Xiaomi’s “Other” folder: what are these files and how to clean them without harming your phone

Have you ever looked into your Xiaomi storage and seen the mysterious “Other” folder that takes up gigabytes of memory, but you don’t know what it stores? This is one of the most common problems users of Redmi, POCO and Mi smartphones have — the system shows that memory is full, but standard cleaning methods do not help. In this article, we will understand what the “Other” folder on Xiaomi is, why it grows and how to safely clean it without removing anything important.

We warn you right away that not all files in this folder can be deleted without consequences. It stores app cache, temporary data, remnants of deleted programs and even system files that MIUI does not classify as standard categories (photos, videos, documents). If you just click Clear All, you risk breaking some functions. So we will analyze in detail which files can be deleted and which are better left, and also show hidden ways to free memory that are not written in the official instructions.

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

The Other folder (or Other in the English version of MIUI) is the garbage bin of the operating system, where files that do not fit into the standard categories: photos, videos, audio, documents or applications fall.

• 🗑️ Application cache – temporary files that create programs to speed up work (for example, thumbnails of images in a gallery or messenger data).
• 📦 Remnants of Remote Applications – Not all files are erased when uninstalled, especially if the application was deleted incorrectly.
• 🔄 System logs and dumps are error report files that Android creates for diagnosis (for example, after an application crashes).
• 📱 Update files – firmware packages that have downloaded but not installed (for example, after an interrupted update) MIUI).
• 🔗 Symbolic links and metadata – technical information that a system needs to work with files.

Why is the folder growing? The main reasons are:

1. Automatic cache creation – many applications (especially social networks and instant messengers) actively cache data, but do not always clean it.
2. Incomplete uninstallation of programs – some applications leave behind files in /data/data or /sdcard/Android/obb folders.
3. File system errors – if the phone suddenly shuts down while writing files, “bit” data may appear that the system cannot classify.
4. MIUI Updates – After installing a new firmware version, old files are not always deleted automatically.

For example, after upgrading Redmi Note 10 Pro from MIUI 12 to MIUI 13, the “Other” folder can increase by 1-3 GB due to the remaining temporary files. and in POCO F3, after active use of Telegram and TikTok, the cache of these applications can “eat” up to 500 MB per month.

How to see what is stored in the folder “Other”

Before cleaning, you need to understand which files are taking up space. The standard MIUI menu does not have a detailed breakdown of the Other folder, but there are several ways to do this:

Method 1: Through the built-in memory analyzer

Open Settings → Storage and click on the "Other" section, and the system will show the total volume, but without detail.

1. Slip on Clean (do not confirm the action!).
2. The system will show a list of applications that can be cleaned (this is usually the cache of messengers, browsers and social networks).
3. Remember or take a picture of this list – this data can be deleted without risk.

Method 2: Through the file manager (advanced method)

If you want to see all files, including hidden ones, use Mi File Manager (or a third-party explorer, such as FX Explorer):

1. Open the file manager and enable the display of hidden files (Settings → Show hidden files).
2. Go to the root folder of the storage (/storage/emulated/0/).
3. Look for folders with names: Android/data — herein stored application data; Android/obb — game files and large programs; MIUI — System data firmware; Download – downloads that the system did not recognize; DCIM/.thumbnails — photo and video miniatures.

Attention! Do not delete files from MIUI, system, or vendor folders, which can cause system failure, and do not touch files with.dex,.soap, or.oat extensions, which are needed to run applications.

How to Clean the “Other” folder on Xiaomi: Step-by-step instructions

Now, let's get to the practice. We've put together 5 proven ways, from the simplest to the most advanced, start with the first and move on to the next one if your memory isn't free.

Method 1: Standard cleaning through settings

The most secure method that does not require superuser rights is:

1. Open the Settings → Storage.
2. Click on the "Other" section.
3. Select “Clean” (the system will prompt you to delete the app cache).
4. Confirm the action.

This method only removes the cache of applications, but does not touch the system files. Usually 500 MB-1.5 GB is released.

