Have you ever looked into the storage of your Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO and seen the lion’s share of memory occupied by the mysterious “Other” section? It’s not the app cache, not photos and not downloads — the system stubbornly refuses to show what exactly is behind these gigabytes. In this article, we will understand what the “Other” in Xiaomi’s memory is, why it snowballs and how to reduce it without the risk of “breaking” the phone.
We warn you right away: there is no universal solution. The reasons for this section range from system logs to remnants of remote applications, and cleaning methods depend on the version of MIUI and the device model. We tested all the methods on smartphones from Redmi Note 10 Pro to Xiaomi 13 Ultra — in the article only working instructions with explanations, including hidden MIUI features that are not written about even in official forums.
What is the Other in Xiaomi’s Memory and Why Does It Take So Much Space?
The Other section of MIUI is the garbage bin of the operating system, where files that do not fall into the standard categories (Photos, Videos, Audio, etc.) are placed.
- 📁 Cache of system applications (for example, com.miui.home or com.android.systemui) that is not cleaned by standard means.
- 📄 Memory logs and dumps are debugging files that the system creates when crashes or for diagnostics (for example, /data/tombstones/).
- 🗑️ Remnants of Remote Applications: Configuration Files, Databases, and Temporary Data that Have Not Been Completely Deleted.
- 🔄 Update files that load in the background (e.g. packets) OTA Update to Google Play Services).
- 📊 Media files from messengers that were not saved to the gallery (for example, stickers from Telegram or temporary images from WhatsApp).
On newer versions of MIUI 14/15, the Other can take up to 10-15GB of storage, which isn’t always a mistake, because it reserves space for the F2FS file system (used in modern Xiaomi smartphones), which itself eats up some of the memory to optimize performance, but if it exceeds 20% of the total storage, that’s a reason to clean up.
⚠️ Note: Do not attempt to delete files from the Other section manually through a Root Explorer or ADB, If you don't know their purpose, delete critical system logs (e.g, /data/anr/) It can lead to an endless reboot of the device.
Method 1: Cleaning the cache of system applications (without Root)
The safest method is to remove the cache of the built-in MIUI and Google services, which are not critical to the system, but can take anywhere from 1 to 5 GB.
Instructions:
- Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Show All Applications (or System Processes in MIUI 14+).
- Find the following apps (use search): com.miui.home (MIUI Launcher) com.android.systemui (System Interface) com.google.android.gms (Google Play Services) com.miui.securitycenter (Security Center) com.miui.cleanmaster (Cleanup)
Warehouse → Clear the cache
Close all background applications
Connect the charger (the process can take 5-10 minutes)
Do not interrupt the cleaning even if the phone starts to “hang”
After cleaning, restart the device-->
If the Other section hasn’t decreased after these steps, move on to the next method. On some devices (e.g. POCO F5), the cache of system applications can recover after the restart, which is normal.
Method 2: Removing logs and dumps through an engineering menu
System logs (.log,.tombstone) are one of the main reasons for the growth of the Other section, and can be deleted through a hidden engineering menu without resorting to Root rights.
Steps:
- Open the Phone app and type the combination: ##4636## Some models (e.g. Redmi Note 12) may require a code ##284###.
- In the menu that opens, select Usage statistics (or Usage Statistics).
- Scroll down and press Clear logs. Confirm the action.
- Reboot the phone.
💡
After cleaning the logs, check the free space in 1-2 days. If the volume of the Other has grown again, then some application is actively creating logs (most often beta versions of programs or unstable firmware are to blame).
Method 3: Reset the partition cache (Wipe Cache Partition)
This method removes temporary system files that accumulate in the /cache partition.It does not affect user data, but requires a reboot in Recovery Mode.
Instructions:
- Turn off the phone.
- Press the button combination to enter Recovery: For most models: Volume up + Power. For POCO X3/X4: Volume down + Power (hold 10 seconds).
Recovery
Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache
Confirm the action and wait until it is completed (usually takes 1-2 minutes).
Reboot → System
⚠️ Warning: Don't confuse Wipe Cache with Wipe Data! The second option (reset to factory settings) will delete all your data, including photos and apps.
This is especially effective if the Other has grown after a MIUI update or custom firmware installation, for example, after switching from MIUI 13 to MIUI 14, the old compatibility files may remain in the /cache section.
Once a week.
Once a month
Only when memory ends
Never cleaned.-->
Method 4: Remove application residues via ADB
If you have deleted apps but their files are still in memory (like Facebook or TikTok data), they can be found and deleted using Android Debug Bridge (ADB).
Procedure:
- Install ADB and Fastboot Tools on your computer.
- Turn on the phone to Debug via USB (Settings → About Phone → MIUI version – press 7 times, then go back to Settings → Additional → For Developers).
- Connect your phone to your PC and type in the command line: adb shell pm list packages -u This command will show a list of applications with the uninstalled flag (remote, but left in memory).
- To remove the residues of a particular application (e.g. com.facebook.katana), do: adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.facebook.katana