Google Photos on Xiaomi: A Complete Guide to Setup and Use

Have you just bought a new Xiaomi smartphone and noticed that in addition to the standard Photo Gallery, the device has Google Photos preinstalled? Or maybe your phone has been with you for a long time, but you still don’t understand why you need this service from Google and how it is combined with branded solutions from Xiaomi? POCO — From basic functions to hidden capabilities.

Google Photos is not just another gallery; it is a cloud-based service for storing, organizing and backing up photos and videos with automatic facial, location and object recognition. On Xiaomi smartphones, it often runs parallel to the standard Gallery app, causing confusion among users. In this article, we will take a detailed look at how the two apps interact, what benefits Google Photos gives to owners of Xiaomi devices, and how to properly configure the service to avoid losing any snapshots.

We’ll focus on the current settings for 2026 as Google Photos’ storage policies change regularly, learn how to avoid unexpected restrictions on free cloud, optimize sync to save traffic and battery life, and what hidden features will make working with photos on Xiaomi even more convenient.

What is Google Photos and Why You Need It on Xiaomi

Google Photos is a Google cloud service that automatically saves copies of all your photos and videos online. On Xiaomi smartphones, it is pre-installed by default (starting with Android 9 and later) and runs parallel to the standard gallery. The main difference from Xiaomi’s proprietary Photos app is as follows:

• 📁 Cloud storage: All uploaded media files are accessible from any device after logging in to your Google account.Even if you lose your phone, photos will remain safe.
• 🔍 Smart search: The service automatically recognizes objects, places, dates, and even text in photos, for example, you can search for "beach in Thailand 2023" or "cat on the couch", and the system will find all relevant pictures.
• 🎨 Editing Tools: The built-in editor offers more features than the standard Xiaomi gallery, including perspective correction, object removal, and automatic quality improvement.
• 📊 Analytics and selections: The service independently creates collages, animations, movies from your photos and reminds you of important events (for example, 3 years ago you were in Paris").

On Xiaomi devices, Google Photos is integrated at the system level, which means that:

• 🔄 It can automatically sync photos from a standard gallery (if the appropriate setting is enabled).
• 📱 When you delete a photo from the gallery Xiaomi service will offer to save a copy in the cloud.
• 🔗 Some functions (e.g., backup) are duplicated in the settings of both applications.

It’s important to understand that Google Photos is not replacing the standard Xiaomi gallery, but is complementing it. You can use both apps simultaneously: one for quick browsing and basic editing, the other for long-term storage and advanced features.

How Google Photos Interacts with Xiaomi’s Standard Gallery

Many Xiaomi users are faced with confusion: why photos are duplicated, why they remain in Google Photos when removed from the gallery, and vice versa.

By default on Xiaomi smartphones (for example, Redmi Note 12, Xiaomi 13, POCO X5) the following scheme:

1. All new photos and videos are saved to the folder. DCIM/Camera internal.
2. Xiaomi’s standard gallery (com.miui.gallery) displays these files immediately after shooting.
3. If backup is enabled in Google Photos, the service starts uploading copies of those files to the cloud (usually in the background).
4. When you delete a file from the Xiaomi gallery, it is deleted only from the device, but remains in the Google Photos cloud (if it was uploaded there).

Key point: Google Photos is not a substitute for local storage, it only backs up.

• 📲 Photos take up space in both the phone’s memory and the cloud (unless storage optimization is configured).
• 🔄 Removing from one application does not affect another unless synchronization is configured.
• 📁 Folders and albums in the Xiaomi Gallery and Google Photos are not automatically synced.

To avoid duplication and chaos, we recommend configuring the application interaction as follows:

Disable autoboot in the standard Xiaomi gallery (if you use Google Photos)

Enable backup in Google Photos over Wi-Fi only

Set up automatic removal of local copies after uploading to the cloud

Create separate albums for important photos in both apps-->

⚠️ Note: If you delete a photo from the Xiaomi Gallery before it is uploaded to Google Photos, no backup will be created.Always check sync status in the service settings (Photos) → Settings → Backup and synchronization).

