Xiaomi’s Memory is Filled: What to Do When Another Places

You open Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO settings to install a new app or take a photo, but you see a frightening notification: "Memory is full," and in the "Storage" section, the lion's share of the space is occupied by the mysterious "Other" item — 10, 20, maybe 50 GB! What are these files? Why are they not deleted by standard means? And most importantly, how to regain control of your smartphone memory?

The problem of “invisible” files under the category “Other” is familiar to many MIUI users. Xiaomi’s official documentation is silent about the nature of this data, and the standard cache cleaning through Settings → Storage often does not help. In this article, we will not only explain what is hidden under the “Other”, but also show 7 proven ways to free up space – from simple (for beginners) to advanced (for those who are ready to dig into the system folders).

Spoiler: 80 percent of the time, it's the cache of apps, misclassified files, MIUI update debris, and hidden folders with logs, but sometimes The Other masks more serious problems, like a corrupted file system or viruses masquerading as system processes, so before we delete files at random, let's get to the root of the problem.

What is the Other in Xiaomi’s Storage and Why Does It Take So Much Space?

The Other item in MIUI is a dump for files that the system failed to categorize as standard (photos, videos, apps, etc.) and includes anything that doesn’t fit into the storage analyzer templates, from temporary update files to remnants of deleted applications.

• 📁 App cache and system cache – especially from Google Play Services, MIUI Launcher and social networks. These files can take up to 5-10 GB, but not displayed in the standard cleaning menu.
• 🔄 Residual files after updates MIUI. Each major update leaves behind tails in the form of old libraries and logs.
• 🗑️ Discarded applications. Many programs (like games) don't delete their folders with saved files. /Android/data/.
• 📜 Logs and dumps of the system. MIUI actively maintains error logs, which over time grow to giant sizes.
• 🦠 Viruses and Adware: Some Trojans disguise themselves as system files and “hide” in “The Other».

Interesting fact: on Xiaomi with Snapdragon processor, the “Other” often takes up more space than on models with MediaTek. This is due to the peculiarities of Qualcomm’s work with the cache of graphics drivers.

Critical information: If the Other takes up more than 30% of the total memory of the device, this may indicate a file system failure or malware activity.

Method 1: Deeply clean the cache through the hidden MIUI menu

The first and safest method is to force the cleaning of a hidden cache that is not visible on the standard menu.

1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
2. Find the MIUI version and tap it 7 times (this activates the developer mode).
3. Return to the main settings menu and open a new section for developers.
4. Scroll down and find "Clean up MIUI cache." Click on and confirm the action.

This procedure removes up to 2-3 GB of hidden temporary files that accumulate during MIUI operation. Important: after cleaning, the smartphone can slow down for 5-10 minutes - this is normal, the system recovers the necessary data.

Close all applications

Connect the charger (the process can take up to 5 minutes)

Backup important data (just in case)

Do not interrupt the cleaning process.-->

What if you don't have a "Clean up MIUI cache" option? Some firmware (e.g. MIUI 13 for the global version) have a deeper hidden section. Try an alternative way:

Settings → Memory → Three dots in the upper right corner → Deep cleaning

Method 2: Manually remove garbage through file manager

If the system cleanup didn’t work, it’s time to manually scan folders where garbage usually accumulates, use the built-in Files by Xiaomi or install Solid Explorer (which shows hidden files).

Where to look for garbage:

Attention, do not delete files in folders:

• /Android/obj/ – this is where critical application data is stored.
• /MIUI/backup/ - System backups
• /lost.dir/ – Recovered files after failure.

Method 3: Recovery Mode cache reset (without data loss)

If previous methods didn’t work, try cleaning the cache through Recovery Mode.This won’t delete your data, but will reset all temporary system files.

Instructions:

1. Turn off your smartphone.
2. Press the power button + volume up until the Mi logo appears.
3. From the Recovery menu, select the language (if you have a choice) and go to “Wipe & Reset”.
4. Select “Wipe Cache” (not “Wipe All Data”).
5. Confirm the action and wait for the completion.

This method is especially effective after failed MIUI updates, when the system creates duplicate files, and after cleaning the smartphone will reboot longer than usual, which is normal.

💡

If the smartphone is slower after resetting the cache, give it 10-15 minutes to optimize. MIUI automatically restores the necessary temporary files.

Method 4: Remove duplicates and “dead” files using applications

Often, "Other" is inflated by duplicate photos, videos and documents that are not visible in the gallery.

• 🔍 Files by Google is a built-in tool for finding garbage. Run "Cleanup" in the Storage section».
• 📊 SD Maid (requires root for full scan) – finds residual files and empty folders.
• 🖼️ Duplicate Files Fixer – Looks for duplicate media files that rank in the Other».

How to work with SD Maid:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Run Scan → Recycle Bin. This will show files that can be safely deleted.
3. Go to System Garbage (requires root) for deep cleaning.

⚠️ Note: Applications like Clean Master or CCleaner often delete useful files and show false “problems.

Method 5: Checking for viruses and malware

If the Other is growing like a leap of faith despite regular cleanups, it could be viruses, and some Trojans create hidden files that disguise themselves as system data.

How to check:

1. Install Malwarebytes or Dr.Web Light.
2. Start a full scan (not fast!).
3. Please note the files in the folders: /data/local/tmp/ /sdcard/.trash/ /system/bin/ (if available)

It is especially dangerous if files with extensions appear in the "Other":

• .apk (unknown origin)
• .dex (executable Dalvik files)
• .so with suspicious names (e.g. libgame.so in non-gaming folders).

💡

Viruses are often disguised as system processes with names like com.android.system or miui.analytics. If you see unknown services in Settings → Apps, that’s a cause for concern.

Method 6: Reverse MIUI updates (if the problem occurs after the update)

Sometimes, the Other inflates after a MIUI update, especially if the firmware was installed over the air (OTA), in which case a rollback to the previous version or a clean firmware reflash helps.

How to roll back:

1. Download the full firmware package (not incremental!) for your model from the Xiaomi Firmware website.
2. Rename the file to update.zip and place it in the root of the memory.
3. Go to Recovery Mode (Power button + Volume up).
4. Select “Install update.zip” → “Reboot”.

⚠️ Note: Firmware rollback will reset all settings but will not affect user files (photos, videos).However, if you install firmware for another region (e.g. global to Chinese), you may need a complete reset.

Method 7: Extreme measure - reset to factory settings

If none of the methods worked, and the Other still takes tens of gigabytes, it's a complete reset, which will delete all the data, but it will return the smartphone to its "clean" state.

How to reset correctly:

1. Make a backup through Settings → Additional → Backup.
2. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
3. Select “Erase all data”.
4. After the reset, do not restore data from the backup immediately – first check if the problem with the Other remains.

💡

In 90% of cases, the reset solves the problem with the Other, but if the memory is filled again after a week, this is a sign of hardware failure (wear and tear of flash memory).

FAQ: Frequent questions about the “Other” in Xiaomi’s storage