How to Delete “Other Files” in Xiaomi Storage: The Complete 2026 Guide

Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphone owners regularly encounter the mysterious “Other Files” category in storage analysis, which takes up gigabytes of memory, but it is unclear what the data is and whether it can be deleted without risk to the system. Often users try to make room by erasing the cache of apps or photos, but the volume of “Other Files” remains the same — or even grows.

The reason is that this category hides system temporary files, remnants of deleted applications, log files, update data and even snippets of downloaded media that MIUI does not classify as “images” or “video.” In this article, we will discuss how to safely clean “Other Files” on Xiaomi without root rights, what tools to use, and what to do if standard methods do not help.

Spoiler: 90% of the time, the solution is a combination of built-in MIUI features and third-party utilities like Files by Google, but there are also some "hard" cases, such as when the system creates duplicate files after updates or when applications leave behind junk folders, which require more drastic measures.

What are Xiaomi’s “Other Files” and Why Do They Take So Much Space?

The Others category in MIUI storage analysis is a basket for anything the system failed to classify as standard data types: photos, videos, audio, documents or applications.

• 📁 System and application logs -- bug logs, crash reports, debugging data, and a lot of them accumulate after updates. MIUI.
• 🔄 Remnants of Remote Applications – folders with settings, cache, and temporary files that didn’t clear after uninstallation.
• 📥 Fragments of uploaded files – for example, under-quality YouTube videos or parts of archives that have not been unpacked.
• 🔧 System temporary files – created when you install updates, run Google Play Services, or backup.
• 📊 Analytics data – Xiaomi and Google collect information about device usage (you can turn off in settings).

In normal state, the Other Files take 1-3 GB. If they are larger than 5-10 GB, it is a signal that the system is not coping with automatic cleaning.

• ⬇️ Updates MIUI (particularly by air» — OTA).
• 📲 Removing large applications (such as games or social networks).
• 🔄 Reset to factory settings without formatting internal memory.

Interesting fact: on some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 10 Pro or POCO F3), the Others category may include hidden folders with.thumbnails backups, which are thumbnails that the system creates to speed up the display of the gallery. These files can weigh up to 1-2 GB, but they can be safely deleted.

How to see what exactly takes place in the “Other Files”

Before you clean it, you need to understand what files are being stored. MIUI has a built-in storage analyzer, but it only shows the total size of the category. You need third-party tools to analyze it in detail.

Method 1: Integrated MIUI analyzer

1. Click on the “Other” category (or “Other” in older versions of MIUI).

Method 2: Files by Google (recommended)

• 📲 Install Files by Google from Play Market.
• Open the tab “Cleaning” → “Store analysis”.
• The app will show a breakdown by file type, including Others, and suggest removing unnecessary ones.

Method 3: Viewing Hidden Folders Through File Manager

1. Use Solid Explorer or FX File Explorer (with root permissions, if any).
2. Enable the display of hidden files (Settings → Show hidden files).
3. Check the folders: /data/data/ – application data (root rights required). /sdcard/Android/data/ – cache and application files. /sdcard/MIUI/ – system backups and log files.

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If you see a folder com.android.vending weighing several gigabytes, it is the cache of Google Play Market. It can be safely cleared through Settings → Apps → Google Play Store → Storage → Clear the cache.

How to delete “Other Files” on Xiaomi without root rights

Most temporary files can be deleted with standard MIUI tools or with free utilities. Start with the safest methods and move on to more radical ones if space is not vacated.

Method 1: Cleaning through built-in MIUI tools

• 🧹 Go to Settings. → The phone. → Warehouse → Cleanup.
• Click "Junk" → "Other files." The system will prompt you to delete the temporary data.
• 🔄 After cleaning, restart the phone – this will help to release the cache, which could be blocked by working processes.

Method 2: Removal of the application cache

Often, “Other Files” are inflated by the cache of system applications such as Google Play Services, Mi Video, or Gallery.

Method 3: Using Files by Google

Method 4: Delete downloaded and temporary files

Many "Other Files" are under-quality or forgotten downloads.

