How to Clean Up Xiaomi Cloud on Android: 5 Ways to Get Rid of the Cloud

Xiaomi’s Mi Cloud cloud storage is a handy tool for syncing data between devices, but its scope is limited. Even 5 GB of free space (or 100 GB for premium users) quickly run out if you actively use backups, photos or records with Redmi/POCO. When the system issues a notification “Cloud memory is full”, many users lose: what can be deleted without the risk of losing important files and what should not be touched?

In this article, we will look at all the ways Xiaomi cloud cleansing, from manually removing unnecessary data to resetting sync for specific applications, and focus on hidden files that take up space but do not appear in the standard Mi Cloud interface, and explain why the volume sometimes does not update immediately after cleaning, and how to speed up this process.

1. Checking occupied space in Mi Cloud

Before you delete something, you need to understand what exactly is taking up space in your cloud.

1. Open the Settings app on Xiaomi smartphone.
2. Go to the Accounts section → Mi Account.
3. Slip on Mi Cloud (or Cloud in newer versions of MIUI).
4. At the top of the screen will appear a diagram with the distribution of memory by categories: Photo, Video, Backups, Contacts, Notes, etc.

If the diagram doesn't show, update the data by pulling the screen down. Notice the category "Other Xiaomi Gallery or Mi Video."

2.Remove photos and videos from the Xiaomi cloud

Media files are the main snatcher of space, and even if you deleted the photo from your phone a long time ago, they could have stayed in the cloud to clean it up.

• 📷 Through the gallery: Open Xiaomi Gallery, go to Mi Cloud (or Cloud) album. highlight unnecessary files and click Delete. They will go to the Recycle Bin, where they will be stored for 30 days before final deletion.

Important: If you're using Google Photos in parallel with Mi Cloud, check to see if files are duplicated, and users often don't notice that the same photo is uploaded to both services.

Make sure important files are saved locally

Check the Recycle Bin folder in Mi Cloud (files are restored for 30 days)

Disable autoload photo in camera settings

Sync albums with Google Drive (if you use it)

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3. Cleaning of device backups

Backups are created automatically when you change your phone or update your MIUI, and can weigh anywhere from 500MB to several gigabytes, even if you haven't used your old device in a while.

1. Go to Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Backup.
2. Select a device from a list (e.g. Redmi Note 10 Pro or POCO X3).
3. Slip on the last copy and click "Delete".
4. For complete cleaning, tick "Delete all backups of this device."

If there are devices on the list that you don’t already use (such as the Xiaomi Mi A1 or Redmi 4X), you can remove them completely, which will free up up to 3-5 GB of space.

4. Manage synchronization of contacts, notes and other data

Contacts, notes, and calendars take up little space (typically up to 100MB), but their accumulation over the years can create chaos, such as the cloud can store:

• 📞 Remote contacts (they don’t disappear from the cloud automatically).
• 📝 Notes from Mi Notes or Google Keep.
• 📅 Old calendar events (e.g., 2-year-old meeting reminders).

To clean this up:

1. For contacts: go to Contacts → Settings → Contact Management → Merger and Cleanup. Select “Delete duplicates” and “Clear unused contacts.”
2. For notes, open Mi Notes, go to the Recycle Bin and clear it. In the web version of Mi Cloud, you can delete notes en masse.

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If you use Google Contacts in parallel with Mi Cloud, disable the sync of contacts in Xiaomi to avoid duplication. To do this, go to Settings → Accounts → Mi Account → Sync and uncheck Contacts.

5. Hidden files and cache: how to find and delete

Many users are unaware that Mi Cloud stores temporary files from system applications.

• 🎵 Cash of music from Mi Music (album covers, preview tracks).
• 📄 Error Logs and System Dumps (Created When Failures).
• 🖼️ Miniature videos from Mi Video.

These files are not displayed in the main cloud interface, but can be found through the web version:

1. Go to i.mi.com from your computer.
2. In the Files section, enable the display of hidden files (option in the upper right corner).
3. Sort files by size and delete unnecessary ones (for example, folders with names like thumb, cache, log).

Warning: Do not delete files with.db or.xml extensions, these can be app settings, and do not touch the MIUI folder unless you are sure of its contents.

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Hidden files in Mi Cloud can take up to 1-2 GB of space, but manual cleaning requires caution. If in doubt, it is better to leave the file or contact Xiaomi for support.

6.Switching off automatic synchronization

If you don’t want the cloud to fill up on its own, disable autosynchronization for unnecessary data:

1. Go to Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Synchronization.
2. Remove the boxes from items that do not need to be reserved: 📱 Backup (unless you plan to reset your phone). 📸 Gallery (if you use Google Photos). 🎮 Games (saves take up little space but can accumulate).

You can also limit mobile downloads to prevent the cloud from syncing in the background and consuming traffic, and look for Wi-Fi only in the Mi Cloud settings.

7. Resetting the cloud to factory settings (last resort)

If you want to completely clear Mi Cloud (for example, before selling an account or changing your device), reset:

1. Go to Settings. → Mi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Scroll down and select Delete Account (on some devices, “Cloud Reset”).
3. Confirm the action via SMS or password.

Note: This will delete all data without the possibility of recovery, including:

• 📱 Backup copies of devices.
• 📇 Contacts and notes.
• 📷 Photos and videos (if only in the cloud).

Before resetting, be sure to save important files locally or transfer them to another service (like Google Drive or Yandex Disk).

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If you’re dumping the cloud before selling your phone, remember to also log out of Mi Account in the settings and untie the device.This will prevent the new owner from accessing your data.

8 Mi Cloud Alternatives: Where to Move Data

If 5GB in Mi Cloud isn’t enough, consider alternative services:

To transfer data from Mi Cloud to another service:

1. Download files from i.mi.com to your computer.
2. Upload them to a new cloud service.
3. Set up autoload on your phone (e.g. Google Photos or Yandex Disk).

If you choose Google Photos, pay attention to the compression quality: when choosing the High Quality option, photos and videos will not take up space in your 15 GB.

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning up Mi Cloud