The problem with the mysterious “Other” section, which is rapidly eating up free space in the internal storage, is familiar to many owners of smartphones Xiaomi, Redmi i Poco. Users often encounter a situation where, after checking memory through the standard menu, they discover that tens of gigabytes are occupied by incomprehensible files that the system cannot classify as photos, videos or applications. This is a natural concern, especially on devices with a small amount of built-in memory, where every gigabyte counts.
In fact, the “Other” category is not a virus or a system error, but a collection of system caches, temporary files, messenger data and remnants of deleted apps. In the shell MIUI and new HyperOS algorithms for calculating space work specifically, often assigning to this section even those files that should be displayed in other categories. Understanding the nature of this data is the first step to successful cleaning without the risk of losing important information.
In this article we will examine in detail safe and effective methods of dealing with a bloated partition. You'll learn how to use built-in cleaning tools, how to manually delete unnecessary files through File Explorer, and what hidden settings can help you reclaim precious space. The main thing is to act consistently and avoid radical methods, such as a complete reset of settings, unless there is an urgent need.
The nature of the “Other” section: what is stored there
Before you begin deleting, you need to clearly understand what this volume consists of. In most cases, system logs occupy the lion's share. Messengers like application cache and system logs. Messengers like Telegram i Viber have the habit of saving all viewed media files in hidden directories, which a standard memory analyzer does not always correctly interpret as “Images” or “Videos”, sending them to the general “Other” heap.
In addition, this includes temporary system update files that were not automatically deleted after the successful installation of a new version Android or shell. Residual files from long-deleted games and apps also tend to accumulate over the years, taking up space and slowing down the file system. Sometimes this section also includes memory dump files created by the system when application crashes.
⚠️ Attention: Do not try to delete files from system folders manually if you are not 100% sure of their purpose. Removing critical system libraries may cause the smartphone to stop booting or begin to work with serious errors.
It is important to note that the size of the “Other” section may fluctuate depending on the intensity of use of the device. Actively surfing the Internet, watching high-definition video content and installing a large number of applications naturally increase this figure. Regular maintenance allows you to keep this partition within reasonable limits, preventing the memory from becoming critically full.
Before cleaning, make a backup copy of important contacts and photos to cloud storage or to your computer to prevent accidental data loss during the cleaning process.
Using the built-in Security application
The simplest and safest The way to start cleaning is to use the standard tool from Xiaomi, which is preinstalled on each device. The application “Security” (or Security) has a built-in Cleaning module that automatically scans the device for junk files. Launch the application, select “Cleanup” and wait until the analysis is completed.
The system will offer to delete the application cache, advertising files and the remains of installation packages APK. By clicking the "Clean" button, you can free up anywhere from a few hundred megabytes to several gigabytes of space. However, it is worth understanding that this method is superficial and does not always affect the deep layers of the messenger cache or specific system logs, which also belong to the “Other” section.
For deeper cleaning, there is a “Deep Cleaning” function inside the “Security” application. It allows you to analyze large files, duplicate photos and rarely used applications. This tool is especially useful for identifying “heavy” files that the user may have forgotten to delete, such as old videos or game installation files.
You should not rely solely on automatic scripts. Periodically go to the “Application Management” section within the same security menu. There you can manually select a specific application that takes up a lot of space and clear its cache. This is a more targeted approach that allows you to control which app data is deleted and which remains untouched.
Manual cleaning through Explorer and file manager
For those who prefer full control over the file system, manual cleaning through the standard Explorer will be the most effective method. On smartphones Xiaomi it is called “Files” or File Manager. Go to the storage settings inside the application and select the "Files" category to see the folder structure. Particular attention should be paid to the folder Android/datawhere the data of many applications is stored.
Inside the directory Android gigabytes of cache from social networks and browsers often accumulate. For example, folders named com.telegram.messenger or com.google.android.youtube may contain terabytes of temporary data. Deleting the contents of subfolders cache within these directories is safe and will not lead to the loss of correspondence or accounts, since the main database is stored separately.
☑️ Manual cleaning checklist
Another “black hole” for memory - hidden folder .thumbnails, which is located in the directory DCIM. It stores thumbnails of all your photos and videos. Over time, this file can grow to incredible sizes, especially if you have thousands of images in your gallery. Deleting this file will force the system to recreate it again, but in a smaller size, which will instantly free up space.
⚠️ Attention: The folder
.thumbnailsis hidden by default. To see it in the file manager, you need to go to the Explorer settings and activate the “Show hidden files” item. Be careful not to delete the folder itselfDCIMwhere the original photos are stored.
It is also worth checking the folder Download (Downloads). Often users download files, view them once and forget to delete them. There may be old presentations, application installation files, archives and documents that are no longer relevant. Sorting files by size will help you quickly find the largest “parasites” in this directory.
Cleaning the cache of messengers and social networks
Messengers deserve special attention, since they are the main generators of garbage in the “Other” category. Telegram, for example, has a built-in powerful cache cleaning tool, which is often ignored by users. Go to Settings → Data and memory → Memory usage and click “Clear cache”. You can configure automatic cleaning so that the cache does not exceed a certain limit, for example, 1 GB.
The situation is similar, but the file structure is slightly different. Go to WhatsApp the situation is similar, but the file structure is slightly different. Go to Settings → Data and storage → Storage management. Here the application will show you the files that take up the most space and allow you to delete them selectively. This is a convenient way to get rid of forwarded videos and GIFs that are duplicated in chats and take up space.
Social networks like VK or Instagram also cache a huge number of images and videos for fast loading of the tape. In the settings of these applications there is often a “Clear cache” option. If there is no such item, you will have to go through the Android system settings: Settings → Applications → [Select application] → Storage → Clear cache.
