Smart albums in the Xiaomi gallery are a feature that automatically categorizes photos by faces, places, events and even objects (for example, “food”, “documents”, “screenshots”). For some users, it is a convenient tool for quick search, but for others – an annoying clutter that slows down the gallery and takes up extra space in memory. If you fall into the second category, this article will help you figure out how to completely or selectively disable smart albums on any Xiaomi smartphone, Redmi or POCO.
Complicating the problem is that the path to settings may differ across MIUI versions (12 to 16) and models, and we tested all the current methods on 2020-2026 devices and put them together in one guide. Importantly, some methods require permission to change system settings, so check before you start to see if you have administrator rights.
Why do smart albums reappear after being turned off?
Many users complain that even after manually shutting down smart albums come back after a gallery update or a phone reboot, because the feature is integrated into the com.miui.gallery system app and is managed not only by local settings, but also by Xiaomi’s cloud services.
The main reasons for the "resurrection" of albums:
- 🔄 Automatically update the gallery via Google Play or system updater.Newer versions often reset custom settings.
- ☁️ Sync with Mi Cloud. If backup photos are enabled, the system can restore the structure of the albums.
- 🤖 Optimization MIUI. Branded shell sometimes “cleans” the cache of applications, which leads to a reset of settings.
- 📱 Transfer data to a new phone. When migrating via Mi Mover or Google Account, the gallery settings can be copied.
To keep the shutdown going, it's not enough to remove the tick in the settings -- you need to block the background processes of the gallery and turn off the synchronization, and more on that in the next sections.
Method 1: Standard shutdown through gallery settings
The simplest method that works on most devices with MIUI 12-14 is suitable for models Xiaomi 11/12/13 series, Redmi Note 10/11/12, POCO F3/F4/F5 and others.
Instructions:
- Open the Gallery app (an icon with a flower or landscape).
- Tap it on three points (⋮) top-right → Select Settings.
- Go to Albums or Smart Albums (the title depends on the MIUI version).
- Turn off the slider next to the Smart Albums item or Automatic Categorization.
- Confirm the action by pressing OK in the pop-up window.
☑️ Preparing for the shutdown of smart albums
What if the "Smart Albums" item isn't on the menu? Some firmwares (e.g. MIUI 15 Global) have the option hidden.
- Return to the gallery's main screen.
- Slip on any smart album (for example, "Screenshots" or "Faces").
- In the album, click on three dots (⋮) → Album management → Shut down.
- Repeat for all unnecessary categories.
⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI for Russia (e.g. Redmi) 10C or POCO M5) After disabling, albums may remain on the list but will no longer be updated. To remove them completely, you will need to reset the gallery cache (see Method 3).
Method 2: Disconnect via Mi Cloud (for permanent effect)
If smart albums come back after a reboot, sync with Xiaomi's cloud is to blame. Even if you're not using Mi Cloud, some gallery features are default to an account.
How to turn off cloud synchronization:
- Open your phone settings → Accounts and sync.
- Choose Mi Cloud (or your Xiaomi account).
- Scroll down to the Data Sync section.
- Find the Gallery or Photos item and turn off the slider.
- Return to your account’s basic settings and click Out (not necessarily, but recommended for complete disabling).
After that:
- 📁 Delete the.cloudphoto folder in the root directory of internal memory (use the root or MiXplorer file manager).
- 🔄 Reboot your phone – it will reset the cloud sync cache.
| Action. | The effect | Are root rights necessary? |
|---|---|---|
| Disable gallery sync in Mi Cloud | Stops updating smart albums from the cloud | No. |
| Delete the folder.cloudphoto | Clears local cloud gallery data | Yes (or file manager with root) |
| Exit from Mi Account | Completely disables all cloud functions | No. |
| Reset gallery settings | Returns standard parameters without smart albums | No. |
⚠️ Note: If you use Google Photos to back up, disabling Mi Cloud will not affect its performance. However, check the settings of Google Photos - there may also be automatic categorization enabled (Search tab) → Grouping).
