“Other” in the Xiaomi storage: secret memory absorber – understand and clean

You opened your storage settings on your Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO, and suddenly you found that the lion's share of memory is occupied by a mysterious 10GB, 20GB, or even 30GB section, and neither photos, nor apps, nor cache show this volume, where does this garbage come from, why does the system not classify it, and most importantly, can it be removed without risk to the smartphone?

This problem is familiar to many users of MIUI devices (especially versions 12-14). Unlike pure Android, where storage is clearly categorized, Xiaomi often dumps everything that could not be classified as standard partitions into Other, which can hide system log files, remnants of deleted applications, and even data from Mi Cloud or Mi Account microservices. But not everything is so simple: some of these files are critical to the phone’s operation, and their deletion can lead to failures.

In this guide, we will discuss in detail: 1. What exactly is included in the “Other” section on Xiaomi (spoiler: it’s not always garbage!). 2. How to distinguish safe to delete files from system ones. 3. Step-by-step cleaning instructions with the MIUI version. 4. Alternative ways to free up memory if the “Other” is not shortened.

Warning: Some methods require root rights or ADB, but we’ll show you safe options for beginners.

What is hidden under the “Other” in the storage Xiaomi: a full analysis

The Other section of MIUI is a basket for files that the system failed to categorize as standard: apps, media, documents or cache.

• 📁 System Logs and Dumps: Files with Error Reports (/data/log/, /data/anr/), which are created when applications crash or crash MIUI. It can weigh up to a few gigabytes if the phone hasn’t rebooted in a long time.
• 🔄 Remnants of remote applications: not only cache, but also configuration files, databases (.db,.xml) that remain in folders /data/data/ or /sdcard/Android/.
• ☁️ Mi Cloud and Sync Data: Temporary backup files, metadata for synchronizing notes, contacts or photos, often duplicated and not automatically deleted.
• 🤖 Microservices files MIUI: For example, data for Mi Share, Game Turbo, or Second Space, these services create their own caches that are not visible in the standard file manager.
• 📱 Overlay themes and fonts: If you change the design frequently in Themes, the system saves copies of old themes that are not cleaned up.

The Other section is growing especially strongly on devices with MIUI 13-14 and Android 12+, where new logging mechanisms for debugging performance have appeared, for example, perfetto-trace or bugreport files can take up 500-800 MB each, but not appear in the standard file manager.

It is important to understand that not everything in the Other can be deleted, for example, files from /data/system/ or /data/misc/ are critical to Android, and cleaning them without root rights can lead to bootloop looping or loss of functionality (for example, a fingerprint or NFC will not work).

How to Check What’s in the Other’s Place

Before you delete something, you need to understand which files are eating up memory. MIUI has built-in tools, but they only show the tip of the iceberg.

Method 1: Built-in storage analyzer

Go to Settings → Storage → Storage Analysis. Here Xiaomi tries to categorize files, but often the Other is left undisassembled.

• 📊 «System data" - here can be hidden logs and dumps.
• 🗑 «Cash – Sometimes the files from The Other get here».
• 🔍 «Other files" - system attempt to classify part of the garbage.

If there is nothing here, move on to a deeper analysis.

Method 2: View through the file manager (with root rights)

If you have root access, use Root Explorer or Solid Explorer to check the following folders (sort by size):

/data/log/


/data/anr/




/data/tombstones/




/data/misc/




/data/system/




/sdcard/Android/obb/ (sometimes game remnants are included)




/sdcard/MIUI/ (MIUI logs and dumps)




/sdcard/Download/.thumbnails/ (miniatures that are not always cleaned)

Method 3: Analysis with ADB (without root)

Connect your phone to your PC and execute a command to output a list of large files:

adb shell ls -lh /data/log/ | sort -k5 -hr

This will show files in /data/log/, sorted by size. Similarly, check the other folders in the list above.

💡

If you see files with the.trace or.bugreport extension in ADB output, they can be deleted – these are error logs that the system creates for diagnosis, but rarely reuses.

