How to Clean the Cloud on Xiaomi Redmi

Xiaomi and Redmi smartphone owners often face a system notification that reports cloud storage overflows, not just an annoying reminder, but a signal that your backups of photos, contacts and voice recordings have stopped updating, and inaction in such a situation can lead to the loss of important data if the device is lost or damaged, since the actual copy simply does not have time to download to the server.

The problem of overflowing your Mi Account is one of the most common among users of the ecosystem of the Chinese manufacturer. The standard amount of free space is only 5 GB, which in today's environment, when photos are shot in high resolution and video is written in 4K, is filled in just a few months of active use, which is why the issue of competent cleaning and managing files in the Mi Cloud becomes critical for each owner.

In this article, we will explore all the available ways to free up space, from the banal removal of unnecessary photos through the gallery to deep cleaning of system logs and voice recordings, which often take up gigabytes without being noticed, you will learn not only to remove excess, but also to adjust automatic synchronization so that it does not lead to overflow in the future.

Analysis of space in Mi Cloud

Before embarking on radical file removal measures, it is important to understand exactly what is taking up space in your virtual storage. Often users mistakenly assume that memory is only filled with photos, ignoring other types of data. Xiaomi's cloud storage system is structured by content types, and each contributes to the total volume.

To do a detailed diagnosis, you'll need to go to your account settings. Open the Settings menu on your device, select Mi Account and click on Cloud, which will show a visual occupancy scale, and below will show a list of categories. When you click on any of these, you'll see details. For example, the Gallery section can store several thousand pictures, including screenshots and images from messengers that you deleted from your phone's memory long ago, but they remained in the cloud.

Special attention should be paid to the section "Dictorphone" and "Notes." These services are often synchronized by default, and if you have ever recorded long lectures or interviews, they could steal a significant part of the limit. Also check the "Backups" section, which can store old system configurations or application data that are no longer in use.

• 📸 Gallery: the main consumer of the place, including photos, videos and live photos.
• 🎙️ Recorder: audio files that are often forgotten to be deleted after use.
• 📝 Notes: text files and attachments in Mi Notes notes.
• 📱 Backups: system settings, call lists and SMS-message.

⚠️ Note: Deleting files from the cloud through account settings on the device can automatically trigger deletion sync on the smartphone itself. If you want to save photos on your phone but remove them from the cloud, use the web version or pre-disable sync for a specific folder.

Delete data via the i.mi.com web interface

The safest and most convenient way to clean up your cloud storage is by using the web version of the service, which allows you to work with files like a regular computer using a large screen and mouse, which greatly speeds up the process of sorting and deleting.

To get started, go to the official i.mi.com website from any browser (on a computer or smartphone). You need to log in by entering your Mi Account details. SMS-code, which is standard security procedure, and when you log in successfully, you'll see a master control panel where all synchronized partitions will be available.

Go to the Gallery section. Here, files are grided. You can select individual photos by clamping the Ctrl key (or Cmd on a Mac), or select entire albums. Deletion takes place through the basket, so you have time to recover something accidentally deleted. An important feature of the web interface is the ability to sort by date or size, which helps you quickly find heavy video files.

Remember to go to the Recycle Bin section (usually in the side menu or at the bottom of the page) after deleting files, files deleted from the cloud do not disappear forever instantly - they move to the basket, where they are stored for 30 days, continuing to occupy space in your quotated space.

Managing synchronization on a smartphone

Direct control of what goes to the cloud is done through sync settings on the Redmi device itself, which is the most effective way to prevent future overflow issues, and you can flexibly configure which apps are allowed to upload data to Xiaomi servers and which should only work locally.

Go to Settings → Mi Account → Cloud. Here you will see a list of all applications using cloud services. By default, many items can be activated. For example, synchronizing Wi-Fi passwords or System Settings takes up little space, but syncing the Gallery in its original quality can be redundant if you have tariffed traffic or little space.

You should reset the settings for the Gallery app. Some versions of MIUI or HyperOS have the option "Storage Optimization." When you turn on this feature, the original photos are stored in the cloud, and the phone has smaller copies of them. However, if your goal is to free up space in the cloud, you need to do the opposite: disable video or photo downloads above a certain resolution.

It’s also worth checking the sync settings for third-party apps if they’re integrated with Mi Cloud. Sometimes messengers or photo editors can back up their projects. Disabling sync for unused categories is the first step to keeping order without the need for permanent manual removal.

⚠️ Warning: Before turning off the Gallery sync, make sure all important new photos are already saved elsewhere or on your computer. Once turned off, new images will not be released to the cloud, and if you lose your phone, you will not restore them.

Cleaning of hidden and system data

In addition to the obvious photos, the cloud can accumulate data that the user does not even know exists, such “hidden” users of the place include error logs, old application backups and system services data, cleaning these partitions requires a more careful approach.

First, check the Backup section, which can store snapshots of data from old apps you don’t use anymore, or previous versions of your system settings, go to this section via your web interface or phone settings, and delete backups of devices you no longer use (for example, if you upgraded your smartphone but your old account remained active).

Another important aspect is duplicate files. Sometimes synchronization failures can cause the same file to load multiple times. Although current Mi Cloud algorithms can recognize duplicates, manual control is helpful, IMG_20230101_1.jpg and IMG_20230101_1(1).jpg, be sure to remove the excess.

• 🗑️ Remove backups of old devices in the Backup section.
• 📂 Check the "Remove" folder in each section separately.
• 🔄 Reset the synchronization of applications if they are not working properly.

💡

Use the Cleanup feature in the Security app on Xiaomi’s smartphone. It can find and suggest removing local copies of cloud data that are no longer needed, freeing up space on the phone and hinting at a cleanup in the cloud.

Alternative solutions and optimization

If regular cleaning becomes tedious and 5GB of free space is starkly lacking, it’s worth considering alternative storage strategies. Xiaomi’s ecosystem allows for flexible combination of different services without being tied rigidly to just one cloud solution.

The first option is storage expansion. Xiaomi offers paid rates that increase the volume to 50 GB, 200 GB or more. For an active user who takes a lot of photos and videos, this is often a more rational solution than constantly fighting for each megabyte. The subscription cost is usually low and includes additional benefits, such as an advanced photo search history.

The second option is to use third-party cloud services, so you can set up automatic uploading of photos to Google Photos, Yandex.Disk or TeraBox, and in the Mi Cloud settings, you can leave synchronization only for contacts, notes and system settings, which will offload the main cloud and transfer heavy media content to other platforms.

💡

The best strategy is to store contacts and settings in Mi Cloud, and heavy photos and videos are automatically duplicated in Google Photos or on an external hard drive.

Also, don't forget about local storage: periodic reset of the archive of photos to the computer or externally. SSD-It allows you to completely clean the cloud and the phone, keeping your data safe, and it's a cold storage method that doesn't require monthly payment, and doesn't depend on Internet speed.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)