How to Clean the ‘Other’ Partition on Xiaomi Redmi Note 8

Owners of the popular Redmi Note 8 often face the unpleasant situation of a smartphone storage full of mysterious “Other” section. MIUI system can show that this partition takes up tens of gigabytes, although the user did not download as many files or applications, which causes slowdown of the interface, problems with installing updates and the inability to take new pictures.

The Other is a system category where Android and the MIUI shell add app cache, temporary files, deleted program residues, error logs and instant messenger data. Over time, this digital junk accumulates and can take up to 30-40% of the device’s total available memory. Cleaning this section requires a comprehensive approach, since standard means do not always remove everything immediately.

In this article, we will look at proven ways to securely free up space. You will learn how to find hidden files, clear the cache of specific applications and use system tools to optimize. The most effective way to radically reduce the "Other" partition is a full reset (Hard Reset), but we will start with less radical methods. Follow the instructions consistently to return performance to your gadget.

⚠️ Before you start any manipulation of the file system or reset settings, be sure to back up important data (contacts, photos, documents) in the Google Drive cloud or on your computer.

Memory Analysis: What the Other Section Hides

Before you start deleting, you need to understand the structure. In Android, the Other section (sometimes referred to as Misc) is dynamically generated, which includes files that the system cannot classify as images, videos, music or apps, often residues after a Redmi Note 8 firmware update or data left behind by remote games.

Telegram, WhatsApp and Viber have a habit of saving all received media files to their internal folders, which the system often refers to the category “Other”, and can also store offline maps of navigators and cache of streaming services.

• 📂 Temporary packet installer files (.apk) that were not deleted after installation.
• 🗑️ Gallery Recycle Bin and Deleted Files That Haven't Been Deleted from the System.
• 📱 Application Logs and Error Reports Created by the Shell MIUI.
• 💬 Cache of “heavy” chats in messengers, including voice messages and stickers.

Understanding the nature of these files helps you choose the right cleaning strategy: if you actively use navigation or download a lot of files to work, the partition will grow faster, and regular monitoring avoids critical memory filling.

⚠️ Note: Do not attempt to delete system files manually through Explorer unless you are sure of their purpose. Deleting important libraries can lead to a cyclic smartphone bootloop.

Use of the built-in MIUI cleaner

The first and safest step is to use Xiaomi's standard tool, which has a Security app in the MIUI shell that has deep access to system partitions, and it can find files hidden from the average user.

Run the Safety app on the home screen. Select "Clean up." The system will scan and prompt you to remove "garbage." However, standard cleaning is often superficial. Click on "Clean up" and then go to "Deep Clean."

In deep cleaning mode, you'll see categories like "Large Files," "Unused Applications," "Dublicates." Of particular interest is the large file section, which often hides forgotten videos or archives that inflate the volume of "Other."

• 🧹 Removing the ad cache that accumulates in the background.
• 📸 Cleaning up similar photos if the version supports such a feature MIUI.
• 📦 Finding and removing old application installation packages.

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For a more efficient MIUI cleaner, it is recommended to periodically restart the smartphone, which completes the background processes and allows the system to correctly recalculate the amount of memory.

Cleaning the cache of messengers and social networks

The main “eater” of space on Redmi Note 8 are most often messengers. Telegram, for example, by default saves all the photos and videos viewed in memory of the device. To change this and free up space, you need to go to the settings of the application itself.

In Telegram, go to Settings → Data and Memory → Memory Use. Here you will see the cache occupied. Press the “Clear Cache” button. Don’t worry, your correspondence and media files will not disappear – they are stored on the server and will be re-downloaded when you view. It is recommended to also enable the “Cache Deletion” function by setting a timer for, for example, 3 days or 1 week.

For WhatsApp, the path is a little different: Settings → Data and Storage → Storage Management. You can delete files larger than 5 MB or clear the entire chat from media. Social networks like VK or Instagram also cache the feeds you have viewed. In the settings of these apps, find the Cache option and clean up.

After cleaning the cache of all the major apps, restart your phone, and you'll be surprised how much space has been freed up in the "Other" section, a regular procedure that you should do once a month to keep up.

Removing Thumbnails folder and system debris

Android has a hidden folder called.thumbnails that stores thumbnails of all images and videos viewed, which can be as large as a few gigabytes over time, and on the Redmi Note 8, it often hides deep in the system directories.

To get to it, open the Explorer app. In the Explorer settings, turn on the hidden file display. Go to DCIM →.thumbnails. If the folder weighs a lot (more than 500 MB), you can safely delete its contents. The system will create new thumbnails automatically the next time you open the gallery.

It's also worth checking the folder. MIUI → debug_log. This can accumulate debugging logs that are created by the system when you crash. If you're not a developer and you're not debugging applications, you don't need those files. Deletion is safe and makes room for the other».

• 📂 Finding hidden folders requires enabling the option “Show hidden files».
• ⚙️ The.thumbnails folder can grow to 2-3 GB on an active smartphone.
• 🔄 After removing thumbnails, the gallery can run slower on its first run.

Reset application settings and clean up data

If simple methods don't work, you can take a more aggressive approach, which is to clean up the data of specific applications, and it will return the application to the "as after installation" state.

Go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Choose an app that consumes a lot of space (often browsers or social networks). Click Memory and then Clear → All data. This is guaranteed to remove his contribution to the Other section.

Pay special attention to the system-based engagement of Gallery and Explorer, sometimes sticking to files and not updating their index, and cleaning up their data won't delete your photos, but it will reset sorting settings and preview cache.

⚠️ Attention: Cleaning system application data (e.g., “Settings” or “System” UI») It can cause a reset of interface personalization, ringtones, and network settings.

Radical method: Reset to factory settings

If the Other partition takes up a critical volume and doesn’t shrink after all the manipulations, there may be errors or broken indexes in the file system. The only way to ensure that everything is cleaned up is through a full reset.

Before you do that, make sure all important data is saved. Go to Settings → About Phone → Settings Reset → Erase all data. The phone will reboot and start the cleanup process, which can take 10-15 minutes. Once turned on, you will get a device with a clean file system where the Other partition will be minimal.

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A complete reset is the only 100% guarantee of removing system debris that is not amenable to manual cleaning, and it is recommended to do this once every 1-2 years of active use of the smartphone.

After a reset, take your time to restore all applications from the backup. Install only the necessary programs. Often, it is the recovery process from the backup that returns old garbage and file system errors to the phone.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)