Every smartphone owner sooner or later encounters an annoying notification about lack of free space. You delete photos, transfer videos to a memory card, uninstall unnecessary games, but the treasured gigabytes do not appear. The culprit for this situation is often the mysterious "Other" (Other) section in the storage settings. This item can take up from 5 to 50 GB, turning into a “black hole” that absorbs free space for no apparent reason.
Many users mistakenly believe that this is system garbage that cannot be removed, or are afraid to erase data for fear of damaging the operating system. Android. In fact, this category is a collection of various files that the system cannot automatically classify as images, audio, video or installed applications. Understanding the nature of this data is the first step to regaining control of your device.
In this article we will analyze the partition structure in detail "Other", identify the main memory “eaters” and offer safe cleaning methods. You will learn why messengers are so gluttonous, how cached data works, and what hidden files can be deleted without risking the functionality of the gadget.
What the "Other" section actually consists of
Term "Other" is a general concept used by the shells of smartphone manufacturers (MIUI, OneUI, ColorOS) and itself Android to classify files that do not fall into standard categories. When you see this line in the memory settings, you see a mixture of application cache, residual files from uninstalled apps, offline map data and archives.
The bulk of this section is occupied by cached data. Applications such as browsers, social networks and streaming services save temporary files to speed up loading of content. These files accumulate over time, even if you haven't visited certain sites or pages in a while. The system considers them important for performance, so it does not delete them automatically.
The operating system update files that remain after successful installation of the firmware are also included here. Sometimes system error logs and crash reports are recorded in the “Other” section, which are needed by developers for debugging, but are absolutely useless for the average user. If you actively use navigation, offline maps Google Maps or Yandex.Maps can also significantly increase the volume of this section.
⚠️ Attention: Do not try to delete files from the "Other" section through file managers with root access manually if you do not know the exact purpose of each file. This may lead to inoperability of system applications or loss of data.
Why does the volume of "Other" change abruptly?
The volume of the "Other" section may increase sharply after updating the system or installing a large application. This is due to the fact that during the installation process temporary archives and backup copies of configuration files are created, which the system marks as “Other”. Usually they are deleted automatically after a reboot, but sometimes they remain in memory.
Messengers and social networks: the main culprits
If you are an active user Telegram, WhatsApp or Viberthen these applications are 90% likely to be the source of the bloated partition "Other". The mechanism of operation of instant messengers is such that all received media files (photos, videos, voice messages, stickers) are saved to the internal memory of the device. However, the system often does not recognize them as individual media files, but classifies them as data from a specific application, which is displayed in the “Other” or “Application Data” category.
Behaves particularly aggressively in this regard. Telegram. By default, it caches all viewed videos and photos so that when you reopen a chat, they load instantly. Over a month of active correspondence in several groups, the cache of this messenger can grow to 10–20 GB. The user may not even be aware of this until he goes into the storage settings.
Social networks, such as Instagram (or its analogues) and TikTokalso create huge amounts of temporary data. Browsing your feed, downloading stories, and editing videos inside the app generates a lot of intermediate files. This data is necessary for the smooth operation of the interface, but their accumulation critically affects free space.
- 📱 Telegram: Caches media from all chats and channels by default.
- 💬 WhatsApp: Saves backup copies of chats and received videos in hidden folders.
- 🎵 TikTok/Instagram: Accumulates a cache of effects, masks and watched videos.
- 🌐 Browsers: Save page cache, cookies and website avatars to speed up loading.
To solve this problem, it is not necessary to delete the application itself. Just go to its internal settings and find the “Memory Usage” or “Data and Storage” item. There you can clear the cache or configure automatic deletion of old files. For example, in Telegram you can set the cache to be automatically deleted after 3 days or a week, which will solve the problem once and for all.
System cache and update data
The operating system Android constantly works in the background, creating various service files. One of the major sources of the section “Other” is update data. When you download and install a new firmware version or security patch, the installation package often remains in memory for some time. In an ideal scenario, the system should delete it immediately after installation, but failures in the process or features of the manufacturer’s shell can lead to the file remaining as a dead weight.
Another important component is the DALVIK and ART cache. These are optimized application files that are created when apps are first installed to speed up their launch. Although they are technically system data, during crashes or after mass uninstallation of applications, their volume may not be displayed correctly or may not be reduced automatically. This also includes debug logs, which are useful to engineers, but useless to you.
Sometimes files from previous versions of applications are hidden in the “Other” section. When updating the app via Google Play the system can save the old version in case of rollback if the new one turns out to be unstable. If you use your phone for a long time and rarely do a complete cleaning, several such “layers” may accumulate.
⚠️ Attention: The settings interface and menu item names may differ depending on the Android version and shell (MIUI, OneUI, etc.). Always check the official manual for your specific phone model.
Rebooting your smartphone periodically (at least once a week) helps the system automatically perform basic cleaning of temporary system files and complete stuck update processes.
How to clear “Other” through your smartphone settings
The safest and recommended way to deal with a bloated partition "Other" is to use built-in cleaning tools. Smartphone manufacturers build special utilities into shells that can correctly identify and remove garbage without affecting important system files. This method is suitable for most users who do not want to delve into technical details.
