How to completely delete other files on Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro: 7 proven ways

Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro is one of the most popular mid-range smartphones, but even its 64/128 GB of memory is eventually clogged with unnecessary files. "Other files" in the "Storage" section" MIUI They often take up tens of gigabytes, even though the user does not even know they exist, such as app cache, remnants of remote programs, temporary data of system processes and duplicate media. In this article, we will discuss how to safely clean these files without damaging the system, and return precious gigabytes of memory.

The problem is that standard tools MIUI (For example, "Cleanup" removes only the tip of the iceberg. /data, /cache And even in the root directories, which are restricted, we tested everything from built-in functions to manually cleaning through the back. ADB — And only those that actually work on the Redmi Note were selected. 8 Pro MIUI 12–14. Important: Some methods require superuser rights (root), but we will show you where to get around them.

1.What are “Other Files” in Xiaomi and Why Do They Take So Much Space

V MIUI The other files section is a dump for everything the system failed to classify:

• 🗑️ App and game cache – temporary files that should be deleted automatically but often remain (for example, TikTok or Instagram cache can weigh several gigabytes).
• 📁 Remnants of Remote Programs – folders with settings and application data that you have long uninstalled.
• 🔄 Duplicate photo/video — MIUI Sometimes creates copies of media files when editing or backing up.
• 📱 System logs and dumps are debugging files that are created when crashes occur (e.g. anr or tombstones).
• 🔒 Hidden update files – folders with firmware (downloaded_rom), which are not removed after installation.

On the Redmi Note. 8 This category often grows to 10–30 GB. Cause: Aggressive caching MIUI and no automatic cleaning, for example, after the system update OTA folder /cache can weigh up 1–2 GB, but MIUI It's the same with the cache of Google Play Services or Mi Video, they accumulate gigabytes just in case".

🔍 How do you check what exactly takes up space? Go to Settings → Warehouse → Other files. If it's over 5GB, it's time to clean it up. But a standard Clean button will only remove 10 to 20 percent of the trash.

2. Standard cleaning methods without root rights

So, to start with, safe methods that don't require unlocking the bootloader or the superuser rights, they can remove up to 40 to 60 percent of the garbage.

Built-in utility "Cleaning"

MIUI It has its own memory release utility to use:

1. Open the Security app (shield icon).
2. Go to the Cleanup tab.
3. Press Deep Clean and wait for the scan.
4. Mark all categories (especially "Cash" and "Junk Files") and click Clear.

📌 What will delete: app cache, temporary files, empty folders, what will not delete: duplicate media, system logs, remnants of uninstalled programs.

Manually cleansing cache for individual applications

Some applications (for example, Facebook, YouTube, PUBG Mobile can accumulate a cache that's a few gigabytes in size to clean it up:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the app (sort by size).
3. Press Warehouse. → Clear the cache.

⚠️ Note: Do not clear the cache for system applications (such as Miui System or Google Play Services) – this may cause crashes.

Close all background applications|Check the vacant space (should be available) >1GB)|Backup of important data|Do not clean the cache of system services-->

2.3 Removal of Media Downloads and Duplicates

The Download folder and gallery often contain unnecessary files.

• 📂 Open Files (the application "File Manager") → Categories → Downloads. Remove unnecessary ones. APK, documents, archives.
• 🖼️ In the gallery (Photos) go to the album Duplicates (if any) and delete the repeated shots.
• 🎵 Check the Music folder – there may be audio files from remote messengers.

💡 Tip: Use Files by Google (available in Play Market) to automatically find duplicates, large files and prompt them to be deleted.

3. Advanced Cleanup: Hidden Folders and System Garbage

If standard methods don't work, we'll have to dig deeper, and in this section, we're going to show you ways for advanced users who are willing to work with system files.

3.1. Clearing the folder. /cache recover

folder /cache It contains temporary update files and a recovery cache, which can be cleared through Recovery mode:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press Power + Volume up until the Mi logo appears.
3. Choose a language, then Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache.
4. Confirm the action and restart the device.

⚠️ Warning: Not to be confused with Wipe Data – it will reset the phone to factory settings!

3.2. Deletion of the folder downloaded_rom

After updating MIUI through OTA firmware (/data/downloaded_rom) It stays on the device and can weigh. 1.5–2.5 GB to remove it:

• Connect your phone to your PC and enable debugging. USB (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times press the version → Return to the Additional Settings → For developers).
• Use it. ADB (Install Platform Tools):

adb shell


su




rm -rf /data/downloaded_rom/*




exit




exit

If there are no root rights, this method will not work, and the alternative is to use a file manager with access to root folders (e.g., Root Explorer).

