How to Clean “Other Files” on Xiaomi Redmi: 7 Proven Ways

Xiaomi Redmi smartphone owners often encounter the mysterious “Other Files” category in the Storage section, which takes up gigabytes of memory but has no explicit description. This data can include cache of system applications, remnants of deleted programs, temporary update files and even fragmented media. Unlike photos or videos, they cannot be deleted in the standard way, requiring special tools and knowledge of the structure of MIUI.

Compounding the problem, “other files” grow to 5 to 15 GB over time, slowing down the device, for example, on the Redmi Note 10 Pro after a year of use, this category can take up to 20% of the total storage capacity. → Storage often fails — the system simply doesn't show what can be removed. In this article, we'll discuss 7 working methods, including hidden functions. MIUI, ADB-teams and third-party utilities that will help make room without risking data.

What are Xiaomi’s “Other Files” and Why Do They Take So Much Space?

The MIUI Other Files category is a container for data that the system cannot categorize as standard (photo, video, audio, documents).

• 🗑️ Cache of system applications (e.g. com.miui.gallery or com.android.providers.media) that is not automatically cleared.
• 🔄 Residual files after deleting programs (folders) /data/data/ or /sdcard/Android/obb/).
• 📦 Temporary update files (MIUI OTA), which remain after the installation of the firmware.
• 🎵 Fragmented media (e.g. video miniatures or album covers).
• 📱 Logs and dumps (.log or.dumpstate files) created when crashes.

On Redmi 9 and newer models, this category may grow because of MIUI 12+: the system reserves space for dynamic cache that does not clear even after a reboot. For example, after watching YouTube or TikTok videos, temporary files remain in the /data/media/0/Android/data/ folder and take up to 1-2 GB.

Another reason is data duplication: apps like Gallery or Music make copies of files to speed up access, but they don't always delete them, like thumbnails of photos (.thumbnail) can weigh hundreds of megabytes, even though the originals have long since been deleted.

Method 1: Cleaning through the built-in MIUI storage

The safest, but least effective, method is to use a standard file manager, which allows you to delete some temporary data, but does not affect the system cache.

1. Open the Settings → Storage.
2. Click on the category "Other Files".
3. Choose Clean (if the button is active).
4. Confirm the action.

On the Redmi Note 11 and later, this method often shows a message saying "No files to clean", although the memory is busy.

• 🔍 Go to Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
• 📊 Sort programs by cache size.
• 🧹 Clear the cache for applications like Gallery, Downloads and Browser.

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If the Clean button is inactive, try restarting your smartphone – sometimes it helps the system recalculate the space it has taken.

This method frees up an average of 300-800 MB, but it doesn't solve the problem completely.

Method 2: Remove the cache of system applications via ADB

For power users, there is a more radical method, cleaning through Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which allows you to remove the cache of system applications that do not appear in the standard menu.

Before we start:

Enable Developer Mode (7 times click on the MIUI version in Settings → About Phone)

Activate USB Debugging in Settings → Additional → For Developers

Install ADB Tools on PC

Connect your smartphone to your computer and confirm your trust in the device-->

Next, execute commands in the terminal (command line):

adb shell


pm list packages -f | grep 'miui' | awk '{print $2}' | xargs -n1 pm clear

This command clears the cache of all MIUI system applications. To clear the cache of all applications (including third-party ones), use:

adb shell pm trim-caches 1000G

Once you have completed the commands, restart the device. This method frees up 1-3 GB, but it requires caution: do not delete the data of applications like com.android.providers.settings, otherwise you may reset your settings.

Method 3: Manually delete temporary files via file manager

Some “other files” are stored in hidden folders that can be manually cleaned, and any file manager with access to root directories (such as MiXplorer or Solid Explorer) will do.

Where to look for garbage:

On the Redmi A1 and budget models, a lot of garbage accumulates in /sdcard/Android/data/ – this is where the caches of messengers, social networks and games are stored. For example, Facebook can leave up to 500 MB of unnecessary data in the folder com.facebook.katana.

