How to remove photos from Xiaomi Redmi cloud: 5 working ways

Xiaomi’s Mi Cloud cloud storage automatically backs up your photos, freeing up space on your smartphone. But what if you want to remove unnecessary images from the cloud forever? Unlike the standard gallery, where files are sent to the trash, deleting from Mi Cloud requires separate actions — otherwise the photos will remain in backup and take up precious gigabytes of your tariff.

In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to clean the cloud on Redmi Note 12/11/10, Redmi A2/A1 and other models – both through your phone and from your computer. Particular attention will be paid to hidden backups that continue to store deleted files for up to 30 days, and explain how to get around them. If you are looking for a way to free up space in the cloud or just want to get rid of old photos, read on.

Why photos stay in the cloud after being deleted from your phone

Many users are faced with the situation of having deleted the photo from the Redmi Gallery and then reappearing a week later, because the Mi Cloud works on the principle of synchronization, not simple storage.

🔄 Automatic backup: If the settings enable Autosynchronize Gallery, the phone sends new photos to the cloud every day, including those you recovered from the cart.
🗑️ Mi Cloud Recycle Bin: Deleted files are placed in a special folder and stored there for 30 days before final erasure (similar to Google Photos).
📱 Local Copies: Some applications (such as Google Photos or Duos) may duplicate backups in other cloud services.
🔄 Device Sync: If you’re logged in to one Mi Account on multiple devices, photos can be recovered from another phone or tablet.

To make the deletion final, it's not enough to just erase the photo from your phone, either to turn off sync before deleting it, or to clean the files directly through the Mi Cloud web interface, which is discussed in the following sections.

📊 How often do you clean up your cloud storage?

Once a month

Only when the place ends.

Never cleaned.

I'm using another cloud.

Method 1: Delete photos through the Gallery app on Redmi

The easiest method is to use the built-in Xiaomi gallery, which is suitable if you want to delete individual photos or folders, but remember: the files will remain in the Mi Cloud Recycle Bin for 30 days.

Open the Gallery app on your Redmi.
Go to Mi Cloud (usually displayed in the Devices or Cloud section).
Select the photos you want to delete (long press for multiple selection).
Click on the basket icon (🗑️) In the lower menu and confirm the action.

If the Mi Cloud album is not displayed:

🔧 Check if synchronization is enabled: Settings → Accounts. → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Synchronization of the gallery.
📱 Update the Gallery app to the latest version in Google Play or Mi App Store.

Turn off autosynchronization in Mi Cloud

Check the free space in the cloud

Create a backup of important photos on PC

Make sure your phone is connected to Wi-Fi (for large files)

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⚠️ Note: If you delete photos from a smartphone that has synced, they will automatically disappear from other devices associated with that Mi Account. Before mass removal, check if these images are used in other applications (such as avatars in Mi Community or background images).

Method 2: Clean up via the web version of Mi Cloud (complete removal)

To permanently erase photos, bypass the shopping cart, use the Mi Cloud web interface, which is suitable for mass cleaning and allows you to control which files are deleted.

Open your browser on your PC or phone and go to i.mi.com.
Sign in with the same Mi Account as you do on your smartphone.
In the menu on the left, select the Gallery section (or Photos in new versions of the interface).
Check boxes for unnecessary photos or folders. Use checkbox in the header to select all files in the album.
Click Delete and confirm the action.

To remove it instantly (without getting into the cart):

🗑️ After standard removal, go to the Recycle Bin section in the web interface.
🧹 Select all files and click Clear the Recycle Bin (or Delete Forever).

Action.	The result	Time to recover
Removal from the phone gallery	The file goes to the Mi Cloud Recycle Bin	30 days
Deletion via i.mi.com	The file gets into the basket of the web version	30 days
Cleaning the basket in the web version	The file is deleted forever.	Not recovering.
Disconnecting synchronization before removal	The file is deleted only from the phone.	—

💡

If you need to free up space in the cloud urgently, but do not want to lose photos - download them pre-on PC. In the web version of Mi Cloud there is a function Export, which allows you to save albums in the future. ZIP-archive.

Method 3: Remove from the Mi Cloud app on your phone

If you prefer to manage the cloud directly from your smartphone, use the official Mi Cloud app, which is pre-installed on all Redmis and allows you to configure backups flexibly.

Open the Mi Cloud app (white cloud icon on a blue background).
Sign in if you need to.
Go to the Gallery or Photos section.
Click on the icon. ⋮ (three dots) in the upper right corner and select Control.
Mark unnecessary files and click Delete.

Features of this method:

📱 It works even without a PC connection.
🔍 Allows you to sort photos by date, size or album.
⚠️ Deleted files still fall into the basket (they need to be cleaned separately).

If the Mi Cloud app is not on your Redmi:

🔍 Check the folder All applications or use search by system.
📥 Download it from the Mi App Store or Google Play (name: Mi Cloud by Xiaomi Inc.).

What to do if the Mi Cloud does not open?

If the Mi Cloud app gives an error when you start, try: 1. Update it to the latest version. 2. Clear the cache in the settings (Settings → Applications → Mi Cloud → Storage → Clear cache). 3. Reboot the phone. 4. Delete and reinstall the application. If the problem persists, check the stability of the Internet connection or try to log in through the web version.

