Xiaomi Phone Memory: What It Is, Why It Grows and How to Reduce It Without Harming the System

You have opened your storage settings on your Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO, And you see that the lion's share of memory is occupied by the mysterious "Other" section -- sometimes up to 10 or 30 GB -- that's not a system bug, it's not a virus. MIUI) Classifies files that don't fall into the standard categories (Apps, Media, Documents), but why is this section growing to incredible sizes, and can it be safely cleaned?

In this article, we will discuss in detail: 1. What exactly is hidden under the label “Other” in Xiaomi (spoiler: it’s not just cache). 2. Why this section takes up so much space – even if you haven’t installed new apps in a long time. 3. How to reduce its size without losing important data and without resetting the phone to factory settings. 4. Which files can be deleted and which can not be touched categorically (so as not to break the system). 5. Specific "chips» MIUI, The other is growing faster than the pure Android.

Warning: Not all tips on the Internet to clean the Other are safe, such as deleting a folder. /data/app-lib Root can lead to app crashes, and cleaning Dalvik-cache without knowing it can lead to a cyclical reboot of the phone. MIUI 12–14 Android 10–14.

What is “Other” in the memory of Xiaomi: a complete analysis

The official documentation of Xiaomi and Google defines the "Other" section as "files that cannot be classified as standard categories." But that's too vague.

• 📁 Application cache and systems are temporary files that are created to speed up the operation of programs, such as the cache of Google Play Services or the cache of Google Play Services. MIUI Gallery.
• 🗃️ Residual files of remote applications are “tails” that remain after uninstallation of programs (folders in the file). /data/data, settings, logs).
• 🔄 Update files – Update packs that are downloaded but not installed MIUI or.
• 📱 System logs and dumps are debugging files (.log,.dump) that are created when crashes or for diagnostics.
• 🔐 Encrypted data – for example, files DRM for streaming services or Mi Account data.
• 🧩 Virtual machine files – if you are using them MIUI+ or other virtualization functions.

Feature Xiaomi: in the “Other” also get files of themes design (MIUI Themes that you've ever downloaded, even if they're not active now, and cache system applications like Security, Cleaner, or Mi Video.

Why does this partition grow over time? Because Android doesn't always clean temporary files properly, especially after:

• ⚡ Updates MIUI (There are old versions of the files).
• 🔄 Changes to Fastboot or Recovery.
• 📱 Use functions like Dual Apps (cloning apps) or Second Space (second desktop).

Why does the Other take up so much space on Xiaomi (and not on other phones)?

If you compare two phones with the same set of apps – for example, Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 and Samsung Galaxy A54 — You'll see that Xiaomi always has a bigger "Other" section. MIUI:

1. Aggressive caching. MIUI It's actively caching data to speed up the interface, like animations, icons, gallery previews.
2. Duplication of theme files. Each theme of the design (MIUI Themes saves its resources in a separate folder, even if you haven’t used it for a long time.

Another nuance: on Xiaomi with extended memory (Virtual) RAM) The other partition can take up a swap file, which is used to increase RAM, and can be as large as 2-6 GB depending on the model.

It's important to understand that not all Others can be deleted, such as Dalvik-cache files or application lib libraries that are critical to the system, and deleting them without Root access and knowledge will cause disruption.

💡

If the Other partition takes up more than 10GB, first check if you have Virtual enabled. RAM (It creates a paging file that can take up to 6GB and display as "Other».

How to safely reduce the “Other” on Xiaomi: step-by-step instructions

Before you start cleaning, back up your sensitive data (photos, contacts, messages) and even secure methods can result in the loss of unsaved files.

The methods of cleaning the “Other” section are divided into three categories:

1. Built-in tools MIUI — No need for additional programs.
2. Third-party utilities - for deep cleaning (for example, SD Maid or Files by Google).
3. Manual cleaning – for experienced users (requires access to the file system).

Let’s start with the safest method, the built-in tools.

Method 1: Cleaning through “Security” and “Storage”

This method is suitable for all Xiaomi models (including Redmi and other models). POCO) and does not require Root rights.

Open the Settings. → Warehouse|Click on the "Other" section»|Select “Clean” or “Delete Unnecessary Files»|Reboot the phone.

