The Other section on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 8T is a real black hole for free space. Even after removing photos, videos and apps, it continues to take up gigabytes of memory, preventing you from installing updates or new programs. In this article, we will examine what exactly is hidden under the Other label, why the system does not show these files in the standard manager and how to safely delete them without risking damage to the MIUI.
The problem is common for all Xiaomi smartphones based on MIUI 11-14, but Redmi Note 8T (codename willow) is especially vulnerable due to the limited amount of internal memory (32/64/128 GB) and aggressive caching of system processes. We tested 5 working methods — from manual cleaning to the use of hidden MIUI functions — that will help to return up to 10-15 GB of free space without a full reset.
Important: Before you start, check the current version of MIUI in Settings → About Phone. Some methods require super-user rights, but most methods work without them. If you are not sure about your actions, skip the sections with ADB or TWRP - they are for power users.
What is the “Other” section and why is it filled?
In MIUI, the category “Other” is:
- 🗑️ System application cache – temporary files from com.miui.gallery, com.android.providers.media and other services that are not automatically cleared.
- 📁 Residual data of remote programs - folders /data/data/ and /sdcard/Android/obb/, which remain after the uninstallation.
- 🔄 Logs and dumps of the system - debugging files (/data/tombstones/, /data/anr/), faulty.
- 📱 Updates MIUI — downloaded but not installed packages (/cache/ and /data/ota_package/).
- 🔒 Encrypted files – data from secure applications (for example, banking programs or encrypted messengers).
The main reason for the growth of the “Other” is the architecture of the file system F2FS, Xiaomi is using the Redmi Note 8T. It's optimized for speed, but it doesn't do a good job cleaning junk files. MIUI through OTA Older versions of the firmware can remain in /data/ota_package/ years, 2–3 GB.
Another culprit is the media scanner. MIUI (It creates thumbnails for every video and photo, even if you've already deleted it. /data/data/com.android.providers.media/databases/ And they can weigh hundreds of megabytes.
Method 1: Cleaning the cache of system applications
The safest method, which does not require root rights, is suitable for releasing 1-3 GB.
Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management. In the upper right corner, click on three dots and select Show System Processes. Now sort the list by cache size:
Open the sort menu (icon) ☰)
Select "By Cache Size"
Find com.miui.gallery (Gallery)
Find com.android.providers.media (Multimedia Storage)
Find com.miui.player (Music)
Clear the cache for each (Clear the cache button)
Reboot the phone.-->
Pay particular attention to:
- 📱 com.android.systemui – responsible for the interface MIUI, His cache often inflates after updates.
⚠️ Warning: Don't clean up (Clean up) system applications! MIUI. Just the button Clear the cache.
Once cleaned, restart the phone, the system will restore the necessary temporary files, but their volume will be minimal, repeat the procedure every 1-2 months.
Method 2: Removing Residual Files from Remote Applications
When you uninstall programs via Settings or Google Play, their data often stays in /sdcard/Android/ and /data/data/ folders. To remove them, you will need a file manager with access to root folders, such as MiXplorer or Solid Explorer.
Download MiXplorer from the official website (not from the Play Market, as it has a stripped down version) and give it access to the storage.
- Go to /sdcard/Android/.
- Remove obb/ and data/ folders for unnecessary applications (e.g. games you deleted long ago).
- Go to /data/data/ (root or ADB required) where the residual data is stored. Delete the folders with the names of the remote programs.
