Xiaomi’s Others folder: What it is, why it takes up space and how to clean it

On Xiaomi smartphones (and other Android devices), a mysterious Others folder often appears in the Storage section, which takes up gigabytes of memory — sometimes up to 10-20 GB. Users do not understand what these files are, whether they can be deleted and how to do it without risk to the system. Unlike obvious categories like Photos, Videos or Apps, the content of Others is hidden from view, and standard cleaning methods (for example, through Files) do not always work.

In this article, we will understand what exactly is stored in the Others folder (caches, logs, temporary files or something else), why it grows over time and how this is related to the features of the MIUI firmware, what cleaning methods really work – from built-in tools to manual methods using ADB or a file manager with root rights.

You will also learn which files from the “Others” can be deleted without consequences, and which are not recommended to touch – even if they take up a lot of space.

What is the Other folder on Xiaomi and why it takes up so much space

The Others folder (or Other in the English version of MIUI) is the garbage bin of the operating system, which contains files that Android cannot categorize as standard: photos, videos, audio, documents or applications.

• 📁 Application caches and systems – temporary data that is created to speed up the operation of programs (for example, thumbnails of images, data of web pages in the browser).
• 📜 Logs and dumps are debugging files that the system generates when crashes or for diagnostics (for example, logcat, anr, tombstones).
• 🔄 Residual files – “tails” from deleted applications, updates or incorrectly completed operations (for example, under-pumped ones) APK or temporary installer files).
• 🔒 Secure data – files that the user does not have access to without root rights (for example, encryption keys, configuration of system services).
• 🎭 Hidden application folders – some programs (such as instant messengers or games) store data in non-obvious directories that are not easily accessible. MIUI refer to "others».

The main problem is that Xiaomi does not provide users with direct tools to manage these files. Unlike Samsung or Google Pixel, where you can manually clear the cache of a particular application, MIUI often has to resort to workarounds. Moreover, some files from Others are restored automatically after a restart or update of the system – this is normal Android behavior, but it complicates the struggle for free space.

How to see what exactly takes up space in the “Others” folder

Before you delete something, you need to understand what files are being stored in Others, and there are a number of ways to do this, from built-in tools to third-party utilities.

Method 1: Built-in storage analyzer in MIUI

The easiest method is to use the standard MIUI tool:

1. Open the Settings → Storage.
2. Put the line “Others” (or Others).
3. The system will show the distribution of files into categories: “Cache”, “Downloads”, “Logins”, etc.

There's a downside to this method: MIUI doesn't show specific files, it just general categories, so you'll see that Cache takes 3GB, but you won't know which application generated it.

Method 2: File Manager with root rights (for advanced)

If you have root access, you can manually view the contents of the system folders.

1. Install a file manager with root support (such as Root Explorer or Solid Explorer).
2. Go to the root directory (/) and open folders: /data/log – system logs; /data/system/dropbox – error dumps; /data/local/tmp – temporary files; /data/app-lib – residual application data.

⚠️ Attention: Deleting files from these folders without understanding their purpose can lead to unstable system operation or even a device blink. /data/dalvik-cache It will cause errors when you start applications.

💡

If you don’t have root rights but want to see hidden files, try connecting your smartphone to your PC and using DiskInternals Linux Reader, which will show some system folders without full access.

Method 3: Third-party analyzers (without root)

Applications like Files by Google, SD Maid, or Storage Analyzer can scan the storage in part and show which files take up the most space, such as SD Maid finds:

• 🗑️ Residual files (corpses);
• 🧹 Unnecessary caches;
• 📦 Empty folders;
• 🔍 Duplicate files.

Without root, however, these programs won’t see system folders, so their effectiveness is limited.

Safe Ways to Clean the “Other” Folder on Xiaomi

Now, let's get to the practice. Below are the cleanup methods, from the safest to the riskiest, start with the first one and move on to the next one, only if the last one didn't work.

Method 1: Cleaning the application cache

The safest way is to remove the cache of individual programs, which won't affect their work, but will make room:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Choose an app that takes up a lot of space (like Facebook, Telegram, or Google Play Services).
3. Tap the "Storage» → «Clear the cache».

To speed up the process, packet cleaning can be used:

1. Go to Settings → Storage → Cleaning.
2. Select the category "Cash" and click "Clear".

This will delete the temporary files of all applications, but will not affect important data.

