Xiaomi’s “Other Files”: Where Do They Come From, How to Clean, and Should They Be Deleted?

Have you ever looked into your Xiaomi memory settings and seen the mysterious "Other Files" section that takes several gigabytes? It's not about apps, media, or cache -- but it's growing every day. What are these files? Can you delete them? And most importantly, will it hurt your smartphone?

Many Redmi, POCO or Mi users face this problem: memory is running out and some “other files” are to blame. In this article, we’ll look at what’s hidden under this category, what files are included, and how to clean them safely without risking “breaking” the system or losing important data.

Spoiler: Not all "other files" can be deleted, but some are garbage that is safely cleaned. Some are critical to MIUI. How do you tell one from the other? Read on.

What are the “Other Files” in Xiaomi Memory?

In MIUI, the Other Files section is a collection of data that the system failed to categorize as standard: apps, photos, videos or cache, and anything that doesn't fit into the templates gets included:

• 📁 Remnants of remote applications – temporary files, settings, logs that did not clear after uninstallation.
• 📄 System Logs and Dumps – Error Reports (.dmp,.log) that Android creates when crashes.
• 🔄 Update cache – firmware files that have downloaded but not installed.
• 📂 Hidden application folders – for example, Android/data or Android/obb play-off.
• 🔧 Configuration Files – Settings MIUI, widgets, launchers.

Why doesn't the system sort them by folder? It's the Android file system: some data doesn't have a clear label (like.tmp extensions or binary files without a signature), and MIUI just dumps them into a basket called Others.

Fun fact: on Xiaomi with MIUI 12+, this section can take up to 10-15 GB – especially if you’ve been using your smartphone for years. On new devices (such as Xiaomi 13 or POCO F5), the volume of “other files” is usually smaller due to system optimization.

Where do the “Other Files” come from and why are there so many?

The main “suppliers” of garbage in this section:

1. Remote applications. Even after uninstallation, many programs leave tails, such as folders in /storage/emulated/0/Android or settings files in /data/data.
2. System updates. MIUI downloads the firmware in the background and stores them in /cache or /data/ota_package.
3. Logs and dumps: Applications (especially games) and the system itself write error reports that can weigh between 100 and 500 MB each.
4. Telegram, WhatsApp and even MIUI Messaging store temporary files (stickers, media previews) in non-obvious folders.

For example, if you deleted Genshin Impact, but its folder com.mihoyo.GenshinImpact remained in /Android/obb, those 2-3 GB will be in the Other Files. The same goes for YouTube or TikTok cache, which is not automatically cleared.

Critical information: On root-enabled devices, other files can be used to access system libraries (.so) and modified configs, and if they are removed without knowledge, they will lead to a smartphone “brick”.

How do you see what exactly takes place in the “Other Files”?

By default, MIUI doesn't show the detailed composition of this partition, but there are ways to know what exactly eats up memory:

Method 1. Built-in memory analyzer

1. Open the Settings → Memory.
2. Slip on the "Other Files" chart.
3. The system will show the top-3 folders that take up the most space (for example, Download, Android/data).

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

• 🔍 Use MiXplorer or Root Explorer.
• 📂 Move to the /storage/emulated/0 And sort the folders by size.
• 🚨 Do not delete folders with names MIUI, system, vendor!

Method 3. Analyzer applications

A utility like Files by Google or SD Maids can show hidden files and suggest cleaning them, SD Maid finds out:

• 🗑️ Empty folders (.empty)
• 📜 Duplicate files
• 🔄 Remains after updates (.apk.old)

💡

If you see a 1+GB folder in com.xiaomi.market, this is the Mi App Store cache, which you can safely clear through your app settings.

How to Safely Clean Other Files on Xiaomi?

Before you remove anything, remember:

⚠️ Note: Do not use Deep Clean features in third-party applications (such as Clean Master) and often delete the desired system files, leading to lags or crashes. MIUI.

Safe cleaning methods:

Clear the application cache in Settings → Applications

Remove downloads (download or download)

Clean Android/obb folder (if you don’t play games)

Remove old updates in Settings → The phone. → Update MIUI → ⋮ → Remove the downloaded package

Use the built-in “Memory Optimizer” (Settings → Memory → Clean)

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What can be manually removed:

What can not be removed:

• 🚫 Folders. MIUI, Xiaomi, Miui are System Data.
• 🚫 Files with extensions.odex,.vdex – necessary for the operation of applications.
• 🚫 folder Android/data whole - there are stored game saves and settings.

💡

If you're not sure, don't delete it! You'd better transfer the files to your computer and check their contents before you clean them up.

What if the “Other Files” take up 10+GB and are not cleared?

If standard methods don’t help and the partition has grown to a few gigabytes, try these steps:

1.Cache reset via Recovery

1. Turn off your smartphone.
2. Press Power + Volume up to enter Recovery.
3. Choose Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache.
4. Reset the device.

This will delete temporary system files without affecting user data.

2. reinstall MIUI without data loss

If the garbage has accumulated due to system failures:

1. Download the full firmware for your model from en.miui.com.
2. In Recovery, select Install update.zip.

This will overwrite system files, but save your data.

3. Contact the service center

If the “Other Files” take up more than 20 GB and are not cleared, it could be:

• 🐛 Virus Masquerading as System Files.
• 🔧 Damage to the file system (for example, after incorrect shutdown) USB).
• 📱 Hardware memory problem (wear and tear of flash drive).

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI 14+ And Storage Expansion, some of the other files can be virtual -- that's okay. Don't try to delete them!

How to prevent the accumulation of “other files” in the future?

To prevent the section from growing again, follow these rules:

• 🔄 Clean the cache regularly in Settings → Memory. → Clean (sufficient 1 time per month).
• 📥 Remove unnecessary downloads from the Download folder.
• 🎮 Clean up. Android/obb and Android/data play-off.
• 📲 Turn off automatic update downloads in Settings → The phone. → Update MIUI → ⋮ → Settings → Downloading.
• 🛡️ Use antivirus (such as Mi Security) to check for malicious files.

For devices with a small amount of memory (32-64 GB), it is recommended:

1. Transfer files to MicroSD (if supported).
2. Use cloud storage (Mi Cloud, Google Drive).
3. Disable media saving from messengers to the gallery.

💡

POCO and Redmi with MIUI 13+ have a feature called Easy Mode (Settings → Special Options → Easy Mode) that reduces memory load by simplifying the interface.

Frequent questions about “other files” on Xiaomi