How to Delete Other Files on Xiaomi: A Complete Guide to Cleaning Hidden Garbage

Why Other Files Take Gigabytes of Memory on Xiaomi and How to Fix It

Have you ever looked into the storage of your Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO and found with horror that the “Other Files” partition takes up 10, 20, or even 30 GB of precious memory? It’s not a system error – MIUI really tends to accumulate hidden debris that is not removed by standard means. Unlike the cache of applications or downloads, “other files” do not have a clear structure: it gets temporary data, remnants of deleted programs, system logs and even fragments of updates that MIUI does not always clean correctly after installation.

The problem is compounded by the fact that with each update MIUI algorithms for storing such files change. For example, in MIUI 14 and later, the system is more active in using data compression, but some temporary files can get stuck in memory due to errors in the operation of Android Runtime (ART). Owners of smartphones based on Qualcomm Snapdragon (for example, Xiaomi 12 Pro or POCO F5) face this problem more often than users of devices on MediaTek, due to the peculiarities of processing the cache by the processor.

In this article, we’ll look at 5 proven ways to clean “other files” – from built-in MIUI tools to advanced ADB methods. You’ll learn which files can be deleted without risk and which ones shouldn’t be touched, even if they take up a lot of space. And yes, we won’t advise “just reset your phone to factory settings” – this is the last option when nothing else helps.

What are MIUI’s “Other Files” and Why You Can’t Just Delete Them

In MIUI, the Others section is a sort of garbage bin of the operating system.

• 📁 Remnants of Remote Applications: Configuration files, databases, and cache that were not completely erased when uninstalled.
• 🔄 Temporary update files: packages OTA, Those who have not been able to do so have failed to do so).
• 📊 System Logs and Dumps:.log and.dmp files that are created when applications or drivers fail.
• 🎨 Mini-sketch and preview: reduced copies of images and videos that MIUI gallery-generate.
• 🔐 Encrypted data: File fragments that the system cannot recognize (e.g., after encryption failure).

The main difficulty is that MIUI does not provide direct access to these files through a standard file manager. Even if you connect the phone to a PC, many “other files” will be hidden or blocked for change, and some of them are actively used by the system, such as temporary files for the operation of Google services or Xiaomi Cloud, and their removal can lead to malfunctions of the phone.

Another nuance: on devices with dynamic memory (UFS 3.1/4.0) – such as the Xiaomi 13 Ultra or Redmi K60 Pro – the system can artificially inflate the size of the Other partition due to the nature of the memory controller, in which case the actual amount of garbage can be less than the MIUI shows.

⚠️ Note: Do not attempt to manually delete files from folders /data/log or /data/system This can disrupt Mi Account services and lock the device.

Method 1: Cleaning through the built-in MIUI Optimizer

The safest method is to use tools that are already in MIUI, which will not delete everything, but will help to get rid of some of the data that is not needed.

How to do this:

1. Open the Security app (shield icon).
2. Go to the Optimizer section → Deep Cleaning.
3. Click Scan, then select the category Other Files (if available).
4. Tick the unnecessary items and click “Clean”.

In newer versions of MIUI (14+), this section may be called Storage → Cleanup, where the system will prompt you to delete temporary files, cache and application residues. However, not all “other files” will be available for cleaning – MIUI hides some of the data it considers critical.

Remnants of Remote Applications (APK and OBB)

Temporary download files (.tmp,.part)

Miniatures and sketches (.thumbnail)

Error logs older than 7 days-->

If the “Other” section still takes up a lot of space after cleaning, move on to the next method.

Method 2: Manual cleansing through file manager (for power users)

This method requires caution, but it allows you to remove more debris than a standard optimizer, and we'll work with folders that MIUI doesn't usually show.

Instructions:

1. Install a file manager with root rights (e.g. Solid Explorer or FX File Explorer).
2. Enable the display of hidden files in the manager settings.
3. Go to the root directory and open the folders: /data/local/tmp /data/log /data/system/dropbox /data/media/0/Android/obb (game remnants) /data/media/0/Android/data (app cache)
4. Delete files with extensions.log,.tmp,.bak, as well as folders with names of remote applications.

