settings menu → Apps → All Apps. Find the desired application and click “Clean” (not data, namely cache and clean if available, or simply reset the application settings).
⚠️ Note: Do not delete files with the.obb extension unless you plan to reinstall the game. These files contain graphics and resources, and without them the game will not start, requiring re-uploading data.
Regular file system maintenance is key to a long and fast work of your Xiaomi. The habit of checking hidden folders once a month will save you from a sudden memory shortage at an important moment.
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The combination of manual cache removal via Total Commander and automatic cleaning through the Security app gives the best result in the fight for free space.