Cloud Gallery in Xiaomi: A Complete Guide to Cloud Storage of Photos and Videos

Have you ever experienced a situation where a notification suddenly appears on a Xiaomi smartphone that “Syncs with Cloud Gallery” but you don’t understand what it is? Or maybe you tried to free up memory and the system suggested that you move the photos to the “cloud” by mentioning a mysterious gallery? This function is closely integrated into the ecosystem. MIUI, But many users still confuse it with the usual Google Photos or the standard gallery.

In fact, Cloud Gallery is a proprietary solution from Xiaomi, which works in conjunction with the Mi Cloud service and offers unique features compared to competitors. In this article, we will understand how the service functions, what hidden chips it has (for example, automatically creating collages or searching for content of photos), and why it can be more useful than Google Photos for owners of Xiaomi, Redmi or other devices. POCO. And also find out how to turn off sync if it interferes, and what to do if photos disappear after updating. MIUI.

Cloud Gallery (in Russian firmware may be called Cloud Gallery) is not just a photo viewing app, but a full-fledged media storage and management service integrated into Mi Cloud. Unlike the standard gallery, which works only with local files, Cloud Gallery:

  • 🔄 Syncs photos and videos between all Xiaomi devices under one account (even if it is a Pad 6 tablet and a Redmi Note 12 smartphone).
  • 🖼️ Optimizes storage: originals can be stored in the cloud, and only previews can be left on the phone (saving up to 80% of space).
  • 🔍 Searches for content: recognizes objects in the photo (for example, finds all pictures with dogs or the beach) without manual tags.
  • 🎨 Automatically creates albums by events, places or dates (e.g., "Trip to Sochi, July 2026»).

The main difference from Google Photos is the deep integration with the MIUI. For example, if you take a screenshot, it instantly appears in the Cloud Gallery and syncs with other gadgets, and it also supports hidden password-protected albums that are not visible in the standard gallery.

But there are downsides: only 5GB is available for free in the Mi Cloud (versus 15GB for Google), and when you remove a photo from the cloud, it disappears from all devices, and some features (such as facial recognition) work worse than competitors.

📊 What cloud storage you use more often?
Google Photo
Mi Cloud (Xiaomi)
iCloud
Other
Not using.

By default, the service is activated when you first sign in to your Mi Account, but you can set it up manually. Here's a step-by-step guide:

  1. Open the Gallery app (icon with multi-colored squares).
  2. Tap three horizontal lines at the bottom (or swipe to the right) → Choose the Cloud Gallery.
  3. Click Login and log in to Mi Account (if not previously logged in).
  4. Turn on the photo sync switch and select quality: Original - saves the photo without compression (takes up a lot of space in the cloud). High - compress to ~1024px Long side (recommended) Economy-intensive - strong compression (suitable for backups).
  5. In the Settings section (cog at the top) set up: 📱 Booting up Wi-Fi – to avoid wasting mobile traffic. 🔒 Hidden Albums – for Confidential Photos. 🗑️ Cleaning the device – automatically deletes local copies after uploading to the cloud.

If the synchronization is not started, check:

  • 🔌 Internet connection (necessarily stable, better over Wi-Fi).
  • 📱 Version MIUI (There may be bugs on old firmware; current — MIUI 14/15).
  • 🔄 Permissions for the Gallery application in Settings → Annexes → Permits.

☑️ Check before setting up Cloud Gallery

Done: 0 / 5

Important! If you're using Google Photos in parallel, turn off autoloading to avoid duplicate files, otherwise the same photo can take up space in both clouds.

The base rate of Mi Cloud includes 5 GB of free space, which is enough for about:

  • 📸 1,500 high-quality photos (~3 MB each).
  • 🎥 30 minutes of video in Full HD (~100 MB/min).
  • 📄 500 documents (PDF, DOCX).

For comparison, Google Photos has 15GB of free content, but it is shared between Gmail, Drive and other services, and Xiaomi has only dedicated its cloud to media files and backups.