Be careful not to delete files without extension or with com.android names.* - this may be critical system data, and do not touch /data/app and /data/priv-app folders unless you want to get a brick.

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note) 12 Pro+) folder /data It can be blocked even for reading, and in this case, only getting root rights or resetting to factory settings will help.

Once a month

When memory ends

Never cleaned.

I don't know what that is.-->

Method 3: Using ADB for deep cleaning (no root)

If standard methods don’t work, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a debugging tool that allows you to delete system files without root permissions, which is suitable for users who are not afraid of the command line.

Step-by-step:

1. Download and install ADB Tools on PC.
2. On the phone, turn on Developer Mode (7 times click on MIUI Version in About Phone) and activate USB Debugging.
3. Connect your phone to your PC and type in the command line: adb shell pm clear com.miui.cleanmaster # clearing the optimizer cache rm -rf /data/local/tmp/* # deleting temporary files rm -rf /data/log/*# deleting logs (cautious!)

To remove the residues of specific applications, use the command:

pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.example.app

(Replace com.example.app with the batch name of the program).

This method allows you to delete up to 40% of the “other files” that are not visible through standard tools, but do not abuse the rm-rf command, which irrevocably erases data.

💡

Before using ADB, back up your important data via Mi Cloud or locally on your PC. rm -rf commands don't send files to the Recycle Bin!

Method 4: Reset the partition cache (does not delete user data)

If "other files" take up more than 10GB and previous methods didn't help, try resetting the partition cache.This won't delete your photos or apps, but will clear up system debris.

How to do this:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Power + Volume buttons up to enter Recovery Mode.
3. Select “Wipe Cache Partition” (use volume buttons for navigation, power for confirmation).
4. Once completed, restart the device.

This method is especially effective after major MIUI updates, when the system accumulates temporary files to install firmware.On the Xiaomi 11T Pro and other flagships with the Snapdragon 888/8 Gen 1, a cache reset can free up to 5-7 GB of storage.

⚠️ Note: Do not confuse "Wipe Cache Partition" with "Wipe" Data/Factory The second option will completely reset the phone to factory settings!

Method 5: Getting root rights and deep cleaning (for advanced)

If you’re willing to take drastic measures, root access will give you full control over “other files,” but this will void the warranty and may disrupt some features (such as Mi Pay or Widevine L1 for Netflix in HD).

What can be done with root:

• 🔍 Delete system logs through Root Explorer.
• 🗑️ Clear the file. /data/dalvik-cache (cash ART).
• 🛠️ Use it. SD Maid or Storage Analyzer to find large, unnecessary files.
• 🔄 Disable unnecessary system services that generate garbage.

Magisk is usually used to obtain root rights on Xiaomi. + customization (TWRP). However, on new models (for example, Xiaomi 14 or Redmi). K70) It's complicated because of the blocked bootloader. XDA Developers or 4PDA for your particular model.

How to Prevent the Accumulation of Other Files in the Future

To avoid facing the problem again, follow these tips:

• 📱 Regularly (once in) 1-2 Start “Deep Cleanup” in the “Security” app».
• 🔄 After updating MIUI Reboot your phone right away – this helps the system to delete temporary files correctly.
• 🚫 Avoid installing apps from unknown sources – they often leave debris behind.
• 📁 Use cloud services (Mi Cloud, Google Drive) to store photos and videos so you don’t clog up internal memory.
• 🛡️ Install an antivirus with garbage cleaning function (such as Avast Cleanup), but don’t let it delete system files.

On devices with MIUI 14+, you can also enable Auto Clean in your storage settings, which will automatically delete unnecessary files once a week, but will not touch critical data.

💡

The safest way to deal with “other files” is to combine regular cleaning through MIUI Optimizer and resetting the partition cache after major updates.

FAQ: Frequent questions about “other files” on Xiaomi