How to Clean Up Xiaomi Cloud on Android: 5 Ways to Work

Xiaomi’s Mi Cloud cloud storage is a handy tool for syncing data between devices, but its standard 5GB storage is quickly running out. High-resolution photos, app backups, voice recorders and documents take up precious space, and the system begins sending out notifications about space shortages. Unlike Google Drive or iCloud, where you can buy additional storage for a reasonable fee, Mi Cloud rates are less flexible, so many users prefer manual cleaning.

In this article, you’ll find proven ways to free up the cloud on Xiaomi smartphones, including hidden settings that aren’t obvious at first glance. We'll learn how to delete unnecessary data without losing important information, what files can be safely cleaned, and what to do if the cloud is filled with unknown data. MIUI 14/15, Where the cloud management interface has changed.

If you’ve never cleaned the Mi Cloud, be prepared for 1 to 3GB of free storage after the first cleanup — that’s what duplicate photos, old backups and app cache usually take up. And if you’re an active user of the Xiaomi ecosystem (for example, you own a Mi Band or Mi Home), then the cloud can store data from these devices, which can also be optimized.

1. Checking occupied space in Mi Cloud

Before you start cleaning up, you need to understand what exactly occupies space in your cloud. Xiaomi provides detailed statistics, but it is not always easy to find them – especially if you use an older version of MIUI or custom firmware.

Open the Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud. Here you will see a diagram of occupied space broken down by category: photos, videos, backups, notes, contacts and other data. Click on any category to see the details.

Please note the Unknown Data or Other Files section, which is often hidden there:

• 📁 App cache (e.g. from Mi Video or Mi Music)
• 📄 System Logs (automatically created when crashes)
• 🔄 Duplicate photos (if you used the function Sync with Google Photos in parallel)
• 📱 Data from connected devices (for example, the history with the Mi Band)

If the diagram doesn't show up or shows incorrect data, try updating the page by pulling the screen down.Relatively, rebooting your smartphone or re-logging your Xiaomi account helps.

2. Remove photos and videos from the cloud

Photos and videos are the main space eaters in Mi Cloud, and even if you delete them from your phone, they can stay in the cloud in the Recycle Bin (where they are stored for 30 days before final deletion) to clean them completely:

Method 1: Through the Gallery app

1. Open the Gallery → go to the Cloud (or Mi Cloud) tab.
2. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner → Select.
3. Mark unnecessary files and click Delete.
4. After removing, go to the basket (in the same menu) and clean it.

Method 2: Using the Mi Cloud Web Version

If your phone doesn’t have enough memory to download previews, use the browser:

1. Go to i.mi.com and log in.
2. Select the Gallery section → sort files by size (from larger to smaller).
3. Delete unnecessary files, then clear the Recycle Bin in the same menu.

💡 Tip: If you are afraid of losing important photos, export them to your PC or other cloud before deleting (Google Photos, Yandex Drive). For this purpose, the Mi Cloud web version has the Download All function (available when allocating files).

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In the Mi Cloud settings, you can turn off automatic uploading of photos to the cloud. To do this, go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Sync photos and deactivate the option. This will prevent storage from filling up in the future.

3. Cleanup of backup copies and application data

Backups are the second largest garbage in the Mi Cloud, and it automatically stores:

• 📱 Phone settings (themes, wallpaper, sounds)
• 📱 Application data (game saving, Mi Browser history)
• 📱 Call logs and SMS (if synchronization is enabled)
• 📱 Contacts (Duplicate with Google Contacts)

To remove unnecessary backups:

1. Go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Backup.
2. Click on Backup Management.
3. Select old copies (like last year’s smartphone) and delete them.

Attention! If you plan to reset your phone to factory settings, don't delete the last backup - otherwise it won't be possible to recover the data.

Also check the Other Data section in Mi Cloud, where you can store:

• 📝 Notes from Mi Notes (including deleted ones)
• 🎵 Mi Music Playlists
• 📊 Health data from Mi Band or Mi Scale

For cleaning:

1. In the web version of Mi Cloud, go to the Applications section.
2. Select an unnecessary application (such as Mi Fit) and delete its data.

Important contacts are saved in Google Account

Is there a local copy of the photo on a PC or flash drive?

Whether application passwords are recorded (if Mi Cloud Passwords were used)

Automatic synchronization of unnecessary data is disabled-->

4. Optimize synchronization with other Xiaomi devices

If you use multiple Xiaomi gadgets (smartphone, tablet, Mi Band, smartwatch), they can duplicate data in the cloud.

• 📱 Photos from the phone are synced automatically.
• 📱 The same photos are downloaded from the tablet (if synchronization is enabled).
• 📱 Step data from Mi Band is stored in the cloud and in the Mi Fit app.

To avoid duplication:

1. Open Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Synchronization.
2. Turn off sync for devices that are not actively using.
3. In apps (Mi Fit, Mi Home), check your cloud backup settings and leave only critical data.

Example: If you have Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 and Xiaomi Pad 6, just synchronize the photo only from your phone, and on the tablet to turn off autoload.

🔍 How to find hidden data?

In the web version of Mi Cloud (i.mi.com), go to Devices, which shows all the attached gadgets and the amount of data they occupy, and if you see an unknown device, untie it and clear the associated data.

💡

Disabling synchronization for secondary devices (tablets, fitness bracelets) can free up to 500 MB-1 GB of space in the Mi Cloud.

5. Reset cache and temporary Mi Cloud files

Like any cloud storage, Mi Cloud accumulates temporary files that don’t appear in the main partitions.

• 🗑 Cash preview photo and video
• 🗑 Synchronization logs
• 🗑 Uncompleted downloads

To clean them up:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find Mi Cloud (or Xiaomi Services) and click Storage.
3. Click Clear cache and Clear data (Warning: This will reset your sync settings!).

Attention! After you clear the Mi Cloud application, you'll have to log in again and set up sync, which is a method you should only use if other methods have failed.

📌 Alternative method (for advanced users):

If the cache is not cleared through the settings, you can reset it via ADB:

adb shell pm clear com.miui.cloudservice

This command will completely reset Mi Cloud data on the device, but will not affect files in the cloud itself.

6 What to do if the cloud is filled with unknown data?

Sometimes Mi Cloud shows that the space is occupied, but in the Photos, Videos and Backups sections, the reasons may be as follows:

• 🔍 Hidden system files (e.g., error logs)
• 🔍 Data from remote applications (remains in the cloud even after uninstallation)
• 🔍 Sync error (files are downloaded but not displayed)

Solution 1: Contact Xiaomi Support

If you can’t find the source of the occupied space, please contact us for support:

Support usually responds within 24 to 48 hours and can manually clear invisible files.

Solution 2: Create a new Xiaomi account

The last method is to start a new account and transfer only the necessary data to it.

⚠️ If you change your account, you will lose:

• 📱 Related to Xiaomi devices (you will need to reconnect Mi Band, Mi Home, etc.)
• 📱 Access to Mi Store purchases (if they were linked to an old account)
• 📱 Update history and warranty information

7. Mi Cloud Alternatives: Where to Move Data?

If even after cleaning up 5GB in Mi Cloud, you are not enough to consider alternative storage:

🔹 How to transfer data?

For photos and videos, it is most convenient to use Google Photos:

1. Install the Google Photos app.
2. In the settings, enable Backup and Synchronization.
3. Choose High Quality (unlimited storage) or Original Quality (counted from 15 GB).

For the rest of the files, Yandex Drive or Mega is suitable - they have the function of automatically downloading folders from the phone.

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning up Mi Cloud