You probably noticed that when checking your smartphone’s storage, a significant part of the volume is occupied by a mysterious section called “Other”. This causes irritation, because the user does not understand what exactly is hidden there and whether it can be removed without harm to the system. In fact, this category is a hodgepodge of system caches, temporary files and application data that the operating system Android cannot clearly classify as photos, videos or documents.
Understanding the nature of this data is critical for proper device maintenance. Often, it is this partition that is full and causes the "Out of Memory" message to appear, even if you rarely install new apps. Let's take a closer look at the composition of this storage and learn how to safely return precious gigabytes of free space.
What is hidden under the "Other" label
The "Other" section (sometimes referred to as System or Misc) is not one specific type files, but an aggregated indicator of various data. This includes application cachewhich accumulates during the use of instant messengers, browsers and social networks. It also stores temporary system update files that were not automatically deleted after installing the new version OS.
A significant share is occupied by offline map data, downloaded podcasts and streaming content, which applications consider their internal storage. For example, if you watch TV series in an online movie theater with the ability to download, these files are often counted in the “Other” category and not in the “Video” section.
In addition, remnants of deleted applications, system error logs, and configuration backups may also be included here. Sometimes the volume of this partition swells due to incorrect operation of the file system, when deleted files formally disappear from Explorer, but continue to take up space in the storage indexing.
Main sources of memory filling
The main culprit for filling up the partition is most often instant messengers. Telegram, WhatsApp i Viber aggressively cache media files to speed up their re-download. This data is stored in hidden folders and is often not visible by standard system tools as separate pictures, falling into the general mass of “Other.”
The second most important source is browsers. When surfing the Internet, thousands of small page elements, cookies and scripts are saved. Over time, the cache size Chrome or Yandex Browser can reach several gigabytes if it is not cleared manually through the app settings.
- 📱 Social network cache: TikTok, Instagram and YouTube save watched videos for fast scrolling of the feed.
- 🗺️ Offline data: Navigation maps and downloaded routes take up space in the system partition.
- 🔄 Update files: Temporary installation packages left after a firmware or application update.
It is worth noting that some manufacturers smartphones, such as Xiaomi or Samsung, can classify the same files differently in their shells MIUI and One UI. Therefore, the size of the “Other” partition on different devices with the same set of applications can differ significantly.
Safe cleaning through system settings
The most reliable way to reduce the size of a partition is to use built-in cleaning tools. In modern versions Android enough to go to Settings → Storage. The system will analyze the data and offer to delete unused files or clear the cache of specific applications.
Pay attention to the “Cache” item. Clicking on it allows you (in one click) to delete temporary files of all apps at once. This is safe and will not lead to the loss of your personal correspondence or saved passwords, since only temporary data is deleted.
☑️ Safe cleaning algorithm
⚠️ Attention: Never click the “Clear data” (or “Reset”) button if you do not want to delete the entire correspondence history, logins and settings of a specific application. This function returns the app to the “as after installation” state.
For deep cleaning, it is also useful to check the “Downloads” section. Often installation files accumulate there .apk, which have already been used but forgotten by the user. Removing them will instantly free up space that the system could classify as “Other.”
Using Developer Mode and ADB
For advanced users for whom standard methods are not enough, there are more powerful tools. Connecting your smartphone to a computer and using debugging via ADB (Android Debug Bridge) allows you to see hidden sections of the file system and delete files that are not accessible through the regular interface.
However, this method requires caution. An incorrect command can lead to system malfunction or even bricking of the device. Before you begin, be sure to make a complete backup of your important data to an external drive or to the cloud.
adb shell pm trim-caches 999999999This command attempts to trim the cache of all applications to a minimum. It does not work on all devices and requires root access or specific permissions in developer mode. If the command does not work, then your version Android restricts such access for security purposes.
Before using ADB commands, enable “USB Debugging” in the “For Developers” menu, which is activated after 7 clicks on the build number in the “About Phone” section.
Storage analysis with third-party utilities
Sometimes built-in tools do not show the full picture. Specialized applications, such as Files by Google, DiskUsage or SD Maidvisualize the file system as a map. This allows you to clearly see which folder takes up the most space.
Using such utilities you can find “heavy” system service logs or forgotten folders from deleted games. For example, you may find that a game that was deleted a month ago left behind a folder with 2 GB of resources, which is now listed in the “Other” section.
| File type | Extension | Where to look | Can be deleted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Temporary cache | .tmp,.cache | /data/cache | Yes, safe |
| System logs | .log | /data/tombstones | Yes, if there are no failures |
| Installers | .apk | /Download | Yes, after installation |
| Database | .db,.sqlite | /data/data/[app] | No, data loss |
When using third-party software, carefully read the file descriptions before deleting. Removing the system library may cause the smartphone to stop booting or basic functions such as the camera or sound to stop working.
Dramatic measures: reset to factory settings
If the size of the “Other” partition is abnormally large (for example, it takes up 20-30 GB on a device with a total volume of 64 GB) and cannot be removed cleaning, a file system error may have occurred. In this case, the most effective solution is to completely reset the device.
This procedure will delete absolutely all data from the phone, returning it to its “out of the box” state. The file system will be reformatted and all the “garbage” will disappear. Before doing this, it is critically important to save contacts, photos and documents to cloud storage.
⚠️ Attention: Resetting the settings is irreversible. Make sure you know the password for your Google account, as after turning on the phone will require it to confirm ownership (FRP protection).
What to do if the memory is full immediately after the reset?
If immediately after the reset the “Other” section grows quickly again, the problem may be in cloud synchronization. Check your Google Photos or Yandex.Disk settings - they may be caching all your photos from the cloud back to your device. Disable the Free up space feature or autostart if it works in the opposite direction.
After returning to factory settings, it is recommended that you do not restore the backup copy of the entire applications, but install them again manually. This will prevent the return of old cached data and configuration errors that may have caused the problem.
If standard cache clearing does not help reduce the "Other" partition by more than 10%, the problem is most likely a file indexing error, and only a full system reset will help.
Preventing storage overflow
To the problem did not return, it is worth changing your smartphone usage habits. Regularly check your messenger settings and disable automatic saving of media to the gallery unless absolutely necessary. This will prevent duplication of files in different memory sections.
Use cloud services to store large files. Modern plans provide enough space for photos and videos, allowing you to store only relevant data on your device. Setting up automatic uploading to Google Drive or Yandex.Disk and then deleting local copies is an excellent strategy.
- 🧹 Weekly routine: Spend 5 minutes a week cleaning out your Downloads folder and cache browser.
- 📲 Application control: Delete apps that you have not used for more than a month.
- ☁️ Cloud synchronization: Set up automatic uploading of heavy videos to the cloud.
Remember that the file system Android requires about 10-15% of free space to work correctly. If the memory is full, the speed of the processor and writing data to flash memory drops significantly, which leads to interface lags.
Why does the “Other” section show more space than the sum of all files?
This is due to the peculiarities of allocating memory blocks. The file system reserves space for service needs and also takes into account the size of blocks allocated for files, even if the file occupies only part of the block. In addition, hidden system recovery partitions may appear in the general balance as “Other”.
Can you transfer “Other” files to an SD card?
No, you cannot directly transfer this partition, since it contains the system cache and application data tied to internal fast memory. Transferring this data to a slow SD card will lead to a critical slowdown of the smartphone and crashes in applications.
Does the “Other” section affect the speed of the phone?
Yes, it does indirectly. When the internal memory is more than 90% full, the memory controller cannot distribute data writes effectively. This causes freezes, long application openings and slow camera performance. Freeing up space in the “Other” section often returns the device to its former speed.