How to Clean the Others folder on Xiaomi Redmi Note 5

Owners of the popular Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 smartphone often face an unpleasant situation when the system storage suddenly overflows. The screen reports a lack of space, which leads to a slowdown in the interface, the inability to install application updates and even problems with receiving incoming messages. Especially frustrating is the moment when you go to the memory analyzer and see that the lion’s share of space is occupied by a mysterious section called “Others” or “System Data”.

This category of files is a hoard of app cache, residual files of remote programs, temporary data messengers and system logs. Clearing the folder “Other” requires a cautious approach, as rash deletion of system files can lead to unstable operation of the MIUI operating system. In this guide, we will discuss proven ways to safely free up space.

There are several levels of access to this data, from standard cleaning tools available to every user to advanced methods using third-party file managers. Redmi Note 5, with its Snapdragon 636 processor, is still capable of performing excellent performance if it is given free room to maneuver. We will look at each method in detail so that you can choose the most suitable option for your situation.

Anatomy of the Others section in MIUI

Before we take any action, we need to understand what the name implies: The Others section is not a system bug, it's a regular Android file system mechanism adapted by MIUI, and it includes data that the system cannot uniquely classify as images, videos, music or documents.

The bulk of the garbage is usually temporary application files, social networks and messengers like Telegram or WhatsApp cache the photos and videos they have viewed to download them faster when they are reopened, and over time, this cache grows to gigabytes, occupying precious space in the System Data section, and it also stores error logs, offline navigation map data and remnants of remote games.

⚠️ Warning: Do not attempt to manually delete files from system folders through root access without understanding their purpose. Deleting critical libraries can lead to a cyclical smartphone reboot (bootloop).

System updates also contribute. Once you install a new version of MIUI, the old installation packages can stay in memory. In addition, some applications back up their data, which is also classified as "Others," and understanding the structure of that data will help you to act point-by-point, removing only the extra.

Use of the built-in "Security" application

The easiest and safest way to start fighting overcrowded memory is to use the regular tools preinstalled in the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5. The Security app has a built-in Cleanup module that automatically scans the device for obvious debris. While it doesn't always see all files in the Others section, it's a necessary first step.

Run the app and select Cleanup, and the system will analyze the cache, the ad files, and the residues of the apps, press the cleanup button to remove the found ones, but for a deeper work, you need to go to the Memory section inside the same application, and here you will see a visualization of the occupied space.

Click on the Others category (or System Data) and in some versions of MIUI, this will show you the breakdown by the apps that occupy the most space. Choose the leader app (often a browser or social network) and click Clear Cache. It is important not to confuse the cache with the user data, otherwise you may lose logins or correspondence.

If standard cleaning didn’t work, move on to more detailed methods. Often, the built-in analyzer doesn’t see files created by third-party file managers or uploaded to hidden folders, in which case the efficiency of the standard tool decreases, and user intervention through the file system is required.

Deep Cleaning Through File Manager

For manual file management on Redmi Note 5, it is best to use an advanced file manager, such as File Manager+ or FX File Explorer, since the standard Explorer has limited functionality. You will need access to hidden folders, so be sure to turn on the display of hidden files in the manager settings.

Go to the root directory of internal memory. You're interested in the Android/data and Android/obb folders. The data folder stores the app caches. Find the messenger folders (for example, com.whatsapp or org.telegram.messenger) and find the cache folder inside them. The contents of this folder can be safely deleted — these are temporary files that will be created again if necessary.

Pay special attention to the folder MIUI It can be stored in the root of the internal memory, and it can store the logs of the voice recorder, the screen recordings, and the temporary files of the theme. MIUI/sound_recorder It often stores deleted records that are no longer formally needed but take up space. Also check the Download folder, which often has installers lying there for years. APK and forgotten documents.

⚠️ Attention: In the folder Android/data Deleting the entire folder of the app will reset the app and lose data inside it.

💡

Use the file manager's Sort by Size feature to instantly find the largest files, which are often lost deep in folders and take up gigabytes of space.

After manual cleaning, be sure to restart the device, which is necessary for the MIUI system to re-index media files and update the free space information in the Others section. Without rebooting, the displayed amount of occupied memory may remain the same, although the physical space will already be vacant.

Cleaning the cache of messengers and social networks

Special attention should be paid to messengers, as they are the main “blowers” of the “Other” section on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5. Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber and Instagram save thousands of thumbnails, voice messages and videos. Standard cleaning through the phone settings often does not affect the nested media folders inside these applications.

Consider the example of Telegram. Go to the app settings, select Data and memory → Memory Use. Here you will see the button "Clear Telegram cache." Feel free to press it — your photos and correspondence will remain in the cloud and re-uploaded when viewed, but the garbage will disappear. WhatsApp path is similar to: Settings → Data and storage → Storage Management.

On Instagram and Facebook, the cache accumulates from watching the feed. These Android apps often don't have a full cache clear button in their settings, so you have to go through the system settings: Phone settings → Apps → All apps → Instagram → Memory → Clear cache. Don't click Clear data unless you want to re-enter your password.

Cleaning these apps regularly can free up up to 30-40% of space in the Others section. Auto-cleaning in Telegram settings allows you to set a cache storage time limit (for example, 3 days or 1 week), which will save you from having to do it manually in the future.

Analysis of storage by third-party utilities

If manual methods seem too complicated or you want to get an accurate visual map of the occupied space, use specialized utilities. Apps like Storage Analyzer or DiskUsage build graphs showing which files are taking up space, which is especially useful for the Redmi Note 5, where a standard MIUI analyzer can be superficial.

Run a scan in this application, and you'll see rectangles of different sizes, where each block is a file or a folder, and if you click on the larger blocks in the Others category, you can go down into the structure and find forgotten videos, archives, or logs, and it often turns out that half the space is occupied by one forgotten dump file of the system or a video taken a month ago.

Using these tools allows you to make informed decisions. You can see the real weight of each element. For example, you may find that the game you deleted a month ago left behind a 2GB cache file. Third-party analyzers find these tails more effective than standard tools.

⚠️ Note: When using third-party analyzers, be careful about files that have the.db or.sqlite extension in system folders. They may contain databases of contacts or messages. Only delete what you are sure to be 100 years old%.

💡

Data visualization helps you quickly find the “heavyweights” hidden in the back of folders that are not visible when you look at a file list.

Once you find extra files through the analyzer, move to delete them directly from the program interface or remember the path and delete them through a standard Explorer. Combining an analytical tool and a file manager gives the best result in the fight for free space.

Radical measures: Resetting and formatting

If none of the above methods helped significantly reduce the size of the Others partition, it may be that the file system has accumulated errors or fragmentation has reached a critical level. In this case, you can apply more stringent measures on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5. The first step is to reset the application settings to factory ones, but this will require re-authorization in all services.

The most efficient but time-consuming way is to completely reset your device (Wipe All Data).Be sure to back up your important data to the Mi Cloud or your computer before this procedure. Once reset, the Others section will be minimal, as the system will return to its original state without user debris.

There is also a method of formatting internal storage as an external drive (if the feature is supported by the Android version), but on global MIUI firmware for Redmi Note 5 this is often blocked.So a full reset remains the only guaranteed way to "reset" the system debris counter if it has grown due to logical errors of the file system.

Once you're back to factory settings, take your time to install all the apps at once, install them one at a time, and keep an eye on the growth of the Others section, which will help identify the culprit app that is not working properly with memory and generating excess debris immediately after installation.