How to see another in the memory of the Xiaomi phone: hidden files

Xiaomi smartphone users often face the mysterious situation of empty storage space disappearing for no apparent reason. The standard analyzer shows that apps and media occupy only a small fraction, and the rest is hidden in the “Other” category.

In fact, the Other section is a storage of cache, residual files from remote programs, and most importantly, a preview of photos that the system doesn't consider media files. Understanding the structure of the MIUI or HyperOS file system will allow you to recover hundreds of megabytes or even gigabytes of free space without drastic measures.

In this guide, we will explore secure methods for accessing hidden data, using engineering menus and third-party tools. You will learn to distinguish systemically important files from digital garbage that can be painlessly removed. The folder.thumbnails, which takes up to 10 GB, is the main culprit behind the overflow of the “Other” section on Xiaomi smartphones.

Anatomy of the "Other" section in the shell of MIUI

When you go on the Settings → About Phone → Memory path, the system displays a color diagram of the data distribution. The gray sector “Other” is often perplexing, since it is not classified by standard algorithms. This basket includes messenger databases, browser cache, temporary update files and remnants of remote games.

A feature of the Linux-based Android file system is that many applications create their own directories without labeling them with content type, such as downloaded offline maps on the navigator or saved series on streaming services can be displayed as “Other”, which is due to how the application tells the system about the type of files being created.

⚠️ Note: Do not delete files from system folders unless you are sure of their purpose. Android/data It can lead to resetting of application settings or their incorrect operation.

For deep analysis, you need to understand the difference between user data and system cache. Cache is designed to speed up programs, but over time it inflates. Residual files are the tails that remain after uninstallation of the software, and they make up the lion's share of the unknown weight.

Using a built-in conductor to find hidden folders

Xiaomi’s standard Explorer tool has a hidden feature that allows you to see all directories, including those that start with a dot. By default, they are hidden from the user’s eyes to prevent the accidental removal of critical settings. Activating this mode is the first step to clearing the memory.

To enable the display of hidden files, open the Explorer app and go to the Files tab. Click on the menu icon (three dots or bars) and select the display settings. In the list that opens, find the Show Hidden Files switch and activate it. Now, folders with names like.MIUI,.cache or.thumbnails will appear at the root of the internal memory.

• 📁.thumbnails – here are stored miniatures of all the photos and videos viewed, often inflating to giant sizes.
• 📁 Android/data — contains cache and data of installed applications, including offline content.
• 📁 MIUI/debug_log — System logs that can accumulate for months if debugging is enabled.
• 📁 Tencent/MicroMsg — junk files from messengers that are not always deleted automatically.

Once activated, carefully examine the contents of the folders, you can sort files by size to immediately find the largest "eaters" of the place. Often it turns out that the old video file you forgot in the download folder weighs more than all the installed games combined.

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Use file size sorting in the Explorer to instantly find the heaviest objects in the Other folder.

Computer Analysis: Access to the File System

The most detailed view of memory content is possible when you connect your smartphone to your computer. Unlike a mobile interface, desktop operating systems allow you to see the structure of directories more clearly and use powerful disk analysis tools. USB-cable.

Connect your phone to your PC, unlock the screen, and in the USB Mode Notification, select File Transfer (MTP). Once you connect your device, a disk will appear in My Computer with your model name. Opening it, you will access all the parts that the system sees, including those hidden if the corresponding mode is enabled in the phone itself.

For professional analysis, we recommend using specialized software, such as WinDirStat or TreeSize Free, which builds a visual disk map where each square is the size of the file, and allows you to find forgotten archives or duplicates lost in the back of the folders in seconds.

The convenient way to work with files via a PC is that you can copy important data to your hard drive before you delete it, which creates additional insurance in case you accidentally hit the desired document, and always back up before you clean it.

Cleaning up Telegram app cache and garbage

One of the main reasons for the growth of the “Other” section is messengers, especially Telegram and WhatsApp. These applications by default store all received media files in the memory of the device, often duplicating them in different formats. Standard cleaning through the phone settings does not always see these files as media, referring them to the data of the application.

To clean Telegram effectively, you need to go to the settings of the app itself: Settings → Data and memory → Memory Use. Here you will see the exact amount of space you occupy and be able to clear the cache. It is important to understand that cleaning the cache will not delete your correspondence, photos and videos will disappear only from the device, but will remain on the cloud server.

In WhatsApp’s case, the situation is more complicated because of encryption and folder structure. database files are often hidden in partitions. It is recommended to use the built-in storage management function: Settings → Data and Storage → Storage Management. Here you can delete files larger than 5 MB or clean old backups.

⚠️ Before clearing the messenger cache, make sure you have an up-to-date backup of the chats in the cloud (Google Drive or iCloud) so you don’t lose important correspondence when reinstalling the application.

Regularly cleaning the social media cache (VK, Instagram, TikTok) also gives tangible results. These apps aggressively cache the videos and pictures viewed. In the Android settings (Applications → [Name] → Storage → Clear cache), you can safely free up space without affecting logins and passwords.

Hidden Features of Engineering Menu and ADB

For advanced users who lack standard tools, there are methods to access deep system partitions, one of which is using USB debugging and the ADB command line, which requires a computer connection and basic command line knowledge.

First, activate the developer mode. Go to Settings → About Phone and quickly press 7 times on the build number (MIUI Version). Then in the advanced settings, turn on "Debugging on USB." By connecting the phone to your PC, you can execute a command to analyze the occupied space.

adb shell dumpsys diskstats

This command will output a detailed account of what applications and processes occupy how much disk space, including hidden partitions that the standard interface does not see, and you can use the adb shell du -h /data command to output folder size in line, although this may require superuser rights (Root).

The alternative is to use analytics apps from GetApps or Google Play, such as DiskUsage or Storage Analyzer, which visualize data from the system as diagrams, allowing you to quickly identify hidden large files, but even they can not always access secure system without root rights.

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Use of the ADB-commands give the most accurate picture of memory filling, but requires caution and the presence of a computer.

Overflow prevention and smart management

To prevent the Other problem from returning regularly, you need to implement the digital hygienist habits. Automating cleaning processes will help maintain order without constant manual intervention. Modern HyperOS shells offer built-in tools for this.

Set up automatic cleaning in Xiaomi’s Security app. Go to Cleanup, click on settings (cogs) and enable auto-cleanup. It’s also helpful to limit the cache size for certain apps in their individual settings, if that option is available in your Android version.

• 🔄 Regularly reboot the smartphone – this clears temporary files and RAM cache.
• ☁️ Use cloud services to store photos, removing local copies after synchronization.
• 🚫 Turn off auto-save in instant messengers so they don’t clog up the gallery and memory.
• 📂 Check the download folder once a month and delete the installation folder. APK-file.

Remember that filling up memory over 90% critically affects the speed of flash memory. The system starts to run slower, applications open longer, and background processes can be terminated in an emergency. Timely cleaning of "Other" is not just freeing up space, but also extending the life of your device.