Why does the “Other” section appear in Xiaomi’s vault and what is hidden in it?
Have you ever looked into your Xiaomi, Redmi, or Poco storage settings and seen the mysterious "Other" section that takes up gigabytes of memory? It's not a system bug, it's a cluster of files that MIUI can't categorize as standard (photos, videos, apps).
Application cache (including system) that is not automatically cleared.
Residual files after deleting programs (for example, settings or temporary data).
System logs (.log,.tmp) that are created for diagnosis but are rarely deleted.
Update files that have been downloaded but not installed.
– Garbage from messengers (cache of stickers, media from chats that have not been preserved in the gallery).
On Xiaomi 12T Pro or Redmi Note 11, the Other section can take up from 5 to 20 GB — that's normal for MIUI, but not optimal for the user. The main problem is that the system doesn't clean it in one click, like the app cache. You have to work manually.
Method 1: Clear cache of all applications (including system)
The easiest way is to delete the cache of all apps at once, and this won't delete your data (photos, messages, accounts), but it will free up 1-3 GB of space.
- Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Slip on the three dots in the upper right corner and select "Show all processes".
- Click on “Cash” in the top panel and confirm the cleanup.
⚠️ Note: After this procedure, some apps (such as Google Maps or YouTube) will take longer to load on the first run – they will have to recover the cache again.
Close all active applications
Connect your phone to charge (the process can take 5-10 minutes)
Make sure that no files are downloaded on the phone.
Backup important data (in case of failure)-->
If the Other section hasn't shrunk after cleaning, it means the debris is hiding deeper.
Method 2: Removing Residual Files from Remote Applications
When you delete an application through Settings or Google Play, MIUI often leaves behind tails — folders with settings, cache, or data — that take up space but don't show up in the standard file manager to find them:
- Install a file manager with access to system folders, such as FX File Explorer or Solid Explorer (give it root rights if you have one).
- Go to /data/data/, where all applications are stored.
- Look for folders with the names of remote programs (for example, com.whatsapp, if you have deleted WhatsApp long ago).
- Delete these folders manually.
Do not delete active application folders (e.g. com.android.settings) – this will cause system failure!
| Type of file | Size (approximately) | Can I remove it? |
|---|---|---|
| Cache of messengers (.thumb,.nomedia) | 500MB - 2GB | Yes. |
| System logs (.log,.trace) | 100-500 MB | Yes (except anr and tombstone) |
| Update Remains (download in /cache) | 1-3 GB | Yes. |
| Dalvik cache files (/data/dalvik-cache) | 300MB - 1GB | Only with root access. |
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Before you delete the folders, take a screenshot of their contents, and if an application starts to work incorrectly after cleaning it, you can only restore the files you want.
Method 3: Cleaning through Recovery Mode (without data loss)
If standard methods don't work, try cleaning through Recovery Mode, which deletes temporary system files but doesn't affect user data. MIUI 12–14.
Instructions:
- Turn off the phone.
- Press the Power button + Volume up until the Mi logo appears.
- From the Recovery menu, select Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache.
- Confirm the action and restart the phone.
⚠️ Warning: Don't choose Wipe All Data - it will reset the phone to factory settings! Also don't interrupt the cleaning process, even if it takes up to 15 minutes (it can take up to 15 minutes).
What happens if Recovery does not open?
Method 4: Using ADB for deep cleaning (for advanced)
If you're ready to work with the command line, ADB (Android Debug Bridge) will help you remove debris that is not available through standard settings, which requires a PC and enabled debugging over USB.
Steps:
- Turn on "Debugging by" USB» In Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (Tap 7 times, then return to the Additional Settings → For developers).
- Connect your phone to your PC and confirm your trust in your computer.
- Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (Mac/Linux) and type: adb shell pm trim-caches 1000G This command clears the cache of all applications, including system ones.
- To delete temporary update files: adb shell rm -rf /cache/*
Warning: Do not use rm -rf commands in other folders (e.g. /data or /system) - this can damage the system!
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ADB-commands allow you to clear up to 30% of the garbage from the "Other" section, but you need to be careful.
Method 5: Reset to factory settings (extreme case)
If nothing worked, and the Other partition takes up more than 10 GB, there may have been some critical errors in the system, and a hard reset will help.
- 📱 Save all data (photos, contacts, messages) on PC or in the cloud.
- 🔄 After resetting the phone will be “like new” – you will have to configure everything again.
- ⚙️ Updates MIUI will not be deleted, but all user files and applications will disappear.
How to reset:
- Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
- Select “Delete all data”.
- Confirm the action and wait for the reboot (it will take 5-15 minutes).
⚠️ Note: Some models (Xiaomi 13 Ultra, Poco) F5) You may need to re-link your Mi Account after the reset!
How to prevent the storage from being re-clogging?
To prevent the “Other” section from growing again, follow these rules:
- 🗑️ Clear the messenger cache (Telegram, WhatsApp) once a month through their settings.
- 📱 Turn off automatic media download in chats (in the settings of messengers).
- 🔄 Update regularly MIUI — In new versions, the work with garbage is optimized.
- 🚫 Do not use Google Play cleaners (such as Clean Master) – they often delete useful files and show false data.
It is also useful to disable “Auto-Save” media files in browsers (Chrome, Mi Browser) and cloud services (Mi Cloud, Google Photos).
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Regular cache cleaning and download control will reduce the volume of the Other by 40-60% without drastic measures.