Xiaomi’s MIUI-based smartphone owners regularly encounter the mysterious “Other” partition, which takes up gigabytes of memory but has no explicit content. Unlike photo, video or app folders, this partition does not open to view through a standard file manager, and its volume can reach 10-30 GB on devices with 128/256 GB of storage, and the problem is relevant for all lines from the budget Redmi Note to the flagship Xiaomi 14.
In this article, we will discuss 5 Proven methods of cleaning the “other” in MIUI, including hidden system methods not described in official documentation. You will learn which files are taking up space (app cache, system logs, temporary data from Google Play Services), how to delete them safely without risking damage to the firmware, and why standard tips like “cleaning the cache” often do not work. MIUI 14/15, The "Other" section may grow after updates through the OTA.
What is the Other in Xiaomi’s Memory and Why Does It Take So Much Space?
The Other section of MIUI is a container for system and user data that is not standard categories (applications, multimedia, documents).
- 📁 App cache (including hidden cache of Google Play Services, MIUI System Launcher and Security App)
- 🗃️ Logs of the system (/data/log, /data/anr — error-file)
- 🔄 Temporary update files (OTA-bags, firmware residues)
- 🎭 Virtual machine data (ART/Dalvik-cache to speed up Android work)
- 🔒 Encrypted files (such as Mi Account or Google Drive data)
The main problem is that MIUI does not provide tools for detailed analysis of this partition, and even through ADB, some files are not available due to the limitations of SELinux.
- 📱 Nana Redmi/Poco s 64 GB of memory "Other" often takes up 8-15 GB (up to) 25% total).
- 📱 On flagships (Xiaomi) 13/14) s 256+ GB — 15-30 GB, but in percentage terms it is less.
- 📱 After updating MIUI through OTA The volume of the "Other" may increase by 3-5 GB due to undeleted temporary files.
⚠️ Note: If the Other partition takes up more than 50% of the memory (for example, 30 GB of 64 GB), this may indicate file system or virus damage.
Method 1: Cleaning the cache of system applications (without root)
The most secure method that doesn't require superuser rights: The Other often accumulates gigabytes of cache from Google Play Services, MIUI Security, and System Launcher, which is not critical to the system's operation, but can take up to 5-8 GB.
Instructions:
- Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select "Show all apps."
- In the search, enter the names: 🔍 Google Play Services (Cache Can Weigh) 1-3 GB) 🔍 MIUI Security (up to) 500 MB — 1 GB) 🔍 System Launcher (cache icons and widgets) 🔍 Download Manager (Remainders of Download Manager)
"Storage" → "Clean the cache"
Once cleaned, restart the device. If the volume of the Other hasn't decreased, move on to the next method.
Backup important data |Close all background applications |Connect the charger (process can take 5-10 minutes) |Do not interrupt the cleanup until completion-->
Method 2: Delete Temporary Update Files (OTA)
MIUI saves service packs in the hidden /cache folder, but after installation doesn't always delete them automatically.These files can take anywhere from 500MB to 2GB and appear in the "Other" section.
To remove them:
- Connect your smartphone to your PC and enable debugging over USB (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version → 7 times press to activate the developer mode, then Settings → Additional → For developers → Debugging over USB).
- Download Google’s Platform Tools and unpack it into any folder on your PC.
- Open the command line (cmd) in this folder and type: adb shell su rm -rf /cache/*.zip rm -rf /data/ota_package/*.If root rights are not available, use only the first and third commands.
- Reset the device.
If the volume of the Other has not changed after this procedure, check the /data/app-lib folder – there may be remnants of remote applications stored.
Once a month |Only for critical updates |Never, I use custom firmware |I don't follow updates-->
Method 3: Manually clean through file manager (with root rights)
If you have root rights (for example, through Magisk), you can manually delete unnecessary files from system folders.Be careful: wrong actions can lead to bootloop.
Cleaning folders:
| The way to the folder | What's stored | Is it safe to remove? |
|---|---|---|
| /data/log | Logs of system and applications | Yes (releases 100MB – 1GB) |
| /data/dalvik-cache | Cache of the ART virtual machine | Yes (after deleting, restart the device) |
| /data/app-lib | Remnants of Remote Applications | Yes. |
| /data/media/0/MIUI/backup | Backup copies of MIUI | Yeah (unless you use backups) |
| /data/data/com.android.providers.media | Media file database | No (may throw the gallery) |
Use Root Explorer or FX File Explorer with root access enabled to clean up. Do not delete files with.odex or.apk extensions, which can damage the system.
⚠️ Attention: Deletion of folder /data/dalvik-cache will lead to a long reset (5-10 - minutes, because the system will repair the cache again!
What if the phone is not turned on after removing the dalvik-cache?
Method 4: Reset media storage settings (to fix MIUI 14/15)
MIUI 14 and MIUI 15 (based on Android 13/14) have a bug that causes the mediaserver to duplicate records in the database, which leads to a 2-5 GB growth of the Other partition per month.
To reset the media vault:
- Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Find the Media Storage app.
- Select "Storage» → «Clear the data».
- Confirm the action and restart the device.
After the reboot, MIUI will rebuild the media database (it can take up to 30 minutes), and the volume of the Other should decrease by 1-3 GB.
💡
If after resetting the media storage photos in the gallery are displayed incorrectly, open the Gallery app, go to Settings → Update media files and wait for the scan to be completed.
Method 5: Complete Fastboot reset (extreme case)
If previous methods didn’t help, and the Other partition takes up more than 10GB on a 64GB device, the file system is likely damaged, in which case only a full reset via Fastboot will help.
Instructions:
- Download the official firmware for your model from the Xiaomi Firmware website.
- Unpack the archive and place the file flash_all.bat to the Platform Tools folder.
- Turn off the phone and press Power + Volume down to log into Fastboot.
- Connect the device to the PC and start flash_all.bat.
If you install/remove applications frequently, reset media storage every six months (Method 4) to prevent the accumulation of garbage in the database.