First, go to the settings menu of your device. Find the partition responsible for storage. Depending on the model, it may be called Memory, Storage or Device and memory. Here you will see a visualization of the occupied space and the same “Other” section. Clicking on it often opens a detailed list of what exactly is taking up space.
Next, use the “Cleanup” function. The system will offer to delete unused files, duplicates and cache. Be careful: some phones allow you to select specific types of files to delete. If you see the “Clear application cache” option, feel free to confirm the action. This will not delete your logins, passwords or correspondence, but only temporary download files.
☑️ Safe cleaning algorithm through settings
If the built-in utility fails, you can try a deeper method through the app menu. Go to Settings → Applications, sort the list by memory size. Select the top 5 heaviest applications (usually social networks or games) and go to their properties. There, click the button Clear cache. Do not confuse it with the “Clear data” button, which will reset the application to its factory state!
Radical methods: resetting and formatting
Sometimes the situation reaches a dead end: built-in cleaners do not help, the messenger cache is deleted, but the partition "Other" again swells to incomprehensible proportions. This may indicate a file error or deeply clogged system directories that are not visible to standard tools. In such cases, you have to resort to radical measures.
The most effective, but labor-intensive method is to completely reset the device to factory settings (Factory Reset). This procedure completely erases all data from the internal storage, including the “Miscellaneous” section, and returns the phone to “out of the box” condition. Before doing this, be sure to back up all important contacts, photos and documents to the cloud or to your computer.
There is also an intermediate option - clearing the Wipe Cache Partition cache. This method does not delete your personal data, but it does clear the system cache at a deeper level than a normal reboot. To enter this mode, turn off the phone and hold down the combination of buttons (usually Volume up + Power) to get to the Recovery menu.
| Cleaning method | Data security | Efficiency | Complexity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built-in cleaning | High (data saved) | Medium | Low |
| Manually clearing the application cache | High (data saved) | High (for specific applications) | Medium |
| Cleaning via Recovery | High (data saved) | High (system garbage) | High |
| Reset to factory settings | Low (everything is deleted) | Maximum | Medium |
⚠️ Attention: Before performing a factory reset, make sure you remember the password for your Google account. Otherwise, FRP (Factory Reset Protection) protection will work, and you will not be able to activate the phone after the reset.
A full reset to factory settings is the only guaranteed way to completely reset the “Other” partition if it has grown due to system errors in the file system.
Prevention: how to prevent refilling
Clearing memory is half the battle. The main task is to prevent a situation where the partition "Other" again eats up all the free space in a month. To do this, you need to change your smartphone usage habits and configure several settings in advance. Prevention is always easier than dealing with the consequences.
First of all, set up auto-cleaning in instant messengers. As mentioned earlier, Telegram and WhatsApp have automatic media removal functions. Set a limit of 3-7 days. This means that the files will be deleted from the phone's memory, but will remain on the server, and you can download them again if necessary. This saves gigabytes without losing information.
Secondly, regularly check the folder Download (Downloads). Often, users download APK installation files, PDF documents or archives that were needed once and forget about them. These files are often not indexed by the gallery and end up in “Other”. Once a month, go to the file manager and delete everything unnecessary from there.
Thirdly, use cloud storage for photos and videos. Services like Google Photos or Yandex.Disk allow you to enable the “Free up space” function. After the pictures are uploaded to the cloud, the application will delete their local copies from the device, leaving only the thumbnails. This significantly reduces the load on the internal memory.
Why can't you ignore the "Other" section?
Ignoring the overflow of the "Other" section not only leads to the inability to install new applications. This slows down the entire phone as the system does not have enough space to create temporary Swap files needed for multitasking. In critical cases, the phone may begin to reboot or freeze.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Is it possible to delete the “Other” section completely without losing data?
It is impossible to completely delete this section, since it is a system category. However, you can minimize its size to a few hundred megabytes by clearing the application cache, deleting old updates and resetting messenger settings. User data (photos, contacts) will not be affected if the cache is properly cleared.
Why does “Other” quickly fill up again after cleaning?
This is normal system behavior. Applications re-create the cache for faster operation. If filling up occurs abnormally quickly (for example, 5 GB per day), check whether some application is running in the background with an error, or whether constant screen/log recording is enabled.
Does the SD memory card affect the “Other” section?
Directly - no. The "Other" section refers to the internal storage. However, if you transfer applications and media files to a memory card (if your model and version of Android supports this), the load on the internal memory will decrease, and the volume of “Other” will visually become smaller relative to the total volume.
Is it safe to use third-party cleaning applications?
With caution. Many popular cleaners are themselves advertised platforms and can slow down your phone. The built-in Android tools are usually sufficient. If you use third-party software, choose proven solutions like Files by Google, avoiding aggressive “accelerators”.
What to do if “Other” takes up more than 50% of the memory?
This is a sign of a serious failure or accumulation of errors over a long time. It is recommended to take a complete backup of your important data and perform a factory reset. This will return the phone to factory speed and clear the file system of garbage.