Users of Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones often face the unpleasant situation when the system reports cloud storage overflow.This is because the free limit of 5 GB is quickly exhausted, especially if automatic gallery synchronization is enabled. Device owners begin to receive notifications about the inability to take new pictures or save data backups.
Freeing up space in Mi Cloud is not just about deleting files, it's about fine-tuning the entire ecosystem. You need to understand the difference between local memory and the cloud so you don't accidentally erase important photos from all devices at once. In this article, we'll go into detail on secure storage cleanup methods.
There are several proven ways to address space shortages: you can use built-in cleaning tools, manage subscriptions via a web interface, or disable heavy format synchronization altogether, depending on how deeply you want to integrate into the manufacturer's services.
Analysis of occupied space in Mi Cloud
The first step is always to diagnose, and before you delete files, you need to know exactly what consumes the lion's share of your limit, most often photos and videos that are automatically uploaded in the background, and MIUI allows you to view the structure of the storage in detail.
To do this, go to your account settings. Find Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud. This shows a visual data distribution diagram. The gallery usually takes up to 80% of the total volume, followed by Dictaphone and Call Records.
⚠️ Note: Deleting files directly through the Storage Management menu on your phone can trigger deletion sync across all associated devices. Be extremely careful if you use a tablet or second phone with the same account.
Analysis allows you to make an informed decision, and you may not need to delete everything, but you just need to clear one category, like screenshots or old videos, and understanding the structure of the data is the key to an effective cleanup without losing important information.
If you see backups of messages or system settings that you don't need take up space, they can be safely removed from the synchronized object list, which will make room instantly, as such data is rarely of value to the average user.
Delete files via i.mi.com web interface
The safest and most convenient way to manage files is to use a browser on your computer or in full mode on your phone. i.mi.com provides advanced features that are not available in the mobile application. You can delete files en masse without risking getting confused in local folders.
Log in using your Mi Account. The interface is like a standard file manager. You can browse folders, select groups of photos or documents and send them to the Recycle Bin. The main advantage is that the changes apply only to the cloud, unless you have previously enabled full deletion sync.
What happens to deleted files?
For mass cleaning, perform the following actions:
- 📷 Go to the Gallery section and sort the photo by date or size.
- 🗑️ Select unnecessary albums or use the “Choose All” feature for old periods.
- ✅ Press the removal button and confirm the action.
- 📂 Don’t forget to check the Files and Recorder section, where hidden debris often accumulates.
Using the web version is especially useful when you need to delete a large number of high-resolution video files. The mobile application can run slowly or freeze while processing thousands of objects, whereas the browser can cope with the task in seconds.
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Use Incognito mode in your browser to log into the cloud if you have someone else’s account on your device so that data doesn’t mix or sync automatically.
Disconnecting the synchronization of the Gallery and the Dictaphone
A radical but effective way to free up space is to turn off sync for the most "heavy" applications, so if you don't need access to photos from other devices or a cloud backup of a voice recorder, this feature can be deactivated, and this will stop new files from uploading to the cloud.
To do this, open Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud. In the list of applications, find Gallery and Dictator. Translate the switches to the "Switched Off" position. The system will ask what to do with the data already loaded. Here it is important to choose the correct answer.
There are usually two ways to delete or leave your cloud copies. If you want to make room, choose to delete your cloud copies. The local files on your phone will remain intact. This is the only way to guarantee that you can save your photos on your device, but remove them from the cloud without losing access to them offline.
Once sync is disabled, the storage space will not be released instantly, but after the server cleansing process is completed, which usually takes between a few minutes and an hour, at which time it is not recommended to turn on sync again so that there is no conflict of versions.
Cleaning the basket and hidden albums
Many users forget that deleted files don't disappear immediately, but they move to a 30-day shopping cart, continuing to occupy a precious place in the Mi Cloud quota, and to really free up space, you have to do a final cleanup.
Go to the Gallery app on your smartphone. Scroll down to the Albums section and find the Deleted folder. Here are all the photos and videos you've sent to the cart over the past month. Select them all and click Clear.
It's also worth checking hidden albums, and sometimes users hide sensitive data there, forgetting that it can synchronize, too. → Albums. → Hidden album (requires a password or fingerprint). If there is any extra, delete it.
Don't forget about "Recently Deleted" in the web interface. It often happens that a user deletes a photo from his phone, thinking he has made room, but forgets to clear the cart in the cloud, and the limit remains filled.
☑️ Completely clean the vault
Comparison of methods of cleaning the storage
There are many approaches to solving the problem of crowded cloud, each method has its advantages and disadvantages depending on your goal: to save data locally, completely delete it or just temporarily vacate space.
| Method | Security of data | Speed. | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deletion through the website | High (PC control) | Tall. | Low. |
| Shutting down synchronization | Medium (risk of loss when your phone breaks) | Instant. | Low. |
| Cleaning the basket | Low (data disappears forever) | Instant. | Low. |
| Purchase of subscription | Tall. | Instant. | Low. |
When choosing a method, prioritize. If security is important, buy space or use external drives. If you need to take a photo urgently, clear the cart. If you need to work constantly at no cost, you should turn off the synchronization of heavy files.
Combining the best results, for example, you can turn off video syncing and leave photos, but periodically clean the cart, and this approach allows you to stay within the free tariff for a long time.
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Regular manual cleaning of the cart is the easiest way to keep the cloud in order without any financial investment.
Alternatives and storage expansion
If deleting files isn’t part of your plans as the archive is too valuable, it’s worth considering options to expand the limit. Xiaomi offers paid rates that increase the volume to 50GB, 200GB or even 2TB. The subscription cost is usually symbolic compared to the convenience of automatic backups.
However, there are free alternatives. You can use Google Photos, which often provides more flexible compression and storage settings, and Yandex.Disk and Cloud Mail.ru are also popular, which often give bonuses to users of smartphones of certain brands.
⚠️ Warning: When switching to another cloud service, be sure to turn off sync in Mi Cloud, otherwise you risk losing data due to version conflicts or double file deletion.
Another option is physical memory: microSD cards allow you to store thousands of photos and hours of video without being tied to the Internet, and set your phone’s camera to store new images directly to your memory card, bypassing internal storage and the cloud.
Regularly transferring files to your computer is also a great habit: once a month, connect your phone to a USB and copy the DCIM folder to your hard drive, and once you have checked the copy, files from your phone can be deleted, freeing up space in both the device and the cloud.