How to completely disable cloud storage on Xiaomi Redmi: 5 proven ways

Cloud storage on Xiaomi Redmi smartphones is a convenient tool for backing up photos, contacts and documents, but not all users want to use it. Some people worry about data privacy, some do not like automatic synchronization, and some just want to save battery power and traffic. In this article, we will discuss how to completely disable cloud storage on Redmi devices — from the standard Mi Cloud to Google Drive and third-party services.

It’s important to understand that disabling the cloud won’t delete files that have already been downloaded—they’ll stay in the cloud until manually deleted. Some features (like searching for a phone or backing up SMS) will stop working. If you’re using Redmi Note 12, Redmi 10 or older models like Redmi 9A, the instructions will be valid for all versions of MIUI 12-14.

Before you start, check which cloud services are active on your device. Go to Settings → Accounts and Sync. Here you will see all the connected accounts, from Xiaomi to Google to Mail.ru. Disabling each of them has its own nuances, which we will discuss below.

1.Switching off Mi Cloud on Xiaomi Redmi

Mi Cloud is Xiaomi’s proprietary cloud storage that syncs contacts, notes, photos, and even recordings from the recorder by default.

• 📱 Open Settings and go to Mi Account (or Xiaomi Account on new versions) MIUI).
• ☁️ Select the Mi Cloud option.
• 🔄 Move the slider Synchronization to the off position..
• 🗑️ To completely disable, click Delete Data from the Cloud (optional).

If you want to delete your Xiaomi account completely (which will automatically disable Mi Cloud), go to Settings → Mi Account → Account Management → Delete Account. Note that this will result in a reset of all Xiaomi-related data, including the Mi Home theme settings and apps.

⚠️ Note: Some Redmi models (e.g. Redmi) K50) After deleting your Xiaomi account, you may be blocked from accessing features like Find Device. Before deleting, save a backup of important data.

2. How to turn off Google Drive sync

Google Drive is integrated into Android deeper than Mi Cloud, so shutting it down requires separate actions. It synchronizes photos, contacts, calendars and documents to stop syncing:

1. Open Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google.
2. Select your Google account.
3. Turn off sliders in front of unnecessary services (for example, Contacts, Calendar, Google Photos).
4. To completely disable photo sync, open the Google Photos app, go to Settings → Backup and Sync, and move the slider to the off position.

If you want to delete your Google account completely, go to Settings → Accounts & Sync → Google → Delete your account, but this will result in loss of access to the Play Market, Gmail and other Google services.

Save important photos to your device|Export contacts to file VCF|Disable backup in Google Photos|Verification of access to alternative services (e.g. Yandex Drive)-->

On devices with MIUI 14 and later, disabling Google Photos backup may not stop media files from loading in the background. To completely block this process, you need to limit the application's background activity in Settings → Apps → Google Photos → Battery → Limit background activity.

3. disable automatic upload of photos to the cloud

One of the most annoying features of cloud storage is the automatic upload of photos and videos, which not only consumes traffic, but can also lead to a leak of personal data. Xiaomi Redmi is responsible for this two services: Mi Cloud and Google Photos.

If you use Redmi with custom firmware (like LineageOS), the paths to settings may be different, in which case check the settings of a particular cloud application.

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To check which apps are consuming traffic to load to the cloud, go to Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Traffic and analysis of statistics for the last month.

4. How to delete files from the cloud after disabling sync

Disabling sync does not delete files that have already been uploaded to the cloud. To free up space and completely delete data, follow the following steps:

• 📁 For Mi Cloud: log in to i.mi.com via browser, log in and manually delete unnecessary files in the Gallery or Files section.
• 🖼️ For Google Photos: open photos.google.com, select files and click Delete.
• 🗃️ For Yandex Drive or Mail.ru Cloud: Use official applications or web versions of services.

Note that some files (such as SMS backups or call logs) may be stored in hidden areas of the cloud. To find them, search for keywords like backup or sms.

⚠️ Note: Delete files from the cloud is irreversible. If you sync contacts or notes, their backups will also be deleted. Before cleaning, export important data to your device or computer.

5. Alternative ways: Disconnecting the cloud through ADB

If standard methods don’t work (e.g., on Redmi with corporate firmware), you can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which is suitable for advanced users.

To disable Mi Cloud via ADB:

1. Turn on Developer Mode (7 times click on the MIUI version in Settings → About Phone).
2. Activate Debugging by USB in Settings → Additional → For developers.
3. Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command: adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.cloudservice

To disable Google Drive and Google Photos, use the following commands:

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.apps.photos


adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.apps.docs

6. How to prevent applications from accessing the cloud in the background

Even after the sync is disabled, some apps (such as Mi Gallery or Google Photos) can continue to interact with the cloud in the background.

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select an app (such as Gallery or Google Photos).
3. Press the Battery and select Limit Background Activity.
4. In the Permissions section, disable access to Warehouse and Contacts if you do not need them.

For full traffic control, use the built-in Traffic Monitor in Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Traffic: You can set limits on individual applications or block their access to mobile data.

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Restricting background activity not only saves battery life, but also prevents unauthorized data transfer to the cloud without your knowledge.

7 What to do if the cloud turns on again after the MIUI update

After updating the firmware, Xiaomi sometimes resets the sync settings.

• 🔄 Before updating, take screenshots of the current cloud settings (or write them down).
• 📱 After updating, check the Settings section immediately. → Accounts and synchronization.
• 🔒 If the synchronization is activated, repeat the steps from the first section.
• 🛡️ Set a password for settings (in some versions) MIUI This can be done through settings. → Lockdown and protection → Blocking settings).

Redmi with MIUI 13 and later has Auto Restore, which can return previous sync settings. To turn it off, go to Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → AutoRestore and deactivate the option.

FAQ: Frequent questions about shutting down the cloud on Xiaomi Redmi