Cleaning up Xiaomi Cloud without deleting files from your device: the full guide

Why clean up Mi Cloud and can it be done without loss?

Xiaomi Cloud (or Mi Cloud) cloud storage automatically syncs photos, contacts, notes, and even records from the recorder from all your devices. Over time, it fills up with unnecessary duplicates, old backups and garbage that takes up precious gigabytes. The main problem is that many users are afraid to clean the cloud for fear that files will disappear from the phone. In fact, 90% of the data in the Mi Cloud can be deleted without consequences for local files on the device if done correctly.

In this article, we will discuss how to safely free up space in the Xiaomi Cloud without the risk of losing data on the smartphone. We will look at official methods through the application, the web version of the cloud, as well as hidden settings that are not written in the instructions. All methods are tested on Xiaomi 13 Ultra, Redmi Note 12 Pro+ and POCO F5 models, but are suitable for any device on MIUI 12-14.

Before you start, make sure you have:

• 🔋 Battery charge above 30% (to avoid synchronization interruption)
• 📶 A stable Internet connection (Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi) 4G/5G)
• 🔐 Access to Mi Account (login and password)

Method 1: Cleaning through the Mi Cloud app on your smartphone

The easiest method is to use the built-in Mi Cloud app (also called the Cloud or Xiaomi Cloud) pre-installed on all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones, the main advantage of which is the ability to selectively delete files with preview.

Instructions:

1. Open the Mi Cloud app (white cloud icon on a blue background).
2. Sign in if required (use the same account as on your device).
3. Go to the Control or Storage tab (depending on the MIUI version).
4. Click on the category you want to clear (e.g. Photos, Videos, Notes).
5. Select files manually or use filters by date/size.
6. Click Delete and confirm the action.

Important: When you delete files like this, they stay on the device but disappear from the cloud. To check that local copies are not affected, open the gallery or file manager immediately after you clean them.

Backup important files on the PC

Check the free space on the device

Turn off automatic synchronization (Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Synchronization)

Close all background applications that use the cloud

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Method 2: Remove via the web version of Mi Cloud (i.mi.com)

If you don't have enough space on your phone or the Mi Cloud app is unstable, use the browser version of the cloud, which gives you more sorting and mass removal options, and is suitable for cleaning from your computer or other device.

Step-by-step:

1. Go to i.mi.com and log in.
2. In the menu on the left, select the Warehouse or File Management section.
3. Open a folder with unnecessary data (for example, Backups, Downloads, Recycle Bin).
4. Check the files or use the Select All button.
5. Press Delete. → Confirm.
6. For a complete cleaning, go to the Recycle Bin and click Clean the Recycle Bin.

The advantage of the web version is that you can sort files by size (decreasing) and date (old first), so it's easier to find and delete the largest or most outdated data, for example, backups older than 6 months can usually be safely deleted.

Method 3: Disable the synchronization of unnecessary data

Many users are unaware that Mi Cloud syncs dozens of data types by default, from call history to lock screen settings, some of which can be turned off to stop the accumulation of garbage, which will not clean up the already occupied space, but prevent it from filling up.

How to turn off unnecessary synchronization:

1. Go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Click on Synchronization.
3. Scroll through the list and turn off the sliders next to:

• 📱 Call history (if you are not in business)
• 📝 Notes (if you use Google Keep or other services)
• 🎵 Music (unless you use the built-in player)
• 📅 Calendar (if synced with Google)
• 📱 System settings (may cause conflicts when changing devices)

Once sync is disabled, the old data will remain in the cloud, but the new data will no longer be available. To delete it completely, use Method 1 or Method 2 from this article.

💡

If you have disabled the Gallery sync, but photos are still uploaded to the cloud, check the Photos app settings. It may have a separate option Autoboot in Mi Cloud enabled. → Cloud).

Method 4: Delete old backup copies

Backups are the main space eater in the Mi Cloud. Each backup can weigh between 1 and 10 GB, and older copies often remain after a firmware update or phone change. They can be removed without risking current data on the device.

How to find and remove backups:

1. Open the web version of Mi Cloud (i.mi.com).
2. Go to Backup (or Backup in English).
3. You'll see a list of devices and dates for the copies, and the old backups are marked in gray.
4. Click on the unnecessary copy → Delete → Confirm.

Tip: Before you delete, check the backup date. If you're older than 6 months old and haven't used that device in a while, you can delete it. The current data on your smartphone is independent of cloud backups.

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Backups in Mi Cloud don’t automatically update! To create a new one, you need to manually run the backup in your phone settings (Settings → About Phone → Backup).

Method 5: Clearing Cache and Temporary Cloud Files

Few people know, but Mi Cloud stores cache and temporary files on the device that can take up to 500 MB of space. Cleaning them will not free the cloud, but will speed up the application and prevent synchronization errors.

How to clear the cache:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the Mi Cloud (or "Cloud") list.
3. Press Warehouse. → Clear the cache.
4. To clean up completely, click Clear Data (this will delete temporary files but will not affect your data in the cloud).

If the Mi Cloud app is unstable after cleaning the cache, restart the phone.This is because MIUI is rearranging the file index for synchronization.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When cleaning up Xiaomi Cloud, users often experience problems that lead to data loss or account locking, and here are the most common mistakes and ways to prevent them:

If the cloud still shows the occupied place after cleaning, check:

• 🔍 Shared files (there are data from remote applications)
• 📁 Mi Drive folder (if you use this service)
• 📊 Web version statistics (i.mi.com) – sometimes a mobile app displays latency data

💡

If you deleted important files by mistake, check the Recycle Bin folder in Mi Cloud — there the data is stored for 30 days. To recover, click on the file → Restore.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions