How to upload photos from the Xiaomi cloud: all ways of 2026

Xiaomi Cloud (or Mi Cloud) cloud storage has become an integral part of Xiaomi’s ecosystem, automatically backing up photos, videos and documents from your devices. However, many users face difficulties when it comes to uploading photos from Xiaomi cloud to another medium, whether it’s a smartphone of another brand, a computer or a third-party cloud service. In this article, we will analyze all the current ways to download photos, from standard features of the application to workarounds for complex cases.

The Mi Cloud is very closely integrated with MIUI firmware, so some options may vary depending on the system version, and we have taken these nuances into account and prepared instructions that will be suitable for both new models (Xiaomi 14, Redmi Note 13) and devices on MIUI 12-14.

1. Standard method: unloading through the Mi Cloud application

The most obvious method is to use the official Mi Cloud app on your smartphone, which is suitable if you want to download photos back to Xiaomi or Redmi, or to an Android device (such as POCO or Samsung), the main condition is that the phone must be authorized by the same Mi Account account to which the cloud is attached.

To upload the photo:

  • πŸ“± Open the Mi Cloud app (cloud icon with Xiaomi logo).
  • πŸ–ΌοΈ Go to Gallery or Photos (depending on the version of the application).
  • πŸ” Select the photos you want (you can use multiple choice mode).
  • ⬇️ Click on the download icon (shooting down) or Save button.

By default, the photos will be saved to the Download or MiCloud folder on the internal drive. If the download option is inactive, check:

  • πŸ”„ Internet connection (better to use Wi-Fi, as the amount of data can be large).
  • πŸ“Ά Is there enough free space on the device.
  • πŸ”’ Mi Account expires (sometimes re-authorization is required).
πŸ“Š How often do you use Mi Cloud for backup?
Every day.
Once a week.
Once a month
Only if necessary.
Never.

2. upload to your computer via the web version of Mi Cloud

If you want to transfer photos to a Windows or macOS PC, it’s easier to use a web interface, which is also suitable for iPhone users, since there is no official Mi Cloud app for iOS (except for the Chinese version).

Step-by-step:

  1. Open your browser and go to i.mi.com.
  2. Sign in with your Mi Account (if necessary, confirm the login via SMS or email).
  3. In the main menu, select the Gallery section (Photos in English).
  4. Check the necessary photos or folders.
  5. Click on Download (down arrow icon) and the files will be archived in.zip.

Note that the web version allows you to download up to 500 photos in one archive. If you need to upload more, break the sample into parts.

  • πŸ•’ Archiving a large number of photos can take several minutes.
  • πŸ“‚ Files in the archive retain original names but lose folder structure (all photos will be in the same directory).
  • πŸ”„ If the download is interrupted, try using another browser (such as Chrome or Firefox).

πŸ’‘

If the web version of Mi Cloud doesn’t open, try clearing your browser cache or disabling your VPN (some regions may block access to the service).

3. Transfer photos to Google Photos or another cloud service

If you want to migrate from Mi Cloud to Google Photos, Yandex Drive or iCloud, you can take a workaround: first download the photos to your computer and then upload them to another service.

Method 1: Through the Google Photos app on Xiaomi

  • πŸ“² Install Google Photos from Play Market.
  • πŸ”„ Enable autosynchronization in the application settings.
  • πŸ–ΌοΈ Open Mi Cloud, select photos and click Share β†’ Google Photo.

Method 2: Through the Web and Google Drive

  • 🌐 Download photos from Mi Cloud on PC (as described in the previous section).
  • πŸ“ Upload the archive to Google Drive via drive.google.com.
  • πŸ”— Open the archive in Google Drive and extract the files to the Google Photos folder.

Importantly, when you do this, metadata (date of survey, geotags) may not be saved, so to avoid this, use specialized programs like ExifTool to recover metadata.

Why Google Photos Can't See Photos From Mi Cloud
If you don’t show files when you try to share photos from Mi Cloud to Google Photos, the reason may be: 1. Photos are protected by DRM (e.g. screenshots from some apps). 2. The MIUI settings disable access to media files for third-party applications (check in Settings β†’ Apps β†’ Permissions β†’ Storage). 3. The files are non-standard format (e.g.,.heic from iPhone).

4. upload photos with Mi PC Suite

Xiaomi’s official Mi PC Suite allows you to manage files on your device, including backups from the cloud, which is convenient if you want to selectively download photos without archiving or transfer them directly to your computer.

Instructions:

  1. Download and install Mi PC Suite from the official website.
  2. Connect your smartphone to your PC through USB-cable (enable File Transfer Mode).
  3. In the program, go to the Backup section.
  4. Select the Gallery and click Restore.
  5. Specify the folder on the PC to save photos.

Advantages of this method:

  • ⚑ Faster than downloading via web interface (no limit on the number of files).
  • πŸ“‚ The folder structure is preserved (unlike the web version).
  • πŸ”„ You can choose only the right albums, and not download everything in a row.

