Xiaomi’s ‘Other Files’ in Storage: What It Is, Where It Comes From, and How to Clean Up

Mysterious ‘Other Files’: Why Are They Eating Your Xiaomi Memory?

You went into the storage settings on a Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO smartphone to make room, and you saw a strange item called "Other Files" that takes up gigabytes of memory. What is this data? Why is it not showing its contents? And most importantly, can it be deleted without risking the phone?

This category is one of the most confusing for users, and unlike photos, videos or apps, Other Files don't have an explicit source, they can come after updates, app installations, or even regular smartphone use, and in this article, we'll look at what's underneath, where those files come from, and how to work with them, from secure cleaning to deep diagnostics.

Spoiler: Not all other files can be erased, some critical to MIUI, and some are garbage that has been stored in memory for years, and our job is to learn to distinguish between them.

What are the “Other Files” in Xiaomi’s Storage?

Other files (in the English version of MIUI) are a generalized category of data that the system cannot classify as standard types (photos, videos, audio, documents, applications).

• 📁 Application and system process cache – temporary files that are created to speed up programs, but often remain after they are deleted.
• 🔄 Residual data after uninstallation – “tails” from remote applications (settings, logs, databases).
• 📊 System Logs and Dumps – Debugging files that Android creates when crashes or for diagnostics.
• 🔐 Encrypted files – data that the system cannot read without special keys (for example, files of some messengers).
• 🗑️ Garbage files – scraps of downloads, incorrectly deleted data, duplicates.

Interestingly, in some MIUI firmware (e.g. MIUI 12-14), “other files” can take up to 30-50% of the total memory if not cleaned for a long time, and the system does not always show their real size – sometimes the data is “hidden” in the service partitions.

⚠️ Note: If after resetting settings or updating firmware, the volume of "other files" has increased dramatically - this may be a sign of malfunctioning of the system. → The phone. → Updating the system.

Where do the “Other Files” come from and why are there so many?

The main sources of accumulation of “other files” on Xiaomi:

1. MIUI and Android updates: When you install a new firmware, the system backs up old files in case of rollbacks, which can weigh 1-3 GB and not be deleted automatically.
2. Aggressive caching apps: Messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp), social media (TikTok, Instagram) and even games (PUBG Mobile, Genshin Impact) leave behind tons of temporary files.
3. Rooting and modification: Users who have rooted or installed custom firmware often experience “junk” from incorrectly removed modules.

Especially “other files” are growing on smartphones with 32-64 GB of memory, on such devices, the system actively uses cache to compensate for the lack of space, but rarely cleans it, as a result of a year of use, “other files” can take 5-10 GB.

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If you notice that “other files” have grown dramatically since the MIUI update, try manually clearing the /data/miui/backup folder through the root file manager (if any).

How do you see what is stored in the “Other Files”?

Unfortunately, MIUI doesn't provide a detailed analysis of this category, but there are a few ways to get a rough idea of what's taking place:

Method 1: Built-in storage analyzer

Go to Settings → Storage → Storage Analysis. Here, the system will show the allocation of memory by category, but the "other files" will be generalized. However, sometimes you will see subcategories like System Data or Application Cache.

Method 2: File Manager with Superuser Rights

If you have root access, use Root Explorer or Solid Explorer to search by folder:

• 📂 /data/data/ — This is where the data of applications (including remote ones) is stored).
• 📂 /cache/ — system cache.
• 📂 /sdcard/Android/data/ — cache of user applications.
• 📂 /miui/backup/ — backup MIUI.

Method 3: Analyzer applications

Utilities like Files by Google, SD Maid, or Storage Analyzer can show more detailed file structure, such as SD Maid finds:

• 🗑️ Empty folders.
• 🔍 Duplicate files.
• 🧹 Residual data (orphaned files).

⚠️ Attention: Some analyzers require root rights for deep scanning, and without them, they will only show surface information.

How to Safely Clean Other Files on Xiaomi?

You can't remove everything, it can break the system. Here's a step-by-step cleanup manual.

Step 1: Cleaning the app cache

Go to Settings → Applications → App Management. Sort by size and manually clear the cache from the heaviest apps (e.g. YouTube, Chrome, Facebook).

Step 2: Remove unnecessary backups

If you have recently updated MIUI, check the /miui/backup/ folder. Remove old backups (e.g., with the date of the last update).

Step 3: Using In-built Cleaning

In Settings → Storage → Cleanup, select “Deep Cleanup” and the system will find the files that are not needed (including some of the “other files”).

Step 4: Manual cleaning through ADB (for advanced)

If you are familiar with ADB, you can delete the cache of all applications with one command:

adb shell pm trim-caches 256m

This command will clear the cache, but will not affect critical data.

Backup of important data

Check the vacant space (should be ≥10%)

Close all applications

Do not interrupt the cleaning process-->

⚠️ Warning: If the phone starts to brake or overheat after cleaning, it means that important system files have been deleted.

What to do if the “Other Files” are returned?

If the volume of “other files” grows again after cleaning, the problem lies deeper:

• 🔄 Cyclical caching: Some apps (like TikTok or Instagram) constantly recreate the cache. Solution: limit background activity to Settings → Battery → Background restriction.
• 🐛 System bug, in some versions MIUI 13-14, there's a bug that doesn't clear logs. Solution: Update your firmware or roll back to a stable version.
• 📱 Viruses or malware: Some programs disguise their files as "others." Solution: scan Malwarebytes or Dr.Web Light's phone.

If the problem doesn't work, the last option is to reset to the factory settings.

1. Save all important data on your PC or in the cloud.
2. Write down a list of installed apps (you can use Google Play → Library).
3. Make sure you have access to your Mi Account (required to unlock after a reset).

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Resetting removes ALL “other files” but also erases personal data, and only use this method if other methods have not worked.

Myths and Truths About Xiaomi’s “Other Files”

There's a lot of conflicting information on this file category on the web, and let's figure out what's true and what's not.

Myth 1: “Other files” are viruses

🔹 Truth: 90 percent of the time, it's just system junk, not viruses, but some malware can hide its data here. APK, Don't worry.

Myth 2: They can be completely removed without consequences

🔹 Truth: Some files (like dalvik-cache) are critical to Android, and deleting them will cause the phone to reboot cyclically.

Myth 3: Cleaning up “Other Files” Will Speed Up Your Phone

🔹 Truth: Only if they've taken 5+ GB: In other cases, productivity gains will be minimal.

Myth 4: These files only appear on Xiaomi

🔹 Truth: The same category is found on all Android devices (on Samsung it’s “Other” and on Huawei it’s “Other”). MIUI More often than not, they are guilty of excessive caching.

FAQ: Frequent Questions About Xiaomi's "Other Files"