How to Clean Up Xiaomi’s Mi Cloud: 5 Ways to Work

Xiaomi’s Mi Cloud cloud storage is a handy tool for syncing data between devices, but it’s limited. Even 5GB of free space (and even less for some users) quickly run out due to automatic backups, original resolution photos and app cache. If you encounter a notification “Mi Cloud memory is full” or just want to vacate space, this guide will help you figure out how to clean up Xiaomi’s cloud without losing important data.

Unlike cleaning up your smartphone’s internal memory, working with Mi Cloud has the nuances of some files being synchronized automatically and others being blocked by the system. We’ll look at all the options available, from manually deleting unnecessary data to resetting sync through your account. We’ll focus on hidden folders with backups that take up to 70% of the space but don’t show up in the standard interface.

The instructions are relevant for all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices based on MIUI 12-14, as well as for the web version of the Mi Cloud. If you use a smartphone on a pure Android (for example, Xiaomi 13 Ultra with HyperOS), some menu items may differ - we will warn you about this separately.

1. How to check what takes up space in the Mi Cloud

Before you clean up the cloud, you need to understand which data is taking up the most space.

1. Open the Settings app on your smartphone.
2. Go to the Accounts section → Mi Account (or Xiaomi Account on the newer versions).
3. Slip on Mi Cloud (or the Cloud).
4. At the top of the screen you will see a diagram of occupied space broken down by categories: Photos, Videos, Contacts, Notes, Backups, etc.

Click on any category to see a detailed list of files, for example, Photos displays albums sorted by date, and Backups displays a list of devices that have backups saved.

If the diagram shows that the space is occupied by unknown files (e.g., “Other Data”), it may be:

• 📁 Application cache synced to the cloud (e.g. from Mi Browser or Mi Video).
• 📄 System Logs Created in Failures or Updates.
• 🔄 Deleted files that are still stored in the cloud Recycle Bin (deleted after 30 days).

2 Manually delete files through the Mi Cloud app

The easiest way to free up space is to manually delete unnecessary data through a mobile app, a method that is suitable for photos, videos, notes and contacts.

Instructions:

1. Open the Settings. → Mi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Select the category you want to clear (e.g. Photos).
3. Click Manage (or Edit in new versions).
4. Check the unnecessary files and tap Delete.

For mass removal:

• 📷 In the Photo section, you can sort the pictures by size (Sort → by size) and remove the most severe.
• 📹 Videos in Mi Cloud are compressed, but the originals still take up a lot of space.Remove videos that have already been downloaded to the device.
• 📋 Notes often contain drafts or takes. Check the recent folder - there may be unnecessary entries.

⚠️ Note: Files deleted through Mi Cloud will disappear from all synchronized devices. If photos or contacts are needed on your phone, first save them locally (for example, in a folder). DCIM/Camera or export to VCF).

Backup important files on the PC|Disable autosynchronization for unnecessary categories|Check the folder "Basket" in Mi Cloud|Make sure that deleted files are not used in other services (e.g. Mi Gallery)-->

Cleanup of backups (backups)

Backups are the main reason Mi Cloud overflows, and the system automatically creates backups when:

• 📱 Connecting a new device to your account.
• 🔄 Updates MIUI (If the option “Reserve before updating” is enabled»).
• ⚙️ Manual start of reservation in Settings → The phone. → Backup.

One backup can weigh between 500MB and 3-4GB, and old copies accumulate over the years to remove them:

Method 1. Through the mobile application:

1. Open Mi Cloud → Backup copies.
2. Select the device for which you want to delete the copies.
3. Press three points (⋮) in the upper right corner and select Remove backup.

Method 2. Through the web version (if no copies are displayed in the app):

1. Go to i.mi.com and log in.
2. Select the Backups tab.
3. Click on the unnecessary copy and confirm the deletion.

⚠️ Note: If you delete all backups for the device, the next backup, the system will create a new copy from scratch.This can take several hours and temporarily block other cloud features.