Safe Ways to Clean the Other Without Root Rights

If you're not ready to root or work with ADB, try these methods. They won't remove everything clean, but they will help you free up 1 to 5 GB:

1. Clearing cache and data of unnecessary system applications

Some MIUI services accumulate gigabytes of data, but they can be reset without harm:

• 🎮 Game Turbo: Settings → Annexes → Application management → Game Turbo → Warehouse → Clear the data.
• 📱 Second Space (if not used): Remove it in Settings → Special facilities → Second Space.
• 🌐 Mi Browser or Browser: Clear cache and data, even if you do not use the browser.
• ☁️ Mi Cloud: Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → Synchronization → Clear the data.

2. Delete temporary files through recovery mode

This method will work if the Other has grown due to system logs:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Power button + Volume up to enter Recovery Mode.
3. Select Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache (not to be confused with Wipe Data!).
4. Reset the device.

This will delete temporary files and logs, but will not affect user data.

3. Resetting application settings

If the “Other” appeared after the MIUI update, try resetting all the apps’ settings:

Settings → Annexes → Application management → ⋮ (menu) → Resetting application settings.

This will clear the cache and data of some services, but will not delete personal files.

Backup of important data

Check the vacant space (should be ≥10%)

Close all applications

Disable Mi Cloud Sync (Temporary)

Connect the charger (in case of long-term cleaning)-->

Radical methods: cleaning through ADB and root

If the standard methods didn't work, and the Other takes 10+GB, you'll have to use advanced tools.

1. Delete logs via ADB (no root)

Connect your phone to a PC with ADB installed and execute the commands:

adb shell


su (if there is root)




rm -rf /data/log/*




rm -rf /data/anr/*




rm -rf /data/tombstones/*




rm -rf /sdcard/MIUI/debug_log/*




rm -rf /sdcard/Download/.thumbnails/*

These commands will delete most log files and temporary data, and if the phone is stable after a reboot, you can repeat the procedure every 1-2 months.

2. Clean /data/system/ folder (root only!)

This folder stores user settings, but sometimes it accumulates junk files.

rm -rf /data/system/package_cache/


rm -rf /data/system/usagestats/




rm -rf /data/system/dropbox/

⚠️ Note: Do not delete other files in /data/system/ — It's gonna crash the system!

3. Using scripts for automatic cleaning

For root users, there are pre-built scripts like Universal Storage Cleaner or MIUI Debloater that analyze "Other" and suggest that only secure files be deleted, and you can download them on the XDA Developers or 4PDA forums.

Why does the other come back after cleaning?

Many users complain that after a week or two of cleaning, the Other section grows again.

• 🔄 Automatic creation of logs: MIUI constantly writes debugging information, especially if the Settings option is enabled → The phone. → Version. MIUI → (Press 7 times to turn on the developer mode) → Debugging by USB.
• 📱 Background services: Mi Cloud, Mi Security and Game Turbo update their caches regularly.
• 📦 Remains of updates: after update MIUI The system saves the old versions of the files /cache/ And it doesn't always remove them.
• 🤖 Errors in the file system: if the phone is not properly turned off (for example, the battery is down), “broken” files may appear, which the system refers to as “Other».

To minimize the growth of the Other, follow these tips:

• 🔋 Reboot your phone regularly (every 2-3 days) – this clears temporary files.
• 🚫 Turn off unnecessary sync in Mi Cloud (Settings) → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud).
• 📵 Limit the background activity of applications in Settings → Battery and productivity → Battery management.
• 📥 Before the update MIUI Clear the cache through Recovery Mode.

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If the Other takes up more than 10 GB and does not decrease after cleaning, this may indicate a file system error, in which case only a factory reset or a Fastboot flashing will help.

Alternative ways to free up memory if the Other is not cleared

If the fight against the Other has not worked, consider these methods:

If you decide to reset the settings, first:

1. Save backup through Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset.
2. Record or take pictures of your Wi-Fi settings, accounts and apps.
3. Make sure you have access to your Mi Account (confirmation may be required after the reset).

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Factory reset is the most radical, but also the most effective way to get rid of The Other, after which the partition usually takes no more than 1-2 GB.

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