How to remove the “Other” from Xiaomi Redmi 8 memory: the full guide 2026

Owners of Xiaomi Redmi 8 sooner or later face a mysterious “Other” section in the memory settings, which takes up gigabytes of space — and does not tell you what exactly is stored there. The system shows that there is only 1-2 GB of free space left, although you have long deleted all unnecessary photos, videos and applications.

In fact, The Other is the hidden garbage that Android and MIUI have been accumulating for years: remnants of deleted programs, cache of system processes, log files, temporary update data, and even duplicate media files. In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways to clean this partition, from simple (via embedded MIUI tools) to advanced (using ADB and manual file deletion).

Important: Before you start cleaning, check how much space the Other takes up. Go to Settings → About Phone → Memory. If the volume is greater than 3-5 GB, it's time to act.

1. Cleaning through built-in MIUI tools

The safest way is to use standard MIUI features, which don't require root rights and are suitable even for beginners, starting with cleaning up cache and garbage.

1. App cache cleanup: Go to Settings → Apps → App management. Tap three dots in the top right corner and select Sort by size. Open each major app (e.g. Facebook, Telegram, Google Chrome) and click Clear Cache.
2. Delete unnecessary files via Cleanup: Launch Security (shield icon) → Cleanup. Press Deep Cleanup and wait for analysis. Delete any temporary files and residues found.

These actions will release up to 1-2 GB, but the Other will still be there, because MIUI doesn't show the system cache and update files, and you need additional steps to delete them.

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If the memory is clogged again after a day or two, the background processes are to blame. Open Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Management and turn off auto-start for unnecessary applications.

2. Delete update files and logs

Xiaomi is actively releasing updates for Redmi 8, but after installing them, firmware files (.zip) remain in memory. They can weigh up to 2-3 GB!

To remove them:

1. Connect your phone to your PC via USB (File Transfer Mode).
2. Open the folder. MIUI → downloaded_rom and delete all files inside.
3. Go to the Android → data → com.xiaomi.market folder and clear the cache.
4. For logs: Open the logs folder at the root of the memory and delete all of its contents.

⚠️ Attention: Do not delete folders MIUI Or Android as a whole, it's going to crash the system!

3. Manual removal of duplicates and hidden files

Often, the “Other” is inflated due to duplicate photos / videos (for example, after transferring to the video). SD-map) and hidden files from applications to find them:

• 📁 Use a file manager with support for duplicate search (e.g. Files by Google or Google) SD Maid).
• 🔍 Enter the extensions:.thumb (miniatures),.nomedia (hidden media),.log (logs).
• 🗑️ Remove the.trash (basket) and temp (temporary files) folders in the root of the memory.

Pay special attention to the folders:

/storage/emulated/0/DCIM/.thumbnails


/storage/emulated/0/Download/.temp




/storage/emulated/0/Android/obb/

The obb folder stores game data (such as PUBG or Call of Duty), and if you haven't played in a long time, feel free to delete unnecessary files.

4. Cleaning through ADB (for power users)

If previous methods haven't worked, it's time to connect to Android Debug Bridge (ADB).This is a deep-cleaning tool, but requires caution.

Instructions:

1. Turn on Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and tap the MIUI version 7 times.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and activate Debugging over USB.
3. Connect your phone to your PC, install ADB Tools, and execute the commands:

adb shell


pm clear com.android.providers.media # Cleaning up media cache




pm clear com.miui.gallery #Disposal gallery




rm -rf /data/local/tmp/* # Delete temporary files

⚠️ Note: pm clear will reset the application settings (e.g., the Gallery will lose albums). -rf For system folders, this can damage firmware!

Download ADB Tools on PC

Enable the developer mode on Redmi 8

Activate debugging over USB

Create a backup copy of important data-->

5. Reset to factory settings (last resort)

If the Other takes up more than 10GB and no way works, it's hard reset, which will erase all the data, including the hidden debris, but it will return the phone to a clean state.

How to reset:

1. Create a backup through Settings → Additional → Backup.
2. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
3. Choose to erase all data and confirm.

After discharge:

• 🔄 Do not restore data from a backup – it may contain the same garbage.
• 📱 Install only the necessary applications (avoid junk programs).
• 🔧 Turn off auto-update apps on Google Play.

Critical information: On Redmi 8, the IMEI can fall off after a reset if you have previously changed the firmware. Check it with *#06# and restore it with the SN Write Tool if necessary.

Comparison of Cleaning Methods for the “Other”

How to prevent the “Other” from being refilled

To prevent the problem from returning in a month, follow the following simple rules:

• 📵 Disable autoload media in instant messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram).
• 🔄 Clean the cache regularly through Settings → Warehouse → Clean up.
• 🚫 Don’t use cleaners like Clean Master, they create more garbage.
• 📲 Install a light firmware (for example, MIUI Lite), if the official is too heavy.

It is also useful to turn off the automatic diagnosis of MIUI:

1. Go to Settings → About Phone → All Specifications → Core.
2. Slip 5 times on the kernel version to open the hidden menu.
3. Turn off automatic reporting.

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Regularly cleaning the cache and disabling autoload media reduces the volume of “Other” by 40-60% in a week.

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning up memory