Method 2: Manually clean the cache for each application

If standard cleaning didn’t help, try removing the cache for specific programs:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Sort the apps by size (click on the three dots in the upper right corner).
3. Open an app that takes up a lot of space (e.g. Telegram, Facebook, TikTok).
4. Press "Storage» → «Clear the cache».

Pay special attention to messengers and social networks – they often cache gigabytes of media files, even if you did not save them.

Method 3: Delete unnecessary files through the file manager

If you are ready to dig into the file system, follow this instruction:

Clean the DCIM/.thumbnails folder (photo and video miniatures)

Remove the old ones APK-file from Download or APK

Clear the cache of games in Android/obb (if the games are deleted)

Remove error logs in MIUI/debug_log (if there are)

Clear the file. Android/data remote-->

For this:

1. Open Mi File Manager (or other access-access-access-access-access-access-access-access-access-access-access-access-access-access-acces-access-accesss-accesss-accesss-accessssssor guide).
2. Go to the folders from the checklist above.
3. Delete unnecessary files (not folders in their entirety!)
4. Reboot the phone.

If after deleting files from Android/obb, the games or apps stop working, reinstall them.

Method 4: Use of third-party utilities (e.g. SD Maid)

The SD Maid app (available on Google Play) can find and delete junk files that MIUI can't see.

1. Install SD Maid and give access to the storage.
2. Run the scan (CorpseFinder looks for remnants of remote programs, SystemCleaner - system garbage).
3. Check the list of files found and delete the unnecessary ones.

SD Maid can find up to 2GB of garbage in /data/local/tmp or /cache folders that MIUI does not clean.

Method 5: Resetting cache via Recovery (advanced method)

If nothing works, try resetting the partition cache through the recovery mode.This won't delete your data, but will clear the system cache:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Power button + Volume up to enter Recovery.
3. Choose Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache.
4. Confirm the action and restart the phone.

This method helps if the Other folder has grown due to MIUI update errors.

💡

If after all the manipulations, the folder “Other” still takes up a lot of space, check the phone for viruses (for example, through Malwarebytes) – some malware masquerades as system files.

Table: What can and can not be removed from the folder "Other"

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

To avoid clearing your memory every month, follow these tips:

• 🔄 Clean the cache regularly – at least once every 2 weeks, go to Settings → Warehouse → Other → Clean up.
• 📱 Remove unused apps – even if you don’t use them, they can update and cache data.
• 🚫 Turn off auto-update apps in Google Play – so you can control which programs are updated and do not accumulate cache.
• 🗃️ Use cloud storage – transfer photos and videos to Google Photos or Mi Cloud so they don’t take up space on your phone.
• 🛡️ Install antivirus – some malware creates junk files that are hard to detect.

For example, if you are actively using WhatsApp, turn on the option in the messenger settings to Do not save media to the gallery – this will prevent memory from filling with unnecessary photos and videos.

💡

MIUI 14 has a Smart Cleanup feature that automatically deletes unnecessary files. To enable it, go to Settings → Storage → Smart Cleanup and activate the option.

Frequent errors when cleaning the “Other” folder and how to avoid them

Many users make mistakes that lead to data loss or system failures, and these are the most common:

⚠️ Never delete your Android folders, MIUI or the system as a whole, it will cause the system to crash, and only delete specific files inside them (such as cache or logs).

• 🗑️ Deletion of the folder Android/obb The whole thing is that it stores game data (like Genshin Impact or Call of Duty Mobile) and if you delete the folder, you'll have to reinstall the games.
• 📂 Use of rm commands -rf without understanding – if you don’t know what you’re doing, don’t enter commands through ADB One mistake, and the phone turns into a brick».

If the phone is running slower after cleaning or some functions have stopped working, try:

1. Reset the device.
2. Clear the cache only for the problem app (not the entire phone).
3. Restore data from the backup (if any).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions About Xiaomi’s “Other” Folder