Xiaomi and Redmi smartphone owners often face a cryptic memory shortage notification, with the system reporting that the storage is crowded and the lion's share is occupied by the Other section, which is annoying as the user does not understand what is stored there and why it can't be simply deleted with a single button.
In fact, the Other category is a collection of system files, application cache, residual data from deleted programs, and temporary messenger files. Over time, this section can grow to tens of gigabytes, significantly slowing down the operating system. In this article, we will discuss proven ways to safely clean.
Before we start taking drastic measures, it is important to understand the nature of data storage. Standard cleaning tools often do not see the deep cache, which creates the main burden on internal memory, so a comprehensive approach will be required, including both regular MIUI tools and manual file management.
Memory Analysis: What is Hidden in the Section
The first step is always to diagnose, and you don't have to blindly delete files without knowing where they came from, because there's a built-in analyzer in the MIUI and HyperOS shell that shows the location, but it often hides the details inside the Other folder.
To get a better understanding of the situation, you can use third-party visualization tools like DiskUsage or Files by Google, which will show a memory card where the color is the heaviest objects. Often, it turns out that the Other is actually a Telegram, TikTok or YouTube cache that the system misclassifies.
Note the size of the system logs. Sometimes applications or the OS itself start generating error reports in the loop, creating giant text files. Deleting them safely and instantly frees up space, and this section can also get data from cloud storage if synchronization and caching are enabled.
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Use Xiaomi’s Explorer app and go to the Analysis section to see the approximate memory structure, although the detail there is limited.
Cleaning through the built-in Security app
The easiest and safest method is to use the standard Safety tool, which is pre-installed on all Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones, and it can find obvious garbage, but to clean it deep, you need to know where to click.
Run the app and select Clean up. After scanning, the system will suggest that you delete temporary files. Don't stop there. Scroll down to Deep Cleanup, where you can find large files, duplicate photos and, importantly, application data.
The App Data section often hides the bulk of the garbage, pick messengers or social media and look carefully at the files you want to delete, and the system will determine what is cache and what is important, and be careful not to lose your email history.
☑️ Standard cleaning algorithm
Manual cleaning of Android folder and messenger cache
Automatic cleaners often bypass the Android/data and Android/obb folder for security reasons, but that’s where the bulk of the heavy trash is stored: games cache, downloaded navigation maps, and temporary streaming service files.
To access this data, open the Explorer app. Go to the root of internal memory, then to the Android folder. You're interested in two directories inside: data and obb. The data folder stores application data, including cache. Obb contains heavy game files. You can delete the contents of folders, but only if you are sure that a particular application is no longer necessary or its cache is not sorry.
⚠️ Attention: Delete folders inside Android/data You can reset the settings of the corresponding applications to the factory. You can lose progress in games without cloud saving or offline maps.
Telegram, for example, stores all the photos and videos viewed in its internal database, which inflates the “Other” section. Go to the settings of the messenger itself, find the “Data and memory” item, and use the built-in “Clear Cache” feature, which is much more effective than deleting files through a Explorer.
Why is the Android folder hidden?
Delete logs and temporary system files
System logs are operating system records. Ideally, they should be small, but when they crash, they can be as large as gigabytes. Cleaning these files doesn't affect stability, but can speed up interface response.
To remove logs, you can use the engineering menu or ADB-commands, but it's safer for the average user to use the cleaning method through the debugging menu. → About the phone and several times click on the version MIUI, To activate the developer mode, then in the advanced settings, look for "Debugging by" USB».
The easiest way is to use the command via a computer. Connect your smartphone to a PC with USB debugging enabled and type a command into the console to clean the logs. However, most users will prefer the simpler way: clear the cache of system services through the application menu. Find in the list of applications “Google Play Services” or “System framework” and click “Clear cache” (not data!).
It's also worth checking the folder. MIUI/debug_log. If you're not debugging apps, you can delete the whole folder, and it often accumulates information about crashes that are no longer relevant.
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Regular cleaning of system logs and cache of Google services can free up to 2-3 GB of space in the “Other” section without harming the system.
Using ADB for Advanced Cleaning
For power users who want to get the most out of it, there is an Android Debug Bridge (ADB) cleaning method that allows you to delete files that are hidden from the average user, even in developer mode.
You'll need a computer, USB-cable and installed set of tools ADB. Once you connect your phone and authorize debugging, you can execute a command to delete temporary files. For example, the command to clean the Dalvik cache requires you to reboot to Recovery mode, but there are also softer methods.
You can use the command to force clear the cache of the batch installer:
adb shell pm trim-caches 999999999This team will try to free up that number of bytes (in this case, almost 10 GB) by deleting the app cache, and it will decide which cached data is less important. It's a secure operation built into Android, but it requires ADB rights.
| Cleaning method | Security | Efficiency | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security Annex | Tall. | Low. | Low. |
| Cleaning the cache in settings | Tall. | Medium | Low. |
| Delete folders in Android/data | Medium | Tall. | Medium |
| Using ADB teams | Medium | Maximum | Tall. |
Radical measures: resetting and reflashing
If none of the methods worked and the Other section continues to grow, it is possible that there was an error in the file system or a critical amount of system debris accumulated that cannot be removed without a complete reset.
Resetting to factory settings (Wipe Data) is a guaranteed way to clear the Other.Be sure to back up all the important data to the Mi Cloud cloud or to your computer before doing so. Once reset, the phone will be as new as possible and the Other partition will take up as little volume as possible.
In some cases, formatting the internal drive through the Recovery menu helps, turning off the phone, pressing the button combination (usually Volume+ and Power), and selecting Wipe Data → Wipe All Data from the Recovery menu, which will delete everything, including photos, contacts, and apps.
⚠️ Warning: Before performing a full reset, make sure you remember the password from your Mi Account and Google account. Otherwise, the phone may lock after rebooting (protection) FRP).
After a reset, take your time to restore the backup of the applications right away. Often it is the backup that returns the old bloated cache to the place, and it is better to install the applications again and configure them from scratch.
Prevention of memory filling
To keep the problem from returning, you need to change your smartphone usage habits, regular cleaning of the cache of heavy apps should become a habit, for example, on Telegram you can set up automatic deletion of the cache of media files after 3 days or a week.
Use cloud storage for photos and videos. Enable sync with Google Photos or Yandex.Disk and use the Free Space feature, which deletes local copies of files already uploaded to the cloud.
Watch for system updates. Xiaomi engineers periodically release patches that fix filesystems and bugs, the Other section has been inflated. The current firmware version is the best protection against system debris accumulation bugs.
Don't install the dubious accelerator apps from the Play Market, which are often the source of garbage and advertising, just simulating useful activities, and the built-in MIUI is enough to keep order.