Close all applications

Connect to Wi-Fi (if you need to download data again)

Check the vacant space before and after cleaning

Reboot your smartphone-->

Method 2: Delete unnecessary files through Files

The standard Files by Google app has a garbage search tool:

1. Open the Files app.
2. Go to the “Cleaning” or “Storage Analysis” section.
3. Select Categories to Remove: 🗑️ Unnecessary files (remainders) APK, time-data); 📥 Downloads (old files from the Download folder); 🗃️ Duplicate.

⚠️ Warning: Do not delete files from System Data or Other categories directly through this tool - it may suggest clearing something important.

Method 3: Resetting the cache of the system (without data loss)

If a routine cleanup didn’t help, try resetting the system cache via Recovery Mode.This won’t delete your files or apps, but will clear up the temporary Android data:

1. Turn off your smartphone.
2. Press the Power button + Volume up to enter Recovery.
3. Select "Wipe cache partition" (use volume buttons for navigation, power button for selection).
4. Confirm the action and restart the device.

This method is especially useful if the Others folder has grown after the MIUI update – often old firmware files remain in the cache.

Method 4: Removing Logs and Dumps through ADB (for experienced)

If you're ready to connect your smartphone to your computer, you can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge) to clean your system logs, which is a deeper cleanup than MIUI.

Instructions:

1. Install ADB on your PC (for example, through Google’s Platform Tools).
2. Enable USB debugging on your smartphone (Settings → About Phone → MIUI version – tap 7 times, then go back to Settings → Additional → For Developers → Debugging by USB).
3. Connect your phone to your PC and execute commands: adb shell su rm -rf /data/log/* rm -rf /data/tombstones/* rm -rf /data/anr/* rm -rf /data/system/dropbox/*

If you accidentally delete something important, don’t panic:

1. Reboot your smartphone immediately.
2. If it doesn’t turn on, try logging into Recovery and resetting the cache (Wipe cache partition).
3. If this does not help, you will have to reset the settings to the factory (loss of all data!).

How to prevent the growth of the folder “Others” in the future

Cleaning is good, but it's even better to keep the Others from taking up gigabytes again.

• 🔄 Clean the cache regularly (once every 1-2 weeks) through Settings → Warehouse → Cleanup.
• 🚫 Do not install applications from unknown sources – they often leave garbage in system folders.
• 📱 Update. MIUI — in new versions of firmware optimized work with cache.
• 🔍 Use lighter versions of apps (like Facebook Lite instead of regular Facebook).
• ⚙️ Turn off unnecessary diagnosis: Go to Settings → The phone. → Reviews and diagnostics. Turn off Automatic Reporting, which will reduce the number of logs you create.

If you install/delete applications frequently, you should use SD Maid or CCleaner to automatically clean the residual files, and these programs can be configured to be checked regularly (for example, once a week).

💡

Xiaomi’s MIUI 12+ smartphones have a Deep Clean feature in Settings → Storage, which removes not only cache, but also unnecessary system files – use it once a month.

What to do if nothing helps: radical methods

If the Others folder is persistently 10+GB and the standard methods don’t work, extreme measures remain:

Method 1: Reset to factory settings

This will delete all the data from the smartphone, including apps, photos and settings, but return the storage to its original state.

• 📱 Make a backup copy through Settings → Additionally. → Backup and reset.
• 🔐 Write down or take pictures of important passwords (they will erase).
• 📁 Save photos and videos to your PC or cloud.

Method 2: Fastboot Flashing

If the reset didn’t help (e.g., a problem in corrupted system files), you can completely reinstall MIUI via Fastboot mode.

• 🖥️ Computer with Mi Flash Tool and Xiaomi drivers installed;
• 📥 Official firmware for your model (download only from the official Xiaomi website);
• 🔧 Knowledge about unlocking the bootloader (new models require waiting 7-15 days).

⚠️ Warning: Fastboot flashing erases everything, including the data in the internal memory. If you're not sure about your abilities, contact the service center.

Method 3: Using Custom Recovery (TWRP)

For advanced users, you can install TWRP (Castom Recovery) and manually clean the system partitions.

• 🗃️ Remove unnecessary files from /data and /cache;
• 🔄 Make a backup copy before experiments;
• 📦 Install Magisk modules to optimize storage.

However, this method requires an unlocked bootloader and may lack warranty.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the folder “Other” on Xiaomi