Autoupload photos in Xiaomi Cloud: the principle of operation, settings and hidden nuances

Have you ever noticed how photos from your Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO automatically appear in the cloud storage, even though you clearly did not upload them there? This is the autoupload feature in Xiaomi Cloud, a convenient but not always obvious tool that can both save your photos when your phone breaks and eat up the lion’s share of mobile traffic or space in the cloud. In this article, we will discuss how this feature works, where you store uploaded files, how to configure it to your needs – or turn it off altogether if it interferes.

Many users are unaware that their smartphone automatically syncs photos with Xiaomi servers, and does this not only over Wi-Fi, but also through the mobile network, if you do not adjust the restrictions, and meanwhile, this feature can cause a sudden exhaustion of cloud storage, slow down the gadget or even unauthorized access to personal photos when Mi Account data is leaked.

What is a photo autoloader in Xiaomi Cloud and why you need it

Autoupload photos in Xiaomi Cloud is a feature that automatically copies all new photos and videos from your smartphone to the Mi Cloud cloud storage. It works in the background and is activated immediately after the first sign-in to your Mi Account. The main goal is data protection: even if the phone breaks down, drowns or it is stolen, all pictures will remain safe on Xiaomi servers.

But there's a downside to this function, too.

• 📱 Traffic consumption: By default, photos are uploaded even via mobile internet, which can lead to unexpected costs.
• 💾 Occupied space in the cloud: free tariff Mi Cloud offers only 5 GB, which is enough for a short time.
• 🔋 Increased battery consumption: Constant background synchronization drains the battery faster.
• 🔒 Privacy risks: photos are stored on Xiaomi servers, which means that they can theoretically be accessed by third parties.

By default, autoboot is enabled for all new Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices when you first sign in, but you can turn it off completely, customize it to specific conditions (e.g., Wi-Fi only), or even choose which folders to sync, and this is discussed in the following sections.

How to check if autoboot is enabled on your smartphone

Before you set up or disable a startup, you need to make sure it's even active, and you can check this in two ways: through your cloud settings or directly in the gallery.

Method 1: Through Settings → Mi → Mi Cloud Account:

1. Open the settings on your smartphone.
2. Go to the Mi Account (or Mi Account) section.
3. Choose Mi Cloud.
4. Scroll down to the Autoboot block – here will be the status of the function.

Method 2: Through the gallery:

• Open the standard Gallery app.
• Slip on three dots in the upper right corner and select Settings.
• Find the Mi Cloud or Cloud Sync section.

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If you see the words "Sync is suspended" in the Mi Cloud settings, it does not mean that the feature is disabled; it may be temporarily blocked due to lack of Internet or space in the cloud.

If you are active, next to the name will be a switch in the position of On. Also in this section you can see how many photos are already uploaded to the cloud and how much space they take up.

Where are uploaded photos stored and how to access them

All photos uploaded through autoupload are stored in the Mi Cloud personal account, which can be accessed from both your smartphone and your computer.

From the smartphone:

1. Open the Gallery app.
2. Go to the Cloud (or Mi Cloud) tab.
3. All synchronized photos and videos grouped by date will be displayed here.

From the computer:

1. Go to i.mi.com.
2. Sign in to your Mi Account account.
3. In the Gallery section you will see all the uploaded files.

But there's one caveat:

Also, consider that Xiaomi can compress photos when downloading, if you have the option "Saving traffic" enabled, in which case the originals will only remain on the phone.

How to set up autoload to your needs

If you don’t want to turn off the startup completely, but want to control its operation, you can configure several key parameters:

The Wi-Fi-only setting is especially useful, preventing unexpected mobile internet consumption, and note the option to download only when charging (not all models are available), which will help save battery life.

Insert "Wi-Fi only"|Select "Original Quality" (if quality is important)|Turn off video download|Eliminate unnecessary folders (screenshots, downloads)|Check your busy place in the cloud once a month-->

If you often take pictures in RAW format or shoot videos in 4K, it is recommended to turn off their autoload, since such files take up a lot of space.

How to completely disable autoload photos in Xiaomi Cloud

If you decide you don't need to download, you can turn it off completely, and you can do it in two ways: through the cloud settings or through the gallery.

Method 1: Through the Mi Cloud

1. Open the Settings. → Mi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Find the Autoboot section and tap on it.
3. Move the slider to the off position.
4. Confirm the action if a request appears.

Method 2: Through the gallery

1. Open the Gallery app.
2. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Settings.
3. Go to Mi Cloud or Cloud Sync.
4. Turn off the autoboot option.

💡

Disabling autoload does not remove photos that have already been uploaded from the cloud; they will remain on Xiaomi servers until you manually delete them.

Once disabled, new photos will no longer be uploaded to the cloud, but all previously synced files will remain in place. If you want to delete them, do so via the Mi Cloud web version or the Gallery app (the Cloud tab).

⚠️ Note: If you disable the autoload and delete the photo from your phone, they will be irretrievably lost unless you have saved the backup in another way.

Hidden Autoboot Issues: Traffic, Battery, and Safety

Even if autoboot seems convenient, it can create a few hidden issues worth knowing about:

1. Uncontrolled traffic flow

Xiaomi defaults to upload photos even over the mobile network, and if you have a limited rate, this can lead to additional costs, such as uploading 100 photos in high quality can eat up to 500 MB of traffic.

2. Fast battery discharge

Constant synchronization in the background increases the load on the processor and communication module, which leads to accelerated battery discharge, especially on low-end models Redmi.

3. Risks of data leakage

Photos are stored on Xiaomi servers that could theoretically be hacked, and if your Mi Account is compromised, attackers will have access to all your photos.

4.Occupied space in the cloud

The free Mi Cloud tariff offers only 5GB, which is short-lived. If you don't follow the boot, the place will quickly run out, and you will either have to buy additional space or delete old files.

If you take pictures often, consider alternative backup methods, such as Google Photos or Yandex.Disk, where you can set up more flexible sync conditions.

Alternatives to booting in Xiaomi Cloud: what to choose

If you are not happy with the Xiaomi autoload, you can use other services to back up photos.

• 📷 Google Photos: offers 15 GB for free, easy search by photo and automatic sorting. minus - photo compression at a free rate.
• ☁️ Yandex.Disk: gives 10 GB for free, there is automatic upload of photos, plus - the servers are located in Russia, which can be important for privacy.
• 🍎 iCloud: Suitable if you have Apple devices. 5GB is free, but deep integration with the ecosystem.
• 🔗 Syncthing: Open source software to sync files between your devices without the cloud, full control of data, but requires customization.

Each of these services has its pros and cons, such as Google Photos is easy to search for content (for example, you can find all photos with dogs), and Syncthing is suitable for those who do not trust cloud storage.

If you decide to switch to another service, don’t forget:

1. Download all photos from Mi Cloud to your computer or other device.
2. Disable autoboot in Xiaomi to avoid duplication.
3. Set up a new service according to your needs.

FAQ: Frequent questions about autoloading photos in Xiaomi Cloud