How to Safely Clean the “Other” folder on Xiaomi and Free Up Space

The Other folder (or Other in English firmware) on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones is a real black hole for free space, it can take anywhere from 5 to 30 GB, but the system does not show what exactly is stored there. Users often face a situation where memory is running out, and in the Settings → Memory section there are gigabytes of unidentified data. What is the problem?

The fact is that “Other” is a collection category for files that the system cannot assign to standard sections (Photos, Videos, Audio, etc.).

• 📁 Application cache (including system cache)
• 📄 Logs and error dumps (created when failures occur)
• 🔧 Temporary files from updates MIUI
• 🎮 Game data (saves, texture packs)
• 📱 Remains of Remote Applications (Incorrectly Erased) APK)

Complicating the problem is that MIUI does not provide built-in tools for analyzing this folder in detail. Trying to manually clean it through Files or Settings often deletes important data or, on the contrary, does not have any effect. In this article, we will discuss 5 proven ways to safely reduce the size of the Other without breaking the system, and also tell you which files in this folder can be deleted without risk to the smartphone, and which – categorically not.

1.What is the “Other” folder and why does it grow

On Xiaomi smartphones, the Other folder is the garbage can of the operating system, and all files that do not fit into the standard categories (Images, Music, Documents, etc.) are included in the file, not only in user data, but also in MIUI service files.

The main causes of growth:

• 🔄 Updates MIUI: When installing new versions of the firmware, the system creates backup copies of old files, which are not deleted later.
• 🎮 Games: Many mobile games (such as Genshin Impact, PUBG Mobile) download additional resources that fall into the “Other».
• 📱 Application Remains: When you delete programs through Settings, their data often remains in folders /data/data or /Android/obb.
• 📊 Logs and reports: MIUI Actively collects crash data, which leads to the accumulation of files with extensions.log,.dmp,.tmp.

Interesting fact: on some models (such as Xiaomi 12T or POCO F5), the “Other” folder can take up to 40% of the total memory if you do not clean the cache for a long time, and the standard tool Cleansing in Settings deletes only a small part of these files.

⚠️ Warning: Don't try to delete the entire Other folder through the file manager, which will cause the system to crash and need to flash it back, and it will store critical files, such as Android System data or the Android System. MIUI Launcher.

2. Method 1: Clearing the cache of system and user applications

The safest and most effective method is to manually clear the cache for each application. The fact is that the standard function Clear the cache in Settings → Memory often skips large files, especially if they are related to system processes.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Show System Processes.
3. Sort the applications by size (click on Size).
4. Alternately open applications with a large cache and click Clear cache.

Pay special attention to the following processes (they often take several gigabytes):

• 📱 com.miui.home (MIUI Launcher)
• 🔍 com.android.systemui (System Interface)
• 📱 com.xiaomi.midrop (Mi Drop)
• 🎵 com.android.providers.media (media storage)
• 📊 com.miui.analytics (Analytics) MIUI)

Sort applications by cache size | Check system processes (MIUI Launcher, SystemUI) | Remove cache for applications >500 MB| Reboot the smartphone after cleaning-->

Once cleaned, reboot the device to allow the system to recalculate the space correctly, usually freeing up 1 to 5 GB in the Other folder.

⚠️ Warning: Do not clear data (Clean data) for system applications! this can cause malfunctions MIUI. Only remove the cache.

Method 2: Delete temporary MIUI update files

Each MIUI update (even the smaller ones) leaves behind temporary files that accumulate over time, stored in hidden folders, and not deleted automatically.

Use a file manager with access to root folders (such as MiXplorer or Solid Explorer) and follow the path:

/data/.ota_package/


/cache/




/data/lineageos_updates/ (for custom firmware)

In these folders, look for files with extensions:

• 📦.zip (firmware archives)
• 📄.tmp (temporary files)
• 📥.download (unloaded updates)

All files found can be safely deleted — they do not affect the system.

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If you can’t find /data/, turn on the hidden files in the file manager settings and give it root rights (if any).

4. Method 3: Cleaning the folder. Android/obb and the remnants of remote applications

The /Android/obb/ folder contains additional game and application data that often remains after uninstallation, such as games like Call of Duty Mobile or Free Fire downloading gigabytes of textures that are not deleted when you delete a game through Settings.

How to clean:

1. Open the file manager and go to Internal Memory → Android → obb.
2. Delete folders with the names of games/applications that you have deleted long ago (for example, com.activision.callofduty.shooter for Call of Duty).
3. Check the /Android/data/ folder, and remote program data can remain there.

Important: don't delete the folders of actively used applications! This will lead to their collapse. For example, if you play Genshin Impact, deleting the folder com.mihoyo.GenshinImpact in /obb/ will cause the game to download all resources again (up to 15 GB).

Also check the /Android/media/ folder – here some apps (like Telegram or VK) store downloaded files that are not always deleted correctly.

5. Method 4: Using ADB for deep cleaning

If previous methods didn’t work, you can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a debugging tool that allows you to delete files that are not available through the standard interface, which is suitable for advanced users.

Instructions:

1. Install ADB on your computer (download Platform Tools from Google).
2. Turn on USB Debugging on your smartphone: Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (click 7 times), then Settings → Additional → For Developers → Debugging over USB.
3. Connect your phone to your PC and execute in the command line:

adb shell


su




cd /data/data/




ls -lh | grep -i "cache"

This command will show all the cache folders. To clear the cache for a particular application (e.g. Gallery), use:

rm -rf /data/data/com.miui.gallery/cache/*

Be careful: the wrong commands can disrupt the system. Don't delete the entire folder, just the contents of /cache/ folders.

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ADB allows you to remove the cache of system applications that are not available through standard settings, but this requires root rights or an unlocked bootloader.

6. Method 5: Reset to factory settings (last resort)

If the Other folder takes up more than 10GB and previous methods have not worked, it is a radical way to reset, but it is guaranteed to clear all unnecessary files.

How to reset:

1. Create a backup of important data (photos, contacts, messages).
2. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
3. Choose to erase all data and confirm the action.

After discharge:

• 🔄 Install only the necessary applications.
• 📁 Clean the cache regularly (once every 1-2 weeks).
• 🚫 Avoid installing doubtful ones. APK source.

⚠️ Note: Some models (Xiaomi 13, Redmi Note 12) may require re-assignment of the Mi Account to unlock the bootloader after resetting.

7 How to prevent the “Other” folder from growing in the future

To prevent the “Other” folder from clogging memory again, follow these tips:

• 📱 Turn off automatic update downloads in Settings → The phone. → Updating the system → Settings (⚙️) → Downloading.
• 🎮 Delete games through their settings (the app itself often has the option to Clear Data).
• 📁 Use cloud storage (Google Photos, Mi Cloud) to back up your media files.
• 🔍 Periodically check the folder /Download/ — There's a lot of unnecessary files here.

We also recommend installing a memory analysis app, for example:

• Files by Google (shows large and unnecessary files)
• SD Maid (deep cleaning, requires root)
• Storage Analyzer (visualizes occupied space)

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Regularly cleaning the cache and monitoring installed applications reduces the growth of the Other folder by 70-80%.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the folder “Other” on Xiaomi