How to Free up Space in the Xiaomi Cloud: A Complete Guide to 2026

Why Xiaomi Cloud is Fast and What to Do About It

Xiaomi’s Mi Cloud cloud storage offers only 5GB of free space (15GB for users in some regions), but even that is short-lived. High-resolution photos, automatic app backups, Mi Home surveillance footage all eat up precious gigabytes. The main problem is that the system defaults to storing all media files in their original quality, rather than in a compressed format like Google Photos.

Many users are notified that there is not enough space in the Mi Cloud, but they don’t know how to properly clean the storage without risking losing important data. In this article, we will discuss 7 working methods, including hidden settings, that will help to free up from 20% to 70% of the occupied space, and pay special attention to automatic backups, which often go unnoticed, but occupy the lion’s share of the volume.

Before you start cleaning, check how much space is occupied and what types of files are consuming it, which can be done through the official Mi Cloud app or the web version on i.mi.com, which updates with a delay of up to 24 hours, so that changes may not be immediately displayed after deleting files.

Method 1: Removing duplicates and failed photos

One of the easiest ways to free up 1-3 GB is to get rid of duplicate and defective photos (blurred, dark, eyes closed).Mi Cloud doesn’t have a built-in tool for finding duplicates, but you can use third-party apps or manual sorting.

How to find and remove extra photos:

• 📱 Open the Gallery app on Xiaomi smartphone and go to the Mi Cloud album.
• 🔍 Sort files by date (Last) – often duplicates appear when you reload.
• 🗑️ Select the unnecessary pictures and click Delete. Confirm the action in the pop-up window.
• 💾 Remember to clean the Recycle Bin in the cloud (files are stored there for 30 days before final deletion).

To speed up the process, we recommend using apps like Files by Google or Duplicate Files Fixer that scan cloud folders for identical files. Importantly, before mass deletion, check if photos are related to important events (for example, screenshots of tickets or documents).

⚠️ Note: Files deleted from Mi Cloud cannot be recovered through standard means. If photos are synced with Google Photos, check if they are there before cleaning.

Method 2: Cleaning Application and System Data Backups

Backups are the main space eater in the Mi Cloud. By default, the system stores copies of all installed applications, their data and even cache. For example, the backup of the Genshin Impact game can weigh up to 500 MB, and the Telegram messenger can weigh up to 1 GB (if there are many media files).

How to manage backup copies:

1. Go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Backup.
2. View the list of applications that have copies made. Sort by size (click on the icon). ⚙️ top-right).
3. Remove copies of unnecessary apps or ones you haven’t used in a long time.
4. Turn off automatic backup for applications that are not critical (such as games or utilities).

Pay special attention to system backups (System settings, Call logs, Messages) that can be left but reduce the frequency of creation, for example, instead of a daily backup of settings, a weekly one is enough.

Method 3: Optimizing Photo and Video Storage

Media files take up to 80 percent of the space in the cloud, and the main problem is downloading video in original quality, for example, a minute video in 4K weighs ~300MB, and in Full HD it weighs ~100MB.

How to reduce media volume:

• 📸 In the settings of the Camera, turn off saving photos in format RAW (Weights 5-10 times higher JPEG).
• 🎥 Set a limit on video quality: Camera settings → Video resolution → Full HD (1080p).
• 🔄 Enable compression when uploading to the cloud: Mi Cloud → Settings → Quality of loading → High (not original).
• 📁 Transfer old photos (over 1 year old) to your computer or external drive.

To automate the process, use the Google Photo Storage Optimization feature (if you sync with it), which replaces the originals with compressed copies, freeing up space, and you can also use Amazon Photos, which offers unlimited photo storage for owners of Xiaomi devices (promotion is valid in some regions).

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Before mass removal of photos, export them to the ZIP-archive via the web version of Mi Cloud, which will save metadata (date, geolocation) even after downloading.

