Xiaomi’s “Other” section: what it is and how to make room

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones often face a mysterious situation: the device’s memory is full, but a detailed analysis of the storage reveals that the lion’s share is occupied by a section called “Other” or “System Data”. This can take up tens of gigabytes, turning into a black hole that prevents you from installing new apps or taking photos. The user falls into a stupor, not understanding where exactly free space has disappeared and whether it is possible to delete this data at all without harming the operating system. MIUI or hyperos.

In fact, this section is a collection of temporary files, application cache, residual data after deleted programs and system logs. Cleaning the Other section requires caution, because blindly deleting system files can lead to unstable work of the gadget. In this article, we will discuss in detail the nature of these files, explain why the system considers them important, and suggest safe methods for freeing up space.

To make matters worse, standard cleaning tools don’t always see the contents of this partition as system, but there are proven algorithms to safely clean up the rubble, so you don’t have to be an IT expert to do the manipulations you need, follow the instructions carefully enough, and understand what each type of data in your device’s memory is responsible for.

The Nature of the Other in Android

The Other section is not a virus or a counting error, but a regular mechanism of the Android operating system, adapted by the MIUI shell. This includes files that the system cannot uniquely classify as photos, music, videos or documents. Most often, this is the cache of messengers, offline cards, temporary update files and remnants of remote applications. The system carefully stores them, believing that they may be needed to speed up the program in the future.

But over time, this mechanism fails: cache stops updating, just grows, taking up more space. System debris accumulates especially actively in applications you use daily, such as Telegram, Viber, Instagram or browsers. These programs store thousands of small images, previews and scripts that are not formally your personal photos, but weigh a lot.

Another reason for bloating is error logs and crash reports, and if an application is unstable, it can generate error reports that are stored in hidden folders, and it can also include your geolocation data, voice assistants, and settings backups, all of which create the illusion of crowded memory, even though your personal files are only a small part of your physical space.

The main reasons for the growth of system data

The first and foremost reason is the active use of instant messengers. Telegram and WhatsApp are set to automatically save all received media files by default. Even if you just watched a video in a channel or chat, it is stored in the cache. For the system, this cache is part of the application, so it falls into the Other section. Without manual cleaning or auto-deletion settings, this process is endless.

The second factor is streaming services and online cinemas, where apps like YouTube, Netflix or Yandex.Music cache streaming video and audio to smoother playback, and if you watch a lot of content, that buffer can be as large as a few gigabytes, and temporary streaming video files often don't automatically delete immediately after viewing, continuing to take up space.

⚠️ Warning: Don't try to manually delete files from system folders through a file manager without understanding their purpose.Deleting critical libraries can lead to a smartphone "bootloop" (cyclical reboot.

The third reason is the remnants of remote applications. When you delete a game or program, there are often folders left in memory with settings, saves or downloaded data (such as a card cache or additional game resources), the system marks this data as “other” because it is no longer tied to the active application, but formally takes up space.

Also worth mentioning are the “heavy” system updates: after a major update of MIUI or Android, the device may still have installation packages on it, usually the system itself suggests removing them after a successful installation, but sometimes this process fails, and the gigabyte installer remains dead weight in the system data section.

Safe cleaning methods through settings

The easiest and safest way to free up space is to use built-in cleaning tools. In Xiaomi smartphones, the Security app is responsible for this. It has access to system partitions and can remove safe debris. First, open the app and click on the Cleanup button. The system will scan and suggest that temporary files be deleted.

But standard cleaning is often superficial, and to get to the Other section, you need to use Deep Cleaning, and it analyzes the contents of the applications, finding the old ones. APK-files, large video files in messenger folders and unused applications. Deep cleaning allows you to selectively remove what takes up the most space without affecting system integrity.

Another effective method is to clear the cache of specific applications. Go to Settings → Apps → All applications. Choose a “heavy” application (such as a browser or social network), click Memory and select Clear Cache. It is important not to confuse the “Clear All” button, which will reset the application to factory settings and delete your logins and passwords.

Remember to check Downloads. Often users download documents, presentations, or installers that become useless after use, they don't automatically delete and lie in memory for years, increasing the size of the Other partition. Regularly auditing this folder is a good habit to maintain order.

Radical measures: cleaning the cache and resetting

If standard methods didn’t work and the Other still takes up a critical volume, you can try more radical but safe methods, one of which is cleaning the cache through Recovery mode. To do this, turn off your smartphone and pinch the button combination (usually Volume Up + Power).

This operation deletes all temporary system files accumulated during the device's life, it does not affect your personal photos, contacts and applications, but can significantly reduce the size of the "Other" partition. After the procedure, the phone will boot a little longer than usual, as the system will have to recreate the necessary temporary files.

⚠️ Warning: In Recovery mode, be extremely careful. Selecting "Wipe Data" or "Factory Reset" will result in the complete removal of all data from the phone".

The last resort is a factory reset, which is guaranteed to remove the Other section, as it will be recreated at zero volume. Before you do that, make sure to back up all the important data to the Mi Cloud cloud or your computer. Reset will put the phone back in a store-like state, removing all the accumulated software debris.

Analysis of storage by third-party utilities

When embedded tools are powerless, specialized analytics applications come to the rescue, visualize memory by showing which files are taking up space, and one of the best tools is Files by Google or DiskUsage, which builds a memory card that is squared to the size of a file or folder.

With these tools, you can find hidden folders that are not visible in a standard Explorer. For example, you may find that the Android/data folder contains a gigabyte cache file from a long-deleted game. Deleting such tails is safe and efficient. Data visualization helps you understand the real structure of memory occupancy.

There are also applications like SD Maid that specialize in finding dead bodies, remnants of remote applications, that scan the registry and file system, finding orphaned files that are listed under the "Other" section, which require access rights, but are often freely available.

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Use Xiaomi’s Explorer app with hidden files enabled to manually check your Android/data folder for large forgotten files.

It is better to use proven tools from Google or specialized utilities with a good reputation than to install dubious programs that promise to “accelerate the phone 2 times”.

Prevention and optimization of memory

To prevent the problem from returning regularly, you need to implement a prevention habit: first of all, set up autodelete media files in messengers. On Telegram, this is done in Settings → Data and Memory → Memory Use → Store media. Set a deadline for, for example, 3 days or 1 week. This will automatically delete old cached photos and videos, freeing up gigabytes of space.

Second, delete unused apps regularly, even if you don't use them, they can update in the background and generate logs, keep only the programs you really need installed, and digital hygiene is the best way to keep your smartphone running.

Third, use cloud storage, transfer photos and videos to Google Photos or Yandex.Disk and turn on the "Free Space" function, which will remove local copies of files from your phone, leaving them available in the cloud, so that the Photo and Video section will decrease, and the load on shared memory will decrease.

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Regularly setting up autodelete cache in messengers solves 80% of the problems with overflowing the “Other” partition on Xiaomi.

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