How to Clean Others on Xiaomi: A Complete Memory Freeing Guide

Xiaomi and Redmi smartphone owners often face a mysterious situation: storage runs out of space and the lion’s share of the volume is occupied by the “Other” section. This storage can grow to tens of gigabytes, occupying up to 40% of all available memory, which critically slows down the MIUI or HyperOS operating system. Standard cleaning tools often prove powerless before system accumulations that are not removed by a simple reboot or a basic cleaner.

There are many reasons why this section is growing so fast, from incorrectly deleting applications to accumulating temporary update files and messenger cache. Cleaning the Others section requires not only understanding the structure of the file system, but also caution not to delete important system logs or authorization data. In this article, we will discuss proven methods for safely removing excess debris.

Do not ignore memory overflow, as this leads to unstable interface, long application launches and even sudden device reboots. We will consider both standard tools and more advanced methods of working with the file system through the computer and the computer. ADB-commands that allow you to get to hidden folders.

What is hidden in the “Other” section

The Others section is not a single file, but a collection of data that the system cannot classify as photos, music, videos, or installed applications, most often storing social network cached data, residual files of deleted programs, and temporary MIUI update files.

A special place is occupied by debugging logs and error reports, which can accumulate for months if the reporting function is active. Some users find gigabytes of data from navigators that store offline maps in hidden directories. Understanding the structure of this data is the first step to effectively optimize your smartphone storage.

💡

Before you start a deep cleanup, be sure to back up important contacts and photos to the cloud or computer to avoid accidental data loss.

It is important to note that partition volume can fluctuate in real time, for example, when you download a large system update or install a heavy game with additional data files, the size of Other temporarily increases. However, if the volume does not decrease after the processes are completed, then the files are stuck and require manual intervention to delete.

Standard cleaning tools for MIUI and HyperOS systems

The first and most secure method is to use the built-in Security app, which Xiaomi engineers designed specifically to work with the file system of their shells, and you first need to run the application and select the Cleanup option, and the system will scan and suggest removing obvious debris: app cache, ads in folders and temporary files.

However, the standard mode often skips large files in the Others section. For more in-depth analysis, go to the storage settings via the Settings menu → About Phone → Storage. Here the system visualizes the memory. Click on the Others section to see the details if available in your firmware version. Sometimes the system itself will suggest clearing the cache of specific applications that take up a lot of space.

There is also a hidden deep cleaning feature available through engineering menus or special commands, but it is limited in the standard interface. If the built-in cleaner didn't help, you shouldn't use questionable apps from the Play Market that promise "one-click acceleration." Often they just add their ads and collect data without solving the problem with system debris.

⚠️ Note: Do not use third-party root-enabled accelerators unless you are sure of their origin. They can damage system configuration files, leading to a cyclic bootloop).

Cleaning the cache of messengers and social networks

The main source of the Others’ expansion is messengers Telegram, WhatsApp and Viber, which store all received media files, stickers and temporary copies in their internal folders, which the system often classifies as Others. Simply deleting chat doesn’t always delete files from the drive, they stay in the cache.

To clean the app properly, you have to go to the settings of the app itself. In Telegram, the path looks like this: Settings → Data and memory → Memory Use. Here you can see the exact size of the cache and clean it. Importantly, this action will not delete your correspondence, since it is stored on the server, but will free up gigabytes of space on the device.

WhatsApp is more complicated because files are stored locally. Go to Settings → Data and Storage → Storage Management. You can sort files by size and delete unnecessary videos or documents. After cleaning the messenger cache, the "Other" section of the phone's settings may not decrease immediately - the system takes time to recalculate the file system's indexes.

If you’re a social media user, like Instagram or TikTok, their cache can also be large. Unlike Telegram, there’s no built-in “clean all cache” button without losing drafts. So it’s often more effective for these apps to use the “clean up cache” feature in Android settings (Settings → Apps → [Application] → Storage → Clear cache) without confusing it with “Clean up data.”

Removal of residual files and logs through Explorer

Manual cleaning through built-in conductor MIUI Or Files by Google allows you to remove the tails of remote applications. Often, after you uninstall a game or program, folders with their names remain at the root of internal memory. Android/data and Android/obb, But be very careful: Deleting current data from working applications will result in resetting their settings or loss of progress.

Special attention should be paid to the folder MIUI/debug_log, If you're not a developer and you're not debugging, you don't need those files. Also check the Download and Bluetooth folder, which often accumulate forgotten installation files. APK documents that formally refer to the “other».

You can use the size-sorting function to find large files in Explorer. Sort files down by size and look carefully at the top list. Often, there are forgotten archives, voice recorder backups or screen recordings that were not deleted in time. Deleting such files is the fastest way to free up space.

Using ADB for deep cleaning

The most effective method for experienced users is the use of debugging by USB tool ADB (Android Debug Bridge. This method allows you to delete the system cache and files that are not available through the normal interface. First, you need to activate the developer mode: go to Settings. → About the phone and press 7 times on the "Version" MIUI».

Then turn on the "Debugging by" USB» In the developer menu, connect your smartphone to your computer, install the drivers, and ADB-Platform tools: A command can be executed through the command line to clear the packet manager cache, which often defrosts the volume of the Others section»:

adb shell pm clear com.android.packageinstaller

You can also force the process of a media scanner that often “holds” files in the index:

adb shell am force-stop com.android.providers.media.module

Once you've done the commands, it's recommended to restart the device. The ADB method is safe if you type the commands exactly as instructed, but it requires a PC and basic command line skills. It's a powerful tool to combat memory counting system errors.

⚠️ Attention: Team `pm clear` Make sure you enter the name of the system package, not the user application (such as WhatsApp), or you lose correspondence.

Table: Types of files and methods of their deletion

For easy classification of garbage and choice of method of cleaning, use the following table, which will help you quickly determine what exactly occupies space and how to safely remove it.

Prevention and automation of cleaning

So that the problem of overflowing the Others section doesn't come back regularly, set up automatic cleaning. The Security app has a Scheduled Cleanup feature. Activate it by setting the frequency once a week, which will keep the cache under control without you being involved.

It is also recommended to check your cloud settings regularly, and if you have original photo sync enabled, make sure your phone has a “Free Space” option that removes local copies of files already uploaded to the cloud, which is especially true for owners of models with a small amount of internal memory.

💡

Regular reboot of the smartphone (once every 3-4 days) helps the system to correctly complete the background processes and update the file system indexes, which often reduces the volume of "Other" without unnecessary actions.

Don't forget to update the firmware. Xiaomi engineers in new versions of HyperOS and MIUI They constantly improve memory algorithms and fix errors that cause system partitions to bloat. If the problem occurs after an update, try resetting the network settings or, in extreme cases, completely resetting to factory settings (with a pre-backup).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)