Xiaomi Redmi Cloud Cleanup: A Complete Guide to Freeing Up Space in the Mi Cloud

The Mi Cloud cloud storage on Xiaomi Redmi smartphones is a handy tool for backing up photos, contacts and documents. But sooner or later, even the free 5GB runs out, and the system starts to issue notifications about space shortages. Unlike cleaning up the internal memory of the phone, working with the cloud requires a special approach: you can not just click "Delete everything" without risking losing important data.

In this article, we will discuss 5 proven ways to free up space in the Xiaomi Redmi cloud, from manually cleaning unnecessary files to disabling hidden autosynchronization functions. Special attention will be paid to secure methods that will not lead to loss of backups or system data. And for users who want to completely abandon the Mi Cloud, there is a separate section with instructions on how to transfer data to other services.

Before you start cleaning, check how much space the different file types occupy. To do this, open the Mi Cloud app and go to the Storage section. Here you will see a diagram of the memory distribution by category: photos, videos, documents, backups, etc. This will help determine which data should be deleted first.

1. Manual file deletion via Mi Cloud app

The most obvious, but not always effective, way is to manually delete unnecessary files, and many Xiaomi Redmi users don't even realize that their cloud has been storing duplicate photos, old screenshots, or unnecessary documents for years to clear them:

• 📱 Open the Mi Cloud app on your smartphone (if not, download it from Google Play).
• 📁 Go to Files or Storage (depending on the version of the application).
• 🗑️ Select a category (such as Images or Videos) and select files to delete.
• ✅ Click Remove and confirm the action.

Important: deleted files go to the Recycle Bin, where they're stored for another 30 days. If you accidentally delete something important, restore the data in this section. To finally clear the Recycle Bin, go to it and click Clear Bin.

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Before mass deletion, sort files by date or size, so it's easier to find the oldest or largest data that takes up the most space.

Note the Screenshot folder - it often contains hundreds of unwanted images taken years earlier. Also check the Downloads section where outdated ones can be stored. APK-files or documents downloaded once and forgotten.

2. Cleanup of device backups

One of the biggest space eaters in the Mi Cloud is backups of your Xiaomi Redmi, which automatically creates backups of contacts, messages, settings, and even some apps, and over time, these copies accumulate, taking up gigabytes of memory.

To remove old backup copies:

1. Open Mi Cloud and go to Backups.
2. You'll see a list of backups with dates of creation, and you can remove old copies (e.g., one-year-old ones).
3. Click on the unnecessary copy and select Delete.

If you don’t plan to restore your phone from the cloud, turn off automatic backups:

• 🔄 Go to Settings. → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → Backup.
• 🚫 Turn off the option Automatic backup.
• 📱 In the Data Backup section, uncheck the boxes from unnecessary categories (such as Notes or Calendar).

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Remove backups older than 6 months – they are rarely useful, but take up to 70% of cloud storage.

Be careful: if you delete all backups, it will be impossible to recover data when you reset your phone, and leave at least one last copy for critical data (contacts, SMS).

3. Disable autosynchronization of photos and videos

The autoupload photo feature in Mi Cloud is convenient, but it automatically uploads all the pictures and videos from your Redmi to the cloud.This quickly consumes free space, especially if you are shooting high-resolution videos.

To disable autosynchronization:

1. Open the Gallery app.
2. Slip on three dots in the upper right corner and select Settings.
3. Go to Mi Cloud → Autoupload photos.
4. Turn off the autoload slider.

If you want to keep synchronization but reduce the amount of data you download:

• 📸 Turn on the option to download only over Wi-Fi so as not to waste mobile traffic.
• 🎞️ Turn off video downloads or set a size limit (for example, only files up to 50MB).
• 🔍 Turn on the filter: Eliminate screenshots so that no extra cloud gets.

Once you turn off the autoboot, check the Mi Cloud folder in the gallery, which may have unsynchronized files that still take up space. Delete them manually.

4. Delete cache and temporary cloud files

Like any application, Mi Cloud creates cache and temporary files that accumulate over time, which do not take up space in the cloud itself, but can slow down the application and put extra strain on the system.

To clear the cache:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find Mi Cloud in the list and tap on it.
3. Select Warehouse and click Clear Cache.
4. To clean up completely, click Clear Data (this will remove all local settings of the app, but will not affect files in the cloud).

If the app is unstable after cleaning the cache, restart the phone, and check if the phone has residual files from previous versions of the Mi Cloud.

• 🔍 Use a file manager (like Google Files) and find the MiCloud folder in internal storage.
• 🗑️ Delete all files with the.tmp or.cache extension.
• 🔄 Re-launch the Mi Cloud app.

Cleaning the cache doesn't free up space in the cloud, but it speeds up the app and reduces battery load. If you haven't used the Mi Cloud in a long time, the cache can take up to 500MB of internal phone memory.

5. Transfer data to another cloud or PC

If you don’t want to pay for the expansion of Mi Cloud storage, but you need to back up, consider migrating data to other services, such as Google Photos, which offers 15 GB for free, and Yandex Drive, which offers 10 GB.

To transfer files from Mi Cloud:

1. Download all the necessary data to your phone: Open Mi Cloud → select files → Download.

• For Google Drive: Open the app, click + → Download.
• For Yandex Drive: Use the web version or mobile app.
• After successful transfer, delete files from Mi Cloud.

An alternative way is to download data to the PC:

• 💻 Go to i.mi.com and log in.
• 📥 Select files and click Download.
• 🗃️ Save them to a hard drive or external drive.

After transferring data, remember to disable autosynchronization to Mi Cloud so that new files do not take up space. If you completely switch to another service, you can delete your Xiaomi account (more about this in the next section).

6. Complete deletion of Mi Cloud account (last resort)

If you decide to permanently abandon Mi Cloud, you can delete your Xiaomi account from your Redmi.

• ❌ Delete all data from the cloud (including backups).
• ❌ Loss of access to Xiaomi services (e.g. Mi Home for smart devices).
• ❌ Reset some phone settings (for example, theme design).

To delete the account:

Download all important data from the cloud to your phone or PC

Untie the device from the account in Settings → Xiaomi account

Make sure you have backups of contacts and SMS

Remember or save the linked email (you will need it to re-register)-->

1. Go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Delete your account.
2. Enter the password for confirmation.
3. Confirm the deletion (it may be necessary to enter code from SMS).

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Deleting Xiaomi’s account won’t reset the phone to factory settings, but it will disable all related services, including Mi Cloud, Mi Fit, and Mi Home.

If you delete your account by mistake, you can restore it within 30 days through the Xiaomi website, after which all data will be irretrievably lost.

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning up Xiaomi Redmi cloud

Now you know how to effectively clean the cloud on Xiaomi Redmi without losing important data. Start by manually cleaning unnecessary files, then disable autosynchronization and delete old backups. If 5GB is severely short, consider migrating data to other services or buying additional space.