Why is the messenger cache growing so quickly?
Messengers save every picture and video, that you view in your feed or chats, even if you didn’t click the “Download” button. This is done to speed up re-downloads, but without regular cleaning it turns into gigabytes of useless garbage.
Regularly clearing the messenger cache not only frees up space in the “Other” section, but can also speed up the operation of the applications themselves. A full cache sometimes causes the app to slow down when scrolling through the feed or opening chats. Therefore, this procedure should be included in your weekly smartphone maintenance routine.
Hidden system settings and debugging
There is a lesser-known way to clean up system garbage through the developer menu, but you should use it with caution. In some versions MIUI clearing data from Google Play services or system components may temporarily reduce the “Other” section. To access these settings, you need to activate developer mode by clicking 7 times on the build number in the “About phone” menu.
After activation, go to Settings → Advanced settings → For developers. Here you can find the item “Background process limit”. Setting a limit, for example, to 2 processes, will not clear memory instantly, but will prevent the accumulation of temporary data from many applications running simultaneously in the background. This is more of a preventive measure than a cleaning tool.
| Data type | Where it is located | Deletion security | Impact on the system |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application cache | Settings / Applications | Safe | Applications take a little longer to load |
| Folder .thumbnails | DCIM / .thumbnails | Safe | The gallery will rebuild the preview |
| Remaining APK | Download / MIUI folder | Safe | Absent |
| System logs | Hidden system folders | Not recommended | Possible errors in diagnostics |
Another nuance is related to the function MIUI Optimization. In some cases, disabling this option in the Developer menu changes the way memory is displayed, and the Other section may appear visually smaller as files are reorganized into other categories. However, this may interfere with gestures and some system functions, so after checking the memory, it is better to return the option to its original state.
Disabling MIUI optimization is a temporary solution to reallocate memory statistics, and not a method of physically deleting files. Use it only for diagnostics.
Dramatic measures: Reset and flashing
If none of the above methods helped, and the “Other” section continues to take up an abnormally large amount of space (for example, 20-30 GB on a device with 64 GB of memory), the file system may be damaged or a serious indexing error has occurred. In this case, the most radical but effective solution is a full reset to factory settings.
Before performing this procedure, it is critical to save all personal data to an external drive or to the cloud. Resetting will delete absolutely everything: contacts, photos, applications and settings. After returning to the factory state, the “Other” section usually occupies the minimum volume required for system operation, which confirms the effectiveness of the method in advanced cases.
⚠️ Attention: A full reset (Wipe Data) will delete all user data without the possibility of recovery. Make sure you remember the password for your Mi account, since after resetting the phone will require you to enter it to activate (anti-theft protection).
An alternative to a full reset is to flash the device via a computer using the utility Mi Flash Tool. A clean installation of the firmware with formatting of all partitions guarantees the removal of any software junk. This method requires certain technical skills and the presence of a computer, but it is the most reliable way to return the smartphone to its “out of the box” state.
What to do if, after resetting, “Other” returned immediately?
If the “Other” section quickly filled up immediately after resetting and installing a couple of applications, the problem may be in a specific firmware version or a failure at the file system level. In this case, you should try installing a different version of MIUI (stable instead of weekly or vice versa).
Prevention of memory filling in the future
To prevent the problem from returning, you need to implement the habit of regular smartphone maintenance. Set a rule to check your downloads folder once a month and clear the cache of heavy applications. Modern smartphones are powerful, but the file system does not like it when it is jam-packed - this reduces the speed of writing and reading data.
Use cloud services to store photos and videos. Setting up automatic uploading to Google Photos or Yandex.Disk and then deleting local copies will keep the gallery light. This directly affects the size of the “Other” section, since thumbnails and gallery cache will take up less space.
You should also be careful about installing applications from unknown sources. Third-party apps often create their folders in the root of the internal memory and do not delete them after uninstallation. Try to keep your desktop and file system clean by deleting unnecessary shortcuts and empty folders as soon as they appear.
Enable memory full notification in your storage settings. This will allow you to respond to the problem immediately when the free space drops below 10-15%, without reaching a critical state.
Remember that the “Other” section is an indicator of the activity of your device. It is impossible to completely get rid of it, and it is not necessary, since the cache speeds up the system. Your task is to prevent it from growing uncontrollably, turning your smartphone into a slow device with an eternal lack of space.
Why does the “Other” section increase immediately after cleaning?
This is normal system behavior. After clearing the cache, applications begin to reload the necessary data for their work. If you immediately open YouTube or social networks, they will begin to cache the content and the volume of the section will temporarily increase. You should worry if growth occurs in the background without using the phone.
Is it possible to delete the Android folder completely?
No, you absolutely cannot delete the entire folder. Android . It stores not only the cache, but also authorization data, settings and saves of many applications. Deleting this folder will reset all apps to factory settings and lose progress in games.
Does the “Other” section affect the speed of the smartphone?
Yes, it does. When the internal memory is more than 90% full, the data writing speed drops significantly. This leads to interface sluggishness, long opening times for applications, and problems when shooting video. Maintaining free space is critical for performance.
Will third-party applications like Clean Master help?
In most cases, no, and sometimes they even do harm. Third-party “cleaners” often work more aggressively than standard tools, deleting necessary files, and at the same time they themselves consume a lot of resources by showing advertisements. The built-in Xiaomi tool is usually enough for competent cleaning.
What to do if “Other” takes up more than 50% of the memory?
Such a volume is abnormal. First, try clearing your messenger cache and .thumbnails folder. If this doesn't help, check your phone for viruses. As a last resort, you will need a backup and a full reset to factory settings to correct file system errors.