“Other” in Xiaomi storage: full parsing + cleaning methods

Have you ever looked into the storage settings on a Xiaomi smartphone and seen the mysterious “Other” item that takes up tens of gigabytes? This section often becomes a headache for users: it can’t be opened like a regular folder, it’s unclear what files are stored there, and why the system does not allow them to be deleted by standard means. In this article, we will not just explain what is really hidden under the “Other” label in MIUI, but also show you how to work cleaning – from safe to radical, with explanations of when to use.

Let's warn you right away, the Other is not a bug or a virus. It's a system partition where MIUI resets data that doesn't fit into the standard categories (Photos, Videos, Apps, etc.) This includes service cache, temporary update files, remnants of deleted programs, system logs, and even hidden folders of some applications. The problem is that over time, this partition grows into uncontrollable sizes, especially on Android 10+ and MIUI 12-14 devices where the cleanup mechanism isn't working perfectly.

We analyzed hundreds of user reports (including Redmi Note 10/11/12, POCO X3/X4, Mi 11/12) and found patterns: on some devices, the Other takes up to 30-50 GB, while the standard utility Cleanup in MIUI can not cope. Below you will find step-by-step instructions that will help reduce this partition by 2-5 times without resorting to resetting.

What exactly is hidden under the “Other” in Xiaomi?

MIUI categorizes as "Other" anything that can't be uniquely classified, not as a conventional garbage, but as a mixture of:

• 📁 System applications cache – data residues from Google Services, MIUI Launcher, Security and other services that are not automatically cleaned.
• 🔄 Temporary update files – firmware packets (.zip) that have been downloaded but not installed (for example, due to an interrupted process).
• 🗑️ Remnants of Remote Applications – Folders /data/data/ and /data/app-lib/, who have not completely retired.
• 📜 Logs and dumps of the system – files.log,.dumpstate,.tombstone, which are created when crashes.
• 🔒 Hidden folders of messengers – for example, Telegram or WhatsApp store backups and media not displayed in the gallery here.
• 🎮 Games - some titles (e.g. Genshin Impact, PUBG Mobile retains additional resources here.

Especially a lot of space is occupied by residual files after updates. MIUI. For example, when moving from MIUI 13 on MIUI 14, the system can leave in the Other up to 5-10 GB of old libraries that are no longer in use, but are not deleted automatically).

Another invisible memory eater is web browsing cache, where the Mi Browser browser and even Chrome store page thumbnails, history and autocomplete data in the background that are not displayed in the standard file manager, the same goes for offline maps in Google Maps or Yandex.Navigator, which often fall into the Other, although they should be in the Maps section.

How do you check what exactly takes place?

Before you clean the Other, you have to understand the structure of the Other, and the standard file manager in MIUI doesn't show hidden folders, so you have to use alternative methods.

Method 1: Analysis through ADB (for advanced)

If you have experience with ADB, follow the command:

adb shell du -h -d 1 /data | sort -h

It will display a folder list in /data, sorted by size.

• 📂 /data/app — remnants of remote applications.
• 📂 /data/dalvik-cache — cache of the Android virtual machine.
• 📂 /data/media/0/ — There may be hidden messenger folders here.

💡

If the command is not working, first enable USB Debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times).

Method 2: Analyzer applications

For users without technical skills, utilities are suitable:

• 🔍 Files by Google – Shows Hidden Files and Offers Cleanup.
• 🛠️ SD Maid – deep analysis of cache and residual files.
• 📊 Storage Analyzer – visualizes occupied space by folders.

Example of SD Maid report on Redmi Note 11 Pro+:

💡

If the folder /data/ota_package/ takes more 2 GB, it can be completely removed - these are old firmware that the system did not clean.

Safe Ways to Clean the Other

Let’s start with methods that do not require root rights and do not risk the stability of the system.

1. Cleaning through the built-in MIUI utility

Go to Settings → Storage → Cleanup. Here:

• 🧹 Click “Deep Clean” – This Will Remove the Cache of System Applications.
• 🗑️ Select “Unnecessary Files” – temporary data is often hidden here.
• 🔍 Check the “Big Files” section – sometimes forgotten videos or backups get here.

2.Delete the Google Play Services cache

This app often inflates "The Other" to an incredible size, to clean it up:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find Google Play Services (or Google Play Services).
3. Press "Storage» → «Clear the cache».
4. Repeat to Google Play Store and Google Services.

Clear the cache of Google Play Services | Clear the cache of Google Play Store | Clear the data of Google Services (only if there are errors) |Reboot the phone-->

3.Removing old MIUI updates

Firmware folders often take 3-7 GB to clean:

1. Connect your phone to your PC and enable File Transfer Mode (MTP).
2. Open the Internal Storage folder →.ota_package (It is hidden – turn on the display of hidden files).
3. Delete all files with the.zip extension.

💡

If the folders.ota_package No, check it out. MIUI → download → rom or use a root-access file manager (e.g., Root Explorer).

Radical methods (for experienced users)

If the safe ways haven't worked, and the Other still takes tens of gigabytes, you'll have to use more serious tools. Attention: these methods can cause failures if they're not done correctly.

1.Cache reset via Recovery

This method removes all temporary system files, including app cache and dalvik-cache:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Power button + Volume up to enter Recovery.
3. Select Wipe → Wipe Cache Partition.
4. Confirm the action and restart the device.

⚠️ Note: Do not confuse Wipe Cache with Wipe Data! The second option will erase all your data (photos, contacts, apps).

2 Manual deletion of folders via ADB

This requires ADB and superuser rights (root) commands to clean up:

adb shell


su




rm -rf /data/dalvik-cache/*




rm -rf /data/app-lib/*




rm -rf /data/ota_package/*




rm -rf /data/media/0/Telegram/Telegram\ Documents/cache/*




exit

These commands delete:

• 🗃️ Virtual machine cache (dalvik-cache).
• 📦 Remnants of Remote Applications (app-lib).
• 📥 Unspecified firmware (ota_package).
• 📎 Telegram cache (replace the path with the desired messenger).

⚠️ Attention: Removal of folders in /data/data/ root-free software can cause app failure, and only use this method if you know exactly what you're doing.

3. Full reset settings (last chance)

If nothing works, and The Other takes 20+GB, then there's only Hard Reset.

• 🔄 Make a backup copy through Settings → Additionally. → Backup.
• ☁️ Sync your contacts and photos with your Google Account or Mi Cloud.
• 📱 Write it down. IMEI (dial *#06#).

For discharge:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Select “Delete all data”.
3. Confirm and wait for the reboot.

How can we prevent the “Other” from growing in the future?

To prevent the Other from taking up gigabytes again, follow these rules:

• 🔄 Clean the cache regularly through Settings → Warehouse → Cleaning (once every 1-2 weeks).
• 🚫 Turn off automatic updates MIUI, If you're not willing to waste space on firmware, instead, update manually.
• 📱 Use lighter versions of apps (such as Facebook Lite, Messenger Lite) that are less memory clogged.
• ☁️ Set up cloud storage for photos and videos (e.g. Google Photos with the option to “Free up space»).
• 🛠️ Install an alternative launcher (like Nova Launcher) that doesn’t cache thumbnails as aggressively as you would. MIUI Launcher.

It is also worth turning off the automatic download of media in messengers:

• On WhatsApp: Settings → Storage → Autoupload Media → Disable for Mobile Data.
• In Telegram: Settings → Data and Memory → Autoboot Media → Select “Never”.

Frequent Questions About Xiaomi’s “Other”