Xiaomi’s Other folder: Why it takes up a lot of space and how to clean it

Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphone owners often face the unfortunate situation of a device’s internal memory filling up rapidly, and a detailed analysis of the storage reveals that the lion’s share of gigabytes is occupied by a mysterious category that the system designates as “Other,” which can grow to tens of gigabytes, blocking new apps and photos from being installed.

MIUI automatically classifies files, but often fails to identify the exact type of data that falls into this category, including remnants of remote applications, messenger cache, temporary update files, and system logs, and understanding the nature of this data is the first step to successfully clean a device without losing important information.

In this article, we will take a closer look at what’s behind this label, why standard cleaning products aren’t always effective, and what proven methods exist to free up space, learn how to safely remove system debris and prevent memory overflows in the future.

⚠️ Attention: Before deep memory cleaning, it is strongly recommended to back up important data. Deleting system files manually can cause applications to malfunction.

What is hidden in the category "Other"

Xiaomi’s “Other” memory management section is not a single file, but a collection of disparate data that the Android operating system cannot uniquely classify as images, videos or documents, most often storing app cached data that was not deleted after the program was closed, such as streaming services and instant messengers accumulating gigabytes of temporary files to quickly load content.

Also, a significant portion of the volume is occupied by residual files after deleting games and programs. Application developers often leave folders with configurations or error logs that continue to occupy space even after the main installation is uninstalled. APK-In addition, system update files that did not automatically delete after the successful installation of the new version may be included here. MIUI.

Importantly, this category often falls into the category of offline map data and downloaded playlists. If you're actively navigating or listening to music without the Internet, check the settings of these apps. Sometimes users forget that they've downloaded maps of entire regions that are now hidden in the depths of system memory.

Analysis of the occupied space through the file manager

To start cleaning, you need to visually assess what exactly takes up space. Xiaomi's standard Explorer tool has analysis functionality, but for a deeper dive, it's better to use specialized utilities or a built-in memory analyzer. Go to Settings → Memory and wait for the scan to finish.

Note the resource-consumption-leading apps. Telegram, Viber, or Instagram are often the top of the list, and their cache is the bulk of the junk. The built-in analyzer will show you the breakdown by file type, but the Other folder often requires a manual approach to specific directories.

Use the Cleanup feature in the Security app. While it doesn't always delete all the contents of the Other folder, it effectively cleans out obvious debris and thumbnail sketches. After automatic cleaning, check the amount of space you're occupied again - often freeing up 1 to 5 GB of space instantly.

Cleaning the cache of messengers and social networks

Messengers are the main culprits behind the proliferation of system junk. Telegram, for example, by default caches all photos and videos viewed so that they load instantly when you reopen the chat. Over time, this cache can reach 10-20 GB, displaying in the system as “Other” or taking up space in the memory of the application.

To clean up, go to the settings of a specific messenger. In Telegram, the path looks like this: Settings → Data and memory → Memory Use. Here you can see the size of the cache and clear it with a single button. It is also recommended to set the cache autodelete, for example, 3 days or a week after viewing.

Similar actions should be done for WhatsApp and Viber. On WhatsApp, storage management is in Settings → Data and Storage → Storage Management. Here you can selectively delete large files from specific chats without losing text correspondence. This is especially true for workgroups where heavy documents are constantly being forwarded.

⚠️ Note: When cleaning messenger data, be careful: choose “Clear Cache” and not “Clear Data” or “Delete Account”, otherwise you will lose all your correspondence and media files.

Delete residual files after deleting applications

When you delete a game or program, there are often tails left in the system, which can be folders with logos, graphics settings, or temporary installation data, and on Xiaomi devices, these files are often hidden in the root directories of internal memory or in the Android/data folder.

For manual removal, go to Explorer → Internal Memory. Look for folders with remote application names or developer names (e.g. com.game.name). If you are sure that the application is no longer needed, you can safely delete such a folder. However, be careful with system folders whose names you do not know.

An effective way to combat residual debris is to use specialized cleaners, such as SD Maid or Files by Google, which scan the file system for “orphan” files that belong to remote packets, which allows you to safely remove what a standard MIUI analyzer does not see.

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Use the Deep Clean feature in Xiaomi's Security app. It can find installations. APK-files that are left over after the application update and are safely deleted.

Working with Android folder and system garbage

The Android folder in the internal memory contains critical data for the application to work, contains data and obb subfolders, obb stores heavy game files (graphics, sounds), and data stores settings and cache, and manually cleaning this folder requires the utmost care.

If you delete the contents of the data folder for an active application, it will reset to a “just installed” state: you will lose progress in games (if there is no cloud sync) and settings. So manually delete only folders with the names of games or programs that have already been deleted.

Browsers and instant messengers often save all downloaded files there, which eventually turn into digital junk. Sorting by size will help quickly find forgotten videos or archives that take up gigabytes.

Resetting settings as a radical method

If none of the above methods worked, and the Other folder continues to take up an abnormally large volume (for example, more than 30-40 GB on an empty phone), there may be errors in the file system, in which case the solution would be a complete reset to factory settings.

This procedure will completely clear the internal memory, returning the phone to the “out of the box” state. All user data, applications and settings will be deleted. So make sure to make a full backup to your computer or to the Mi Cloud before performing this step.

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Wipe Data is the only way to ensure that you remove system errors in the file system that lead to incorrect display of memory.

To perform the reset, go to Settings → About Phone → Settings Reset → Erase all data. The process will take 5 to 15 minutes depending on the memory capacity and speed of your Xiaomi CPU. Once turned on, the phone will run faster and the memory will be free.

⚠️ Warning: Don't interrupt the resetting process!Switching off the phone during formatting can damage the system partition and "fix" the device.

Prevention of memory overflow

To keep the problem from returning in a month, change your smartphone usage habits. Check your storage regularly and delete unnecessary files. Turn off auto-save media from messengers to the gallery if you don't need this feature.

Use cloud services to store photos and videos. Set up automatic sync with Google Photos or Yandex.Disk with the function “free up space” allows you to store originals in the cloud, leaving only compressed copies on the phone or completely removing them from the device.

Also, keep an eye out for MIUI updates. In newer firmware versions, developers often fix memory management bugs and optimize cache work. The current version of the software is the key to stable file system operation.