How to completely clean the “Other” section on Xiaomi smartphone: a step-by-step guide

The Other section** of Xiaomi’s smartphone storage is a real black hole for users, it can take anywhere from 5GB to 30+GB, but it doesn’t show which files are getting there. Unlike the obvious categories (Photos, Videos, Apps), it’s the remnants of deleted programs, temporary system process files, error logs, and even MIUI update snippets. If your Redmi Note 12 or POCO X5 constantly issues memory warnings and cleaning the cache doesn’t help, that’s the problem.

In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways to clean the Other on Xiaomi without root rights, including hidden methods through ADB and built-in MIUI tools. You will learn which files can be deleted safely and which should not be touched (even if they take gigabytes). All instructions are tested on MIUI 12-14 firmware and are relevant for models from 2020-2026.

What is the “Other” section on Xiaomi and why is it growing?

In MIUI, the Other category is a dumping ground for files that the system cannot classify.

• 📁 Cache of system applications (e.g. com.miui.gallery or com.android.providers.media).
• 🔄 Remnants of Remote Programs – Lib, Cache and Configuration Files.
• 📜 Logs and dumps (files with the extension.log,.dmp), which are created when crashes.
• 🖼️ Image sketches (.thumbnails) – gallery thumbnails that are not deleted when cleaning the cache.
• 🔄 Temporary update files (MIUI or Google Play).

The main problem — MIUI It doesn't provide tools for detailed analysis of this partition, for example, in Samsung or Google Pixel you can see the distribution of files by type, and here the user is offered only a "Clean" button, which deletes only the "Clean" button. 10–20% In addition, some files (e.g., garbage, /data/log) Restore the system in a few days, even if you delete them.

⚠️ Note: Do not attempt to manually delete files from the folder /data No root rights through the file manager. This can lead to data loss or a cyclical smartphone reboot.

Method 1: Cleaning through built-in MIUI tools

Let's start with the safest method, which is to use standard MIUI features, which is suitable for beginners and does not require additional programs.

1. Open “Settings” → “About the phone” → “Memory”.
2. Click on the “Other” section (may be called “Other Files” on some firmware).
3. The system will offer the “Clean” button – press it and wait for the process to be completed.
4. Reboot your smartphone (this is important as some files are blocked by the system while you are working).

This method removes:

• 🧹 Cache of system applications (e.g. Downloads, Gallery).
• 🗑️ Temporary files from the folder /cache.
• 📄 Error logs older than 7 days.

However, it does not affect:

• 🚫 Sketching files (.thumbnails).
• 🚫 Remains of Remote Applications in /data/data.
• 🚫 Memory dumps (.dmp).

Method 2: Delete.thumbnails files (sketch)

The.thumbnails folder is one of the main memory eaters in the Other section, which contains thumbnails of all the images and videos you've ever viewed in the gallery, and even if you delete the original files, the sketches can stay and take 1 to 5 GB.

To remove them:

1. Connect your smartphone to your PC via USB (File Transfer Mode).
2. Open the internal memory and go to the DCIM folder.
3. Find the hidden folder.thumbnails (if it is not visible, turn on the display of hidden files in the Explorer settings).
4. Delete all files inside this folder.

If the folder is not deleted, use a root-access file manager (such as Root Explorer) or run a command via ADB:

adb shell rm -rf /sdcard/DCIM/.thumbnails

⚠️ Attention: After removing sketches, the gallery may brake when it first opens, which is normal. The system will reassemble the thumbnails. If you use Google Photos, clear the app cache in the settings.

💡

To prevent sketches from accumulating again, disable the “Pre-load” function in the MIUI gallery settings (section “Additional”).

Method 3: Cleaning through ADB (without root)

The ADB (Android Debug Bridge) tool allows you to delete system files that are not available through the standard interface, which does not require root rights, but requires connecting the smartphone to the computer.

What can be safely removed through ADB:

• 🗃️ Cash of Google Play Services (com.google.android.gms).
• 📜 Logs of the system (/data/log).
• 🔄 Temporary update files (/cache).

Step-by-step:

1. Download ADB Tools and unpack the archive.
2. Turn on the smartphone “Debugging by USB”** (Settings → About Phone → MIUI version → 7 times click on the version, then go back to Settings → Additional → For developers).
3. Connect your phone to your PC and in the command line (in the folder with ADB) do:

adb devices


adb shell




su -c "rm -rf /data/log/*"




su -c "rm -rf /cache/*"




pm clear com.google.android.gms




exit

If the SU command is not working (no root), use an alternative method:

adb shell pm clear com.miui.gallery


adb shell pm clear com.android.providers.media

Install Xiaomi drivers on PC|Enable debugging on USB|Download ADB Tools|Make a backup copy of important data-->

Method 4: Using Deep Cleaning Applications

If manual methods seem complicated, you can use specialized applications that analyze the "Other" section and suggest removing unnecessary files.

• 🛠️ SD Maid removes remnants of deleted applications, empty folders and duplicate files. There is a feature CorpseFinder to find "dead" files.
• 🧹 Files by Google – a simple tool with a “Cleanup” feature that finds large, unnecessary files.
• 🔍 Storage Analyzer – Shows detailed storage structure, including hidden files.

How to use SD Maid:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Run the scanner and wait for the analysis to be completed.
3. Go to the “CorpseFinder” section and delete the residues found.
4. Under System Files**, clear the cache of Google Play Services and MIUI Gallery.

⚠️ Note: Do not use deep cleaning features in applications like Clean Master or CCleaner. They often delete important system files, which leads to malfunctions. MIUI.

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

If previous methods didn’t work, try resetting the recovery partition cache.This won’t delete your data, but will clear temporary system files that can take up several gigabytes.

Instructions:

1. Turn off your smartphone.
2. Press the buttons "Power" + "Loudness up"** before the MIUI 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 phone.

This method removes:

• 🗃️ Cash updates. MIUI.
• 📜 Temporary application installation files.
• 🔄 Memory dumps after failures.

Don’t confuse “Wipe Cache” with “Wipe Data” – the second option will completely reset the phone to factory settings!

💡

Recovery cache resetting is the most radical but safest way to clean up The Other, which doesn’t affect user data, but requires rebooting to a special mode.

How to prevent the “Other” section from being refilled?

To prevent the “Other” section from growing again, follow these recommendations:

• 🔄 Clean the cache regularly in the storage settings (once every 1-2 weeks).
• 📱 Turn off automatic update downloads in Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.
• 🖼️ Use cloud galleries (like Google Photos) instead of the standard one. MIUI Gallery – They don’t create local sketches.
• 🚫 Do not install apps from unknown sources – they often leave garbage in the back of your home. /data/data.
• 🔍 Periodically check the Download folder for unnecessary files (for example,.apk after installation).

It is also useful to disable automatic memory optimization in MIUI, as it often creates unnecessary temporary files:

1. Go to Settings → Battery and Performance → Memory Optimization.
2. Turn off the "Car Clean" option**.

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