-->

1. Go to Settings. → Warehouse.
2. Slip on the "Other" section, and the system will scan the files and show you what you can delete.
3. Click on “Clean” or “Delete unnecessary files». MIUI Automatically delete cache, temporary files and logs.
4. Restart the phone – it is necessary for the system to recalculate the occupied space.

This method usually frees up 1-3 GB, but doesn't always clean everything up. If the Other section is still large, move on to the next one.

Method 2: Delete cache and residual files through MIUI Cleaner

Appendix "Cleaner" (Cleaner) in MIUI Find and delete files that are not visible in the standard storage menu.

1. Open the Security app (Security).
2. Go to the “Cleaner” tab.
3. Press "Deep Cleanup."
4. Select “Unnecessary Files” and “Residual Files”.
5. Confirm the removal and wait for the process to be completed.

Then check the "Other" section in the storage settings. If the changes are minor, try removing the cache of system applications:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Sort the apps by size (click on the three dots in the upper right corner).
3. Select system applications (MIUI Gallery, Security, Download Manager, Mi Video).
4. In each of them, click "Storage» → «Clear the cache».

💡

Don't clean the system applications' data, it can break them. Only remove the cache.

Method 3: Manually Delete Theme and Residual Data Files

If you set up design themes or change wallpapers frequently, unnecessary files may have accumulated in your memory. MIUI Themes:

1. Open the “Themes” app.
2. Go to "My Subjects» → «Local».
3. Remove all unused topics (slip on the topic) → «Delete»).

Also check the folder with downloads:

1. Open the Files app.
2. Go to the internal storage. → Download.
3. Delete unnecessary files (especially.zip,.apk, image files).

For power users: If you have Root access, you can manually clean folders:

• /data/app-lib — residual files of remote applications.
• /data/dalvik-cache — Virtual machine cache (clean only if you know what you are doing!).
• /data/log is the logs of the system.

Third-party utilities to clean the “Other”: what works for Xiaomi

If embedded tools MIUI But be careful: some cleaners delete critical files or display false warnings about junk».

We tested a few utilities and selected those that work safely on Xiaomi:

How to use Files by Google:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Open it and go to the “Cleaning” tab.
3. Select "Unnecessary Files" and "Dublicates".
4. Review the list and confirm the deletion.

For SD Maid (requires Root for complete cleaning):

1. Launch the app and give it superuser rights.
2. Go to CorpseFinder, a tool for finding residual files from remote applications.
3. Select "Run" and wait for the scan to be completed.
4. Delete the “junk” files found.

💡

Before use SD Maid or similar utilities disable the function "Car Cleaning" in MIUI Security to avoid conflicts between cleaners.

What NOT to do when cleaning up the “Other” on Xiaomi

You can find a lot of memory-free "advice" online that actually hurts your phone.

⚠️ Note: Never manually delete folders /system, /vendor or /boot — This will make it impossible to boot the phone and require flashing through Fastboot.

• 🚫 Delete files in /data/data It's where you store your settings and your application data, and if you delete the wrong folder, it can break the program.
• 🚫 Clean Dalvik-cache without restarting, which will cause malfunctions when you run applications.
• 🚫 Use adb commands to force clearing, for example, the adb shell pm clear command will delete all application data, not just the cache.
• 🚫 Format a section /data It'll cause a complete reset of the phone.
• 🚫 Delete files with the.odex or.vdex extension. These are optimized versions of applications, without them, programs will not run.

Also not worth it:

• 🔄 Disable system applications through ADB Or Root, if you don't know what they're responsible for, for example, disabling Mi Share can break the file transfer function.
• 📱 Use cleaners with aggressive algorithms (e.g. Clean Master or Clean Master) DU They often delete the right files and show false warnings.

⚠️ Warning: If the phone starts to slow down or reboot after cleaning the Other, then the critical files have been deleted, in which case only a factory reset or flashing will help.

How to Prevent the Spread of the Other in the Future

To the “Other” section does not take up gigabytes of memory, follow these recommendations:

• 🛠️ Update. MIUI The new firmware has optimized cache management.

If you frequently install and remove applications, you should enable the autoclean function in the MIUI Security:

1. Open the "Security" section.

For advanced users, if you have Root access, you can set up automatic log cleanup with Tasker or Magisk modules, but that requires a lot of knowledge.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi's "Other" section