Step-by-step setting up Google Photos on Xiaomi

Make Google Photos work effectively on your Xiaomi, Redmi or Google Photos POCO, You need to configure the service correctly. Follow this instruction to avoid common synchronization and storage problems.

Step 1 Authorization and First Incorporation

1. Open the Google Photos app (the colorful flower icon).
2. Sign in to your Google account. If you don't have one, create a new one.
3. Click on the profile icon in the upper right corner and select Photo Settings.
4. Go to Backup and Synchronization.

Step 2: Set up a backup

• 🔄 Turn on the switch Backup and synchronization.
• 📶 Choose Only over Wi-Fi to avoid mobile traffic consumption (especially relevant for Xiaomi with limited tariffs).
• 📁 In the Backup Device Folders section, only check the folders that you want to save to the cloud (such as Camera and Screenshots.
• 🖼️ In Download Quality settings, select: Original Quality – if you have enough space in your Google Account (considered to be in the total limit of 15 GB). High Quality – if you want to save space (photos are compressed, but without noticeable loss of quality; video up to 1080p Freely stored without limitation of).

Step 3: Optimize storage on the device

So that the photos do not take up space on the phone and in the cloud:

1. In the Google Photos settings, find the Free Place section.
2. Click Clean – the service will delete all files that are already uploaded to the cloud and available online from the device.
3. Enable the option to Automatically vacate (available on some Xiaomi models with Android 12 and later).

Step 4: Set up notifications and battery savings

• 🔔 In the app settings, turn off unnecessary notifications (such as “Memories”) so they don’t interfere.
• 🔋 In Android settings (Settings) → Annexes → Google Photos → Battery) select Optimized so that the service does not consume charge in the background.
• ⏳ Set a sync schedule (for example, only at night) if you don’t need a constant load.

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If you have Xiaomi with MIUI 14 and later, check the autorun settings for Google Photos in Settings → Annexes → Permits → Autorun. Without this background, the service won't be able to automatically sync files.

How to Free Up Your Space on Xiaomi with Google Photos

One of the main problems Xiaomi owners have is fast-filling memory. Google Photos can help solve this problem if you set it up correctly.

Method 1: Delete local copies after uploading to the cloud

1. Open Google Photos and go to Settings → Make room.
2. Click Clean – The app will show you how much space you can free up by deleting files that are already in the cloud.
3. The photos will remain in Google Photos, but will disappear from Xiaomi’s internal memory.

Method 2: Automatic storage optimization

On devices with MIUI 13/14 Android 12/13 Automatic seat release function is available:

1. Go to Google Photos Settings → Backup and synchronization.
2. Find the option to Manage the device storage.
3. Turn on Automatically vacate space and set a threshold (e.g., "When less than 1 GB remains").

Method 3: Selective storage of important photos

• 📌 Label important images as Favorites (heart icon) – they will be saved to the cloud in their original quality, even if you turn on compression.
• 🗃️ Create photo albums that you want to store locally (like documents or screenshots). → Add to the album → Create a new album.
• 🔍 Use keyword searches (such as “passport,” “ticket”) to quickly find the files you want without storing them on your device.

⚠️ Note: If you use Google Photos to free up space on Xiaomi, always check sync status before deleting local files. The backup settings should have a “Done” or “Synced” icon next to the last download date. Otherwise, you risk losing photos when cleaning your memory.

Google Photos Hidden Features for Xiaomi You Didn’t Know About

Google Photos offers a lot of useful features that go unnoticed by most Xiaomi users.

1. Search by text in photos

The service can recognize text in pictures (for example, on signs, documents or screenshots) to take advantage of this feature:

1. Open Google Photos and click on the magnifying glass (search).
2. Enter a keyword or phrase from the photo.
3. The service will show all the pictures where this text occurs.

Example: If you photographed a check from a store,Later you can search for the product name or price to find the photo.

2. Creating collages and movies automatically

Google Photos analyzes your photos and creates:

• 🎬 Movies: Short videos with music and transitions (available in the For You section).
• 🖼️ Combinations of several photos on one topic.
• 🎭 Animations: From sequential shots (e.g. selfies with different facial expressions).
• 📅 Memories: Collections of photos by date (for example, "A year ago").

