Cleaning up Xiaomi Cloud Storage on Redmi Note 8T: A Complete Guide with Proven Methods

The Redmi Note 8T is one of Xiaomi's most popular smartphones, but its owners often face the problem of overcrowded cloud storage of the Mi Cloud. Even with 5GB of free space (or 15GB for some regions), photos, backups and system data quickly fill the limit, blocking the synchronization of new files. Unlike newer models where the cloud is integrated deeper, on the Redmi Note 8T (released in 2019), the cleanup has its nuances - from manually removing duplicates to resetting cache through an engineering menu.

In this article, you will find 5 working ways to free up space in the cloud, including hidden features that are not mentioned in the official documentation.

• 🔍 How to find and delete “invisible” files that take up space (such as MiuiGallery cache or Mi Backup backups)
• ⚙️ Synchronization settings that reduce cloud load without losing important data
• 🚨 What to do if the cloud shows “0 bytes free”, but there are few files – solution of system bugs
• 📊 Table of limits of Mi Cloud for different regions and models of Xiaomi

All instructions are tested on the Redmi Note 8T with MIUI 12.5 and MIUI 13 firmware (including global and Chinese versions).If your smartphone is running on an older version, check the FAQ at the end of the article.

1. Check the current state of the cloud: how much space is occupied and what

Before you delete files, you need to understand what exactly occupies space in your Mi Cloud. On the Redmi Note 8T, this information is hidden deeper than on new models - it can not be seen directly in the cloud settings.

Do the following:

1. Open the Settings app → Accounts → Mi Account.
2. Tap your profile avatar (or account name).
3. Choose Mi Cloud. → Storage management.

Here you'll see a diagram of the space distribution by category: Photos, Videos, Documents, Backups and Others. On the Redmi Note 8T, the "Other" category often takes up to 30% of the space -- these are app cache and temporary sync files that can be safely deleted.

If the diagram doesn't show up or shows incorrect data (e.g., 0 bytes when the cloud is full), it's a sign of a system failure.

💡

Click on any category in the diagram (e.g., "Photo"), and the system will show the exact size and date of the last change, which will help identify old files that can be deleted.

2 Manual File Deletion: What Can Be Safely Cleaned

The most reliable way to free up space is to manually delete unnecessary files, and on the Redmi Note 8T, you can do this in two ways: via the Mi Cloud mobile app or the web version.

Method 1: Using the app on the phone:

• 📱 Open the Settings. → Accounts. → Mi Account → Mi Cloud.
• 📂 Select a category (e.g. Gallery or Notes).
• 🗑️ Click on the basket icon in the upper right corner, highlight files and delete.

It's important.

Mi Cloud

Basket

Method 2: Through the web version (recommended):

• 🌐 Go to i.mi.com and log in.
• 🖼️ In the Gallery or Files section, sort files by size (click on the filter icon).
• 🔍 Look for duplicates, screenshots (often take up a lot of space) and old backups.

⚠️ Note: The web version does not display all files that take up space in the cloud, for example, application backups (.apk) and Mi Fit data are only visible in the mobile app.

Remove screenshots older than 6 months|Clean up the Mi Cloud basket|Remove backup copies of old firmware (folder "MIUI")|Remove duplicate photos (use the filter "Similar")-->

Optimizing synchronization: How to reduce the load on the cloud

If you don’t want to keep cleaning the cloud manually, set up sync to take up less space. On the Redmi Note 8T, this is done through hidden Mi Cloud settings.

Step 1: Turn off the automatic download of unnecessary data:

• 📱 Go to Settings. → Accounts. → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Synchronization.
• ❌ Turn off synchronization for: 📄 Notes (if not used) 🎵 Mi Music (takes up a lot of space) 📅 Calendar (if you don't have important events)

Step 2: Set up the photo in a reduced quality:

• 📷 In the same Mi Cloud menu, select the Gallery → Loading settings.
• 🔄 Install Download Quality: Economical (photos will be compressed to 2048px long-sided).
• 🚫 Disable Autoload Video – Videos take up 80% of the cloud space.

Step 3: Limit backups:

⚠️ Note: Backups (Mi Backups) can weigh up to 3-5 GB each, even if you didn't store them consciously. - Redmi Note 8T They are created automatically when you update the firmware.

• 🔄 Go to Settings. → Additionally. → Backup and reset → Local backups.
• 🗑️ Remove old copies (they are stored in a folder) MIUI/backup/AllBackup).
• ❌ Turn off Auto-Creating Backups in Mi Cloud Settings.

4. Clear cache and temporary Mi Cloud files

Even after files are deleted, the cloud can show occupied space, because of the sync cache and temporary files that MIUI does not clean automatically. On the Redmi Note 8T, this is especially true because of the firmware features.

Method 1: Clean through application settings:

• ⚙️ Go to Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
• 🔍 Find Mi Cloud (or Xiaomi Sync) and open its settings.
• 🧹 Click Clear Cache and Clear Data (this won’t delete your files from the cloud, only local temporary data).

Method 2: Delete hidden files through the file manager:

⚠️ Warning: This method requires caution. Do not delete files unless you are sure of their purpose.

• 📁 Open any file manager (e.g., Mi File Manager or Solid Explorer).
• 🔍 Cross the path: /storage/emulated/0/miui/backup/AllBackup/ /storage/emulated/0/MiCloud/
• 🗑️ Delete folders with older dates 6 months, for example, 2022-05-15).

Method 3: Resetting cache through the engineering menu (for experienced):

5. System Error Solution: The cloud shows "0 bytes free"

Sometimes Mi Cloud on Redmi Note 8T will give an error: the cloud is full, but it does not have files, or the diagram shows incorrect data, this is due to sync bugs in older versions of MIUI.

Cause of the problem:

• 🐞 Sync failure between phone and Xiaomi servers.
• 🔄 Data conflict after firmware update.
• 📡 Mi Cloud server problems (rare but sometimes).

How to fix it:

1. Restart your phone – sometimes it resets the sync error.
2. Log out and re-enter Mi: Open Settings → Accounts → Mi Account. Click Log out and confirm. Log back using the same account.

Mi Cloud

• Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Mi Cloud.
• Press Warehouse. → Clear the data.
• Then turn on the synchronization again.
• Update the firmware – in MIUI 12.5+, many cloud bugs are fixed.

If the error persists, check if a firewall or VPN is blocking access to Xiaomi servers, and try connecting to another network (for example, from mobile Internet instead of Wi-Fi).

💡

If the cloud still shows 0 bytes after all the manipulations, the problem may be on the side of Xiaomi servers, in which case you can only wait for a fix or contact the official website for support.

6.Table of Mi Cloud limits and comparison with other clouds

Before clearing the cloud, it’s helpful to know how much space you’re allowed and how you can expand it. Below are the current limits for the Redmi Note 8T (2026):

For comparison: Google Drive gives 15 GB for free, Yandex Drive - 10 GB, and iCloud - only 5 GB. However, Mi Cloud is better integrated with MIUI and allows you to:

• 📱 Automatically reserve SMS, note-taking and system settings.
• 🔄 Synchronize calls and contacts between Xiaomi devices.
• 📷 Save. RAW-Photos from the camera (unlike Google Photos).

If you're short of 5GB, consider buying extra space. 50GB for a year, for example, is cheaper than a similar rate from competitors.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi cloud on Redmi Note 8T