Tariff.Volume.Cost (per month)Features
Free.5GB0 ₽File size limit (up to 20 MB per photo)
Standard.50GB~50 ₽Support for files up to 100 MB, priority download
Premium200GB~150 ₽Without File Size Limits, Advanced Search
Family2 TB (per 5 devices)~300 ₽Shared storage for the whole family, separate albums

To buy an extra seat:

  1. Open the Settings. → Mi Account → Mi Cloud.
  2. Put it on the Grow Storage.
  3. Choose the rate and pay via Mi Pay, bank card or Google Pay.

Important: when paying through Mi Pay, discounts of up to 30% for new users sometimes work (check the “Promotions” tab in the application).

💡

If you urgently need to vacate space, but do not want to buy a tariff, transfer the photos to Hidden Albums - they do not sync with the cloud and do not occupy space in the main storage.

Many users are faced with a problem: some photos are stored in Google Photos, and some in the Cloud Gallery. To combine libraries, follow the instructions:

  1. Download the archive with photos from Google Photos: Open photos.google.com → Settings → Data export. Select albums or dates, click Next → Create an export. Wait for an email linking to a download (may take hours).
  2. Unpack the archive on your computer or phone.
  3. Upload your photo to Cloud Gallery: Open the Gallery → Cloud gallery → Download. Select the folder with the unpacked photos and confirm the download.

It is simpler here – just enable autoload in Google Photos:

  1. Install Google Photos from the Play Market.
  2. Open the app. → pop on the avatar → Photo settings → Backup and synchronization.
  3. Turn on the switch and select quality (High or Original).
  4. Wait until synchronization is complete (may take a few days for larger libraries).

⚠️ Note: Metadata (dates, geotags, albums) may be lost when you move between services. To avoid this, use specialized programs like Digikam or ExifTool to save your data. EXIF-data.

Despite the convenience, users often encounter bugs, and here are the most common bugs and ways to fix them:

1. Photos are not synchronized

Causes and solutions:

  • 🔌 No internet – check your Wi-Fi or mobile network connection.
  • 🔄 An outdated version MIUI — Update the firmware in Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.
  • 🚫 Access blocked - go to Settings → Annexes → gallery → Permits and turn on the Warehouse and the Camera.
  • ⏳ Too many files – the cloud processes up to 500 photos per hour; wait or break up the download into pieces.

2.Photos missing after update MIUI

This is a problem when you upgrade to a new firmware version.

  1. Check the folder. MIUI/Backup/CloudGallery through any file manager (e.g., Mi Explorer).
  2. If there is no folder, try to recover from the basket: Open the Gallery → Bin (dumpster icon) and highlight the photos you need. → Restore.
  3. Use Mi Cloud on PC at the very least: Go to i.mi.com → Download the archive with the backup (if it was created).
What to do if Cloud Gallery freezes when you open?
If the gallery doesn’t open or is constantly rebooted, clear its cache: Go to Settings → Annexes → gallery → Storage. Click Clear Cache and Clear Data (Warning: This will delete local settings!) Reboot your phone. If it didn't work, try rolling back to the previous version. MIUI through settings → The phone. → Updating the system → Three points. → Select a Service Package.

3. "Not enough space in the Mi Cloud" error

Even if you bought the fare, sometimes this notification appears.

  • 🧹 Clean the Recycle Bin in Mi Cloud (files are stored there for 30 days).
  • 🗑️ Remove duplicates - to the Gallery → Albums. → Duplicate.
  • 🔍 Check Hidden Files – Sometimes System Backups Take Place.
  • 📦 Archive old photos - highlight the album → More. → Compress and archive.

⚠️ Note: If you delete a photo from Cloud Gallery on one device, it disappears from all the gadgets associated with your account. To avoid loss, make a backup to your PC via the web version of Mi Cloud before mass deletion.

