Owners of the budget but reliable Redmi series smartphones often face the same problem: the system suddenly reports an overflow of internal memory. This is especially true for the Xiaomi Redmi 5 model, which, despite its merits, has a limited storage capacity in the basic versions. The user opens the storage and sees the frightening category “Other files”, which can take up gigabytes of space, but does not give a clear idea of what is inside.
Many people panic for fear of removing something important to the MIUI operating system. Indeed, blindly deleting system data can lead to unstable operation of the gadget. However, in most cases, this label hides app cached data, remnants of deleted programs and temporary messenger files. In this article, we will discuss in detail safe cleaning methods that will help return the device to performance without the risk of losing personal photos or contacts.
Understanding the structure of the Android file system is the first step to a smart device maintenance. The operating system groupes files that can’t be uniquely classified as images, music or videos into a separate category. For Redmi 5, with its modest specs by modern standards, cleaning this partition regularly is a necessity, not just a recommendation.
What is hidden in the “Others” section really?
When you see the Other category grow to an unimaginable size, it's important to understand the nature of this data, first of all, it's the app cache. Social networks, browsers and streaming services save temporary data for fast downloading of content. Over time, these files cease to be useful, but continue to occupy space. For example, Telegram or Viber can store gigabytes of viewed photos and videos in this section, unless you set up automatic deletion.
The second source of debris is residual files after deleting applications. The standard Android uninstallator often forgets to clean folders with settings or logs of the remote program. Also, this includes system update files that were not deleted automatically after a successful installation. On Xiaomi Redmi 5 with its limited memory, each such megabyte is on the account.
⚠️ Note: Do not attempt to manually delete files from system folders through Explorer unless you know exactly what they are intended to do. Deleting.so libraries or configuration files can result in a device bootloop (cyclic reboot.
The third category is game data: Modern heavy-graphics mobile games can download additional resources that the system does not always correctly identify, they can weigh several gigabytes and formally refer to “other files,” and analysis of the contents of the storage helps identify such “heavyweights.”
Basic cleaning through standard MIUI settings
The safest and first step for a Xiaomi Redmi 5 owner is to use built-in optimization tools. Xiaomi has a powerful Cleanup tool in its Security app that can analyze memory contents and suggest that you delete the safe objects. Launch the app, click on the Cleanup button and wait for the analysis to be completed.
Once scanned, the system will suggest removing the garbage, but standard cleaning often only affects the surface cache. To do more, go to Deep Clean. Here you can select specific file types: large files, duplicate photos, rarely used applications, and this is often the mode in which the very "other files" that are hidden from quick viewing are often found.
☑️ Checklist of basic cleaning
It is important to note that the built-in cleaner is sometimes too conservative and doesn’t touch some types of cache for fear of disrupting the programs. So if the space doesn’t vacate after the standard procedure, you will need to manually work through the application management menu. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps, select a “heavy” app (for example, YouTube or Instagram) and click “Clear Cache.” Don’t confuse it with the “Clear All” button, otherwise you will have to re-enter passwords.
Manual cleaning through the file manager
For more advanced users Xiaomi Redmi 5 You can manually clean it through standard Explorer or third-party analogs like Total Commander, and this allows you to visually assess what's taking up space. Open the file manager and go to the internal storage. You are interested in folders with names of popular applications: Android/data, DCIM, Download, MIUI.
Pay special attention to the Android/data folder. This is where the app data is stored. Inside, you can find messenger folders (e.g. com.whatsapp or org.telegram.messenger). They often contain cache or media folders full of old files. By deleting the contents of the cache folder inside the application directory, you safely free up space. System files are not affected.
Also worth checking is the Download folder. Browsers and instant messengers often save.apk installation files there after updating programs. These files are no longer needed because the application is already installed. Their removal is completely secure and can free up hundreds of megabytes.
Should I delete the.thumbnails folder?
When working with files, remember the naming structure. Files with the.tmp or.log extension in application root folders are usually temporary. However, before you massively delete files on the extension, make sure they are not active processes. Xiaomi Redmi 5 can run slower if there is a shortage of space, so regular audit of the file system is mandatory.
Cleaning up garbage in messengers: Telegram and WhatsApp
The leaders in filling the “Others” section are always messengers. WhatsApp and Telegram save all received media files by default. In Xiaomi Redmi 5 this is critical, since the basic memory quickly ends. Telegram itself has a built-in cleaning tool: Settings → Data and memory → Memory Use → Cache Clear. There you can also set up autodelete media files, for example, in 3 days or a week.
WhatsApp is a little bit more complicated, because it stores backups locally. Go to Settings → Data and Storage → Storage Management. Here you will see a list of chats sorted by location. Often it turns out that half of the memory is occupied by videos from group chats that you haven't even watched. Deleting these files through the app's settings securely and correctly updates the database.
If the built-in tools don't work, you can use a file manager. The path to WhatsApp data is usually Android/media/com.whatsapp/WhatsApp/Media. It's where WhatsApp Images, WhatsApp Video and, most importantly, WhatsApp Documents folders are located. The latter often accumulates unnecessary files. By deleting them, you directly affect the size of the "Other" category.
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Turn on the Save to Gallery feature only for select chats, which will prevent duplicate photos: they will remain in the messenger cache, but will not take up space in the system folder of images, which will make it easier to sort.
Analysis of storage using third-party snails
If standard methods don't seem informative enough, specialized analytics apps come to the rescue. One of the best solutions for Xiaomi Redmi 5 is the DiskUsage app or Files by Google. They build a visual memory card where the size of the rectangle corresponds to the size of the file, which allows you to instantly find the "hidden" gigabytes that hide in deep directories.
Using these tools requires caution. Visualizations show the real size of files, including system files. You may find that the place is occupied by a logcat file or error report, which can weigh several gigabytes. Deleting such files is usually safe, but it is better to pre-copy them to a computer if you are not sure of their origin.
Below is a table comparing popular cleaning methods for Redmi 5 owners:
| Cleaning method | Security | Efficiency | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Integrated MIUI cleaning | Tall. | Medium | Low. |
| Cleaning the cache in settings | Tall. | Medium | Low. |
| Manual removal in the Conductor | Medium | Tall. | Medium |
| Third-party analyzers (DiskUsage) | Low (risk of error) | Very high. | Tall. |
When using third-party software, avoid accelerators and antiviruses with aggressive advertising. They often become a source of garbage themselves. Better use proven tools from Google or open-source projects. For Xiaomi Redmi 5, it is important that the software used is easy to use, so as not to overload the processor.
Radical measures: Resetting to factory settings
When the accumulated software debris becomes so large that the phone starts to work unstable and the Others partition takes up the lion’s share of memory, the last resort is a complete reset to the factory settings (Hard Reset), which completely deletes all user data, applications and, most importantly, cleans the file system clean, returning the Xiaomi Redmi 5 to the state of “from the store”.
Before you do this, it's critical to back up all your important data. Photos, contacts, correspondence, everything will be destroyed. Go to Settings → Phone → Reset → Clear everything. The system will alert you to the consequences. Make sure that the battery is at least 50% so that the device doesn't turn off during the process.
⚠️ Warning: After a reset, the system can index files for a while (up to a few hours) and update background services. At this point, the phone may warm and run slowly.
After resetting and initial setup, it is recommended not to restore all applications immediately from Google backup, but rather set only the minimum necessary to avoid returning old debris.
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Complete reset is not a cure-all, but a last resort: regular prevention takes 5 minutes a week and eliminates the need to do Hard Reset every six months.