How to completely delete files from the "Other" section on Android: step-by-step guide

Partition "Other"** in Android storage is a real “black hole” for free space. It can take up from 5 to 30 GB, but the user does not see exactly what files are stored there. The system includes here the application cache, temporary data, remnants of deleted apps, error logs and even hidden messenger files. As a result, the smartphone begins to slow down, and the memory runs out for no apparent reason.

The problem is complicated by the fact that standard Android tools (for example, Settings → Storage) do not allow you to view the contents of this section. Moreover, after manual cleaning through the “Storage” menu, the “Other” volume is often restored after a few days. This occurs due to the automatic creation of cache and temporary files by system processes.

In this article we will look 5 proven methodshow to delete files from “Other” on Android, including hidden methods for advanced users. You will learn what tools to use on Samsung, Xiaomi, Honor and other brands, as well as how to prevent memory from clogging up again.

Why does the “Other” section take up so much space?

Android classifies all files that do not fall under the standard ones into the “Other” category categories: Applications, Photo, Video or Audio. This section includes:

• 📁 Application cache —temporary data that apps save to speed up work (for example, thumbnails in the gallery or loaded pages in browser).
• 🔄 Residual files — “tails” from deleted applications that were not cleared correctly.
• 📜 Logs and dumps —records about system errors, crashes and reports for developers (for example, files with the extension .log or .dmp).
• 🔒 Hidden messenger files — Telegram, WhatsApp and Viber store downloaded stickers, animations and media here that are not displayed in the gallery.
• 🛠️ System updates - packages OTA, which are downloaded before installation, but are not always deleted after it.

On some firmware (for example, MIUI from Xiaomi or One UI from Samsung) “Other” also includes:

• 🎵 Offline cache of music services (Spotify, Yandex Music, Apple Music).
• 🗺️ Maps and navigation data (Google Maps, Yandex.Navigator).
• 🎮 Game data — saves, texture packs and additional files that are not related to the main APK.

It is interesting that on Android 12+ and Android 13 the volume of “Other” can be artificially inflated due to the peculiarities of the file system F2FS (used on most modern smartphones System). reserves space for future operations, but displays it as busy. This is not a bug, but an optimization feature.

Method 1: Clearing the cache of all applications (without root)

The simplest and safest method is to delete the cache for all installed apps. This will not damage personal data (photos, messages, accounts), but may reset some settings (for example, authorization in games or saved passwords in games). browser).

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Applications (on some firmware - Settings → All applications).
2. Tap on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Sort by size.
3. Open the applications that take up the most space one by one (usually Google, Facebook, Chrome, Telegram).
4. In the application menu, select Storage → Clear cache.

To speed up the process, you can use mass clearing:

1. Go to Settings → Storage → Cache data.
2. Confirm deletion (on some devices you will need to enter PIN code).

Close all active applications

Connect your smartphone to charge (the process may take 5-10 minutes)

Save important data from the browser (bookmarks, passwords)

Check the free space before and after cleaning-->

After the procedure, the volume of “Other” will decrease by 1–5 GB, but after 1–2 weeks the cache will begin to accumulate again. To slow down this process:

• 🔄 Limit the background activity of applications in Settings → Battery → Battery optimization.
• 🚫 Disable auto-downloading of media in messengers (Telegram: Settings → Data and memory → Auto-downloading media).
• 📴 Use “Lite” versions of applications (for example, Facebook Lite, Messenger Lite).

⚠️ Attention: On In some devices (for example, Samsung Galaxy S22+ c One UI 5.1), mass clearing of the cache may lead to resetting settings Bixby and Samsung Pay. Before the procedure, check whether important data is associated with these services.

Method 2: Removing residual files via Files by Google

The application Files by Google (formerly Files Go) can find and delete unnecessary files that standard Android tools do not see. It is free. works without root access and supports all OS versions from Android 5.0 and higher.

How to clear “Other” using Files by Google:

1. Install the application from Google Play.
2. Open it and go to the tab Cleaning.
3. Tap Free up space and wait for the analysis to complete.
4. In the section Unnecessary files select:
   • 🗑️ Temporary application files
   • 📁 Empty folders
   • 🔍 Duplicate files (if any)

Click Delete [X] elements and confirm the action.