4. Disable autosynchronization of unnecessary data

By default, Mi Cloud syncs almost everything from photos to browser history. To prevent cloud filling, disable autosynchronization for unnecessary categories:

Instructions:

1. Go to Settings. → Mi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Slip on Synchronization (or Synchronization Management).
3. Turn off the switches in front of the unnecessary categories: 📱 Contacts (if you do not use Google Contacts). 📝 Notes (if you use Mi Notes).

Categories that can be safely disabled:

• 🌐 Browser – Mi Browser history and bookmarks are rarely needed in the cloud.
• 🎵 Music – synchronizes playlists, but not the tracks themselves.
• 📅 Calendar – If you use Google Calendar, no duplication is required.
• 📊 Application data – cache and game/program settings that can be restored through a developer account.

💡

If you have disabled sync photos but they still upload to the cloud, check the settings of Mi Gallery. Some versions of MIUI have a separate option "Autoload to Mi Cloud" in the app menu.

5. Clean up via the web version of Mi Cloud (hidden files)

The Mi Cloud mobile app doesn't show all the files stored in the cloud, for example, it might include:

• 🗑️ Deleted files (lie in the Recycle Bin for up to 30 days).
• 📂 Service folders from system applications (for example, MiFit or Mi Home).
• 🔧 Error Logs Created in Failures MIUI.

To clean them up:

1. Go to i.mi.com and log in.
2. In the left menu, select Devices or Files (depending on the interface version).
3. Check folders: MiCloud/Trash is a Recycle Bin with deleted files. MiCloud/System is service data. MiCloud/AppData is an application cache.

Mark unnecessary files and click Delete Forever.

The web version can also download an archive with all the data (useful for backup before cleaning):

1. Go to Account Settings → Export of data.
2. Select categories for export (for example, Contacts and Notes only).
3. The archive will be ready in 1-2 days and available for download within 7 days.

6.Resetting synchronization and reconnecting the account

If standard methods didn't work, and the cloud still shows that the space is occupied by unknown data, try resetting the sync. This method will delete all the data from the Mi Cloud, but save it on the phone.

Instructions:

1. Go to Settings. → Mi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Tap on Turn off sync (or Delete cloud data in new versions).
3. Confirm the action. The system will suggest that you save the data locally, you can agree.
4. After shutting down, restart the phone.
5. Go back to Mi Cloud and enable sync only for the right categories (e.g. Contacts only).

This method helps in cases where:

• 🔄 Cloud shows occupied space, but files are not displayed.
• 🚫 It is impossible to delete backups (button is inactive).
• 🔧 Synchronization errors occur (e.g., “Failure to update data»).

⚠️ Note: After sync reset, all data in Mi Cloud will be deleted without recovery.If you need photos or notes, pre-export them via the web version (i.mi.com) → Settings → Export of data).

💡

Resetting synchronization is a last resort, and only use it if other methods have failed, and you are sure that all important data is stored locally.

7. Alternative ways to make room

If there isn’t enough space after cleaning up the Mi Cloud, consider these options:

Increased cloud volume:

• 💳 Buy an extra seat (from 50 GB per seat) ~100 rubles/month. Go to Mi Cloud for this. → Warehouse → Buy a place.
• 🎁 Xiaomi sometimes gives away free gigabytes for participating in promotions (watch out for notifications in Mi Community).

2. Transfer data to another cloud:

• ☁️ Use Google Photos to back up photos (up to 15GB free).
• 📁 Upload important files to Yandex Drive or Mega (more free space).

Optimization of storage:

• 📷 In Mi Gallery, enable the option “Optimize Storage” (Settings) → Cloud. → Storage optimization. This will replace the original photos with compressed versions.
• 🎬 For video, use external drives (such as Xiaomi Mi Flash Drive) or transfer them to your PC.

Clearing the cloud cache:

Sometimes the Mi Cloud cache takes up to 1-2 GB.

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find Mi Cloud in the list and tap it.
3. Select Warehouse. → Clear the cache.

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning up Mi Cloud