Xiaomi smartphone owners often encounter a mysterious partition in the storage, which is labeled as “Other” — a section that can take up tens of gigabytes, causing panic and the desire to delete everything immediately, but hasty actions without understanding the structure of the files can lead to the loss of important data or unstable system operation.
The Android system, which runs the MIUI or HyperOS shell, categorizes files by type: apps, images, video, audio, and documents. Anything that doesn't fall into either of these standard categories is automatically sent to the Other section, a system junk box for cache, temporary files, and hidden data.
Understanding the nature of these files is the first step to managing your device’s memory properly, and unlike simply removing photos, cleaning the system partition requires a more careful approach to ensure that the installed programs do not disrupt the work.
⚠️ Warning: Do not attempt to delete system folders through root-right file managers without understanding their exact purpose.
What is hidden behind the category "Other"
The bulk of the data in this section is app cache: Social media, instant messengers and streaming services save temporary files to quickly load content, for example, Telegram or WhatsApp can accumulate gigabytes of photos and videos viewed but not saved to the gallery.
Also included are remnants of remote programs, operating system update files and error logs, and users often forget about downloaded offline maps in the navigator or music tracks in streaming, which the system does not recognize as standard audio files.
- 📦 Cash of messengers and social networks (Telegram, VK, Instagram).
- 🗺️ Offline data of navigation applications (Yandex.Navigator, Google Maps).
- 🎵 Temporary files of streaming services (Spotify, Yandex.Music).
- 📝 System Logs and Remains After Firmware Update.
Why does the volume of the Other not decrease immediately after cleaning?
Memory analysis through smartphone settings
The first and safest way to sort out the space is through Xiaomi's built-in tools, which provide enough detailed statistics to identify heavyweights, and you don't have to install third-party software for initial diagnosis.
Go to the settings menu and find the storage item, and you'll see a visualization of the occupied space, click on "Other" or "System Data" to see the details, and if the system offers a cleanup, it will show you which files can be deleted without risk.
Notice the Apps section. Often, one particular application has been inflated to incredible size by a hidden cache, and in a list of all programs, sort them by size and check the top rankings.
💡
The built-in memory analyzer on Xiaomi shows more accurate data about system files than third-party apps from the Play Market.
Use of the “Security” application and cleaning
Every Redmi or POCO smartphone has a Security system app pre-installed, a powerful tool that can find hidden debris, duplicate files, and remnants of deleted programs. Run Cleanup to scan automatically.
After the initial analysis, click on the Deep Clean button, and here you will find files that the standard analyzer missed. Be careful: this section may contain important documents or stored stickers that you do not want to lose.
To free up space from update debris, use a special section in the app. It allows you to remove old versions. APK-It's secure and often frees up a few gigabytes.
- 🧹 Run the standard cleaning from the widget on the desktop.
- 🔍 Use Deep Cleanup to Find Large Files.
- 📦 Delete. APK-installer files in the relevant section.
- 🗑️ Check the Recycle Bin in Gallery and File Manager.
☑️ Daily Memory Prevention
Manual cleaning through the file manager
If the automatic tools didn't work, you'll have to manually clean the Explorer or Files app, go to the root folder of the device and look closely at the contents, and look for folders with the names of remote applications or services that you don't use.
Pay special attention to the Android/data folder. This is where the application data is stored. However, newer versions of Android have limited access to this folder. You can delete the contents of specific application folders (e.g. com.telegram.messenger) if you know what you're doing. Inside, look for cache or temp folders.
Also check the Download folder. Often installation files are downloaded there, PDF-Documents and images from browsers that have been idle for years, and file size sorting will help you quickly find “heavy” forgotten downloads.
/storage/emulated/0/Android/data/⚠️ Note: When manually cleaning folders Android/data Do not delete folders of system services of Google or Xiaomi (Mi Cloud, Mi Account), this will cause sync failures.
Specificity of messengers: Telegram and WhatsApp
The messengers deserve special attention. They are the main memory eaters. In Telegram, all media files are stored in cache by default. Even if you just flipped through the feed, the videos and photos remained in the phone's memory, taking up space in the "Other" section.
To solve this problem, go to the settings of the messenger itself. In the section "Data and memory" look for the item "Memory Use", here you can clear the cache with a single click, and moreover, it is recommended to set the autodeletion of the cache, for example, after 3 days or a week.
WhatsApp is similar, but files are often duplicated in the gallery. Check chat settings and disable gallery save for unnecessary groups. There is also a Storage section inside the app where you can selectively delete large files from specific dialogs.
| Annex | The Way to Cleaning Settings | Recommended Autocleaning Interval | Influence on "The Other" |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telegram | Settings → Data and memory | 3 days | High (releases up to 5 GB) |
| Settings → Storage | Manually. | Average (depending on groups) | |
| Viber | More. → Settings → Memory. | 1 week | Average. |
| Phone settings → Applications | Manual (cache) | High (cash storis) |
💡
Telegram can enable the “Cache Delete Auto” function in the settings, which will prevent the “Other” section from growing in the future without losing correspondence.
Cardinal measures: resetting and formatting
If the Other partition volume has reached critical values (e.g., 20-30GB on a 64GB phone) and does not decrease after all the cleanings, there may have been a file system error or a lot of broken indexes accumulated, in which case a complete reset helps.
Before you do this, make sure to back up all your important data to the Mi Cloud or your computer, and reset will remove everything, turning your phone out of the box.
You can reset through the settings menu in About Phone → Settings Reset → Erase All Data. Once you reboot, the system will recreate the file table, and the Other section will be minimal, and this is the most effective way to combat software errors of garbage accumulation.
- 🔄 Make a backup of contacts and photos in the cloud.
- 🔑 Make sure you remember the password from your Mi Account.
- ⚙️ Go to the reset menu and confirm the action.
- ⏳ Wait until the process is completed (it will take). 5-10 minute).
⚠️ Warning: After resetting, configure your phone as new, rather than recovering from a full copy of the system if you want to get rid of file system errors guaranteed.