Cleaning of logs and dumps

System Logs (/data/anr, /data/tombstones) It takes hundreds of megabytes. You can delete them through ADB:

adb shell


su




rm -rf /data/anr/*




rm -rf /data/tombstones/*




rm -rf /data/system/dropbox/*




exit

🔧 Important: These files are used to diagnose crashes, and only delete them if you are sure that the phone is stable.

4.Use of third-party applications for deep cleaning

If you don't want to mess with ADB, We tested 5 popular apps and selected the best ones for the Redmi Note 8 Pro.

💡 Recommendation: Try it first. SD Maid – Finds more trash than standard tools MIUI. If you want to clear your system files but no root, use Files by Google (it can find large files even without superuser rights).

⚠️ Warning: Some cleaners (such as Clean Master) may display false virus warnings or offer to buy Premium.

5. Manual deletion of files via PC (for power users)

If you're willing to connect the Redmi Note 8 Pro to your computer, you can manually view and delete unnecessary files, a method that requires caution but allows you to control the process.

5.1 Connecting the phone to file transfer mode

For starters:

1. Connect your phone to your PC through USB-cable.
2. In the notification curtain, select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
3. On PC, open This computer - your phone will appear as a removable disk.

5.2 Which folders can be manually cleaned

Open the phone’s internal memory and check the following directories:

• 📂 Download - Remove the Old Ones APK, archives, documents.
• 🎬 DCIM/.thumbnails — Photo/video miniatures (you can delete them, they will be restored automatically).
• 📥 Android/data — This is where you store game and application data. Only delete folders of programs that have already been deleted.
• 📁 MIUI/Backup — backup copies created MIUI (if they don't need them).
• 🔊 Ringtones, Notifications – Unnecessary audio files.

🚫 What NOT to remove:

• Folders. Android/obb — game data (deleting will cause failures).
• Files in MIUI Extension.db or.xml is the system settings.
• Alarms folder if you use standard alarm clocks.

5.3 Search for large files via PC

To find the "invisible memory eaters":

1. On the PC, open the phone folder.
2. In the search bar, enter size: >50MB (Windows) or sort files by size.
3. Check the files size >100MB is often forgotten video, backups or game cache.

💡

Before you delete large files, check their extension. For example, files with the.nomedia extension can be safely deleted - these are empty tags that hide folders from the gallery.

6. Cleaning through ADB (rootless, but with debugging)

ADB (Android Debug Bridge allows you to delete system files without superuser rights, but requires enabled debugging USB. This method is suitable if the standard methods did not help, and you do not want to unlock the bootloader.

Preparation for work with ADB

First, install Platform Tools on your PC:

1. Download Platform Tools from the Android website.
2. Unpack the archive in the folder C:\platform-tools.
3. Put the debugging on. USB on the phone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → Press 7 times → Return to the Additional Settings → For developers → Debugging by USB).

Cleaning commands

Connect your phone to your PC and execute on the command line (on behalf of the administrator):

cd C:\platform-tools


adb devices




adb shell




pm clear com.miui.cleanmaster #Cache cleaner MIUI Cleaner




pm clear com.android.vending #Cleaning up Google Play cache




rm -rf /sdcard/Android/obb/* # Delete OBB- files (beware if you play games!)




exit

📌 What teams do:

• pm clear – resets the cache and data of the specified application.
• rm -rf — deletes files in the specified folder (use carefully!).

⚠️ Attention: Command rm -rf If you don't specify the right path, you can delete critical files!

7.Extreme measures: reset to factory settings

If none of these methods worked, and the Other Files still take tens of gigabytes, it's a radical reset, but it's guaranteed to clean up everything that's not needed.

7.1 How to do the reset correctly

Before discharge:

• 🔄 Make a backup copy through Settings → Additionally. → Backup and reset.
• 📱 Save contacts in your Google Account or on SIM-map.
• 📷 Move your photos/video to your PC or cloud.

For discharge:

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

What to do after discharge

After discharge:

• 📥 Restore data from backup (but do not restore "Other files"!).
• 🛡️ Install only the necessary applications – avoid “junk” utilities.
• 🔄 Clean the cache regularly through Settings → Warehouse.

🔍 Why resetting helps: It deletes all user data, including hidden files that are not cleaned by standard methods. However, this is an extreme measure - only use it if other methods have not worked.

💡

Factory reset is the most reliable way to get rid of Other Files, but it will also delete all your data. Always back up before resetting!

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning Redmi Note 8 Pro