How to view photos in the cloud on Android Xiaomi: all ways

Cloud storage has become an integral part of Xiaomi smartphone owners’ lives, especially when it comes to storing photos. Pictures take up a lot of space on internal memory, and the cloud allows you not only to free it, but also to access files from any device. However, many users have difficulty viewing uploaded images — where to look, how to open, why not display new photos?

In this article, we will analyze all the current ways to view photos in the cloud on Xiaomi Android smartphones, including branded Mi Cloud storage, Google Photos, as well as third-party services. You will learn how to set up automatic downloads, where to look for synchronized pictures and what to do if the photos are not displayed. MIUI model Redmi/Poco.

1 How to open a photo in Mi Cloud on Xiaomi

Mi Cloud is Xiaomi's proprietary cloud storage integrated into the MIUI ecosystem, and it automatically syncs photos if the feature is enabled in settings.

Open the Gallery app → go to the Cloud tab (or Mi Cloud in older versions) and you will see all uploaded photos grouped by album or date. If there is no tab, check if sync is enabled in Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Gallery.

• 📁 Folders and albums: In Mi Cloud, photos are organized in the same way as on the device – by folders (Camera, Screenshots, etc.). Albums with manual sorting (for example, “Vacation 2026”) will only be saved if they were created in a standard Xiaomi Gallery.
• 🔄 List Update: If no new photos appear, pull the screen down for forced sync or check your internet connection.
• 🔒 Private photos: Snapshots from the folder Secure files (if it was configured) to the cloud are not uploaded – they need to be transferred manually.

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If not all photos are displayed in Mi Cloud, check the date filter in the upper right corner of the Gallery app.

On Xiaomi 13/14 and Redmi Note 12/13 models with MIUI 14+, the Mi Cloud interface may differ: instead of the Cloud tab, the Cloud Albums button will appear in the bottom menu. Also, new versions add source support (RAW) - they are loaded into the cloud only when the appropriate option is turned on in the camera settings.

2. View photos via Google Photos

Many Xiaomi users prefer Google Photos because of the user-friendly interface and free storage (when compressing images).

1. Install the Google Photos app from the Play Market (if it is not available by default).
2. Sign in under your Google account.
3. All synchronized photos will appear on the homepage. Use the Photos, For You or Search tabs to filter.

An important nuance: on Xiaomi with MIUI, Google Photos by default does not sync photos automatically.

1. Open Google Photos → Click on the account avatar → Photo settings.
2. Select Backup and Sync → turn on the switch.
3. Specify the download quality (Source or High) and network synchronization (Wi-Fi only is recommended).

On the Poco F5 and Redmi K60 with MIUI 14, there may be a conflict between Mi Cloud and Google Photos, both of which attempt to sync the same files, in which case it is recommended to disable autoload in one of the storages to avoid duplication.

3. Access to cloud photos through the browser

If the smartphone does not have access to applications (for example, after resetting), you can view the photos through the web version of the cloud services.

⚠️ Warning: When logging into Mi Cloud via a browser on someone else's device, always use Incognito mode and do not save your password. After viewing the photo, be sure to log out of your account (Avatar). → Exit) to avoid data leakage.

Web versions are easy to download, for example, in Google Photos, you can select a date range (Search → Select a date) and download all the photos for the period archived. Mi Cloud does not have this feature — you have to download the photo one by one or folders.

Mi Cloud|Google Photo|Yandex Disc |Other |Not using cloud-->

4.Why are the photos not displayed in the cloud?

If synchronized photos don't appear in the cloud, the reasons can be different, from the banal lack of Internet access to system failures.

• 🌐 No network connection: Synchronization only works when the Internet is active. Check Wi-Fi or mobile data (in Mi settings) Cloud/Google Photos may be limited to downloading 3G/4G).
• ⚙️ Autoboot Disabled: In Mi Cloud, go to Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → Gallery and enable Gallery Sync. In Google Photos, check Backup and Sync.
• 📂 Excluded folders: In the sync settings, the checkbox from the Camera folder or other photo sources can be removed.
• 🔋 Optimizing the battery: MIUI aggressively closes the background processes. Add Mi Cloud or Google Photos to exceptions (Settings) → Battery → Optimizing the battery → All applications).
• 📱 An outdated version MIUI: On Xiaomi MIUI 12 and older, synchronization bugs may occur. Update the firmware in Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.