Files by Google also knows how to find large. files (from 100 MB in size) that may be hidden in “Other” To detect them:

1. Go to the tab Browse.
2. Tap Storage analysis.
3. Select a category Other and sort the files by size.
4. Delete unnecessary elements (for example, old backups or unused APKs).

File type	Where to look	Can I delete
Cache Google Play Services	/data/data/com.google.android.gms/	Yes (will free up 500 MB–1 GB)
Logs Android System	/data/log/ or /sdcard/log/	Yes (if not needed for diagnostics)
Remains WhatsApp	/sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases/	Only files with the extension .crypt12 older than 30 days
Data Google Maps	/data/data/com.google.android.apps.maps/	Yes (maps will be downloaded again if necessary)

⚠️ Attention: Do not delete manually files from folders /system/, /vendor/ or /boot/ —this can lead to brik (breakage) of the device. Also avoid deleting files with extensions .odex, .vdex or .oat —they are critical for the operation of applications.

Method 3: Using ADB for deep cleaning (for advanced)

If standard methods did not help, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB) a debugging tool that allows you to manage the file system directly. This method. requires connecting the smartphone to the PC, but does not need root access.

What you will need:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows, macOS or Linux.
• 🔌 USB cable (preferably original).
• 🛠️ Installed drivers ADB (you can download from the official Android website).
• 📱 Enabled USB debugging on your smartphone (Settings → About phone → Build number - tap 7 times, then return to Settings → System → For developers → USB debugging).

Step-by-step guide:

1. Connect your smartphone to the PC and open the command line (cmd on Windows or Terminal on macOS/Linux).
2. Go to the folder with ADB (for example, cd C:\platform-tools) and enter the command:

   adb devices

   Make sure your device is listed.

3. Give file system permissions:

   adb shell

4. Delete the cache of all user applications (safely):

   pm trim-caches -f 1000000000

   This command clears the cache for all packages except system packages.

5. To delete temporary files of system applications, use:

   rm -rf /data/local/tmp/*

6. Reboot the device:

   adb reboot

If you are confident in your actions, you can manually view the contents of the folder /data/data/where application data is stored. For example, to find and delete the cache Google Chrome:

adb shell
su (if there is root)
cd /data/data/com.android.chrome/cache/
rm -rf *

What to do if ADB does not see the device?

1. Check if USB debugging is enabled in the developer options.

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

3. Install drivers for your smartphone model (for example, for Samsung need Samsung USB Drivers).

4. Restart the PC and smartphone.

5. If you use Windows, run the command line as administrator.

⚠️ Attention: Commands rm -rf without specifying the correct path can irreversibly delete critical system filesAlways check the current directory with the command pwd before performing the deletion.

Method 4: Cleaning via Recovery Mode (for experienced)

If the smartphone is very clogged and standard methods do not help, you can use Recovery ModeThis method will reset the partition cache /cache and partially clear “Other” without affecting user ones. data.

How to log in Recovery Mode:

• 📴 Turn off the smartphone.
• 🔘 Press the combination of buttons (depending on the model):
  • Samsung: Power + Volume Up + Bixby.
  • Xiaomi/Redmi/Poco: Power + Volume Up.
  • Google Pixel: Power + Volume Down.
  • Honor/Huawei: Power + Volume up (hold for 10 seconds).
• 🖥️ In the recovery menu, select Wipe cache partition (control - volume buttons, selection - power button).
• 🔄 Confirm the action and wait for completion.
• 📱 Reboot the device (Reboot system now).

This method clears:

• 🗃️ System update cache (OTA files).
• 📜 Temporary logs and dumps.
• 🔄 Residual files from installing/uninstalling applications.

On Some firmwares (for example, ColorOS from Oppo/Realmein Recovery Mode the option Wipe datais also available, but it does full reset (will delete all data!). data-i="239">full reset Wipe cache partition.

Method 5: Manually deleting hidden files (from root or without)

If you are ready for deeper cleaning, you can manually view and delete unnecessary files from “Other”. To do this you will need a file manager with access to system folders, for example:

• Solid Explorer (paid, but available trial version).
• FX File Explorer (free, with root support).
• MiXplorer (free, requires manual APK installation).

