Cloud Gallery Thumbnails folder on Xiaomi: what it is and should be deleted

Xiaomi and Redmi smartphone owners often encounter mysterious folders when analyzing storage, and one of the most voluminous among them is cloud gallery thumbnails. Many users notice that this directory can take up gigabytes of valuable space, causing panic and questions about data security. In Android, especially in the shell of MIUI or HyperOS, such directories are created to speed up the interface, but over time their size becomes disproportionate to the benefit.

In this article, we will discuss in detail the purpose of thumbnails, why they accumulate in the cloud storage of the gallery and whether to interfere with the work of system processes. Understanding the structure of files will help you safely clear memory without losing important photos or synchronization settings. Let's figure out what lies behind the technical name and how to effectively manage this resource.

Purpose and principle of operation of miniatures

Files with the thumbnail extension are reduced copies of images or videos that the system uses to quickly display gallery previews. When you open the Gallery app, it doesn't load every original file in high resolution, as it would require huge computational resources and time. Instead, the operating system reads lightweight thumbnails, providing smooth scrolling of tape and instant interface response.

Cloud gallery thumbnails is specific to Xiaomi devices because it’s linked to the Mi Cloud cloud service and local synchronization. When you turn on gallery sync, the phone creates previews not only for local photos, but also for those in the cloud so that the user can see their content even with a weak Internet connection, which speeds up navigation, but leads to a constant increase in the size of the folder.

It's worth noting that the process of creating thumbnails is automatic and background. Once you take a new photo or download an image from a messenger, the system generates a smaller copy of it. If you store thousands of pictures in a phone, the number of corresponding preview files is in the thousands, which adds up to a significant amount of memory.

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Miniatures are created in the background immediately after the appearance of a new media file, so it is impossible to completely stop their generation without turning off the gallery.

Why does the folder take up so much space?

The main reason for the sprawling thumbnails directory is the lack of automatic cleaning of old or unused previews. Xiaomi's default system is set to performance, not space saving, so it saves copies of previews for all images ever seen. Over time, especially if you actively use the camera and social networks, this cache can grow to 5-10 GB or more.

Another factor is data duplication, and sometimes when sync fails with Mi Cloud or after a firmware update, the system can recreate thumbnails without deleting old ones, resulting in multiple versions of previews for the same photos. It also increases if you have seen heavy RAW-High-resolution files or videos 4K.

It's important to understand the difference between the original and the preview. The original photo can weigh 10MB and its thumbnail is 50-100K. However, when there are hundreds of thousands of such thumbnails, their combined weight becomes critical. Below is a table showing the approximate ratio of the number of photos to the space they occupy in the preview cache.

Can I remove Cloud Gallery Thumbnails?

The main question that users are concerned about is: is it safe to delete the contents of this folder? The answer is yes, you can delete files from the thumbnails directory. These files are temporary and do not contain the original photos of your photos. Deleting them will not lead to data loss, but will free up significant space in the internal memory of the device.

But you have to be prepared that after cleaning the gallery, it can be slower for a while, and the system will need to re-scan all the media files and generate new thumbnails, a process called cache rebilding, and during this process the phone can get a little warmer and the battery will be used more actively.

⚠️ Note: Do not delete the folder structure itself or the gallery database system files (such as files with the.db extension) unless you are sure of your actions. Clean only the contents of the thumbnails folder or use regular cache cleaners.

The best way to clean up is to use the system's built-in tools rather than manually deleting through the file manager, although the second option is permissible.Manual deleting ensures you clear exactly what you need, but requires caution when navigating system directories.

Instructions for cleaning manually and through settings

For those who prefer full control, there is a manual cleaning method. You will need access to hidden system folders. Open File Manager and make sure that the settings include hidden files. Usually, the path to thumbnails looks like Internal Storage/DCIM/.thumbnails or Internal Storage/MIUI/Gallery/cloud/cache.

An alternative and safer method is to clean through your app settings. Go to Settings → Apps → All Apps → Gallery. From the menu that opens, select Memory and click Clear Cache. This action will delete temporary preview files without affecting your personal photos and albums.

Manual check path:


/storage/emulated/0/DCIM/.thumbnails




or




/storage/emulated/0/MIUI/Gallery/cloud/cache

After cleaning, it is recommended to restart the smartphone, which will allow the system to correctly recalculate the free space and start the background optimization processes. If you use synchronization with Mi Cloud, make sure that the Wi-Fi connection is stable, since the gallery can begin to actively download data.

Impact on productivity and battery

The accumulation of a huge number of thumbnail files affects not only the free space, but also the overall speed of the smartphone. When the index database of the gallery becomes too large, the application can hang when opening or scrolling. The indexing process loads the processor, which is especially noticeable on the budget models of Redmi or Poco with a small amount of RAM.

Also, the background preview process (com.miui.gallery) can cause increased battery consumption. If you notice your phone warming up in your pocket or your battery setting down faster than usual, check the power usage statistics. Often, it is the gallery trying to process thousands of new images for cache that is a hidden resource user.

Regular prevention helps avoid problems. Every few months, it makes sense to check the amount of cache you use. If you don't use Xiaomi gallery, but prefer Google Photos, you can turn off sync in your Mi Account settings altogether, which will prevent cloud previews from being created.

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Regular cleaning of the gallery cache (every 2-3 months) prolongs the life of the drive and maintains a high speed of the interface.

Synchronization problems and their solution

Sometimes cloud gallery thumbnails grows due to synchronization errors, a cyclical process where the phone tries to download a preview from the cloud but the file gets corrupted and downloaded again due to a communication error can cause memory overflow in hours, and in such cases, you can see frequent calls to the Mi Cloud service in the system logs.

To solve the problem, try resetting your sync settings. Go to Settings → Mi → Mi Cloud Account → Gallery and temporarily turn off sync. After that, clear the gallery cache in the way described above and turn on sync back. This often breaks the error cycle.

⚠️ Before you turn off sync, make sure your important photos are already saved to the cloud or computer so you don’t lose data in case of conflict of versions.

It is also worth checking the version of the Gallery app through the GetApps store or Google Play. Xiaomi developers regularly release updates that correct memory leaks and preview bugs. Using an outdated version of the software can cause incorrect system behavior.