Owners of the popular Xiaomi Redmi 8T often face an annoying problem: the device’s memory is filled, and standard cleaning tools can not determine what exactly takes gigabytes. The mysterious “Other” category appears in the storage list, which can grow to 10-20 GB, blocking the installation of new applications and saving photos. This system partition accumulates temporary files, remnants of remote programs, messenger cache and system logs that are not deleted in the usual way.
Understanding the nature of this data is the first step to successfully optimizing your smartphone. Often users mistakenly believe that a complete factory reset is necessary to solve the problem, but in reality there are more gentle and effective methods.
In this detailed guide, we’ll break down all the proven ways to combat MIUI-based system storage overflows. You’ll learn how to find hidden files, which apps are most often “junked,” and how to prevent folder re-inflating in the future using built-in features and proven utilities.
The nature of the category “Other” in MIUI
The Android system that underlies the MIUI shell on Redmi 8T classifies files by type: images, video, audio, documents and applications. Anything that doesn't fall into any of these clearly defined categories or has a changed format is automatically marked as "Other" -- a kind of file system black box that stacks up data that the system has failed to identify.
The main culprits in this section are usually messengers like Telegram and WhatsApp, which store media files, voice messages and channel cache in their own private directories that the standard conductor doesn’t always correctly read as media, and temporary update files, error logs and remnants of remote games.
Another reason may be incorrectly deleted applications, when you delete a program, it often leaves its configuration files and cache in the system, and over time these tails accumulate, taking up more space, and realizing that the Other is not a virus, but a system feature, helps to avoid panic and unnecessary actions.
- 📱 Social media and messenger cache that is not automatically cleared.
- 📦 Residual files of remote applications and games with large amounts of data.
- 📄 Temporary system files and logs created in the background.
- 🎵 Media files with modified extension or hidden in system folders.
⚠️ Warning: Don't try to delete files from system folders manually unless you're 100% sure of their purpose.Deleting critical system libraries can lead to unstable Redmi operation 8T cyclic-reset.
Basic cleaning through the built-in “Safety” application
The first and safest step for any Xiaomi user is to use a regular cleaning tool. MIUI has a Security app preinstalled in its firmware that has access to system areas that are not available to third-party programs. It can find and remove safe debris without affecting sensitive data.
To start the procedure, you need to open the application, select the Cleanup item and wait for the scan to finish. The system will suggest removing temporary files, installer package residues and advertising. It is important to press the Cleanup button to make room. However, this method often only affects the tip of the iceberg.
For more in-depth work, go to Clean -> Deep Clean, where algorithms analyze the contents of application folders and suggest removing large files, duplicate photos, and rarely used programs. Regular use of this feature helps keep the volume of "Other" within reasonable limits.
☑️ Daily Memory Hygiene
- 🧹 Deletes temporary files and cache without risk to the system.
- 📸 Finds similar photos and screenshots to remove.
- 📉 Shows applications that have not been used in a long time.
It’s worth noting that the built-in tool doesn’t always see the cache of some messengers due to the limitations of Android’s security policy, so if the place runs out after cleaning anyway, a more detailed approach to analyzing the storage will be required.
Analysis of storage using third-party utilities
When standard MIUI tools stop helping, specialized analytics applications come to the rescue, and one of the most effective tools is DiskUsage or Files by Google, which visualizes the file system by showing which folders occupy the most space in diagrams or lists.
Once you install an app like this, you can see the real picture. Often, it turns out that the Android/data folder is blown to the sky because of the Telegram or YouTube cache. Visualization allows you to instantly identify memory eaters that are hidden in the back of the directories and not displayed in the standard memory management menu.
Using file managers with analysis features like ES Explorer (older versions) or Solid Explorer, you can access hidden files. You can sort the contents of internal memory by size and find forgotten archives, video files or logs that weigh gigabytes.
| Annex | Substantive function | Security | I need a Root. |
|---|---|---|---|
| DiskUsage | Memory visualization | Tall. | No. |
| Files by Google | Cleaning and analysis | Tall. | No. |
| Total Commander | File management | Medium | No. |
| SD Maid | Search for "dead" files | Tall. | Preferably. |
Why can't you delete the obb folder?
Manual cleaning of messenger cache
The biggest source of debris in the Other category on Redmi 8T is messengers. Telegram, for example, stores all the photos and videos viewed in the device’s memory by default, which is designed for speed, but critically affects the free space.
To solve the problem, you need to go to the settings of the application itself. In Telegram, this is the Settings -> Data and Memory -> Memory Use section. Here you need to click Clear Cache. Importantly, this will not delete your correspondence, the files will remain in the cloud and will only be re-uploaded when you re-view.
Similar actions need to be done on WhatsApp and Viber. WhatsApp cleans through Settings -> Storage and Data -> Storage Management. Regular manual cleaning of these applications can free up 2 to 5 GB of space monthly, which is essential for devices with a 64 GB drive.
- 🗑️ Clears only temporary files, correspondence remains intact.
- ⚙️ Allows you to set up autodelete media after the expiration of the term.
- 🚀 Accelerates the work of the messenger and the system as a whole.
⚠️ Warning: Before clearing the cache, make sure you have a backup of important files if you plan to delete not only the cache, but also the download history inside the app.
💡
In Telegram settings, enable Autodelete Media and set a 3-day or 1-week deadline to prevent gigabytes of garbage from accumulating in the future.
Cleaning Android folders and working with logs
The Android/data and Android/obb directories are sacred ground for app cache, which stores game data, offline maps of navigators, and uploaded browser videos. Newer versions of Android have limited access to these folders, but file managers still allow you to see the volume of them.
Special attention should be paid to browser folders. If you watched online videos or listened to music through the web versions of services, the browser could save huge temporary files. Clearing browser data through Settings -> Applications -> All applications -> Chrome/Yandex -> Storage -> Clear cache often gives instant results.
You should also check the download folders of Download and MIUI/Debug_log. The latter may contain debugging logs that take up space if debugging was once enabled. USB. Deleting the contents of these folders is safe unless you are actively developing or debugging apps right now.
The way to check: /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/Deleting the contents of specific application folders (e.g. com.google.android.youtube) will reset the app and remove offline content, but it won’t affect the account. It’s a radical but effective method of dealing with bloated cache that isn’t cleared by the regular funds.
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Android/data and obb system folders can be cleaned selectively by only removing data from remote games or broken applications.
Cardinal measures: Resetting and flashing
If none of the soft methods worked and the Other category continues to grow, taking up the lion’s share of Xiaomi Redmi 8T memory, there may have been errors in the file system, in which case the most effective solution is a complete factory reset.
Before you do this, make sure to back up all your important data to your computer or the cloud. Reset will delete everything: contacts, photos, apps and settings. Once reset, the system will be clean, and the Other category will return to its minimum values (usually 1-2 GB).
You can reset via the Settings menu -> About Phone -> Reset -> Erase all data. If the phone is not turned on or the menu is not available, you can use Recovery mode by clamping the combination of volume and power buttons when the device starts.
- 💣 Completely removes all file system errors and accumulated debris.
- 🔄 Returns the smartphone speed of the new device.
- ⏳ Takes time to reconfigure and install applications.
⚠️ Warning: Make sure the battery is at least 50-60% Interrupting the process due to battery discharge can damage the system partition and prevent the phone from turning on.
In rare cases, when even a reset does not help (which happens with hardware problems with memory or damage to partitions), it may be necessary to flash the device through the computer using the Mi Flash Tool utility.