How to Clean the “Other” in memory Xiaomi Redmi 8 and Redmi Note 8: the complete guide

Owners of Xiaomi Redmi 8 and Redmi Note 8 often encounter a mysterious “Other” partition in memory settings that takes up gigabytes of space — it is unclear what these files are and how to safely delete them. The system shows that the memory is full, but neither photos, nor apps, nor downloads explain the deficit. In reality, “Other” hides the cache of system processes, remnants of deleted applications, log files, temporary MIUI data and even artifacts from updates.

Complicating the problem is that standard cleaning tools (like the built-in Optimizer) often ignore these files. And manual deletion without understanding the mechanisms can lead to failures, such as disappearing data in messengers or disrupting Google Services. In this article, we will discuss 5 proven ways to make room in the Other section – from safe (through settings) to advanced (using ADB), and explain which files can be touched and which are better left.

⚠️ Warning: Some methods require superuser rights or system folders, and if you're not sure what you're doing, limit yourself to the first three ways, they won't harm your device.

First, check how much space the “Other” takes up:

1. Open the settings → About the phone → Memory.
2. Click on the memory usage schedule.
3. Find the line "Other" (usually gray).

If the volume exceeds 3-5 GB, it is time to act.

1. Cleaning the cache of system applications

The safest entry point is to remove the cache of the built-in MIUI and Google services, which accumulates over time and can take up to 1-2 GB, but cleaning it will not affect the operation of the system.

How to do this:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select “Show System Processes”.
3. Sort the list by cache size (click "Size").
4. Select large cache apps (e.g. Google Play Services, MIUI Daemon, Download Manager) and click Clear Cache.

⚠️ Note: Do not clear data (Clear data) from system applications – this can reset settings or disrupt services (for example, disappear Google accounts).

Pay special attention to these applications (they often “inflate” the “Other”):

• 📱 Google Play Services – Cache can reach 500 MB.
• 🔄 MIUI Optimization – responsible for background optimization, accumulates logs.
• 📥 Download Manager – Stores temporary download files.
• 🎵 Media Storage – cache of thumbnails and multimedia metadata.

After cleaning, restart the phone – this will allow the system to recalculate the occupied space.

2. Removal of unnecessary APKs and application residues

When you delete programs through the Play Market or a standard uninstaller, they often leave stubs — folders with data, cache, and even the.apk files themselves — that don’t appear in the installed application list, but take up space in the Other.

To find them:

1. Install a file manager with access to system folders (e.g. Solid Explorer or FX File Explorer).
2. Go to /data/app/ (root rights or access via ADB required).
3. Find folders with names of remote applications (for example, com.facebook.katana-1 for Facebook).
4. Remove them manually.

If root is not available, use an alternative method:

• 🔍 Go to Settings. → Memory. → Files.
• 🗑️ Select a category «APK-files (if any).
• 🧹 Delete all unnecessary files with the.apk extension.

⚠️ Note: Do not delete files from folders /system/app/ or /system/priv-app/ — It's going to crash the system.

3. Cleaning log files and memory dumps

MIUI actively logs system events, errors, and memory dumps (such as when applications crash) that can take hundreds of megabytes, but are safe to delete—they are only needed for developer diagnostics.

Where to look for logs:

For removal:

1. Open a file manager with root access.
2. Go to the folders listed.
3. Select all files (usually with.log,.txt,.trace extensions) and delete them.

If root is not available, use ADB:

adb shell


su




rm -rf /data/log/*




rm -rf /data/anr/*




rm -rf /data/tombstones/*




rm -rf /data/system/dropbox/*

⚠️ Note: Do not delete files from /data/system/ except for the folder dropbox/ — This can disrupt accounts and settings.

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After cleaning the logs, restart the phone to recovery mode (clip Power + Volume up) and select Wipe cache partition – this will delete temporary update files that are also related to the “Other”.

4. reset the partition cache /cache via Recovery

Section /cache Stores temporary update files, cache OTA-Cleaning it does not delete user data, but can release it to 1 GB space.

Instructions:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Power + Volume buttons up until the Mi logo appears.
3. In the Recovery menu, select the language (if required).
4. Go to Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache.
5. Confirm the action and wait for the completion.
6. Reboot the device (Reboot → System)

This method is especially useful if the Other has grown dramatically after a MIUI update – often the old firmware files remain in the cache.

⚠️ Warning: Don't confuse Wipe Cache with Wipe Data! second option will delete all your data.

5. Advanced cleaning through ADB (no root)

If previous methods have failed and root access is not available, use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which allows you to delete unnecessary files without risking damage to the system.

What you need:

• 🖥️ A computer with installed Xiaomi drivers and ADB.
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).
• 📱 On the phone, turn on "Debugging by" USB» (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI — Press 7 times, then return to Settings → Additionally. → For developers).

Cleanup commands:

adb shell pm clear com.miui.cleanmaster #Cache cleaning standard optimizer


adb shell pm clear com.android.providers.downloads # Cleanup Download Manager




adb shell rm -rf /data/local/tmp/* # Delete temporary files




adb shell rm -rf /data/log/* # Clearing logs (confirmation required)

Critical: Don't use the rm command -rf /data/* — This will completely erase all user data!

After completing the commands, restart the phone and check the volume of the Other in the memory settings.

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ADB is the most effective method for rootless cleaning, but it requires caution. Always check the commands before running!

What if the other one is growing again?

If the Other takes up a lot of space over time, the problem is the system processes. Here's how to minimize the impact of the Other.

Automatic solutions:

• 🤖 Install the app SD Maid (root required) – it can clean application residues and system debris on a schedule.
• ⚙️ Turn off automatic diagnostics in Settings → The phone. → Error report.
• 📵 Limit the background activity of applications in Settings → Battery → Energy saving regime.

Manual control:

1. Once a month, clean the cache of system applications (see Method 1).
2. Before the update MIUI remove the old OTA-file /cache.
3. Use cloud services (such as Google Photos) to store media files.

If the Other takes up more than 10 GB and does not decrease, it can be a sign of a virus or a file system failure, in which case only a complete reset (with the data saved to the PC) will help.

FAQ: Frequent questions on cleaning up "The Other"