Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphone owners often face a mysterious problem: vacant storage is rapidly disappearing, and the culprit is a section called “The Other.” This system garbage can grow to tens of gigabytes, occupying up to 40-50% of the device’s total available memory. Understanding what exactly is behind this label is the first step to successfully optimize the system.
The “Other” category of the MIUI or HyperOS operating system is app cache, temporary update files, remnants of deleted programs, error logs and messenger data. Often users do not realize that it is Telegram or Viber that for years accumulates gigabytes of media files that the system does not see as photos or videos, but classifies as system debris, ignoring this problem leads to a critical slowdown of the interface and the inability to install new updates.
In this article, we will discuss safe and effective methods to clean the Other section without losing important personal data. You will learn to distinguish between system files that you can not touch and safe debris that must be deleted. A competent approach to memory management will prolong the life of your gadget and return it to its previous speed.
What is hidden in the “Other” section really?
Before we start taking radical measures, we need to identify exactly where the overflow is coming from, and the "Other" section is not just one file, but a collection of disparate data that the system cannot uniquely classify, and first of all, it's the application cache: temporary data that speeds up the launch of programs, but over time inflates to unimaginable sizes.
WhatsApp, Telegram and Viber store the images, videos and documents in their internal folders, which are often not displayed in the standard gallery, and the system perceives these data sets as an unknown type of file and sends them to the “Other” category, and can store offline maps of navigators and cache of streaming services.
Another reason for this partition is the logs and error reports, and if an application crashes or doesn't work properly, it can generate text files that take up space, and it can also include remnants of remote games and programs that were not completely erased from memory when uninstalled.
- 📁 Social network and messenger cache that takes up gigabytes of space.
- 📁 Temporary system and application update files that are not automatically deleted.
- 📁 Offline data of navigation applications and streaming services.
- 📁 System logs, error reports and residues of remote programs.
⚠️ Warning: Do not attempt to delete files from system folders through root-right file managers without knowing exactly what they are intended for. Deleting critical libraries can lead to a smartphone bootloop (cyclical reboot.
Partition content analysis is best done with built-in diagnostics or specialized filters that securely identify file types, and understanding the structure of the data helps avoid accidentally losing important information such as work documents or correspondence.
Basic cleaning through built-in MIUI and HyperOS
The safest and first method to use is the regular Security app, which in Xiaomi shells has deep access to system partitions and can clean up what is not available to the average user.
Once scanned, the system will suggest removing the obvious debris: advertising files, remnants of deleted applications and small caches. However, to work with the "Other" section, you need to go to the "Deep Clean" section, where the algorithm will analyze large files and suggest removing old screenshots, duplicate photos and volumetric videos.
☑️ Checklist of basic cleaning
It’s important to read carefully what the system suggests to remove. Sometimes the list includes APK installation files you may need or important documents. The Cache Clearance feature in the storage settings also helps to reset the temporary data of all applications at once, which often frees up several gigabytes of space.
- 🚀 Run the standard “Security” app on your desktop.
- 🚀 Click on the “Clean” button and wait for the analysis to be completed.
- 🚀 Go to the Deep Cleanup section for detailed analysis.
- 🚀 Manually check the categories “Large files” and “Unused applications».
Regular use of built-in prevention tools allows you to keep the volume of the Other section within reasonable limits, but if too much garbage has accumulated, standard tools may not be enough and more in-depth intervention in the settings of individual applications may be required.
Working with the cache of messengers: Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber
The main source of heavy junk in the Other category is messengers, which store media files in their private directories. For example, on Telegram, you need to go to Settings → Data and Memory → Memory Use, where you will see the exact amount of cache and you can clear it with a single button.
WhatsApp is similar, but storage management is in the Settings menu → Data and Storage → Storage Management. The system will show the chats that take up the most space and allow you to delete videos and GIFs selectively, and this is the most effective way to free up memory without deleting the correspondence itself.
What happens if you clear the messenger cache?
