Owners of flagship devices like the Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro often encounter a mysterious “Other” partition in storage.This partition can grow to tens of gigabytes, taking up precious space that should be available for your files. In the MIUI-based Android operating system, this section often accumulates data that the system cannot classify as standard photos, videos or installed applications.
Understanding the nature of this data is the first step to a successful cleanup, which can hide messenger cache, remnants of deleted programs, temporary update files, and even system error logs, and safely deleting this data requires a systematic approach so that the operating system does not damage the operation of the operating system.
In this article, we will discuss in detail how to analyze and clean storage, which MIUI tools are most effective and when you need third-party software or manual intervention through a computer. The “Other” section on Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro is often formed by the Telegram and WhatsApp cache, which is not always correctly displayed in the standard memory analyzer.
The Nature of the Other Section in MIUI
Xiaomi's storage system analyzer on smartphones groups files by type. However, there are many formats and service data that don't fall into the standard categories, which form the bulk "Other" or "Other" section. On the Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro with its internal memory, this becomes critical when the space is running out.
Most often, this partition is expanded by back-end processes, applications create temporary files to load content quickly, but forget to delete them, and also includes firmware update files that the system did not delete automatically after successful installation.
- 📁 Social media and messenger cache that stores media files for quick access.
- 🗑️ Residual files of remote applications (configurations, logs, databases).
- 🔄 Temporary files of system updates and downloads from the browser.
- 📱 Data of offline maps and streaming services (music, video).
⚠️ Warning: Do not attempt to delete system files manually through root-right file managers without understanding their purpose.This could result in a cyclical reboot of the Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro or data loss.
It's important to distinguish between system debris and personal data. Sometimes, the Other turns out to be files you downloaded yourself, but the system has lost information about their origin, so always analyze the contents before a radical cleanup.
Using the built-in Xiaomi cleaner
The first and most secure cleaning method is to use the regular Security app, which has deep access to system partitions in the MIUI shell and can remove cache without risking stability. Launch the app and select Clean.
The system will scan and suggest that temporary files be deleted. However, the standard mode often misses the deep cache of applications. To check more thoroughly on the Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro, you need to click on the junk icon or go to the advanced cleaner settings. Here you can select specific categories of files to delete.
After the initial cleanup, it is recommended to restart the device, which is necessary for the Android file system to recalculate the indexes and free up the blocked resources. Sometimes, immediately after the reboot, the volume of the Other visually decreases, as temporary locks disappear.
- 🧹 Run the standard cleaning through the “Safety” app».
- 🔍 Use the Deep Clean feature to find large files.
- 📲 Check the management of applications to clean the cache of specific programs.
Don’t rely on automatic mode alone. manually check the Downloads section, as older APK installation files are often mistakenly classified by the system as Others and take up space for years.
Cleaning the messenger cache manually
Messengers like Telegram and WhatsApp are the main culprits behind the “Other” expansion, which saves every photo and video you see to a cache that a standard cleaner might not see as garbage. On the Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro, this is solved through the internal settings of the apps themselves.
On Telegram, go to Settings → Data and Memory → Memory Use. Here you will see the exact size of the cache. Click Clear Cache. This is safe: your correspondence and media files will stay in the cloud and re-download if necessary. On WhatsApp, the path is similar: Settings → Data and Storage → Storage Management.
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Set up an automatic cache cleanup every 3 days in Telegram – this will prevent the accumulation of gigabytes of garbage in the “Other” section.
Once the messenger cache is cleared, the “Other” partition can decrease by a few gigabytes. If this does not happen, it is possible that the files were moved to hidden folders, in which case manual search through the file manager will help along the path of Android/media/org.telegram.messenger.
- 🗑️ Clear the cache through the settings of the application itself, not through the system.
- ⏳ Set a cache size limit in messenger settings.
- 📂 Check the Documents folder inside the messengers periodically.
⚠️ WARNING: When clearing WhatsApp cache through the file manager, be careful: Deleting the Media folder will erase your personal photos and videos from the gallery, even if they are in the chat room.
Computer-assisted storage analysis (ADB)
If the built-in tools don’t help, the most effective method is to analyze through a computer using the ADB (Android Debug Bridge) tool, which allows you to see the real file structure on the Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro and find hidden large files that are hidden in the “Other” section.
First, you need to include the debugging of USB. Go to Settings. → About the phone and seven times click on the build number MIUI. Then, in the advanced settings, activate “Debugging by” USB». Connect your phone to your PC and start the command line.
adb shell dumpsys diskstatsThis command will show detailed statistics of disk space usage by each application and system process. Look for processes called unknown or applications that take up disproportionately much space. You can also use the adb shell ls -lRh /data/media/0 command to view the contents of internal memory, but this requires root rights or specific permissions.
☑️ Preparation for ADB-analysis
A safer option for the average user is to use the DiskUsage utility (requires root) or connect the phone as a media device (MTP) and use a third-party disk analyzer on a PC, such as WinDirStat, which will allow you to visually assess which folders occupy the most space.
- 💻 Connect the phone in file transfer mode (MTP).
- 📊 Use WinDirStat programs to scan your phone’s memory.
- 🔍 Look for folders with names of remote applications.
Reset application settings and Factory Reset
When the software methods are exhausted and the Other section continues to take up space, there may have been an indexing error on the MIUI file system, in which case a reset of the specific problem application or a complete device reset helps.
First, try to clear the Media Scanner or Media Storage app data. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps, find the system app that handles the media, and click Clear → All data, which will force the system to rescan the memory and categorize the files correctly.
| Cleaning method | Efficiency | Risk of data loss | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built-in cleaner | Low. | No. | Minimum |
| Clearing messenger cache | Medium | No (only cache) | Low. |
| Resetting the media scanner | Tall. | No. | Medium |
| Full reset (Wipe Data) | Maximum | Total loss. | Tall. |
If nothing works, the last resort is a full factory reset, and make sure to back up your important data to the Mi Cloud or your computer before you do it, and the Other section will be minimal once you reset, as the system will create a new, clean file structure.
How to make a backup before resetting?
⚠️ WARNING: A full reset will delete all your photos, contacts and apps. make sure you have an up-to-date backup before clicking the Reset Settings button».
Prevention and optimization of memory
To prevent the problem with the “Other” partition on the Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro from returning, you need to introduce a habit of regular digital space hygiene. Modern smartphones have powerful processors, but the amount of memory remains a limited resource.
It is recommended to check the Downloads folder once a week and delete unnecessary files, and it is also worth turning off auto-save media files to the gallery for some channels in messengers, this will prevent data from being duplicated and getting into system debris.
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Regular cleaning of messenger cache and use of cloud storage for photos is the best prevention of overflow of the “Other” section.
Use the memory optimization features built into MIUI. Enable automatic cleaning in the Security app to keep your phone track of the amount of free space, especially for models with 64 or 128 GB of storage.
- 📅 Set up a weekly reminder about vault inspection.
- ☁️ Move your photo and video archives to the cloud (Google Photos, Mi Cloud).
- 🚫 Turn off social media video autoloads to save traffic and space.
Compliance with these simple rules will allow your Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro to work quickly and stably, and the “Other” section will not grow to critical sizes.