How to remove the “Other” section from Xiaomi memory: the complete guide

Many Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphone users are faced with a frightening situation: the storage is crowded and the mysterious “Other” section takes the lion’s share. You delete photos, videos and apps, but there is little space added, because the Android system and the MIUI shell (or HyperOS) classify many temporary files, app cache and residual data under this label.

In this article, we will go into detail about what exactly is behind this name, why the system does not allow you to delete these files easily, and what are safe methods for cleaning. It is important to understand that the “Other” section is not a virus or an error, but a feature of the file system that requires a competent approach. We will look at both built-in cleaner tools and more advanced methods through a computer and third-party disk space analyzers.

Before we start radical measures, we need to make a diagnosis. Often users confuse the system cache with important documents, although in 90% of cases these files are temporary. Cleanup should be done in stages so as not to disrupt the work of messengers or games. Below are proven ways to help you return gigabytes of free space.

What is hidden in the “Other” section really?

Xiaomi’s Other section is a collection of different types of data that the system can’t uniquely attribute to photos, videos, music or installed apps, primarily the cache of apps. Messengers like Telegram, WhatsApp and Viber aggressively accumulate viewed images, voice messages and video files that are technically temporary but take up gigabytes.

The second major source of junk is residual files from remote programs and system logs, and when you delete a game or utility, folders with its settings and temp data often remain dead weight. OTA-Updates that have already been installed, but a copy of the installer is saved just in case, in addition, this section may get offline maps of navigators and downloaded playlists of streaming services.

The third component is streaming data and browsers. YouTube, Spotify or Yandex.Music cache can grow to incredible sizes. Browsers also store thousands of temporary web page files, all of which are summarized and displayed in storage as a single mass of data that is difficult to differentiate without special tools.

Basic cleaning with built-in MIUI and HyperOS

The safest and first step to take is to use the regular Security app, which has deep permissions in Xiaomi shells. Launch the app, select Cleanup and wait for analysis. The system will suggest removing obvious debris: ads, residual files and cache. However, standard cleaning is often superficial.

For more in-depth work, go to Cleanup and look for Deep Cleanup or Analyzer, and you'll see a more detailed breakdown here. Notice Big Files, which often includes forgotten videos that are wrongly classified. It's also worth checking the Applications section, where you can sort programs by space.

Remember to use Accelerate regularly in notification curtains or in a security application. Although it works mostly with RAM, in some versions of MIUI it also resets some temporary process files. However, it is worth remembering that it is rare to completely clear the Other section with regular tools, since they do not have access to the system cache of some applications.

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Reboot your smartphone periodically. A simple device reboot causes the Android system to recalculate the file index and delete some temporary files created during the current session, which can free up 100 to 500 MB of space.

Cleaning the cache of messengers and social networks

The main culprits of filling up memory are most often messengers. Telegram, for example, stores all the media files viewed in the cache to download them faster when you reopen the chat. To make room, go to the settings of the application itself, find the section “Data and memory” → “Memory Use”. Here you can safely clear the cache without deleting correspondence. Telegram also allows you to set up autodeletion of the cache, for example, once every 3 days.

WhatsApp is similar, but folder structure is more complex. Go to Settings → Storage & Data → Storage Management. Here you will see a list of chats sorted by the amount of data you have taken. You can delete specific videos or photos from the chat without deleting the chat itself. Social networks like VK or Instagram also accumulate a huge amount of temporary files when you view the feed.

For social media, often the only effective way is to reinstall the app completely, as their built-in cache cleaners are not working properly or are missing.Before deleting, make sure you know your password.After reinstalling, you will get a "clean" app that will take up a minimum of space in the "Other" section.

⚠️ Note: When you clean your app data through your Android settings (not inside the app itself), you may lose your email history if it’s not stored in the cloud. Always use the built-in cache cleaning features inside your messengers.

Using Disk Analyzers to Find Hidden Files

If standard methods don't work, specialized analysis apps like Files by Google, DiskUsage or Total Commander come to the rescue, and these ilk visualize the file system by showing which folders are bloated, like DiskUsage displays memory as a diagram where you can click on the largest sector and find the source of the problem.

Often, the Other section is bloated because of the folders of streaming services (for example, YouTube cache or offline Navitel maps), once you find such a folder, you can safely delete its contents, but be careful: delete only the contents of folders that you understand the purpose of (for example, cache, temp, thumbnails).

Another effective method is to use ADB (Android Debug Bridge) from your computer, which is an advanced way that requires you to connect to a PC, and you can use the command line to clear the cache of all applications at once, and you can start the console in the folder with the ADB tools and type in the command:

adb shell pm trim-caches 999999999999

This command compels Android to vacate space by deleting the app cache until the specified number of bytes (in this case, almost anything that can be deleted) is released, one of the most effective ways to combat the “Other” partition.

Comparison of cleaning methods: efficiency and risks

Different cleaning methods have different degrees of efficiency and security. Staff tools are safe, but often ineffective, of the nasty cache. Third-party cliche applications (like Clean Master) can be intrusive and contain advertising, but sometimes find more garbage. Manual deletion through the file manager gives you complete control, but requires knowledge.

As you can see from the table, the balance between safety and efficiency is difficult to find. For most users, a combined approach would be optimal: regular cleaning inside messengers and periodic use of a disk analyzer.

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The combination of methods gives the best result. Don't rely on one method, but alternate with built-in cleaning, manual control of the application cache and analysis of large files.

Radical measures: Resetting to factory settings

If the Other partition takes up more than 20-30 GB and nothing helps, the final argument is a full factory reset, which will completely destroy all data on the phone, returning it to a “store-like” state.

To perform the reset, go to Settings → About Phone → Settings Reset → Erase all data. The process will take 5 to 15 minutes. Once turned on, you will get a clean system where the Other partition will take up the smallest possible volume (usually 2-4 GB of system files), which is the only way to guarantee that you will remove all system errors of garbage accumulation.

⚠️ Note: Before resetting, make sure you remember the password from your Mi Account and Google Account. Once reset, the phone will require you to enter this data to confirm ownership (protection against theft). FRP).

After a reset, take your time to restore all applications from backup. Install them gradually, tracking which ones start to inflate the Other section again aggressively. Often the source of the problem is one particular application with poor optimization.

Prevention: How to avoid overcrowding in the future

To keep the problem from returning in a month, you need to implement a digital hygiene habit. First, set up automatic cache cleaning in messengers. Telegram does this once and forgets. Second, check the Downloads folder regularly (once a week) and delete unnecessary ones. APK-file.

Use cloud storage (Google Photos, Yandex.Disk, Mi Cloud) with the “Free Space” function, which automatically removes photos and videos that are already stored in the cloud, freeing up gigabytes. Also try not to store offline maps and music on the internal drive, if you have a microSD card, move media content there.

Compliance with these simple rules will allow your Xiaomi to work quickly and consistently for many years, the “Other” section will no longer be a frightening unknown, and memory management will become a simple routine task.

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