Is the Internet (Wi-Fi/mobile data) on?

Is your Xiaomi/Google account authorized in the cloud settings?

Is autoloading photo enabled in the service settings?

Is there enough space in the cloud storage?

Is the cloud application added to battery optimization exceptions?-->

On the Poco X3 Pro and Redmi 10 smartphones with MIUI 13, there is a bug in which the Mi Cloud stops syncing photos after updating the firmware. Solution: delete the Xiaomi account in the settings, restart the device and log in again.

If the problem persists, try to force the cloud data to update:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find Mi Cloud or Google Photos → click Storage → Clear cache.
3. Restart your smartphone and wait for the synchronization to happen again.

5. How to Download Photos from the Cloud on Xiaomi

To save a photo from the cloud back to your device:

In Mi Cloud:

1. Open the Gallery app → the Cloud tab.
2. Select the desired photos (long press → mark the rest).
3. Click More → Save to your device and select a folder (such as Downloads or Camera).

On Google Photos:

1. Open the app. → highlight the photo.
2. Click More → Save to your device. Photos will appear in the DCIM → Google Photos folder.

⚠️ Note: When you download a large number of photos (more than 500) through the Mi Cloud, you may experience an error "Can not save", in which case, break the download into parts of 100-200 pictures or use the web version of i.mi.com to download the archive.

The Xiaomi 12T and the latest models with MIUI 14 have a feature called Smart Save, which automatically deletes local copies of photos if they are successfully uploaded to the cloud.

1. Go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Gallery.
2. Turn off the option to Free up space on the device.

6.Alternative cloud services for Xiaomi

In addition to Mi Cloud and Google Photos, Xiaomi can use other cloud services to store photos.

• 📦 Yandex Disk: Offers 10GB for free. To autoload photos, install the official app and enable Autoboot in the settings. Minus - no integration with the standard Xiaomi Gallery.

To install alternative services:

1. Download an app from the Play Market (e.g. Yandex Drive).
2. Log in and enable autoloading photos in the application settings.
3. In Settings → Applications → Permissions provide access to storage and camera.

On Xiaomi with MIUI 13/14, some third-party clouds (like Dropbox) may not display images correctly in the Gallery, in which case use your own cloud app to view.

7.Security of cloud photos on Xiaomi

Storing photos in the cloud is convenient, but requires attention to security, and the following steps will help protect your photos:

• 🔐 Two-factor authentication (2FA): Enable it for Xiaomi and Google accounts in the security settings, which will prevent unauthorized access even if the password is compromised.
• 📌 Backups of passwords: Save recovery codes for 2FA In a safe place (e.g. Google Authenticator or on paper).
• 🚫 Access Restriction: In Mi Cloud, you can configure a Blacklist for devices that do not allow access to photos (Settings) → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → Security).
• 🔍 Activity check: Periodically check your account login log (Google Settings) → Security → Your devices are on Google or i.mi.com → Security for Mi Cloud).

⚠️ Attention: On Xiaomi with MIUI for China (firmware version) CN) Mi Cloud data is stored on servers in China, which may violate the requirements of the GDPR. If privacy is critical, use Google Photos or European Clouds (Proton Drive, Nextcloud).

For additional protection of sensitive photos:

1. Move them to the Protected Files folder (available in Gallery → Albums on MIUI 14).
2. Set the password to the folder in the settings (Gallery settings → Secure files).
3. Turn off autoboot for this folder in the Mi Cloud/Google Photo settings.

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Never store scans of documents (passports, licenses, bank cards) in the cloud without encryption. Use specialized services like 1Password or Keeper for sensitive data.

FAQ: Frequent questions about viewing photos in the cloud Xiaomi