| folder | What it keeps. | Can I remove it? |
|---|---|---|
| /sdcard/Android/obb/ | Additional game data (graphics, levels) | Yes, if the game is deleted. |
| /sdcard/Android/data/ | Cash and application settings | Yes, for uninstalled programs. |
| /data/data/ | Personal data of applications (saves, logins) | Only if the application is removed |
| /data/app-lib/ | Application libraries | No, the system folder. |
⚠️ Note: Removing files from /data/data/ If you don't have a superuser right, you can use it. ADB: adb shell pm clear com.example.app Replace com.example.app with a remote application package. 💡To find the packet name of the application, use the command adb shell pm list packages. | grep "name." For example, for Facebook, type adb shell pm list packages | grep facebook Method 3: Cleaning the system's logs and dumps MIUI Actively logs errors that take up gigabytes over time, stored in hidden folders and not displayed in the standard manager. To delete them: Install Termux from F-Droid (not from the Play Market, because it's an outdated version). /sdcard/ rm -rf /data/tombstones/* rm -rf /data/anr/* rm -rf /data/system/dropbox/* Reboot the phone. If you have root, add a folder cleanup with kernel logs: su rm -rf /data/log/* rm -rf /cache/logs/* These files are not critical to the system, but deleting them can speed up the loading process. MIUI, Because it doesn't have to scan hundreds of megabytes of logs every time it's turned on, what happens if you delete all logs? Without logs, you can't send an error report to Xiaomi through Settings. → The phone. → But it doesn't affect the day-to-day operation of your smartphone, and the only downside is that it's harder to diagnose failures if they happen after you do it. 4: Removing old updates MIUI Xiaomi stores downloaded firmware in a folder /data/ota_package/, Even if the update is already installed, these files can take up to 2–3 GB. To remove them: Connect your phone to your PC and enable Debugging USB (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (press 7 once) → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB). Install. ADB The commands are: adb shell su rm -rf /data/ota_package/* rm -rf /cache/ota/* If there is no root, use the adb shell rm. -rf /sdcard/Download/*.zip (this will remove manual firmware downloaded through the browser). After cleaning, check the free space in Settings → Warehouse. If the Other section has decreased slightly, move on to the next way. 💡Updates MIUI through OTA They're downloaded in the background and can take years to complete, and it's safe to remove them unless you're planning on reversing to the old version. 5: Resetting a Media Scanner (for Power Users) MIUI (Mediaserver often forgets to delete thumbnails and metadata of files you’ve long erased. This causes the Other section to accumulate gigabytes of unnecessary information to reset its database: ADB Follow the commands: adb shell pm clear com.android.providers.media reboot After the reboot, wait for the system to rescan the media files (may take 5-10 minutes), which frees up to 1-2 GB, but has a side effect: The gallery and player album covers will temporarily disappear, and they will recover from re-scanning. ⚠️ Note: If photos in the gallery are not displayed correctly after resetting the media scanner, go to Settings → Annexes → gallery → Storage and click Clear Data. This will restore the connection between the files and their thumbnails. Additional Memory Optimization Tips to Avoid Filling the Other Section Too Fast: 📵 Turn off automatic update downloads in Settings → The phone. → Updating the system → Settings (⚙️) → Downloading. 🗑️ Use cloud-based photo storage services (such as Google Photos or Mi Cloud) and set up automatic cleaning of local copies. 🔄 Reboot your phone regularly – this clears temporary kernel files that aren’t manually deleted. 🛡️ Install an alternative launcher (like Nova Launcher) to reduce the load on the system cache MIUI. If the vacancy runs out critically quickly (for example, within a week), check your phone for viruses using Malwarebytes or a built-in scanner. MIUI (Security → Some malware masquerades as system files and records data in the Other section». FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning up the Other on the Redmi Note 8T Can you remove the Other completely to free everything? 100% No, some of the files in the "Other" section are critical to the work MIUI. A complete cleanup will cause system failures, and the most that can be safely deleted is cache, logs, and residual data (as described in the article). Once the Other is cleaned, the memory is refilled in a few days. What to do? This indicates the background activity of the applications. Check which programs consume the most data in Settings → Battery → Charge consumption. Frequent culprits: Facebook, TikTok and messengers. Limit their activity in the background or turn off autoload. Do you need root rights to clean "The Other"? No, most methods from the article work without root. Superuser rights are only for deleting files from the other. /data/data/ and some of the lairs. If you are a beginner, use the methods. 1–3 — They don't need root. How do you get your deleted system files back if your phone stops working? MIUI Gives out errors, try: Reset settings through Settings → Additionally. → Recovery and discharge → Reset settings (not affected) Fastboot (instructions on Xiaomi's official website), call the service center if the reset didn't work. Why after the update MIUI The "Other" section has grown to 2–3 When you update, the system backs up the current firmware in /data/ota_package/ and caches new system files. To free up space: Remove the old firmware (see Method) 4). Clear the cache in Settings → Warehouse → Clean up, restart the phone.