“Other” in Android storage: what it is and how to clear it without risk to the phone

Have you ever looked at the storage settings of your Android smartphone and seen Is there a mysterious “Other” section that takes up gigabytes of memory? This item often becomes a headache for users: it cannot be removed using standard means, and the amount of space occupied is only growing. Unlike photos, videos, or apps, Other content has no obvious source—and that's scary. In fact, this category hides system caches, temporary files, remnants of deleted applications and other “invisible” data that Android does not classify as standard file types.

The problem is that most guides on the Internet suggest radical measures: resetting to factory settings or using dubious “cleaners” that often delete important files. We'll figure out what exactly is stored in the “Other” section on Androidhow to safely clean it without data loss and why some methods can harm your device. Let us separately dwell on the nuances for different versions of the OS - from Android 10 to Android 14, as well as on the features of smartphones Samsung, Xiaomi and Google Pixel.

What is “Other” in Android storage and why does it take up so much space

The “Other” section (or “Other” in English firmware) is a container for files that the system cannot classify as standard categories: photos, videos, audio, documents or applications. This includes:

• 🗑️ Application and system cache —temporary files that should have been deleted automatically, but remained due to failures.
• 📦 Remains of deleted apps —folders and application settings that were not completely erased.
• 🔄 Logs and error dumps —files created by the system for diagnostics (especially important after OS updates).
• 📱 Firmware and OTA update files —archives with updates that were not deleted after installation.
• 🔗 Symbolic links and empty folders are file system artifacts that take up space but are not visible to the user.

For example, after an update Android 13 to Android 14 in the “Other” section may remain up to 1–3 GB unnecessary files are normal, but they can be deleted manually. But on devices Xiaomi with firmware MIUI duplicate caches often accumulate due to system optimization features. It is important to understand: not everything “Other” can be safely deleted - some files are critical for the operation of the OS.

How to check what exactly is taking up space in the “Other” section

Before deleting something, you need figure it out which files are hidden under “Other”. There are several methods for this - from built-in tools to third-party utilities.

🔍 Method 1: Built-in storage analyzer (works on most smartphones):

1. Open Settings → Storage.
2. Tap on the “Other” (or “Other”) section.
3. Some firmware (for example, One UI on Samsung) will show a detailed list of folders and their size.

🔍 Method 2: File manager with root access (for advanced users):

• 📁 Use Solid Explorer or FX File Explorer with mode enabled Root.
• 🔎 Go to root directory and sort the folders by size. Please note:

/data/log/
/data/system/
/data/misc/
/cache/

Folder/file	What is stored	Is it possible to delete
/data/log/	Error logs and system logs	Yes (except for current logs)
/data/system/package_cache/	Cache of installed/deleted applications	Yes (after backup)
/data/misc/apexdata/	APEX module data (Android 10+)	No (critical for the system)
/cache/	Temporary update files and cache	Yes (after reboot)

⚠️ Attention: Deleting files from folders /system/ or /vendor/ can lead to device inoperability. Even with root access, do not erase files whose purpose you do not know.

Safe ways to clear “Other” without root access

If you do not have the desire or ability to obtain root access, there are slightly legitimate methods reduce the size of the “Other” section. They do not require special knowledge and are suitable for most devices.

🧹 Method 1: Clearing application and system cache

• 📱 Go to Settings → Applications.
• 🔄 Select the "All applications" tab and sort by size.
• 🗑️ For each large application (for example, Google Play Services, Facebook, Telegram), click "Storage" → "Clear cache."
• 🔧 To clean system cache go to Settings → Storage → Other applications → Cached data (on some devices this item may be called differently).

🧹 Method 2: Removing old OTA updates

After installing updates, Android often leaves their archives in memory. To remove them:

1. Open Settings → System → System update.
2. Click on the three dots (menu) and select “Delete downloaded updates” (if such an item exists).
3. For Samsung: go to Settings → Device maintenance → Storage → Clean.

Back up important data|

Check free space on device|

Close all running applications|

Disable automatic application updates-->

🧹 Method 3: Using built-in manufacturer tools

Some brands add their own optimization utilities:

• 📱 Samsung: Settings → Device maintenance → Cleaning (will remove unnecessary files and application remnants).
• 📱 Xiaomi: Security → Cleaning → Deep cleaning.
• 📱 Google Pixel: Settings → Storage → Free up space.

⚠️ Attention: On devices c Android 12+ some system files may be protected with the “Private Compute Core” function. Removing them through third-party utilities may disrupt the operation of Google services.

Cleaning “Other” using ADB (for experienced users)

If standard methods did not help, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB) a tool for low-level device management. This method does not require root access, but requires caution.

🖥️ Preparation:

1. Download ADB for your OS (official source).
2. Enable USB Debugging to Settings → System → About phone → Build number (tap 7 times, then return to Settings → System → For developers).
3. Connect the phone to the PC and confirm trust in the computer.

🔧 Commands for cleaning:

adb shell pm trim-caches 512G # Clearing the cache of all applications
adb shell rm -rf /data/local/tmp/* # Deleting temporary files
adb shell rm -rf /cache/* # Clearing the system cache (requires reboot)

📊 Viewing large files:

adb shell du -h /data | sort -rh | head -n 20

This command will show 20 largest folders v section /data. If among them there are unnecessary files (for example, old backups or logs), you can delete them with the command adb shell rm -rf /path/to/folder.

