Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphone owners often face a lack of free space in the cloud. The standard 5GB provided free of charge when registering for a Mi Account is quickly filled with contact backups, notes and, most importantly, photos. When the limit is exhausted, sync stops and new images are no longer stored in the cloud, which creates a risk of data loss.
There is a common misconception that you can increase this volume with hidden settings or “secret” codes. In fact, Xiaomi Cloud is a commercial service with a clearly defined tariff grid, but there are nuances that allow you to optimize the use of available space or find alternative ways to solve the problem of shortage of gigabytes.
In this article, we will discuss all the legal ways to expand storage, review data plans and discuss strategies for effective data management, you will understand whether to switch to a paid tariff or better reconsider the approach to storage of multimedia, the main thing is not to try to use third-party modified applications to circumvent limits, as this can lead to the blocking of an account.
Official rates and purchase of additional space
The most direct and reliable way to get more space is by signing up for a subscription, offering multiple charging levels that are paid monthly or annually, and payment is usually tied to the payment method specified in your Mi Account and can be made via a mobile account or bank card, depending on the region.
Subscription costs vary, but a basic 50GB package is typically cheaper than a cup of coffee per month, often enough to store thousands of documents and tens of thousands of photos in compressed format, and for users who shoot 4K videos or take hundreds of pictures daily, there are 200GB and 2TB tariffs.
To activate the extended storage, you need to go to the cloud settings. Go to Settings → Mi Account → Xiaomi Cloud → Storage Management. Here the system will show current employment and offer available upgrade options. The process is fully automated and takes a few seconds.
⚠️ Note: After the end of the subscription period (unless you renew it), your data is not deleted instantly. However, you will lose the ability to upload new files and old files may only be viewable for a limited time (usually 60 days), after which the risk of deleting them increases.
It is important to note that rates may vary depending on the country of account registration.In some regions, Xiaomi is actively promoting integration with other storage services, so the purchase interface may look different.
Synchronization optimization: Gallery and Video
The bulk of cloud storage is media. If you're not willing to pay for the extension, it's critical to set up sync for the gallery. By default, the smartphone tries to upload all the images taken in original quality to the cloud, which quickly eats up the available 5GB.
You can selectively turn off sync for heavy formats. For example, videos take up a huge amount of memory. In the Gallery settings → Settings → Sync with the cloud, you can choose the option "Only via Wi-Fi" or completely disable video download, leaving only photos, which will save space for really important frames.
- 📸 Storage optimization: Enable "Optimize Device Storage" while retaining reduced photo copies in the phone and high-resolution originals stored in the cloud, freeing up space on the smartphone itself, but not saving space in the cloud.
- 🎥 Video exception: Video files often weigh more than thousands of photos. disable their autoload in gallery sync settings to keep the cloud limit.
- 🗑️ Recently Deleted: Deleted photos don't disappear immediately, but are stored in the cloud for 30 days.
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Use the Cleanup feature in the Gallery app, which finds similar images, screenshots and blurry photos, suggesting that they be removed from the cloud and from the device.
It’s also worth checking the sync settings for other apps. Recorder, notes, and screen recordings can also use a cloud backup. If you’re not in a professional activity that requires you to store voice notes for years, these features can be deactivated painlessly.
Alternative cloud solutions for Xiaomi
If Xiaomi’s built-in cloud is crowded and you don’t want to pay, the smart solution is to use third-party services. Android-based smartphones make it easy to integrate other storage into the system. This won’t increase the limit of the Mi Cloud itself, but will solve the problem of lack of space for backups.
The most popular alternative is Google Photos. This service is often pre-installed on smartphones and offers unlimited (in compressed quality) or storage. You can set up automatic uploading of photos there, and in the Xiaomi Cloud settings, disable the sync of the gallery, leaving only contacts and messages.
Other reliable options include Yandex.Disk, OneDrive or Dropbox, many of which offer bonuses for installing apps or completing simple tasks. For example, Yandex often gives 1 TB of space for long-term users of certain communication rates or when buying partners’ devices.
| Service | Free volume | The Pros for Xiaomi | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xiaomi Cloud | 5GB | Deep integration, backup system settings | Little space, paid fares |
| Google Photo | 15 GB (total) | Smart search, excellent compression quality | Limit shares with Gmail and Disk |
| Yandex.Disk. | 10GB | Frequent promotions, autoload photo | Less integration with the system |
| TeraBox | 1 TB | A huge free amount | Advertising availability, loading speed |
Using multiple clouds at once is the best strategy. Distribute data: leave contacts and SMS in Xiaomi Cloud for quick recovery when reset, and send heavy photos and videos to third-party services.
Waste cleaning and file management
Before looking for ways to increase the limit, it is worth reviewing what is already downloaded, and users often forget about old backups of remote applications or duplicate documents that take up space for years.
Go to the web version of i.mi.com from a computer, it's easier to manage files through a big screen, you can see accurate statistics on data types, and it often turns out that half the space is taken up by screenshots from messengers or APK installer files that are long gone.
☑️ Check before buying the tariff
Note the "Dictator" section. If you've ever given long lectures or meetings, these files can weigh hundreds of megabytes. They can be downloaded to your computer and removed from the cloud. Also check for synchronization of folders of instant messengers like WhatsApp or Telegram, if it was enabled.
⚠️ Note: When you delete files through the web interface, the changes sync with all connected devices. The file will disappear from the phone too if you enable synchronization. First, make a local copy of important data.
Another effective method is to use the built-in Security app, where it finds large files that can be safely deleted in the Cleanup section, and while this frees up the phone's memory in the first place, it helps you understand what data you shouldn't upload to the cloud in the future.
Technical nuances and (FAQ)
Users often ask questions about the cloud service, trying to find loopholes. It's important to understand the architecture of the service: 5GB is a hard limit for an account, not a device. Even if you change your phone, the limit will remain the same, because it is tied to the Mi ID.
There is a myth that you can increase the space by changing the region in the phone settings. In the past, in some countries (for example, India or Indonesia), conditions may have differed, but now Xiaomi's policy is globalized.
Can I use two accounts to double the space?
If you're using a family group, remember that cloud space doesn't add up. Each user has a personal limit. Family access in Xiaomi Cloud allows you to share location and find devices, but doesn't combine disk space.
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Changing a region or creating a new account is not an effective way to solve space shortages, but it is better to set up a competent synchronization once.
Long-term storage strategy
Cloud subscriptions may not be enough to store data securely for years to come. Cloud services depend on company policies that may change. The only way to guarantee that data is saved forever without a monthly fee is to back up locally to an external medium.
It is recommended to make a full copy of the smartphone every six months to your computer or external hard drive. For Xiaomi, this can be done through the Recovery menu or using the “Mi Mover” app to transfer to another phone, which will be used as an archive.
- 💾 Local backup: Use the built-in Backup and Restore feature in your phone settings. Save the backup file to your computer.
- ☁️ Hybrid schema: Keep important documents in three copies: on your phone, in Xiaomi Cloud (for quick access) and on an external drive.
- 🔄 Rotation: Don't store what's already stored on your PC in the cloud. Free up the cloud for real-time data.
Remember that Xiaomi Cloud is primarily designed to sync and recover quickly when a smartphone is lost or broken, not to forever archive terabytes of data. With a smart approach to storage, you can comfortably enjoy a free tariff or a minimal subscription.