Method 3: Resetting cache and gallery data (radical method)
If the previous methods didn’t work, you’ll have to hard reset the gallery app, which will remove all user settings, but also eliminate smart albums forever (until the next update).
Step-by-step:
- Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Find the Gallery (or com.miui.gallery) and tap it.
- Select Warehouse. → Clear the cache.
- Then click Clear Data (this will delete all settings, but not photos!).
- Reboot the phone.
After discharge:
- 🔧 Gallery will open with standard settings – no smart albums.
- 📂 All user folders and photos will remain in place.
- ⚙️ It is recommended to immediately disable the automatic update of the gallery in Google Play.
💡
Before resetting gallery data, export important albums manually: open the album → press three points (⋮) → "Export. That'll keep the folder structure on the memory card.
Some devices (such as Xiaomi 12 Pro or Redmi K50) may have a data corruption notification after a reset. Ignore it is a standard system warning that does not affect the operation of the gallery.
Method 4: Disconnect via ADB (for advanced users)
If you’re ready to use the Android debugging bridge (ADB), this method is guaranteed to disable smart albums at the system level.Call for all Xiaomi models, including the POCO F5 Pro and Redmi Note 12 Turbo.
What you need:
- 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB Tools.
- 📱 Included Debugging by USB on the phone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times tap to unlock the developer mode).
- 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).
Commands to disable:
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.gallery.smartalbum
adb shell pm hide com.miui.gallery.smartalbumIf the first command doesn’t work, try the alternative:
adb shell settings put global smart_album_enabled 0After completion:
- 🔄 Reboot the phone.
- 📊 Check the gallery - smart albums should disappear.
- 🔧 If you have any albums, repeat the commands with root (adb root) rights).
⚠️ Attention: Use ADB It can disrupt other gallery functions, such as photo editor or cloud sync. Before executing commands, back up your data via adb backup or manually.
What if ADB issues a "device unauthorized" error?
Method 5: Installation of an alternative gallery (radical solution)
If none of these methods work, it remains to completely replace the standard gallery with a third-party one, which not only removes the smart albums, but also adds new features (for example, cloud storage without binding to Mi Cloud).
Best alternatives:
| Annex | Pluses | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Google Photo | Automatic sorting by date/place, backup, search by content | Google Accounts, Takes up a Lot of Memory |
| Simple Gallery | Lightweight, no advertising, support for dark theme and gestures | No cloud synchronization |
| A+ Gallery | Minimalist design, fast work, support for RAW | Plugins for some functions |
| F-Stop | Advanced tags and filters, NAS support | A complex interface for beginners |
How to install and configure:
- Download the selected gallery from Google Play or APKMirror.
- Open your phone settings → Applications → By default.
- Select the new gallery as the default app for viewing photos.
- Disable or remove updates for the standard Xiaomi gallery (via Google Play → My apps).
If you want to completely remove the system gallery, you can only do this with root rights or through ADB:
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.gallery💡
Installing an alternative gallery is the only way to permanently get rid of smart albums without the risk of them reappearing after updates.
Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
When you turn off smart albums, users often face typical problems, and here's how to solve them:
Problem 1: After the blackout, the albums disappeared, but reappeared a day later.
- 🔹 Reason: Background synchronization with Mi Cloud or automatic gallery update.
- 🔹 Solution: Turn off auto-update in Google Play and check your cloud settings (see Method 2).
Problem 2: There is no “Smart Album” item in the gallery settings.
- 🔹 Reason: An outdated version MIUI regional firmware (for example, for India).
- 🔹 Solution: Update the gallery manually via APKMirror or use it ADB (Method 4).
Problem 3: After the data dump, the gallery stopped opening the photos.
- 🔹 Cause: Damage to the miniature cache.
- 🔹 Solution: Delete the.thumbnails folder in internal memory through the file manager.
Problem 4: ADB teams don't work, they make a mistake.
- 🔹 Reason: Lack of rights or debugging USB not included.
- 🔹 Solution: Check the connection by USB (Select File Transfer Mode and repeat the command with sudo (on the Linux/Mac).