Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face a situation where the built-in storage is overcrowded and the system insists on freeing up space. Xiaomi Cloud storage becomes a salvation, allowing you to synchronize contacts, notes, gallery and voice recorder data. However, the base volume of 5 GB is catastrophically lacking for modern users, especially given the growing resolution of photos and video weight.
Fortunately, there are several proven methods to expand the available space or optimize its use without losing important data. In this article, we will discuss in detail how to get additional gigabytes through official programs, what pricing plans the company offers in 2026, and how to set up smart synchronization to avoid overpaying for excess.
It is worth noting that simply “unlock” hidden memory through an engineering menu or third-party scripts is impossible – these are myths that can lead to the blocking of a Mi Account. All legal ways to increase the volume are either commercial in nature or are part of temporary promotions and loyalty programs.
Basic limits and storage structure
By default, each user is given 5 GB of free space when registering for a Mi Account, which is distributed among all devices tied to a single profile. It is important to understand that Xiaomi Cloud divides data into categories: Gallery, Contacts, Messages, Recorder and Notes, each of which consumes a common limit.
Unlike some competitors, the Chinese giant’s cloud service doesn’t store app backups or full system images in its basic tariff, with its focus on media and personal data. If you’re actively shooting 4K video or taking RAW photos, 5GB will run out in just a couple of weeks of active smartphone use.
The notification system works aggressively: when you fill up the storage at 90%, you will start to receive constant reminders. When you reach 100%, synchronizing new photos and creating backups completely stops, which creates a risk of data loss in the event of a device breakdown.
Official ways of expanding the volume
The most reliable and secure method is to subscribe via the Security app or system settings. The company offers a flexible tariff system that allows you to choose the best option depending on your needs, payment is made through a linked card or mobile operator balance, if such an option is available in your region.
Often users miss the opportunity to get a free extension. Xiaomi regularly holds promotions for new devices or partners. For example, buying a new flagship sometimes gives temporary access to the new flagship. 50 or 100 GB 3-6 You can check the availability of such bonuses in the Settings section. → Mi Account. → Cloud.
⚠️ Warning: Beware of third-party apps on Google Play promising to “hack” the Xiaomi cloud.Using unofficial clients or scripts to bypass limits can result in your Mi Account being blocked and all data being lost without the ability to recover.
A few simple steps are required to sign up for the subscription: First, make sure the device has the latest version of HyperOS or MIUI firmware installed. Then go to the memory management menu.
☑️ Subscription
After payment, the changes take effect instantly. If the volume does not increase, try rebooting your smartphone or reconnecting to the Wi-Fi network so that the server updates the account status.
Xiaomi Cloud’s Tariff Plans in 2026
An analysis of current offerings shows the company is looking to compete with iCloud and Google One by offering similar storage volumes.Prices can vary by region and currency, but the tariff structure remains uniform across most markets.
Basic pricing is often the most popular choice for ordinary users who are short of 5GB for a photo archive. For professionals shooting high-resolution video, advanced packages are available. Below is the current tariff table.
| Tariff plan | Memory capacity | Cost (month) | Who's right for? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | 50GB | ~0.99 $ | Active users of social networks |
| Standard | 200GB | ~2.99 $ | Family archives and documents |
| Premium | 2 TB | ~9.99 $ | Videographers and large families |
| Business | 6 TB | ~29.99 $ | Corporate clients |
It’s worth noting that a 2TB subscription often includes additional benefits such as priority technical support or advanced document management features, making the premium fare profitable for those who make the most of Xiaomi’s ecosystem.
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Pay for a subscription straight ahead of the year – this often gives you a discount of up to 15-20% compared to monthly payments.
Alternative methods and optimization
If you don't want to buy extra space, you can use an optimization strategy, and cleaning up duplicates and removing blurred images is the first step to freeing up space, and the gallery's built-in tools can find similar images, leaving only the best ones.
Another effective method is to use the Free Space feature, which automatically removes photos from the device that have already been successfully uploaded to the cloud, so that the originals are stored on the server, and only thumbnails that occupy the minimum space are left on the smartphone.
- 📸 Configure Wi-Fi sync only so you don’t waste mobile traffic on downloading heavy videos.
- 🗑️ Check the recently deleted folder regularly, as files there take up space in the cloud for 30 days.
- 📹 Disable auto-save videos from instant messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram) if they are not valuable.
It is also worth considering the possibility of transferring archival data to an external hard drive or to another cloud, for example, Google Photos or Yandex.Disk, leaving only current data in Xiaomi Cloud for quick synchronization between the brand devices.
Synchronization and automation
Configuring synchronization settings can significantly extend the life of a free plan. Go to Settings → Mi Account → Cloud → Synchronization. Here you can flexibly manage which applications have access to cloud storage.
It is recommended to disable synchronization for system logs and temporary files, which often take hundreds of megabytes. Leave only Gallery, Contacts and Notes on. For video recordings, you can set a limit: only sync videos up to 1 minute.
⚠️ Warning: Before you turn off the Gallery sync, make sure all important photos are saved elsewhere. When you turn off the function, new images will stop being copied to the cloud.
Use Traffic Savings mode, which compresses photos before sending, and the quality will decrease slightly, but the amount of space occupied will decrease significantly, which is especially true for users with limited Internet.
Hidden Developer Settings
Frequent problems and their solution
Users often encounter an error “Not enough space” even if the limit is not reached, which may be due to desynchronization of data on the server, in which case cleaning the cache of the Xiaomi Cloud Services application through the application management menu helps.
If the download is stuck on a particular file, it's likely corrupted. Find a problematic video or photo in the gallery and try to send it manually. If the file doesn't open, delete it to unlock the sync queue.
In some cases, the problem is the date and time, make sure that the device has automatic network time synchronization, and a few minutes difference can cause security certificates to conflict and block the connection to the server.
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Regularly checking sync status and cleaning the cache of services prevents 90% of cloud errors.
Comparison with competitors
What does Xiaomi Cloud look like against Google One or Dropbox? The main advantage is deep integration into the system. Backup of alarm settings, location of icons and Wi-Fi passwords works natively and does not require the installation of additional software.
However, if you need cross-platform access (like an iPhone or Windows without emulators), Google’s ecosystem may be more convenient.But for a Redmi or POCO smartphone owner, the native cloud remains the fastest way to recover data after a reset.