Owners of the popular Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 smartphone often face one of the most annoying problems of the Android operating system, the mysterious “Other” section, which can take up gigabytes of internal memory, slowing down the device and preventing new applications from being installed. Understanding the nature of this data is the first step to effective storage management.
The MIUI system installed on the Redmi Note 5 classifies files that do not fall into the standard categories like photos, music or videos as “Others,” including temporary files, remnants of deleted applications, messenger data and system cache, and ignoring this problem can lead to critical memory overflow, which will negatively affect the performance of the gadget.
In this article, we will go into detail about how to clean this partition safely, learn how to distinguish system-critical files from digital garbage, and give your device back free space, and it is important to act consistently so that you do not accidentally delete the data you need.
What is hidden in the "Other" section of MIUI
The Others section is not a single file, but a collection of disparate data that the file manager cannot uniquely classify, primarily cached application data that accumulates as you use your browser, social networks, and games, and contains error logs, temporary update files, and leftovers after incomplete deletion of programs.
WhatsApp, Telegram and Viber store the media they send and receive in their hidden folders, which the system sees as an unknown type of data. If you actively correspond and exchange voice messages, the size of this partition can grow rapidly, taking up to 10-15 GB of memory.
⚠️ Warning: Do not attempt to delete files from system folders through root-righted file managers without an accurate understanding of their purpose. MIUI Or a cyclical reboot of the Redmi Note 5.
Another reason for the category bloating is the file system malfunctioning, sometimes after a failure or abrupt power outage, data is labeled “junk” when in fact it is intact, in which cases a standard cleanup may not show any real results and a deeper intervention in the file structure will be required.
Why does the volume of “other” change dramatically?
Basic cleaning through built-in Security application
The easiest and safest way to start the fight for free space is to use the regular application Security, preinstalled on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5. It automatically scans the device for the presence of junk files and suggests their removal. To start the procedure, you need to open the application and click on the Cleanup button.
After the initial scan, the system will suggest removing the obvious debris. However, for a deeper cleaning, you need to go to the Cleanup section (broomstick icon) and scroll down to Deep Cleanup, where MIUI algorithms analyze large files, duplicates and rarely used applications, which can also affect the total amount of memory occupied.
- 🗑️ Click the “Clean” button to delete temporary system files.
- 📱 Check the Big Files list and delete unnecessary videos or archives.
- 🔄 Use the “Cache Clearing” feature to reset temporary application data.
It is important to understand that standard cleaning does not always affect the Others section completely; it only removes surface debris. To remove deeper layers of data, you will need to manually analyze folders or use specialized tools, which will be discussed below.
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Run a standard cleanup through the Security app at least once a week, which will prevent a critical mass of temporary files from accumulating and keep the Redmi Note 5 running at a high level.
Manual cleaning through the Explorer and folder analysis
If the automatic tools didn't work, you'll have to use the manual method. You'll need a standard Explorer app. Go to the root directory of internal memory /storage/emulated/0. Here you'll need to look for folders with the names of remote applications or files with the extension.tmp,.log, which often weigh a lot.
Pay special attention to the Android folder, which contains data and obb subfolders, the data stores settings and app cache, and obb stores heavy game files, removing obb content for games you're not using can free up a few gigabytes, but deleting the active application folders will reset them to factory settings.
Often, forgotten files with.apk extensions or.zip archives that were downloaded for updates and forgotten are at the root of memory, and deletion is completely secure and often returns 500 MB to 2 GB of space.
☑️ Checking for manual removal
Cleaning up garbage in WhatsApp and Telegram messengers
Messengers are the main file multipliers in the Other category. WhatsApp on Redmi Note 5 stores backups locally unless cloud storage is configured, and also stores all received images and videos hidden. To clean it, open chat settings and select Storage.
Telegram has a similar situation, but this messenger has a built-in cache cleanup function that works very efficiently. Go to Settings → Data and Memory → Memory Use and click Clear Telegram cache. This action will not delete your correspondence, but only download the media files again if necessary, which will instantly reduce the size of the “other”.
Remember to check the Documents folder in the file manager. Often users save files from work chats there, which then lie dead for years, and sorting by file size will help quickly find and remove heavyweights.
⚠️ Before clearing the messenger cache, make sure that important files (documents, photos) are saved in the cloud or on your computer. irrevocably deleting the cache can lead to loss of access to media files in old correspondence without the Internet.
For users who actively share videos, it is recommended in the messenger settings to disable auto-save to the gallery.This will prevent duplicate files: a copy will remain in the application database (in the “Proch”), and a second copy will not be created in the shared album, which saves space.
Using third-party snails for deep cleaning
When built-in tools are scarce, specialized tools come to the rescue, and one of the most trusted is Files by Google, which analyzes file structure smarter than standard Explorer and suggests removing duplicates, blurred photos and old screenshots that are often hidden in the Others section.
Another powerful tool is SD Maid, which is able to find the "bodies" of remote applications -- the remaining folders and files that the system thinks are necessary, but which are actually garbage -- and the CorporateFinder feature in this application securely removes such residues.
| Annex | Substantive function | Security | Efficiency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Files by Google | Search for duplicates and debris | Tall. | Medium |
| SD Maid | Removal of residual applications | Tall. | Tall. |
| Clean Master | Cache and RAM cleaning | Average (much advertising) | Low. |
| Total Commander | Manual search for large files | Depends on the user. | Tall. |
When using third-party software, always read carefully what the program suggests to be removed. Some aggressive "cliners" can delete important system logs that are needed to diagnose problems, or reset authorization in important applications.
Radical methods: Resetting and flashing
If the “Other” partition is absurd (for example, 20-30 GB on a 16 GB phone) and is not deleted, it is possible that the file system is damaged or a critical failure of MIUI occurred.
Before performing this procedure, be sure to back up all important data to your computer or to the Mi Cloud. Reset will delete absolutely all user data, returning the phone to the “out of the box” state. To do this, go to Settings → About Phone → Settings Reset → Erase all data.
Settings → About the phone → Reset settings → Erase all dataIn extreme cases, when even a reset does not help (which is extremely rare), you need to flash the device through the computer using the Mi Flash Tool utility, which is guaranteed to clear all memory partitions, including system ones, and restore the factory structure of files.
⚠️ Warning: Wipe Data permanently deletes all photos, contacts and apps. Make sure that synchonization with your Google account is successful, otherwise it will be impossible to restore contacts.
After the reset, take your time to install all the applications at once. Watch the volume of Other in its pure state. If it starts to grow without active user action, the problem may lie in a particular parasite application or virus that needs to be calculated by exclusion.
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Full reset to factory settings is the only way to ensure that you remove file system software errors that lead to anomalous growth of the Other partition.
Memory overflow prevention on Redmi Note 5
To keep the problem from returning, you need to develop a habit of regular smartphone maintenance: do not allow the memory to be filled “on the back”. Android operating system requires free space, approximately 10-15% of the total, for temporary operations and caching.
Use cloud storage for photos and videos. Google Photos allows you to free up space on your device at a single click, removing from your phone already stored in the cloud, and this is one of the most effective ways to keep the Others and Gallery in good shape.
- 📸 Set up automatic upload of photos to the cloud.
- 🗑️ Check the Download folder once a month).
- 📱 Remove apps that haven’t been used for more than 3 months.
Also avoid installing “cleaners” with dubious reputations, who consume resources and show intrusive advertising. Xiaomi’s built-in tools and a couple of proven utilities are enough to maintain order in the file system of your Redmi Note 5.