What to do if ADB does not see the device?

1. Make sure the drivers are installed (use Google USB Driver for Windows).

2. Try another USB cable (preferably the original one).

3. Restart your phone and PC.

4. In Developer settings select the data transfer mode File system (MTP) or Charging only, then enable again USB debugging.

⚠️ Attention: Commands rm -rf irreversibly deletes files. Do not use them for folders /system, /vendor or /boot - this will lead to device brick.

Third-party applications for cleaning “Other”: what works and what doesn’t

There are hundreds of applications that promise to “magically” clear memory. Most of them are either useless or dangerous. We tested several popular utilities and compiled a list of those that Google Play hundreds of apps that promise to “magically” clear your memory. Most of them are either useless or dangerous. We tested several popular utilities and compiled a list of those that really help (and do not delete important data).

Application	What cleans	Security	Cons
Files by Google	Cache, duplicates, old files	✅ Safe	Does not delete system files
SD Maid	Remaining applications, logs, empty folders	⚠️ Requires caution	Plugins for deep cleaning are paid
CCleaner	Cache, history, temporary files	❌ Risky	Deletes useful data, aggressive advertising
Storage Analyzer	Analysis of folders by size	✅ Safe	Does not clear automatically

🔍 Recommendations for selection:

• 🛡️ For safe wipe use Files by Google or Storage Analyzer —they will not delete critical files.
• 🔧 If necessary deep cleaningtry SD Maid, but manually check that is deleted.
• ❌ Avoid CCleaner, Clean Master and the like - they often break the operation of applications and show false warnings.

💡 Tip: After using any utility Reboot your phone and check if any errors have appeared in the operation of applications. If yes, restore the data from the backup.

What to do if “Other” again takes up a lot of space

Cleaning “Other” is not a one-time procedure. To prevent the problem from returning, you need to configure the system correctly:

🔄 1. Disable automatic creation of backup copies of unnecessary data:

• Go to Settings → Google → Backup.
• Disable backup for applications that do not contain important data (for example, games or social networks).

📱 2. Limit caching for individual applications:

• In Settings → Applications select an application (for example, YouTube or Instagram).
• Tap Storage → “Limit cache” (if there is such an option).

🗃️ 3. Transfer some of the data to an SD card or cloud:

• Use Google Photos to automatically upload photos/videos.
• For application files (for example, cards in Google Maps), select saving to an SD card.

🔧 4. Check your storage regularly:

• Once a month, run the built-in storage analyzer.
• Delete unused ones applications and their data.

⚠️ Attention: On devices with Android 11+ some system files may automatically restored after cleaning. This is normal - this is how damage protection works.

When clearing “Other” does not help: radical measures

If you have tried all the methods, and the “Other” section still takes up 5+ GB, perhaps the problem is deeper:

🔨 1. settings

This is an extreme measure, but it is guaranteed to clear all unnecessary files. Be sure to make a backup copy before resetting:

• Go to Settings → System → Reset settings.
• Select “Delete all data” (on some devices - “Reset to factory settings”).
• Confirm the action and wait for the reboot.

🔨 2. Reflashing the device

If the reset did not help, perhaps the problem is damaged file system. In this case:

• Download the official firmware for your model from the manufacturer's website.
• Use Odin (for Samsung) or Fastboot (for Google Pixel, Xiaomi etc.) for flashing.

🔨 3. Replacement of memory (for old devices)

On smartphones older than 5 years flash memory may wear out, due to which the system incorrectly calculates the occupied space. In this case, only replacing the memory chip will help (which is often impractical).

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about the “Other” section in Android

❓ Why does “Other” appear again after a few days after cleaning?

This is normal behavior of the Android System. constantly creates temporary files (logs, caches, dumps), and some applications (for example, Facebook or TikTok) aggressively cache data. To slow down the growth of "Other", limit the cache for such applications manually or use Lite versions social networks.

❓ Is it possible to delete “Other” completely?

No, and it is not necessary. Some of the files in this section critical for system operation (for example, data about application rights or network settings will lead to failures). up to 1–2 GB.

❓ Why does “Other” take up more space on Samsung than on other phones?

Firmware One UI from Samsung actively uses duplicate caches to speed up work. In addition, this section stores data for functions like DeX or Secure Folder. To reduce the volume, disable unnecessary Samsung services in Settings → Additional functions.

❓ Do “cleaners” like Clean Master help?

Most of these applications are ineffective or harmful.. They:

• Delete the cache, which can be cleared manually.
• Show false warnings about “critical errors”.
• Can delete important data (for example, game saves).

Exception - SD Maid (if used correctly).

❓ How to clear “Other” on Android 14?

In Android 14 Google has tightened control over system files. Now to clean:

1. Use Settings → Storage → Free up space (the built-in tool has become smarter).
2. Adb requires explicit permission: in Settings → System → For developers enable USB debugging (security options).
3. Some folders (for example /data/misc/apexdata/) are now protected Read-Only File System (ROFS) and cannot be changed.