3. Artificial intelligence editing

The Google Photos Editor offers unique features:

• 🎨 Retouch magic: Removes scratches, stains and other defects with a photo at a single click.
• 🔄 Perspective correction: Corrects curved lines (useful for building photos).
• 🌓 Dynamic range: Recovers details in areas too dark or light.
• 👤 Blurring background: Adds bokeh (blurring) effect after shooting.

4. Shared access to albums

You can create a shared album and invite other users to join:

1. Open a photo or an album.
2. Press Share. → Joint album.
3. Add the email addresses of the participants (they must have a Google account).
4. Members can add their photos to the album (ideal for family trips or joint projects).

5. Archiving of unnecessary photos

If you do not want to delete photos, but also see them in the main tape is also not necessary:

1. Select the photo, click on three dots. → Archive.
2. Files will disappear from the main stream, but will remain in the Archives section (available via the menu on the left).

Solving problems with Google Photos on Xiaomi

Even on the new Xiaomi 14 or Redmi Note 13 models, users sometimes face problems in the work of Google Photos.

Problem 1: Photos are not synchronized

If files are not uploaded to the cloud:

• 📶 Check your Internet connection. Synchronization only works with a stable connection.
• 🔄 Make sure the backup function is enabled (Settings) → Backup and synchronization).
• 📁 Check if the Camera folder is not out of sync (in the same settings).
• 🔋 Turn off battery optimization for Google Photos in settings MIUI (Settings → Annexes → Google Photos → Battery → No restrictions).
• 🔄 Restart the app or restart the phone.

Problem 2: Duplicate photos

If the same photos are displayed in the Xiaomi Gallery and Google Photos:

• 🔗 This is normal behavior – the service does not replace local files, but creates copies of them in the cloud.
• 🗑️ To avoid confusion, free up space on the device (as described in the previous section).
• 📁 In Google Photos settings, turn off the display of files from the device (Settings) → Display files from the device. Then you will see only cloud copies.

Problem 3: Google Accounts are running out of space fast

Google's free storage is limited to 15 GB (all services: Gmail, Drive, Photos) to avoid space shortages:

• 📉 Enable photo compression when uploading (Settings) → Backup and synchronization → Quality of loading → This will allow you to store an unlimited number of photos in compressed form.
• 🧹 Clean your shopping cart regularly in Google Photos (files are stored there for 60 days before final deletion).
• 📧 Make sure you don’t keep unnecessary emails with a lot of Gmail attachments.
• 💳 If necessary, buy an additional seat (from 100 GB per ~139 ₽/month).

Problem 4: The app is slowing down or flying off

If Google Photos is not working properly:

• 🔄 Clear the app cache (Settings) → Annexes → Google Photos → Warehouse → Clear the cache).
• 📥 Update the app to the latest version on Google Play.
• 🔋 Turn off battery savings for service.
• 📱 Reboot your phone – sometimes helps with temporary crashes.

⚠️ Note: If you delete Google Photos on Xiaomi, it will not delete photos already uploaded to the cloud. However, new images will no longer sync automatically. To completely disable the service, just log out of your Google account in the app settings.

Google Photos vs. Xiaomi’s Standard Gallery: What to Choose

Many Xiaomi users are wondering which app is better to use, a standard gallery or Google Photos? The answer depends on your needs.

When to use the standard Xiaomi gallery:

• 📱 If you have few photos and they fit in your phone’s memory.
• 🔒 If you prefer to store files locally for privacy reasons.
• ⚡ If you want the fastest speed (local files open faster).

When to use Google Photos:

• ☁️ If you take a lot of photos and want to free up space on your device.
• 🔍 If you need to quickly find pictures by content (people, places, objects).
• 🌍 If you use multiple devices (PC, tablet, other phone) and want to have access to all photos everywhere.
• 🎨 If you need advanced editing tools.

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The optimal solution for most Xiaomi users is to use both apps: the standard gallery for quick browsing and basic editing, and Google Photos for backup, search, and advanced features.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Google Photos on Xiaomi