The situation where a device suddenly runs out of memory is familiar to every smartphone owner, and you open the storage settings and you see that a significant portion of it is occupied by the mysterious "Other" section, which is a repository of system caches, residual files of remote applications and temporary data that Android cannot automatically classify.
Users often wonder if it's possible to delete this data without harming the operating system, and the answer lies in understanding what's in there. Unlike photos or contacts, the contents of this folder are not critical to the phone's functioning, but require careful cleaning.
In this article, we will look at proven methods of freeing up space, we will look at both standard MIUI tools and advanced ways to work with the file system. Proper cleaning will speed up the gadget and return free space for your files.
Anatomy of the Other section in the MIUI system
Before we take any action, we need to understand what that volume is. The Android system on Xiaomi smartphones forms the “Other” category from several sources, including messenger cached data, remnants of remote games, temporary update files and error logs.
Often users are unaware that messengers like Telegram or WhatsApp take up the lion’s share of space, save the received media files in hidden directories that the standard analyzer perceives as unidentified data, and also may be located offline maps of navigators.
Importantly, the kernel system files and the underlying libraries should never get into this section in normal operation. If the Other is larger than 10-15 GB, it's a clear sign of digital debris accumulation. Understanding the structure helps you choose the right cleaning strategy.
⚠️ Note: Before any manipulation of system files, it is recommended to back up important data in the cloud or on your computer.
You can analyze content through built-in tools or third-party disk analyzers, and visualization helps you see which apps are inflating this partition, and it often turns out that one application is responsible for 80% of the space occupied.
Use of the built-in "Security" application
The easiest and safest way to start cleaning is to use a regular developer tool, Security, which is pre-installed on all Redmi and Poco devices, and it contains a Cleanup module that scans the device for obvious debris.
Run the scan and wait for the results. The system will suggest removing temporary files, but often misses large files in the "Other" section. For a deeper cleaning, go to the memory management menu inside the application.
Here you'll find some suggestions for freeing up space, and MIUI algorithms can find duplicate photos and large video files, but for specific application caches, this may not be enough.
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Use the Deep Cleanup feature in the Security app once a week to prevent garbage buildup.
Don't ignore the "Recommendations" section of this app, which often hides settings for automatically deleting old files, and activating these features will allow you to maintain order automatically without your involvement.
Manual cleaning through File Explorer
To do this, you'll need access to the file system. Open Explorer and go to the root folder of internal memory. We'll need Android/data and Android/obb directories, and MIUI folder.
The data folder stores the data of the installed applications. Deleting the contents of folders with the names of remote games or programs is safe. However, be careful: cleaning the folders of active applications will lead to resetting their settings and loss of progress.
Pay special attention to the tencent folder (if the company's products are installed) and telegram, which often contain cache and video folders that grow to gigabytes, and the files inside these folders can be manually deleted by date.
☑️ Pre-deletion check
Use file size sorting to quickly find heavyweights, often forgotten downloads or old chat backups, and deleting those files instantly frees up space.
⚠️ Warning: Never delete files with the.apk extension unless you are sure of their origin, and do not touch system folders without third-party prefixes.
Working with the cache of messengers and social networks
Messengers are the main culprits behind storage overflows. Telegram, WhatsApp and Viber store every photo and video you view, and cleaning through the app’s settings is often more effective than deleting through Explorer.
In Telegram settings, go to Data and Memory → Memory Use. You can clear the cache and set up a media reset. For example, set up media deletion in 3 days or a week, this will prevent future growth of the Other folder.
WhatsApp has a similar feature in Settings → Storage and Data. The system will show you the details on chats. You can selectively remove media from the group chats that consume the most resources.
Why is the cache not removed completely?
After cleaning through the application settings, it is recommended to restart the device, which will allow the system to recalculate the file index and correctly display the vacant space in the statistics.
Comparison of methods of cleaning the storage
There are many ways to get your memory in order, and the method you choose depends on your technical background and your time, and here's a table that compares the effectiveness of different approaches.
| Cleaning method | Efficiency | Security | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security annex | Low. | Tall. | Minimum |
| Cleaning up the app cache | Medium | Tall. | Low. |
| Manual removal through the conductor | Tall. | Medium | Medium |
| Third-party analyzers (DiskUsage) | Maximum | Medium | Tall. |
As you can see from the table, embedded tools are good for prevention, but deep cleaning requires manual methods. Using specialized disk analyzers gives the best result, but requires care.
The combination of methods gives the best result: regular prevention with built-in tools and one-time deep cleaning by hand once a month is the optimal strategy for Xiaomi owners.
Use of third-party disk analyzers
If standard methods don't work, utilities like DiskUsage or Files by Google come to the rescue, and they visualize the file system as a map, where the square size corresponds to the file or folder size.
This approach allows you to instantly detect hidden giant files that are not visible in a normal conductor, often debugging logs or forgotten archives, and the app will show you the exact path to the object.
Using these programs requires you to access the storage, and after scanning, you'll see a visual memory card, and if you click on a large sector, you can go inside the folder and delete the extra one.
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Third-party analyzers allow you to find files hidden from the standard browser, which is critical for deep cleaning.
Be careful when deleting files found through such snails. Always check the file extension and name before confirming the action. Deleting the system library can lead to unstable work.
Radical measures: Resetting to factory settings
In cases where the Other folder is unrealistically large and can not be cleaned, the last argument remains: Full data reset (Factory Reset) is guaranteed to clear all memory parts, returning the phone to the state “out of the box”.
This process completely removes user data, apps and settings, so preparation is critical, so make sure all contacts are synced to your Google or Mi Cloud account and photos are saved.
To perform the reset, go to Settings → About Phone → Reset. Select “Erase All Data.” The process will take a few minutes, after which the phone will restart clean.
⚠️ Warning: After the reset, all data will be lost irretrievably. Make sure you have an up-to-date backup on an external medium.
Once reset, the system works faster, eliminating errors and glitches associated with file fragmentation, and is the best way to rejuvenate a smartphone that has been in use for several years.