Free Memory in Xiaomi Cloud: A Complete Guide with Instructions and Life Hacks

Xiaomi Cloud cloud storage is a handy tool for backing up data, syncing photos and documents between devices. But even 5GB of free space (or 10GB for Mi Account users with privileges) quickly run out if you don’t follow the content. A filled storage blockes new backups, slows sync, and can lead to loss of important data when you reinstall the system.

In this article, you will find 7 proven ways to free up memory in Xiaomi Cloud, from basic (deleting duplicate photos) to advanced (cleaning the cache of applications and hidden files). We will discuss how to properly manage backups, which data can be safely deleted and which is better transferred to another storage, and you will learn how to avoid re-filling the cloud and set up automatic space optimization.

1. Analysis of occupied space: what exactly takes up space?

Before you start cleaning, it’s important to understand what data is eating away at your cloud storage. In Xiaomi Cloud, memory is divided into several categories:

• 📱 Backups – pictures of the system, applications and settings of the smartphone (most often occupy the 60-80% space-space).
• 📷 Photos and videos – automatically synchronized media files from the gallery (especially dangerous videos in the gallery) 4K).
• 📄 Documents and files – downloaded manually PDF, APK, archives and other data.
• 🔄 Cache and temporary files – residues from application synchronization (Mi Fit, Mi Home, Notes).
• 🎵 Recordings from a recorder and other rarely used data.

To see the details:

1. Open the Settings app on Xiaomi smartphone.
2. Go to Mi Account. → Xiaomi Cloud.
3. Slip on Storage Management (or Storage in newer versions of MIUI).
4. The system will show a diagram of the distribution of memory by category.

Critical point: if the Other or System files are more than 1 GB occupied in the Other or System files section, this is a sign of accumulated garbage (cache, undeleted temporary files), such data can be deleted without risk to the main backups.

2. Cleanup of backups: what can be removed without risk?

Backups are the main memory eater in Xiaomi Cloud, many users do not delete old images of the system, which take 2-4 GB each, while only the last copy is relevant, and the rest duplicate the same data.

How to safely remove unnecessary backups:

1. Go to Settings → Mi Account → Xiaomi Cloud → Backup.
2. Select the device you want to clean your copies for.
3. View the list of available backups sorted by date.
4. Remove all copies except the latest (it is better to leave in case of a phone reset).

Make sure the last copy is made recently (less than a month ago)

Save important data (contacts, SMS) manually on PC

Check if copies are linked to other devices (e.g., a tablet)

Disable automatic backup if memory runs out quickly-->

⚠️ Note: if you delete all backups for the device, the next backup, the system will create a new copy from scratch, which can take up to several hours and require a stable Internet connection.

Professional advice: If you reinstall firmware frequently, save the latest working copy to Google Drive or locally to your PC.

1. Create a fresh backup in Xiaomi Cloud.
2. Download it via the web version of the cloud (i.mi.com) in.zip format.
3. Upload the archive to another storage (e.g. Mega or Yandex Drive).

3. Optimizing photos and videos: how to reduce their weight?

Media is the second largest category in Xiaomi Cloud, with one RAW photo weighing 20-30MB and a minute of 4K video up to 300MB, and most users are unaware that the cloud is storing:

• 📸 Duplicate photos (for example, photos in the HDR and routinely).
• 🎥 Unsuccessful videos (lubricated, dark, random recordings).
• 🔍 Screenshots and memes that are not needed for a long time.
• 📁 Auto-uploaded stories from Mi Gallery or Google Photos.

Methods of cleaning media files:

1. Delete through gallery: Open Gallery → Albums → Xiaomi Cloud. highlight unnecessary files and click Delete. Confirm Deletion from the Cloud (EVERYwhere option).
2. Web-based optimization: Go to i.mi.com from your PC. Go to Photos or Videos. Use filters by date or size to find the heaviest files.

Compression before loading

• In the Mi Gallery settings, enable the option to Optimize photos when downloading.
• This will reduce the weight of new images by 30-50% without any noticeable loss of quality.

You can also clean the cache directly in the applications:

• 🏃 Mi Fit: Profile → Settings → Clear the cache.
• 🏠 Mi Home: Profile → About the programme → Clear the data.
• 📝 Notes: Settings → Clearing unnecessary notes.

⚠️ Note: Do not delete files with.db or.sqlite extensions, which are application databases.

5. Transfer data to other cloud storage

If you are actively using Xiaomi Cloud, but constantly face a shortage of space, it is more logical to transfer some of the data to other services.

• 📷 Photos and videos → Google Photos (free 15GB) or Yandex Drive (10GB).
• 📄 Documents → Dropbox or OneDrive (Integration with Microsoft Office).
• 🎵 Music and recordings → SoundCloud or VK Music.
• 📱 Backup copies → Local storage on PC or external SSD.

How to automate the transfer:

1. For photos: Install Google Photos and enable automatic download. In the Mi Gallery settings, turn off sync with Xiaomi Cloud.
2. For documents: Use Files by Google to search for large files (Storage Analysis → Large files). Upload them to Yandex Drive via the web interface.

• Download the latest copy from Xiaomi Cloud in.zip format.
• Save it to an external drive or in Mega (50GB free).

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Moving data to other clouds will not only free up space in Xiaomi Cloud, but also create additional backups, which is especially important if you store critical files (such as document scans or work projects).

⚠️ Note: When you transfer backups to another storage, make sure that the new service supports file versioning (like Dropbox or Backblaze) and this will allow you to restore old versions of files if they are corrupted.

6.Automatic cleaning and optimization setup

To avoid manually cleaning Xiaomi Cloud every month, set up automatic rules:

• 🗑️ Autocleaning the Cart: In the web version of the cloud (i.mi.com) go to Settings → Recycle Bin: Install automatic deletion of files from the Recycle Bin after 30 days (60 days default).
• 📴 Media Download Restriction: In Mi Gallery, turn off automatic video downloads (Settings) → Cloud synchronization → Leave only the upload of photos, but set a limit on the file size (for example, no more than 10 MB).
• 🔄 Cleaning Old Backups: In Settings → Mi Account → Xiaomi Cloud → Backup: Enable the option to Delete copies older than 6 months.

You can also use third-party applications to monitor cloud storage:

• Files by Google – shows which files take up the most space.
• SD Maid – Finds duplicates and debris in cloud folders.
• Cloud Storage Manager – Analyzes the memory allocation in Xiaomi Cloud.

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If you take pictures often, set up the option to Optimize Storage in Mi Gallery, which automatically reduces the resolution of old photos (over 1 year old), freeing up to 40% of the space.

7. Alternative methods: if nothing helps

If after all the manipulations, the place in the Xiaomi Cloud is still running out, consider these options:

• 💳 Buy extra space: 50 GB — ~100 rubles/month. 200 GB — ~200 rubles / month. You can pay through Settings → Mi Account → Xiaomi Cloud → Buy a place.
• 🔄 Reset the cloud to factory settings: Export all important data to your PC. In the web version of the cloud (i.mi.com), find the Reset Storage option.This will delete all data, but reset quotas and possible synchronization errors.
• 📱 Use local backup: Create backups to a memory card or PC via Mi PC Suite.Switch off cloud sync to save space.

⚠️ Note: If you decide to drop the cloud, consider that:

• Recovering deleted data will not be possible.
• Some applications (Mi Fit, Mi Home) may require reconfiguration after resetting.
• Backup copies of the devices will have to be created again.

FAQ: Frequent questions about memory release in Xiaomi Cloud