Method 4: Cleaning files from Mi Home and smart devices

If you use the Mi Home ecosystem (cameras, robot vacuum cleaners, sensors), the cloud is littered with recordings from devices, such as the Xiaomi Mi Home Security Camera 360°, which generates up to 1 GB of data per day in continuous recording mode, and many users do not even know that these files are stored in the Mi Cloud.

How to manage files of smart devices:

1. Open the Mi Home app and go to Profile → Settings → Cloud Storage.
2. Look at the list of devices that store data in the cloud. Turn off the recording for unnecessary gadgets.
3. Set up a recording schedule: for example, only by movement or at night.
4. Delete old records (over 30 days) manually through the Device → History.

For surveillance cameras, we recommend using a microSD card instead of a cloud one, which not only saves space, but also speeds up access to records, such as a 128GB card that can hold up to 30 days of continuous 720p recording.

⚠️ Warning: When you remove your device from Mi Home, all associated data in the cloud is permanently erased.

Method 5: Remove Unnecessary Documents and Downloads

Documents folder in Mi Cloud often becomes a “dump” for random files: screenshots, PDF-instructions, firmware archives, many of which are duplicated on the device or no longer relevant, such as a screenshot of the confirmation code from the computer. SMS It only takes 50KB, but there can be hundreds of files.

How to clear documents:

• 📄 Open the web version of Mi Cloud on PC (i.mi.com) – it’s easier to sort files.
• 🔎 Use the filter by file type: Documents → Type → PDF/TXT/ZIP.
• 🗑️ Delete outdated files (e.g. checks over 1 year old, instructions for broken equipment).
• 📂 Create an Archive folder and transfer rarely used documents there (this will not make room, but will simplify navigation).

Pay special attention to files with the.apk extension, which can weigh up to 100MB each, and often remain in the cloud after reinstalling programs, and it is safe to delete them if the application is already updated through the Play Market.

Method 6: Disabling Automatic Synchronization

By default, Xiaomi syncs contacts, notes, calendars, and even browser history to the cloud. Most users don't need this, but the feature is turned on out of the box. For example, a backup of contacts weighs little (up to 1 MB), but is created daily, clogging the version log.

How to turn off unnecessary synchronization:

1. Go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Synchronization.
2. Turn off the switches in front of unnecessary items (for example, Notes, Calendar, Browser).
3. For Contacts and Messages, set manual synchronization mode (in the settings of each section).
4. Check the Others section, which may be hiding underused services (such as Mi Fit or Mi Music).

If you use Google services (Gmail, Calendar, Contacts), the backup sync with Mi Cloud is redundant. Just leave backup in one cloud, which will free up to 500 MB-1 GB and reduce battery load (background sync consumes charge).

Method 7: Alternative cloud services and storage extension

If after all the manipulations, there is still not enough space, consider the options:

• 🔄 Transferring data to another cloud: Google Drive (15GB free), Yandex Drive (10GB), Mega (20GB). Use MultCloud to automatically sync between services.
• 💳 Buying extra space: 50GB in Mi Cloud is worth it ~300 rubles/year, 200 GB — ~1000 RUB/year Promotions are often held on AliExpress or in the official Xiaomi store.
• 📱 Local Storage: Buy a microSD card (up to 1TB) for media or external media SSD For backups, for example, the SanDisk Extreme is 256GB. ~3,000 rubles.
• 🔧 Device optimization: Xiaomi has a Cleanup feature (Settings) → Memory. → Clear), which deletes cache and temporary files, reducing the volume of future backups.

For users who often work with large files (video editing, 3D-It's better to switch to Google Drive or Dropbox, which offers more flexible rates and integration with professional software. But for storing personal photos and documents, Mi Cloud remains a convenient solution – especially if you are actively using the Xiaomi ecosystem (smartphones, laptops, smart watches).

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Before buying an extra seat in Mi Cloud, check out AliExpress shares – they often sell an annual subscription at a discount of up to 50%.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi's cloud