Remember to check your media autoload settings. If messengers have saved to the gallery enabled, copies of all files are duplicated, taking up a double place: one file in the messenger folder (the “Other” section) and the second in the shared gallery, disabling this option will prevent further garbage proliferation.
- 💬 In Telegram, use the built-in “Clear Cache” function in memory settings.
- 💬 On WhatsApp, remove heavy videos through the storage management menu.
- 💬 Turn off autoload media on mobile networks for all applications.
- 💬 Remove old chats or export important ones.
⚠️ Before cleaning the application data, make sure that important photos and documents are stored in the cloud or on your computer.
Analysis of storage using third-party snails
When embedded tools don't give you a complete picture, specialized analytics apps come to the rescue. One of the most effective tools for Android is DiskUsage or Storage Analyzer, which visualizes the file system as a map, where the size of each block corresponds to the amount of space it occupies.
With these slits, you can instantly find hidden folders that inflate the Other section, and it often turns out that some forgotten photo editing app created a giant preview folder, or the browser saved a YouTube video cache, and visualization allows you to immediately see the culprit and move on to deletion.
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Use DiskUsage in Memory Map mode, and it will show you the structure of the files in rectangles: the larger the rectangle, the more space it takes up, and this is the fastest way to find hidden gigabytes of garbage.
When working with third-party software, it is important to be careful: only delete files that you are sure of the origin of. Android system files (system, data folders without specific applications) are better not to touch. The main focus should be on folders of user applications in the directory. Android/data or root folders of messengers.
An alternative to specialized analyzers is file managers with a sorting function by size, such as Total Commander or FX File Explorer, which allows you to sort all files on the device by volume and identify the largest objects, regardless of their type.
Radical methods: data resetting and transfer
If the soft cleaning methods didn't work and the Other continues to occupy a critical volume, then radical measures are needed. The most effective way is to completely reset to factory settings, which completely erases the file system and recreates it, which is guaranteed to remove all accumulated system debris.
Before you reset, you need to create a full backup of the data. On Xiaomi smartphones, you can do this through Settings → About Phone → Reserve and Restore. Save a copy to your computer or external media, as when you reset all data will be destroyed.
| Cleaning method | Efficiency | Risk of data loss | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard cleaning | Low (up to 1GB) | No. | Low. |
| Cleaning up the app cache | Medium (2-5 GB) | No (logins only) | Medium |
| Deletion of messenger data | High (5-20 GB) | High (correspondence) | Medium |
| Reset to factory settings | Maximum (all) | Critical (no backup) | Tall. |
Once reset, the phone will work as new and the Other partition will take up as little as possible, which is the best way to solve the problem if the smartphone has been in use for several years and there are many file system errors in the system.
Preventing memory overflow in the future
To keep the Other problem from coming back in a month, you need to change your smartphone usage habits, first of all, set up automatic cache cleaning. In some launchers and optimizer apps, you can set a schedule for your phone to clean up garbage at night.
Use cloud storage for photos and videos. Services like Google Photos or Yandex.Disk can automatically free up space on your device by deleting media files already uploaded to the cloud, which prevents the gallery and adjacent memory parts from sprawling.
Check the list of installed apps regularly. Deleting programs you haven't used for more than three months is a great habit. Many apps continue to collect data and cache content even in the background if they're not completely removed.
- ☁️ Set up sync with the cloud and the function “Free space».
- ☁️ Turn off autoloading files in messengers via the mobile network.
- ☁️ Once a month, audit installed applications and remove excess.
- ☁️ Use the “light” versions of apps (Lite) if you have little memory.
⚠️ Warning: Don’t install questionable accelerator apps from Play Market with aggressive advertising, often becoming a source of garbage and intrusive notifications, consuming resources in vain.
By following these simple digital device hygiene rules, you can forget about the space shortage. Smartphone memory is a resource that requires management, and regular prevention is always more effective than emergency cleaning.
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Regularly cleaning the messenger cache and using cloud storage is the most effective way to prevent the Other partition from growing in the future.