Xiaomi Cloud Albums: What They Are, How to Set Up and Why They Are Better than Google

Have you ever lost valuable photos because of a phone breakdown or accidental deletion? With Xiaomi cloud albums, this problem is a thing of the past. It's a built-in service from Xiaomi that automatically stores your photos and videos in secure cloud storage, giving them access from any device. But how does it work? And why do many users choose it over Google Photos or iCloud?

In this article, we'll look at cloud albums on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones, how to turn them on, configure and optimize them, and we'll also talk about hidden features that the manufacturer does not advertise, such as the ability to recover deleted photos within 30 days even after cleaning the cart. If you want to secure your memories and save space on your phone, read on.

What are Xiaomi Cloud Albums and Why You Need Them

Cloud Photos are part of the Xiaomi Cloud ecosystem that automatically syncs photos and videos between your devices, and unlike third-party services, it is deeply integrated into MIUI firmware, with several key benefits:

• 🔄 Automatic synchronization – photos are uploaded to the cloud immediately after shooting (if you have Wi-Fi or mobile Internet).
• 📱 Cross-platform – access to albums from your phone, tablet, or via the web version of i.mi.com.
• 🔒 Encryption – data is transmitted over a secure protocol HTTPS and stored in encrypted form.
• 💾 Save space – originals can be removed from your phone, leaving only thumbnails.

It's important to understand that this is not just a backup, but a full-fledged media manager.

• 📂 Create separate albums for different events (vacation, birthday, work).
• 🔍 Use facial and object recognition for quick search (similar to Google Lens).
• 🎨 Use automatic filters and edit photos directly in the cloud.

But there are limitations, for example, free tariff provides only 5 GB (versus 15 GB for Google Photos), but Xiaomi does not have compression quality – all photos are saved in the original resolution, even if you shoot on Xiaomi 14 Ultra in RAW format.

How to Enable and Configure Cloud Albums on Xiaomi

You can activate sync in a few steps, the main thing is to make sure that the phone has the latest version of MIUI installed (the update is checked in Settings → About Phone → System Update).

1. Open the Gallery app (a icon with multi-colored squares).
2. Slip on the three horizontal lines at the bottom (menu) and select Cloud Albums.
3. Click Log in and log in through your Xiaomi account (if not, sign up).
4. Turn on the “Shoot” switch and select the network type (Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi + mobile data).

Once activated, the system will prompt you to choose which folders to sync.

• 📸 Camera (Photos and video from the main camera)
• 📱 Screenshots.
• 🎵 WhatsApp Images (media from messengers).

If you want to save traffic, turn off mobile startup in the cloud settings (Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Photos). We also recommend you to turn on the option “Optimize storage” – it will replace the originals on the phone with thumbnails, freeing up space.

Check out free space in the cloud (5GB for free)

Connect to a stable Wi-Fi

Charge your phone at least 50%

Disable VPN (can block download)

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How much does Xiaomi cloud cost and how to increase the space

The base rate of Mi Cloud includes 5 GB for all types of data (photos, contacts, notes).

To buy an extra seat:

1. Go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Storage Management.
2. Choose the desired tariff (from 50 GB to 2 TB).
3. Pay via Mi Pay, Bank Card or Google Pay.

Tip: If you take a lot of pictures, get a yearly subscription — it costs 30-40% less than a monthly subscription. For example, 200 GB per year costs about 1 200 ₽ (vs. 100 ₽/month).

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Before buying space, clear the cloud of unnecessary files: duplicates, screenshots and old videos. To do this, use the built-in Storage Optimization tool in the Mi Cloud settings.

How to recover deleted photos from Xiaomi cloud

If you accidentally erase a picture, don't panic -- Xiaomi has a shopping cart where files are stored for 30 days even after being deleted from your phone.

1. Open the Gallery → Cloud Albums.
2. Slip on three dots in the upper right corner and select "Basket".
3. Find the file you want, click on it and select “Restore”.

If 30 days have passed, the chances of returning a photo are minimal, but there is one life hack: if you synced the albums with Google Photos in parallel, check the cart there - the shelf life may vary.

⚠️ Warning: Once the Recycle Bin is cleaned in Mi Cloud, files are permanently deleted. If you use the Storage Optimization feature, the original photos are only left in the cloud, and losing them will lead to permanent loss of images.

For reliability, we recommend to enable two-step synchronization:

• 📤 Upload photos to Xiaomi Cloud (main storage).
• 🔄 Duplicate important albums in Google Photos or on a physical drive.

Hidden features of cloud albums you didn’t know about

Many users use Mi Cloud Photo only for backup, but it has some useful features:

• 🔍 Search by content – type a word (e.g., “cat” or “beach”) into the search bar and the system will find all the relevant photos.
• 🎭 Hidden Albums – You can create a private folder that is only available in PIN-code (Gallery Settings → Hidden Albums).
• 📅 Chronology – photos are automatically sorted by date and event (analogue of Google Photos).
• 📤 Fast forwarding – you can generate a link to an album and send it to friends without registering.

Another little-known possibility is editing in the cloud.

• Cut the photo.
• Filters are applied.
• Adjust brightness/contrast.
• Add text or stickers.

All changes will be saved in the original file, but the original version can be restored within 7 days.

For owners of Xiaomi Pad or laptops on Windows, there is a bonus: You can install the official Mi Cloud app for your PC and automatically upload photos to your hard drive. https://i.mi.com/#/download.

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Xiaomi’s cloud albums support the RAW format (like the Xiaomi 13 Pro), unlike many competitors that compress such files.

Security and privacy: Should you trust Xiaomi Cloud?

One of the main questions users have is how securely to store personal photos in the cloud Xiaomi, the manufacturer says the following protections:

• 🔐 Encryption – data is transmitted over TLS 1.3 and stored in encrypted form.
• 🛡️ Two-factor authentication – you can enable in your account settings.
• 🌍 Servers in Europe – for users from the Russian Federation and the EU, data is stored on servers in Germany and Singapore (according to GDPR).

But there are nuances:

• 📜 Data Access – By user agreement, Xiaomi can analyze photo metadata (date, geolocation) to improve services.
• 🚫 There is no end-to-end encryption (like Proton Drive), meaning that in theory, employees can view files.

If you are critically interested in privacy:

• 🔒 Use hidden albums with PIN- code.
• 📁 Encrypt sensitive photos into the archive (ZIP with a password) before uploading.
• 🔄 Turn off autoboot for personal data folders (e.g., screenshots of banking applications).

⚠️ Warning: If you lose access to your Xiaomi account (forget your password or associated number), you can't recover your photo - support doesn't provide access to the cloud without proof of identity.

Cloud Albums vs Google Photos: What’s Best for Xiaomi

Many Xiaomi users face a choice between using the built-in cloud or Google Photos.

When to choose Xiaomi Cloud:

• 📱 You need maximum firmware integration MIUI.
• 📸 You shoot in RAW or 4K and you don't want to lose quality.
• 💰 You are looking for a budget solution (cheaper than Google One).

When to choose Google Photos:

• 🔍 You need to search smartly (for example, from the text in the photo).
• 🌍 You use multiple device brands (iPhone, Samsung).
• 📂 You need more free space (15GB vs. 5GB).

The best option is to combine both services, such as storing originals in Xiaomi Cloud, and duplicating thumbnails in Google Photos for easy search.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi cloud albums