Install the latest version of Mi PC Suite|Connect the phone in the mode "File transfer"|Sign in to Mi Account on PC|Check the free space on the disk|Disable antivirus (can block access to files)-->

5 Problem Solving: What to do if photos are not uploaded

Sometimes users encounter errors when trying to download photos from Mi Cloud. Let's consider the typical problems and ways to solve them:

Problem.Possible causeDecision
Download button is inactiveRegion restriction or app versionUpdate your Mi Cloud or use a VPN (for example, to connect to China’s servers)
Photos are downloaded in low qualityIn the cloud settings enabled mode "Saving traffic"Go to Settings Mi Cloud β†’ Photo Quality and select β€œOriginal”
"Cannot download" errorXiaomi server problems or unstable connectionTry it later or use mobile internet instead of Wi-Fi
Some photos are not displayed.Files deleted or hidden in the cloudCheck the Recycle Bin folder in Mi Cloud or restore it from backup

If none of these methods worked, try alternative methods:

  • πŸ“§ Send photos to your email via Share in Mi Cloud.
  • πŸ’¬ Use Telegram Bot for unloading (for example, @MiCloudBot β€” If there is one for your region).
  • πŸ”§ Restore photos from the local backup on your phone (folder) MIUI/Backup/AllBackup).

πŸ’‘

If photos are critical but not uploaded in standard ways, please contact Xiaomi via the form at mi.com/support. enter your Mi Account ID and describe the problem in as much detail as possible.

6. How to preserve the quality of photos when unloading

One of the biggest problems with downloading photos from cloud services is the loss of quality, which in Mi Cloud can be due to automatic image optimization, to avoid degradation:

Configure the cloud parameters:

  1. Open the Mi Cloud app on your phone.
  2. Go to Settings β†’ Synchronization of the photo.
  3. Select the original quality option (if available).
  4. Turn off the optimise option to save space.

Check the file format:

  • πŸ“Έ Photos in.heic format (from iPhone) may not display correctly on Xiaomi. Convert them to.jpg via online converters.
  • 🎞️ Video in.mov format is better converted to.mp4 compatiblely.

Important: If you download photos through the web version of Mi Cloud, the archive may contain files in reduced resolution, even if the settings say "Original quality", in which case use alternative methods (for example, Mi PC Suite).

πŸ’‘

To check if the quality of the photos is still uploaded, compare the file size and resolution (in image properties) with the original. If the size has decreased significantly, try another download method.

7. Automation of unloading: backup without manual control

If you need to regularly upload photos from Mi Cloud (for example, for backup), you can set up automatic sync with other services.

Method 1: IFTTT (for advanced users)

  • πŸ€– Create an applet in IFTTT with the trigger "New photo in Mi Cloud" and the action "Upload to Google Drive".
  • πŸ”— You will need to connect both accounts (Mi Account and Google) to the service.

Method 2: Synchronize through a folder on a PC

  • πŸ–₯️ Set up Mi. PC Suite for automatic backup when connecting your phone.
  • πŸ“‚ Specify a folder on your PC that syncs with Google Drive or Dropbox.

Method 3: Script in Python (for developers)

  • 🐍 Use it. API Mi Cloud (unofficial) for automatic uploading. Example script:
import requests


from mi_cloud_api import MiCloud




Authorization



cloud = MiCloud("your_email@example.com", "your_password")




cloud.login()




Downloading of photos



photos = cloud.get_photos()




for photo in photos:




cloud.download_photo(photo.id, f"/path/to/save/{photo.name}")

⚠️ Attention: informal API They may violate Xiaomi’s terms of use and result in account suspension.

FAQ: Frequent questions about uploading photos from Mi Cloud

Can I upload photos from Mi Cloud to iPhone?
Yes, but there is no official Mi Cloud app for iOS (except the Chinese version). Use the i.mi.com web version via Safari or Chrome. Alternatively, you can send photos to email or Telegram and then save them to your iPhone.
How many photos can I download from Mi Cloud?
The web version limits 500 photos per archive. There are no restrictions on the Mi Cloud app on Android, but there are delays when you have a lot of data, and you can use Mi PC Suite for bulk uploads.
Why are some photos in Mi Cloud blurred?
This can be due to: Traffic Savings in Cloud Settings enabled; Automatic optimization for preview (originals are saved only when downloaded); Storage restrictions (if space in the cloud runs out, new photos are compressed); To return original quality, download photos via Mi PC Suite or check sync settings.
Can I recover deleted photos from Mi Cloud?
Yes, if it's been 30 days since you deleted it, go to the Mi Cloud web, open the Trash section and restore the files you want, and after 30 days, the photos are deleted without recovery.
How to transfer photos from Mi Cloud to iCloud?
There is no direct way, but you can do it in two steps: Download photos to your computer through the web version of Mi Cloud. Upload them to iCloud via the web interface or the iCloud application for Windows. Alternatively, you can use Google Photos as an intermediary storage.

Now you know all the current ways to upload photos from the Mi Cloud. If you have any questions about a specific Xiaomi or Redmi model, check out the MIUI version in the comments - we will help you find the best solution!