How to completely remove “Other” from the memory of the Xiaomi phone: from cache to system garbage

The “Other” section of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO’s smartphone memory is a real black hole for free space, which can take up 5 to 30 GB, but users do not see which files are falling there. Unlike photos or apps, the content of “Other” does not appear in the standard file manager, and the system insists that the memory is filled with “unknown data”.

The problem is compounded by the fact that MIUI actively caches system processes, temporary update files and application logs, but does not always clean them correctly, so even after deleting all photos and videos, free space is not freed up. In this article, we will discuss 7 proven ways – from basic to advanced – that will help regain control over the memory of your device.

What is the Other in Xiaomi’s Memory and Why Does It Take So Much Space?

The Others section (or Other in English) is a collective name for files that the system cannot categorize as standard: photos, videos, audio or applications.

• 🗃️ Application cache and systems – temporary files that are created to speed up the operation of programs (for example, image thumbnails, web page data in the browser).
• 📁 Logs and dumps – records of system operation, errors and crashes (files with the extension.log,.dmp).
• 🔄 Remnants of Remote Apps – folders and settings of programs that you have long uninstalled, but their traces remain.
• 📥 Update files – Update packs that are downloaded but not installed MIUI or.
• 🤖 Hidden Android Data – Dalvik-Cache Files, ART-compilations and other technical elements necessary for the operation of the OS.

The thing about MIUI is that it aggressively caches data to speed up the interface, for example, after viewing a gallery, the system can store thumbnails of all the photos in the cache even if you didn't open them, and after updating the firmware, old files often remain in memory as "junk."

Another reason for the growth of Other is memory fragmentation, because when you delete files, they are not physically erased, but only marked as free, and over time, these holes are filled with small system files that are difficult to identify, which is why, after removing 10 GB of photos, the free space can increase by only 2-3 GB.

Method 1: Clearing the application cache through settings

The easiest and safest method is to remove cache for individual applications, which will not damage data (for example, save in games or correspondence in messengers), but will free up to 1-3 GB of space.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Slip on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Sort by size.
3. Scroll down the list – the heaviest apps are usually at the bottom.
4. Select an app (such as YouTube, Facebook or Gallery) and click Clear Cache.

Pay special attention to system applications:

• 📷 Gallery - caches miniatures and previews of photos.
• 🌐 Chrome or Browser – Stores copies of visited pages.
• 📱 Launcher (e.g, POCO Launcher) – caches icons and widgets.
• 🔍 Search – saves query history and indexed data.

⚠️ Note: Do not clear the cache for applications where offline data is important (such as Google Maps or Yandex.Maps) and this will delete downloaded maps and have to be downloaded again.

Method 2: Using a built-in MIUI cleaner

MIUI has a built-in garbage cleanup tool called Security (or Security in the global version) that deletes temporary files, application residues and unused data, but often works inefficiently to maximize the result:

Steps:

1. Open the Security app (the shield icon).
2. Go to the Cleaner or Cleaner section.
3. Press Deep Clean (confirmation may be required).
4. Select all categories: Garbage files, Application Residues, Cash.
5. Confirm the cleanup.

After the procedure, restart the phone - this will help the system correctly recalculate the free space.

⚠️ Note: If the “Other” section has not decreased after cleaning, check the Download folder for old ones. APK-They often weigh between 50 and 100 MB and are not automatically deleted.

Method 3: Manually clean folders through file manager

Some files related to the Other can be manually deleted, and this requires a file manager with access to system folders (e.g. Mi File Manager or Solid Explorer).

Where to look for garbage:

• 📂 /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/ — This is where the application data is stored. You can delete folders with the names of remote programs.
• 🗑️ /storage/emulated/0/Android/obb/ — game cache files (e.g, PUBG If the game is deleted, the folder can be cleaned.
• 📥 /storage/emulated/0/Download/ — Old downloads that the system does not classify as media files.
• 🔍 /storage/emulated/0/.thumbnails/ — Image and video miniatures (can be removed without consequences).
• 📦 /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/ — temporary firmware files and themes.

💡

Before deleting folders, back up important data. Some applications (such as messengers) store /Android/data/ correspondence and media files.

To access hidden folders (starting from a point, such as.thumbnails), enable the display of hidden files in the file manager settings.

Method 4: Reset the partition cache (Wipe Cache Partition)

If standard methods don’t work, try resetting the recovery partition cache, which will delete temporary system files, including corrupted data, that may be in the Proch.

Instructions:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Power and Volume buttons up at the same time until the Mi logo appears.
3. In the Recovery menu, select the language (if required).
4. Go to Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache.
5. Confirm the action and wait for the completion.
6. Reboot the device (Reboot → System)

The process can take 5-10 minutes. After the reboot, check the "Other" section in Settings → About Phone → Memory.

⚠️ Warning: Don't confuse Wipe Cache with Wipe Data (full reset)! the second option will delete all data on the phone, including apps and media files.

Method 5: Remove Unnecessary Language Packs and System Applications

MIUI defaults language packs for all supported regions, even if you use only Russian. These files can take up to 500 MB-1 GB. Also, the system has pre-installed applications (for example, Mi Pay, Mi Video), which can not be removed by standard means, but can be disabled.

How to remove language packs:

1. Install MoreLocale 2 from Google Play.
2. Open it and select only the languages you want (e.g. Russian and English).
3. Reboot the phone.

To remove system applications without root rights:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find an unneeded app (such as Mi Music or Mi Browser).
3. Click Disable (this hides the app and stops it from working).

💡

Disabling system applications does not free up disk space, but stops their background activity, which saves battery power and RAM.

To completely remove system applications, root rights or the use of ADB (Android Debug Bridge) are required.

Method 6: Using ADB for deep cleaning

ADB (Android Debug Bridge) is a debugging tool that allows you to control your phone through a computer, and it can delete files that are not available through the standard interface.

Instructions:

1. Download ADB Tools to your computer and unpack the archive.
2. On the phone, turn on Developer Mode (go to Settings → About Phone and tap the MIUI version 7 times).
3. In Settings → Additional → For developers, enable debugging over USB.
4. Connect your phone to your computer and in the folder with ADB, launch the command line (Shift + right mouse button → Open the PowerShell window here).
5. Enter the command to check the connection: adb devices If the device is displayed, execute the command to clear the cache of all users: adb shell pm trim-caches -a

To delete specific folders (such as Google Play Services cache):

adb shell


su




rm -rf /data/data/com.google.android.gms/cache/*




exit




exit

⚠️ Attention: Rm teams -rf You can delete files permanently, and a mistake in the way can lead to the loss of important data.

Method 7: Complete resetting of settings (last resort)

If all previous methods failed, and the Others section still takes tens of gigabytes, the last resort is a hard reset, which will bring the phone back to factory status by removing all data, including system debris.

How to reset:

1. Back up important data (photos, contacts, messages) through Settings → About Phone → Backup or manually.
2. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
3. Choose to erase all data and confirm the action.
4. After restarting, set your phone as new.

After discharge:

• 📱 Do not restore backup via Mi Cloud – it can bring back old junk.
• 🔄 Install applications selectively, avoiding unnecessary ones.
• 🗑️ Clean the cache regularly (once every 1-2 weeks).

💡

Resetting is the only way to get rid of all system debris, but it takes time to reset your phone, only use it if other methods have failed.

FAQ: Frequent questions about “other” in the memory of Xiaomi