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If the volume of Other Files has not decreased after cleaning, the problem may be hidden system data, in which case only factory resetting will help (see section below).

Radical methods: resetting and formatting

If standard methods don’t work, and Other Files take more than 10GB, you’ll have to take extreme measures, which will delete all user data, so back up first.

Method 1: Reset to factory settings (without formatting)

This method removes applications and settings, but leaves files in memory (photos, videos, music).

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Select “Reset all settings” (not to be confused with “Delete all data”).
3. Confirm action. The phone will reboot and return to out of the box.

Method 2: Completely reset with formatting (Hard Reset)

Deletes everything, including system temporary files, and use it if other methods fail.

1. Go to Settings → About Phone → Resetting → Delete all data.
2. Select “Format internal memory” (the option can be called differently).
3. Confirm the action. It'll take 5-10 minutes.

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi) 9A or POCO M3) After Hard Reset, you may need to re-activate the device through your Mi Account!

Method 3: Fastboot Flashing (for power users)

If, even after resetting, Other Files are returned, the problem may be in the damaged system partitions, in which case a clean installation of MIUI via Fastboot will help.

• 🖥️ Download the official firmware for your model from the Xiaomi Firmware website.
• 📱 Transfer the phone to Fastboot mode (clip the power supply) + Loudness down when switched off).
• 🔧 Use the Mi Flash Tool for firmware (instructions at xiaomiflash.com).

What to do if the “Other Files” are returned after cleaning

If the Other category grows back after a while, the problem lies in system processes or specific applications.

Reason 1: Auto Updates to MIUI and Google Play

• 🔄 After each update MIUI The system backs up old files in a folder /sdcard/MIUI/backup/. They can be removed manually.
• 📦 Google Play Services downloads data for geolocation, advertising and analytics. Limit background activity in Settings → Annexes → Google Play Services → Battery → Background activity.

Reason 2: Social networks and instant messengers

Apps like Facebook, Telegram or VK actively cache media files that fall into the “Others”.

• 📸 In the settings of each messenger, turn off “Autoload Media” (for example, in Telegram: Settings) → Data and memory → Autoboot media).
• 🧹 Clean the cache of these apps regularly through Settings → Annexes.

Reason 3: System Errors and Broken Files

If MIUI can’t delete temporary files correctly, checking the file system will help:

1. Connect your phone to your PC via USB (in file transfer mode).
2. Run Command Prompt (Windows) and type: chkdsk X: /f (where X is the drive letter of your phone).
3. Wait for the check to be completed and restart the device.

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 8 Pro) may lose access to internal memory after checking chkdsk, in which case only a factory reset will help.

Comparison of cleaning methods: what works best

To choose the best method, compare the effectiveness of each method:

On Xiaomi models with Snapdragon chipset (such as POCO F4 or Redmi K50) after flashing through Fastboot, “Other Files” can take up to 500-800 MB – this is normal, since the system creates backup partitions for recovery.

Prevention: How to prevent the accumulation of “Other Files”

To prevent the “Others” category from growing again, follow these rules:

• 🔄 Regular cleaning: Once a month, run the built-in Settings utility → Warehouse → Cleanup.
• 📵 Background activity restriction: Turn off autoload media in instant messengers and auto-update apps in Google Play.
• 🗑️ Download Control: Remove unnecessary files from the folder /sdcard/Download/ post-download.
• 🔧 Updates with caution: Before installing a new version MIUI back up and clear the cache through Recovery (click Power) + Volume up when turned on, select Wipe Cache).
• 📱 Use of light firmware: On weak devices (e.g. Redmi) 7A) install custom firmware such as Pixel Experience – they are less prone to garbage accumulation.

If you are actively using cloud services (Google Photos, Mi Cloud), set up automatic photo and video uploads and turn on the “Free space” option after synchronization, which will allow you to delete local copies without risking data loss.

FAQ: Frequent Questions About Xiaomi's "Other Files"