Method 4: Mass removal via PC (for large volumes)

If you want to delete thousands of photos (for example, after transferring to another medium), it is more convenient to use a computer, which is suitable for Redmi owners who have accumulated years of backups in the cloud.

Connect your phone to your PC through USB-cable (file transfer mode).
Open the Explorer (This computer) and find the Internal Storage → MIUI → Gallery → Cloud folder.
Copy important files to your hard drive (if you need to save them).
Remove unnecessary photos directly from your PC (they sync to the cloud).
Then go to i.mi.com and clean the cart as described in Method 2.

Advantages of this method:

🖥️ It is easier to manage large amounts of data (for example, delete folders).
📁 You can pre-sort photos by date or size.
⚡ Faster than deleting one by one via phone.

⚠️ Note: When connecting Redmi to your PC in file transfer mode, do not format the Cloud folder, which may disrupt sync. If the Cloud folder is missing, then sync is disabled or photos are stored only in the cloud (they can be deleted via the web version).

Method 5: Disabling Autosynchronization Before Deletion

If you want to delete your photo from your phone only without touching the cloud, you can first turn off automatic sync, which is useful when you need to free up space on your device, but save backups to Mi Cloud.

Go to Settings → Accounts → Mi Account.
Choose Mi Cloud.
Find the Sync Gallery section and turn off the slider.
Confirm the action (the system will warn that no new photos will be reserved).
Now delete unnecessary photos through the standard Gallery – they will disappear only from your phone.

What happens after the synchronization is turned off:

📱 New photos will not automatically be uploaded to the cloud.
🗑️ Files that have been downloaded will remain in Mi Cloud (they must be deleted separately).
🔄 If you turn on sync again later, the phone won’t upload old photos that were taken during the shutdown period.

This method is suitable if you:

📲 You want to manage your phone memory regardless of the cloud.
🔒 Worry about privacy and don’t want photos to be automatically sent to Xiaomi servers.
📁 You plan to manually choose which pictures to reserve.

💡

Disabling autosynchronization does not remove photos already uploaded from the Mi Cloud. To free up space in the cloud, they must be erased separately through a web interface or application.

How to Recover Accidentally Deleted Photos from Mi Cloud

If you've deleted important images but haven't cleaned the cart yet, you can get them back. Mi Cloud has a 30-day bin storage rule, similar to other cloud services. Here's how to recover files:

Go to the web version of Mi Cloud or open the Mi Cloud app on your phone.
Go to the Recycle Bin section (in the web version it is in the side menu).
Check the necessary photos with ticks.
Click Restore - the files will return to the main gallery.

Restrictions of recovery:

⏳ Files are stored in the basket exactly 30 days after deletion.
🗑️ After cleaning the basket, recovery is impossible.
📱 Recovered photos will take up space in the cloud again (check the free space).

If the cart is already cleaned, try:

🔍 Check other devices linked to your Mi Account (Perhaps photos are saved there).
📧 Contact Xiaomi through the feedback form on the website mi.com/support (Provide exact dates and file names).
💾 Use data recovery software (such as DiskDigger or Recuva) if the photo was on your phone before syncing.

⚠️ Note: If you deleted photos from your smartphone before syncing with Mi Cloud, you can’t restore them through the cloud, in which case only specialized software to recover files from the phone’s internal memory will help (but the odds depend on whether the data was overwritten).

FAQ: Frequent questions about removing photos from Mi Cloud

Can I delete photos from Mi Cloud without removing them from my phone?

Yes, but you need to first disable the gallery sync in the Mi Cloud settings, and then delete files via the i.mi.com web interface will not affect local copies on the phone, but please note that new photos will no longer be automatically backed up.

How much space will be freed up in the cloud after the photo is deleted?

The space is not immediately vacated. After deleting the files enter the cart and take up space for another 30 days. To free up memory instantly, you need to manually clear the cart through the web version of Mi Cloud or the application. Please note that some tariffs (for example, 5 GB) may have restrictions on the minimum amount of data stored.

Why do deleted photos appear in the gallery again?

This is because of the synchronization between devices: If you deleted photos from one Redmi but they stayed on another gadget (or the web version), they will return the next update, and to avoid this, delete files from all devices or turn off sync before cleaning.

How to remove all photos from Mi Cloud at once?

For mass deletion: Go to i.mi.com. Select the Gallery section. Click the checkbox in the table header to highlight all files. Click Delete, then go to the Recycle Bin and clean it. If there are too many files (thousands), break the deletion into parts of 200 to 300 pieces to avoid server errors.

Is it safe to store photos in the Mi Cloud?

Xiaomi uses data encryption in transmission and storage, but the level of privacy depends on your settings: 🔒 Enable two-factor authentication for Mi Account (Settings) → Mi Account → Security). 🚫 Do not store photos of documents or personal information in the cloud unless your account is password protected. 🌐 For maximum security, use local encryption (e.g., archive your photo with a password before uploading). If privacy is critical, consider alternatives like Google Photos with Secure Storage or Proton Drive (with end-to-end encryption).