Many people use Cloud Gallery only for backup, but there are useful “chips” that make it easier to work with photos:

  • 🎭 Effects of live photos: long press on the photo → Live photo → Choose animations (such as “Winter Snow” or “Summer Leaves»).
  • 🔒 Hidden albums with a password: Open the album → More. → Hide it. PIN-code.

These albums are not displayed in the main gallery and are not synchronized with the cloud.

Photo statistics

Mi Cloud

Automatic collages

For you.

Place map

Places.

Another little-known possibility is collaborative albums, so you can create an album and invite other Mi Account users to view or edit:

  1. Open the gallery. → Albums. → Create → Joint album.
  2. Add a photo and click Invite.
  3. Send a link or invitation via Mi Account.

This is convenient for family trips or joint projects, where you need to collect photos from several devices.

💡

Cloud Gallery can recognize text in photos (OCR) — just open the picture with the document and tap on the icon of the magnifier to copy the text.

If you don’t like the limitations of Mi Cloud (low space, slow sync), consider the alternatives:

ServiceFree seatPlusesCons
Google Photo15GBBest Content Search, Automatic Album Creation, Android IntegrationRestriction on original quality (from 2021), space shared with Gmail and Disk
Yandex Disc.10GBFast download in Russia, no restrictions on file sizeFewer features for photos (no automatic collages, weak search)
Amazon Photos5GB (unlimited for Amazon device owners)Unlimited storage for original photo (for Prime subscribers)Weak integration with Android, no Russian-language support
Synology PhotosDepends on NASFull control of data, no limits on volume, support RAWI need to buy. NAS-server, complex setup

For Xiaomi users, the best choice depends on the tasks:

  • 📱 If integration with the MIUI — Stay at Cloud Gallery (especially if you use Xiaomi’s ecosystem: watches, light bulbs, TVs).
  • 🔍 If you need a smart search, go to Google Photos.
  • 🏠 If privacy is the priority, set up Synology Photos or Nextcloud on your server.
  • 🇷🇺 If speed is important in Russia – use Yandex Disk or Mail.ru Cloud.

⚠️ Warning: When switching to another service, remember to turn off the autoload in Cloud Gallery to avoid duplicate files and unnecessary battery load.

Can I use Cloud Gallery without a Mi Account?
No, Cloud Gallery only works with authorization in Mi Account. Without registration, only a local gallery is available. If you do not want to register, use alternatives like Google Photos or Simple Gallery (from the Play Market).
How to turn off automatic photo synchronization?
To stop uploading photos to the cloud: Open the gallery → Cloud gallery → Settings. Turn off the photo sync switch. Confirm action (the system will warn that new photos will no longer be saved in the cloud.
Why is Cloud Gallery eating the battery?
If after activation of Cloud Gallery the phone became faster discharge, the reasons may be as follows: 🔋 Background synchronization – disable it in Settings → Accounts. → Mi Account → Synchronization of data. 📶 Weak network signal -- the phone is wasting power on rebooting attempts. 📁 Large volume of unsynchronized files – break up the download into parts of 100-200 photos. Also check if the option is enabled Download over the mobile network in the gallery settings.
Can I recover deleted photos from Cloud Gallery?
Yes, but only within 30 days of deleting: Enter the Gallery → Recycle Bin. Select the photos you want and click Restore. If it's been more than a month, try: Check your PC backups (Mi Cloud folder in downloads). Contact Xiaomi for support (if the photos were critical). ⚠️ After 30 days, files are deleted from Xiaomi servers without recovery.
Does Cloud Gallery support the format? RAW?
Yes, but with reservations: ✅ Files.DNG and.RAW uploaded to the cloud but not displayed in the web version of Mi Cloud. ✅ On the phone, they can be viewed in the Gallery app, but without editing. ❌ When synchronizing in Economy mode RAW-file convertible JPEG. For professional work with RAW Use Google Photos (Edit Supports) or Local Storage.