Many smartphone users are faced with a mysterious situation: the built-in memory of the device is full, although photos, videos and applications take up very little space. In the storage settings, a category appears called "Miscellaneous" or “Other”, which can take up tens of gigabytes. Where is this folder physically located and can it be deleted? In fact, there is no single directory with this name in the file system.
This is a collective term used by the operating system Android to refer to system files, application caches, temporary data and remnants of uninstalled apps. Understanding the nature of this data is critical for proper smartphone optimization. In this article, we will analyze in detail the structure of hidden memory sections and offer safe methods for freeing up space without the risk of damaging the device.
What is hidden behind the “Other” category
When you see that the “Other” section takes up 10, 20 or even 50 GB, this causes a natural desire to delete everything immediately. However system filesthose included in this category are necessary for stable operation of the OS. This includes error logs, temporary update files, Google Play services data and system process cache.
A significant part of the volume is often occupied by messenger data. Telegram and WhatsApp save media files in their internal directories, which the system does not always correctly classifies as “Images” or “Videos”. As a result, they end up in the general "Other" pile. Offline maps of navigators and a cache of streaming services can also be stored here.
⚠️ Attention: An attempt to delete the contents of system folders through a file manager with root access may lead to the device being “bricked” or a cyclic reboot. Proceed with caution and only delete the user cache.
Don't forget about files .nomediathat tell the system to ignore certain folders when scanning media. If there are too many of these files or they are damaged, memory statistics may be displayed incorrectly, overestimating the amount of used space in the “Other” category.
Before deep cleaning, be sure to back up important contacts and documents to cloud storage to avoid accidental data loss.
How to find hidden files through the file manager
For To visually inspect the file system, you will need an advanced file manager, for example Files by Google, Solid Explorer or FX File Explorer. Standard Explorer often hides service directories. After installing the application, you need to activate the display of hidden files in the settings.
The main data that forms the “Other” volume is usually located in the root directory of the internal memory. The heaviest folders are often located along the path /Android/data/ i /Android/obb/. The game cache and data of installed applications are stored here. In new versions Android 11 and higher, access to these folders is limited by the security system.
- 📂 Folder
DCIM/.thumbnails— stores thumbnails of your photos, which can grow to gigabytes. - 📂 Directory
Download— often contains forgotten installation files.apkand documents. - 📂 Directory
Bluetooth—all received files are automatically saved here via. - 📂 Messenger folders (for example,
Telegram/Telegram Images) - duplicates media files.
When manually deleting files, be extremely careful. Delete only those files whose purpose you understand. If in doubt, skip the file. The system may automatically recreate some temporary files after a reboot, which is normal behavior.
Clearing the application cache without deleting data
The safest way to reduce the size of the “Other” category is to clear the cache of specific applications. This will not affect your personal correspondence, logins or game progress, but will delete temporary files that speed up apps. This can be done through the standard settings of your smartphone.
Go to the section Settings → Applications → Manage applications. Choose an application that consumes a lot of resources (often browsers, social networks or instant messengers). Click on the item "Storage" and select the option "Clear cache". Do not confuse this button with the “Clear data” option, which will reset the application to factory settings.
☑️ Safe cleaning algorithm
For mass cleaning, you can use the built-in optimization tool. Most shells (MIUI, OneUI, ColorOS) have a “Security” or “Optimizer” application. Running a scan will allow you to remove system junk in one click. However, such tools sometimes work superficially and do not affect the deep cache.
⚠️ Attention: The settings interface may vary depending on the smartphone model and Android version. If you do not find the “Storage” item, look for it in the additional menu (three dots) or in the “Memory Usage” section.
Using Developer Mode and ADB
For advanced users for whom standard methods do not help, there is the possibility of cleaning via USB debugging. Connecting to a computer and using the console ADB (Android Debug Bridge) gives access to deleting the system cache, which is not accessible through the phone interface.
First you need to activate developer mode. Go to Settings → About phone and quickly click 7 times on the item "Build number". After this, a new section will appear in the settings menu "For developers". Enable the option "USB debugging".
adb shell pm trim-caches 999999999This command will forcefully trim the cache of all applications to a minimum possible value (in this example the limit is set very high to cut off all unnecessary). You can also use the command to remove the cache of a specific package if you know its name. This method requires the ADB driver to be installed on the computer.
Risks of using ADB
Incorrectly entering commands can remove critical system components. Use this method only if you fully understand the syntax of the commands and the consequences of their execution.
Specifics of the work of instant messengers and social networks
Messengers invariably remain the leaders in memory clogging. Telegram, for example, by default it saves all viewed photos and videos in a cache, which the system classifies as "Other." Over time, this cache can reach incredible sizes if you do not configure automatic cleaning.
In the settings of the messenger itself, find the section "Data and memory" → "Memory usage". Here you will see detailed statistics and a button "Clear Telegram cache". It is recommended to set the automatic cleaning period, for example, “3 days” or “1 week”. This will prevent garbage accumulation in the future.
| Application | Where to clean | Security | Efficiency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telegram | Internal settings | High | Very high |
| Settings → Storage | High | Medium | |
| YouTube | Application settings | High | Low |
| Clear Android data | Medium (login required) | High |
A similar situation is observed with YouTube i Spotify. When you listen to music or watch videos offline, encrypted cache files are created. Deleting them will free up space, but will require re-downloading the content the next time you use it without the Internet.
Regularly setting up auto-cleaning inside messengers is more effective than manually deleting files every six months.
Radical measures: resetting to factory settings
If none of the above methods helped reduce the size “Other” section, and it continues to grow for no apparent reason, perhaps errors or “bad” sectors have accumulated in the file system. In this case, the most effective solution would be to completely reset the device.
Before performing this procedure, be sure to save all important data to an external storage device or to the cloud. The process will return the phone to the condition it was in when purchased. All user data, including cache, settings and applications, will be permanently deleted.
To perform a reset, go to Settings → System → Reset settings. Select item "Delete all data (reset to factory settings)". After rebooting, the phone will be completely clean. The “Other” category will occupy the minimum possible volume required for the system to operate.
⚠️ Attention: Make sure you remember the password for your Google account. After reset, the device will ask for this data to verify ownership (FRP protection). Without a password, you will not be able to activate the phone.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Is it possible to delete the Android folder completely?
No, you absolutely cannot delete the entire folder. Android . It stores data from all installed applications. You can clear the contents of subfolders data and obb for specific games or apps that you want to reset, but deleting the entire directory will break the system.
Why does "Other" fill up again after clearing?
This is normal behavior of the operating system. Applications constantly create new temporary files to quickly load content. If you use instant messengers or watch videos, the cache will accumulate again. It is recommended to set up automatic cleaning.
Does the size of the "Other" folder affect the speed of the phone?
Indirectly - yes. If the internal memory is more than 90% full, the speed of writing and reading data drops, which leads to the interface slowing down. In addition, a large cache volume may indicate incorrect operation of a particular application.
Are root access needed to clear “Other”?
In most cases, root access is not needed. Standard Android tools and built-in cleaners are enough to remove 80-90% of garbage. Root access is required only to delete deep system logs or pre-installed non-removable software (bloatware).
What to do if “Other” takes up more space than all the memory?
This is an obvious bug in displaying statistics. Try rebooting your device. If the problem persists, check your phone with an antivirus, as some malware can disguise itself as system files and distort memory reports.