Xiaomi cameras are some of the most popular video surveillance devices, thanks to a combination of price, quality and functionality. But many users are faced with a problem: the manufacturer actively promotes paid cloud storage rates, hiding or making access to free options difficult. In fact, free cloud storage for Xiaomi cameras exists, it is just hidden in the settings and has restrictions.
In this article, we will discuss all legal ways to connect a Xiaomi Mi Home, Mi Camera or Mi Home Security camera to the cloud without payment, including hidden app features, alternative services and circumvention of restrictions.Relevant for 2018-2026 models (including Mi Home Security Camera 360° 2K, Mi Camera 2 Pro, etc.).
Which Xiaomi Cameras Support Free Cloud?
Not all Xiaomi devices can sync to the cloud without a subscription, and the free options are available only for certain lines, with functionality varying by region and firmware version.
- 📌 Mi Home Security Camera 360° (All generations – 7 days of event storage (only motion notifications).
- 📌 Mi Camera 2/2 Pro — 3 Day of storage of images by triggers (without continuous recording).
- 📌 Mi Home Camera 2K — Free rate only for users from China (in other regions requires a free rate) VPN).
- 🚫 Xiaomi Smart Camera C300/C400 — Free cloud is disabled from 2023 Year (local storage only).
Important: Even if your model is on the list, free fare may not be available in your region. For example, in Europe and the United States, Xiaomi often blocks free features by offering only paid subscriptions.
Limitations of Xiaomi’s Free Cloud
Before you set up the cloud, you need to understand its limitations, and the free rate is not a full-fledged replacement for local storage, but rather a demo version with serious disadvantages:
| Parameter | Free fare | Paid fare (from 99)₽/moss) |
|---|---|---|
| Storage period | 3-7 days | 30–90 days |
| Video resolution | 720p (reduced) | 1080p/2K (original) |
| Continuous recording | ❌ No. | ✅ Yes. |
| Number of events per day | Up to 50 (limit) | Unlimitedly |
| Bilateral audio communication | ✅ Yes (delayed) | ✅ Yes (priority channel) |
Critical limitation: the free cloud only stores snippets by triggers (movement, sound), not a full record. If you need round-the-clock archiving, you can't do without a local drive (microSD or NAS).
⚠️ Note: Xiaomi can change the terms of the free tariff at any time. for example, in 2023, the storage period for users from Russia was reduced from 7 to 3 days without warning.
How to get around the regional restrictions of free cloud
If your region has a free cloud blocked (for example, the Mi Home app does not have a Cloud Storage option), you can try changing your account country.
- Open the Mi Home app and go to Profile → Settings → Region.
- Choose China, where free cloud is available for all cameras.
- Restart the application and check for the presence of Cloud Storage in the camera settings.
- If you don’t have one, try India or Singapore (there are also free options).
Important: if you change the region, all previous camera settings will reset, and some features (for example, integration with Google Assistant) may stop working, and there may be problems with the interface language - in the Chinese version of the application, part of the menu will be in Chinese.
What if the camera switched off after the change?
Step-by-step: Connect to a free cloud
If your model supports free cloud, follow this instruction.The process is the same for all Xiaomi cameras, but menu item names may differ depending on the app version.
Update the Mi Home app to the latest version
Connect your camera to Wi-Fi (2.4GHz)
Charge the camera to 100% (for standalone models)
Make sure your Xiaomi account is confirmed by email-->
- Open the Mi Home app and select your camera on the home screen.
- Go to Camera Settings → Cloud Storage (or Cloud Storage).
- Click on “Activate Free Trial” (even if you’ve had a trial before, sometimes this item reappears).
- Select the option "Free tariff" (usually hidden under the "skip" button or at the bottom of the screen).
- Confirm activation via SMS or email (if required).
Once activated, the Cloud Records section will appear in the camera settings, where you can view the archive. Please note that the first recordings may not appear until 1-2 hours after you connect.
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If you don’t have Cloud Storage in your settings, try temporarily disabling the VPN (if it’s on) or reconnecting your camera to another Wi-Fi. Sometimes Xiaomi blocks access to the cloud when a VPN is detected.
Xiaomi Cloud Alternatives: Free Video Surveillance Services
If Xiaomi’s free plan doesn’t suit you (due to storage or resolution restrictions), you can use third-party services, which aren’t always as convenient as your native cloud, but offer more flexibility:
- 🌍 Google Drive + Tasker: Automatically upload screenshots from the camera when motion is detected (requires an Android device as an intermediary).
- 📁 Synology Surveillance Station: If you have a NAS From Synology, you can connect the Xiaomi camera through RTSP-stream (free for 2 cameras).
- 🔗 Home Assistant + Telegram bot: homemade cloud with notifications in Telegram (needs customization skills).
- 🛡️ IVideon: Russian service with free rate for 1 camera (storage up to 7 days, but without restrictions on permission).
The easiest option for beginners is IVideon. It supports most Xiaomi cameras via the ONVIF protocol (you need to turn it on in the camera settings).
- Download the IVideon Client app.
- Add the camera through Add the device → ONVIF.
- Enter. IP-Camera address (can be found in Mi Home) → Settings → Network).
- Choose a free rate when registering.
⚠️ Warning: When using third-party services, disable Xiaomi's cloud to avoid conflict.Simultaneous dual cloud operation can cause lags or camera overheating.
Frequent problems and their solutions
Even after successfully connecting to the free cloud, users are faced with errors, and here are the most common ones and ways to fix them:
| Problem. | Reason. | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| The cloud is not activated. | Regional restrictions | Change your account region to China (see section above) |
| Records missing after 1 day | Xiaomi server error | Reconnect the camera to the cloud (turn off and turn on storage) |
| Video in the cloud jerking | Low Internet speed | In the camera settings, select Video Quality: Standard |
| No notifications coming. | Limitations of iOS/Android | Allow background work for Mi Home in phone settings |
If the camera doesn’t connect to the cloud at all, check:
- 🔌 Internet connection stability (camera must be connected to 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, not 5GHz).
- 📱 Mi Home version (upgrade to the latest in Google Play or App Store).
- 🔄 Availability of camera firmware updates (checked in Settings) → Update of the PO).
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If after all the manipulations, the cloud never worked, try resetting the camera to the factory settings and adding it to the app again, which solves the problem 80 percent of the time.
How to increase the retention period of records without payment
Xiaomi doesn’t officially allow the expansion of the free rate, but there are several workarounds that don’t guarantee 100% results, but often help extend the storage of records from 3-7 to 14-30 days:
- Multi-account: Create a second Xiaomi account and connect the camera to it. Free rates are activated again, which gives you another 7 days of storage. Minus: you need to constantly switch between accounts.
- Auto Download: Configure the automatic storage of phone records in Mi Home (in Settings → Notifications → Save video when detected) so you get a local copy even if the record disappears from the cloud.
- RTSP-flow + NAS: If you have a home server or NAS, Connect the camera through RTSP And set up the recording to the hard drive. The instructions for Synology are in the alternatives section.
- Script for Telegram-bot: With the help of Python and the library telethon, you can write a bot that will automatically download new records from the Xiaomi cloud and save them to the Telegram channel.
The most reliable way is to combine cloud and local storage, for example, you can use a microSD card for round-the-clock recording and a cloud to back up important events.