What files can be deleted without root:

Folder/file	Path	What can be deleted
Cache Google Play Store	/sdcard/Android/data/com.android.vending/cache/	All files inside the folder cache
Logs Android	/sdcard/log/ or /sdcard/Logs/	Files with the extension .log, .txt (except last_kmsg)
Remains Telegram	/sdcard/Telegram/Telegram Documents/	Old files (over 30 days), except important documents
Data Google Maps	/sdcard/Android/data/com.google.android.apps.maps/	Folders OfflineMaps and Cache

If you have root access, you can clear:

• 🗑️ Folder /data/dalvik-cache/ (virtual machine cache Dalvik).
• 📜 Folder /data/log/ (system logs).
• 🔄 Folder /data/local/tmp/ (temporary files).

Example command for cleaning dalvik-cache via ADB with root:

adb shell
su
rm -rf /data/dalvik-cache/*
reboot

⚠️ Attention: Deleting files from /system/ or /vendor/ even with root can lead to loss of warranty i inoperability device. Always make a backup before such operations (for example, through TWRP).

How to prevent re-clogging of the “Other”?

Cleaning the “Other” is a temporary solution. To prevent the problem from returning, follow these recommendations:

• 🔄 Clean regularly cache (once every 1-2 weeks) after Settings → Storage → Cache data.
• 🚫 Limit background activity:
  • Disable autorun of unnecessary applications (Settings → Battery → Optimization batteries).
  • Prohibit applications from running in the background (Settings → Applications → [application] → Battery → Background activity).
• 📴 Use “light” versions of applications:
  • Facebook Lite instead Facebook.
  • Messenger Lite instead Messenger.
  • Twitter Lite (PWA version) instead of the official client.
• 🗃️ Transfer data to SD card (if supported):
  • In Settings → Storage select Move data to SD card.
  • Use SD card as internal memory (formatted as Adoptable Storage).
• 🔍 Track "gluttonous" applications:
  • Sort by size and remove unnecessary ones. Settings → Applications Sort by size and remove unnecessary ones.
  • Use App Inspector (from Google Play) to analyze the storage.

To automate the process, you can install utilities:

• SD Maid — clears residual files and cache on a schedule.
• CCleaner — deletes unnecessary data and optimizes memory.
• Files by Google —reminds you of the need for cleaning.

If you notice that "Other" is growing too quickly (more than 1 GB per week), check your smartphone for viruses with using Malwarebytes or Dr.Web Light. Some malware disguises its files as system files, which leads to a sharp increase in occupied space.

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

❓ Why does “Other” take up a lot of space again after cleaning? places?

This is normal Android behavior. The system and applications constantly create temporary files to speed up the process. To slow down the process:

• Limit background activity of applications.
• Disable auto-downloading of media in instant messengers.
• Use “lightweight” ones. app versions.

If the volume of “Other” grows too quickly (more than 500 MB per day), check your smartphone for viruses.

❓ Is it possible to remove “Other” completely?

No, it is impossible to completely remove “Other” - this is a system partition necessary for Android to work. However, its size can be reduced to. 1–3 GB (depending on the smartphone model). The remaining space is occupied by critical OS files that cannot be deleted.

❓ Why does “Other” take up 20+ GB on Samsung?

On devices Samsung with firmware One UI v “Other” includes:

• Backups Samsung Cloud.
• Service cache Bixby and Samsung Pay.
• Data Samsung Health and Samsung Knox.
• Residual files from updates via Smart Switch.

To clear them:

1. Go to Settings → Accounts and backup → Samsung Cloud → Delete data.
2. Clear cache Bixby in Settings → Applications → Bixby → Storage.
3. Delete unnecessary data Samsung Health in the application itself.

❓ What to do if, after cleaning, the smartphone becomes slow down?

This is a temporary phenomenon. After deleting the cache, the system is forced to re-create the necessary files, which can slow down the work in the first 1-2 days. If the brakes do not go away:

• Reboot the device.
• Check if the smartphone is overheating (use CPU Monitor).
• Roll back to the previous firmware version if the brakes started after the update.

❓ Is it possible to transfer “Other” to SD card?

No, the “Other” section is part of the internal memory, and it is not possible to transfer it to an SD card. However, you can:

• Move individual applications to an SD card (Settings → Applications → [application] → Storage → Change → SD card).
• Use the SD card as internal memory (formatting as Adoptable Storage, but this will slow it down).
• Save media files (photos, videos) directly to the SD card.