⚠️ Note: Do not delete folders with names com.android. or com.xiaomi. - this can lead to system failures. /efs/ and /firmware/, As they contain critical data for the operation of the communication module.

Method 4: Use the Files by Google App

The official Files by Google app (formerly Files Go) effectively finds and deletes unnecessary files, including those MIUI doesn't show. download it from Google Play.

Instructions:

1. Open the app and go to the “Cleanup” tab.
2. Press the vacate.
3. Select the categories “Temporary Files” and “Dublicates”.
4. Delete the proposed files (check the list first!).

On the Redmi K50, the app finds an average of 1.2 to 2.5 GB of unnecessary data, including:

• 📁 Residues APK after updates (.apk in) /sdcard/Download/).
• 🎬 Undownloaded videos from YouTube or TikTok.
• 📄 Duplicate documents (e.g. copies) PDF Telegram).

Files by Google is the only application that can find and delete fragmented files with the.tmp and.temp extensions that MIUI ignores.

Method 5: Reset the partition cache (Wipe Cache Partition)

If previous methods didn’t work, try resetting the partition cache through Recovery Mode.This won’t delete personal data, but will clear the system cache, which can take up to 1-3 GB.

How to do this:

1. Turn off your smartphone.
2. Press the Power button + Volume up until the Mi logo appears.
3. From the recovery menu, select Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache (use volume buttons for navigation).
4. Confirm the action and restart the device.

On the Redmi Note 12, this method helps if:

• 📱 The smartphone began to slow down after the update MIUI.
• 🔄 Applications are constantly rebooted.
• 📉 Memory melts for no apparent reason.

⚠️ Warning: Do not confuse Wipe Cache with Wipe Data - the second option will completely reset the smartphone to factory settings! Also do not interrupt the cleaning process, otherwise you may damage system files.

Method 6: Delete residual files via SD Maid

SD Maid (requires root permissions to work properly) is one of the most powerful deep cleaning tools available.

• 🗃️ Empty folders and files with zero size.
• 🔍 Residual data after uninstallation of applications.
• 📂 Files with incorrect extensions.
• 🧹 Dalvik cache (Android-specific cache).

How to use:

1. Install SD Maid from Google Play.
2. Start CorpseFinder (search for residual files).
3. Select files to delete (check the list first!).
4. Press Run and confirm the action.

On the POCO X3 Pro, users are freed up to 4-6 GB using SD Maid, including:

• 🎮 Remains of games (obb files from remote projects).
• 📱 Logs. MIUI (/data/anr/ or /data/tombstones/).
• 📁 Temporary files of Google Play Services.

Without root rights, the app will show fewer files, but even in this mode it is more efficient than standard MIUI tools.

Method 7: Reinstall firmware (extreme case)

If the "other files" take up more than 10 GB and are not deleted by any means, you can reinstall the firmware, which is a radical method, but it is guaranteed to clean up all system junk data.

Options:

1. Through Fastboot: Complete flashing with all data deleted (requires an unlocked bootloader).
2. Through Recovery: Installation on top of the current firmware (saves data but clears cache).

Instructions for Redmi with unlocked bootloader:

1. Download the official firmware for your model.
2. Unpack the archive and move the folder to the root of the C:\ disk.
3. Connect your smartphone in Fastboot mode (clip Power + Volume down).
4. Run commands: fastboot flash boot.img fastboot flash system.img fastboot flash recovery.img fastboot reboot

⚠️ Note: Firmware will void warranty if the bootloader has been unblocked. Also make sure the firmware is right for your Redmi model (e.g., ingres for Redmi Note 10 Pro, vili for Redmi Note 9 Pro).

This method frees up all the memory that is occupied by “other files” but requires preparation and is risky for beginners.

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Before flashing backup, back up your data via Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset or Mi Cloud.

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning up “other files” on Xiaomi Redmi