Xiaomi’s Mi Cloud cloud storage automatically backs up photos from your smartphone, freeing up space on your device. But what if you want to delete unnecessary photos — personal, duplicate or simply outdated? Unlike local deletion, files in the cloud require separate actions, otherwise they will remain on the company’s servers even after cleaning the gallery.
In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to remove photos from the Xiaomi cloud: through the mobile application, the web version, from the computer, as well as how to completely erase files without recovery (including the shopping cart). Separately, we will consider the nuances for Redmi devices, POCO and older models on MIUI 12 and below, where the cloud interface is different.
Why photos stay in the cloud after being deleted from your phone
Many users are faced with the situation: they erased the photo in the gallery, and a week later it reappeared. This is due to synchronization with the Mi Cloud. By default, Xiaomi smartphones are configured so that:
- 📁 Local removal does not affect cloud copies (files remain on servers).
- ☁️ Autosynchronization restores "deleted" photos the next time you connect to the Internet.
- 🗑️ Deleted files are stored in the Mi Cloud Recycle Bin for 30 days before final erasure.
To permanently delete photos, you need to work through the cloud interface – either through the Mi Cloud app on your phone or through your browser, but it is important to consider that some files may be linked to other Xiaomi services, such as Mi Gallery or Xiaomi Home (if the photos were used for a smart home).
Method 1: Remove from the Mi Cloud app on your phone
The fastest method is to use the official Mi Cloud app, pre-installed on all Xiaomi, Redmi and other smartphones. POCO. The instructions are relevant to MIUI 13/14:
- Open the Mi Cloud app (cloud icon on your desktop or menu).
- Sign in with your Xiaomi account (unless you are automatically logged in).
- Go to Gallery or Photos (the name may vary depending on the MIUI version).
- Select the right photos: 🖼️ For single removal – click on the photo and hold for 2 seconds, then tap on the basket icon. 📂 For batch removal - click Select → tick off the files → Delete.
Confirm the action in the dialog window.
⚠️ Note: The files deleted in this way will be in the Mi Cloud Recycle Bin and will not be permanently erased until 30 days later. To speed up the process, go to the Recycle Bin (Recently Deleted) and manually clean it.
Check your internet connection (Wi-Fi or mobile data)
Make sure there is enough space on your account (when cloud overflows, deletion may not work)
Turn off autosynchronization in the gallery settings (if you do not want the photos to recover)
Backup important files to another medium-->
Method 2: Remove via the web version of Mi Cloud
If you don’t have access to your phone or are more comfortable working on a big screen, use the web version of Mi Cloud, which is suitable for any device, including the POCO F5, Redmi Note 12 and older models like the Mi 9:
- Open your browser and go to i.mi.com.
- Sign in under your Xiaomi account (login – email or phone number).
- In the main menu, select the Gallery or Photos section.
- Find the right photos: 🔍 Use a search by date or album (e.g. Screenshots, Downloads). 📅 For mass deletion, sort files by date (New First or Old First).
Delete
🔹 The advantage of the web version: here you can delete photos in bundles 50-100 One at a time, whereas in a mobile app the limit is usually 30 It's also easier to work with albums in the browser, like deleting all photos from Screenshots folder in one click.
What to do if you can’t log in to Mi Cloud?
Method 3: Remove from your computer via Mi PC Suite
For users who prefer to manage files via Windows or MacOS, the official Mi PC Suite utility will suit, which allows you not only to delete photos, but also to transfer them between the device and the cloud.
- Download and install Mi PC Suite from the official website.
- Connect your smartphone to your computer through USB-cable (enable file transfer mode).
- Sign in to Mi PC Suite under your Xiaomi account.
- Go to the Mi Cloud section → gallery.
- Select unnecessary photos and click Delete (or right mouse button → Delete).
- Delete data from Other Devices: If your photos are synced with other gadgets (such as a tablet or Mi Band), delete them there.
🔹 For advanced users: If you have root rights, you can manually delete files from the cloud folder along the way. /data/data/com.miui.cloudservice/files. However, it is risky – wrong actions can cause Mi Cloud to crash.
💡
Before mass deletion, export your photos to an external drive or another cloud (Google Drive, Yandex Disk). To do this, select files in the Mi Cloud web version → Export → specify your destination folder.
Method 5: Delete through third-party file managers (for power users)
If standard methods don’t work (for example, due to synchronization errors), you can use third-party tools like Solid Explorer or other tools. FX File Manager: This method requires root rights or ADB-access:
- Install a file manager with root support (such as Root Explorer).
- Go to: /data/data/com.miui.gallery/databases /data/data/com.miui.cloudservice/files
- Find files with the.db extension (gallery databases) and folders with the cloud cache.
- Delete unnecessary files manually (it is recommended to make a backup beforehand).
⚠️ Note: Incorrectly deleting system files can cause a gallery to crash or lose access to Mi Cloud. Use this method only if you are confident in your actions. → Annexes → gallery → Warehouse → Clear the data.
How to Recover Accidentally Deleted Photos from Mi Cloud
If you delete the photo by mistake, you have 30 days to return it.
- Open Mi Cloud (application or web version).
- Go to the Recycle Bin or Recently Deleted section.
- Select the files you need and click Restore.
- Specify the folder for recovery (for example, Gallery or Downloads).
💡
Mi Cloud is not an archived repository — deleted files are erased from servers irrevocably after 30 days, and check the recycle bin regularly and clean it if you don’t plan to restore it.