Xiaomi smartphone owners often face the unfortunate situation of a device’s internal memory being filled with a mysterious section called “Other” that can take up tens of gigabytes, causing the system to slow down and preventing new applications from being installed, a problem that is relevant for both older models and the latest flagships based on MIUI and HyperOS.
The system automatically classifies files, but not all data is amenable to standard sorting. App cache, remnants of deleted programs, temporary messenger files and system logs fall into the category Other. Simply deleting photos or videos will not help here, since the root of the problem lies deeper in the structure of the file system.
In this article, we will look at proven ways to help you make room, learn how to safely clean up system debris, use hidden debugging functions and third-party utilities, and act consistently to avoid damaging the operating system of your gadget.
The nature of the “Other” section in the repository
The Other section is not a virus or a bug, but a regular mechanism of the Android operating system. It accumulates all the data that the system could not uniquely attribute to photos, videos, audio or documents, most often temporary files necessary for fast application operation, but over time their volume becomes unreasonably large.
The main culprits behind this expansion are social networks and instant messengers. Telegram, WhatsApp and Viber store copies of files, thumbnails and cache channels to this hidden area, and even if you delete chat correspondence, its tails can stay on the system for years.
⚠️ Warning: Do not attempt to delete system files manually through root conductors without understanding their purpose.This can result in a cyclical smartphone reboot or complete inoperability MIUI.
And it also includes location data, offline navigation maps, error logs, and setting backups, and Xiaomi's operating system tries not to touch those files in a routine cleanup, believing they're needed for stability, but when there's a shortage of space, cleaning them becomes necessary.
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Regularly cleaning the messenger cache inside the apps themselves frees up more space than a standard cleaning through the phone’s settings.
Basic cleaning through the standard “Safety” application
The first step should always be to use a built-in tool from Xiaomi: Security has access to system partitions that are closed to ordinary file managers, and allows you to remove some of the debris without risking damaging important data.
Launch the app and select Clean up. The system will scan and prompt you to remove obvious debris. However, accessing the Other section often requires a deeper scan. Click on the Cleanup icon again or select Deep Cleanup if this option is available in your HyperOS version.
In the memory management menu, look at the big apps, which are often the ones that generate the bulk of the data in the Other category, and if you go to the settings of each heavy application, you can find the Clear Cache or Clear Everything button, which will significantly reduce the space you occupy.
☑️ Basic cleaning algorithm
Don't ignore the Recycle Bin section in the gallery and Files app, because the items that are deleted still take up space on the disk and can be counted into the overall memory metrics, and freeing up space requires their final destruction.
Using Developer Mode and Debugging over USB
One of the most effective, but little-known, ways to clean up is to use a developer menu. USB allows the system to recalculate file indices and sometimes automatically reset the erroneously counted volume in the "Other».
First, you need to activate the hidden menu. Go to Settings. → On the phone and press quickly 7-10 once by “Version” MIUI» or "Version" OS». After the notification “You became a developer” you can start settings.
In advanced settings, find the "Developers" option. Turn on the "Debugging USB" switch. Then connect your smartphone to your computer with a cable. The computer does not have to be a source of action, the mere fact of connecting and requesting access rights can trigger system re-indexing processes.
Why does it work?
Once you've connected and confirmed the debugging on your smartphone screen, turn off the cable and restart the device. Go to memory management and check for changes. Often, the volume of "Other" decreases immediately after you reboot, as the system deletes temporary files created in debugging mode.
Analysis of storage using third-party snails
If standard methods fail, specialized analysis apps come to the rescue, visualizing the file system by showing which folders occupy the most space, and Files by Google or DiskUsage is considered the leader in this field.
DiskUsage scans memory and displays the result as a map like a web. Large circles are big files, and you can see that, for example, the.thumbnails folder or the Instagram cache has grown into obscene size, and this allows you to pinpoint the culprit.
Use of such programs requires caution: only delete files that you are sure of the origin (video, archives, game cache), System files with unclear names are best avoided if you do not find information about their purpose on the Internet.
After analyzing and deleting large files, be sure to reboot, which is necessary in order for the Xiaomi operating system to update the memory usage statistics and correctly display new data in the settings.
Radical methods: resetting and flashing
When software cleaning methods fail and the place ends critically, the last resort is a complete factory reset, which is guaranteed to remove the "Other" section, as it is generated by the user's use of the system.
Before starting the procedure, be sure to back up important data in the Mi Cloud or on your computer. Reset will delete all data: contacts, photos, apps and their settings. You can return the phone to the “like from the store” state through the Settings menu → About the phone → Reset settings.
There is also an option via Recovery Mode. To do this, turn off the phone, press the power and volume button (the combination depends on the model), and select Wipe Data. This method is useful if the phone does not load due to crowded memory.
⚠️ Attention: After resetting, the Other section will be minimal.However, it will start to grow again as you install apps and use your phone.
If the reset didn’t help (the “Other” section even takes up space on a clean phone), it may indicate an error in the firmware itself, in which case only flashing the device through the computer using the Mi Flash Tool utility and the clean version of the software will help.
Comparison of Memory Cleaning Methods
The choice of method depends on your technical background and the scope of the problem. For most users, standard tools are sufficient, but more serious measures are required in advanced cases. Below is a table comparing the effectiveness of different approaches.
| Method | Efficiency | Risk of data loss | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard cleaning | Low (10-15%) | No. | Low. |
| Cleaning up the app cache | Medium (30-40%) | No (logins only) | Medium |
| Third-party analyzers | High (50-70%) | Medium. | Medium |
| Reset to factory settings | Maximum (100%) | High (all data) | Tall. |
The safest and most balanced option is a combination of cleaning the cache of heavy applications and using a disk space analyzer, which allows you to remove up to 70% of the garbage without losing personal information and system settings.
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Regular prevention (once a month) is more effective than dealing with the effects of a filled memory.
Preventing filling in the “Other” section
To prevent the problem from returning, you need to change your smartphone usage habits: first set up automatic cache cleaning in messengers; in Telegram, for example, you can set a restriction on the storage of media files (for example, 3 days or 1 week).
Avoid installing "cleaners" from banner ads. Often they themselves are a source of garbage and intrusive advertising, which also takes place in the "Other" section. Trust only proven solutions from Google or built-in tools Xiaomi.
Check Downloads regularly: Application installer files (.apk), documents received, and stored images from your browser often stay there forever unless they are manually deleted.
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Use cloud storage for photos and videos. Turn on the “Free Space” feature in Google Photos to remove copies from your phone that are already stored in the cloud.
Xiaomi engineers are constantly working on optimizing the file system in new versions of MIUI and HyperOS, correcting errors that led to incorrect calculation of space occupied.