Xiaomi Cloud Storages Are Full: 7 Proven Ways to Free Up Space

Did you suddenly get a notification saying, “Mi Cloud Storage is 100% full” and photos stopped syncing? Or did Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 refuse to back up because of lack of cloud space? This problem is familiar to millions of users of Xiaomi, POCO and Redmi smartphones – especially those who have been using free 5GB in the Mi Cloud for years without cleaning.

Unlike Google Drive or iCloud, where limits can be easily expanded for money, Xiaomi has its own nuances, from hidden cache files that take up gigabytes to linking the cloud to a region (China vs. Global Version). This article provides step-by-step instructions for all models (including the Xiaomi 13T, POCO F5 and the old Redmi 9A), as well as ways to circumvent restrictions that are not written in the official certificate. Don’t rush to buy additional space: in 80% of cases, the problem solves the correct cleaning.

Why Xiaomi Cloud is Filling on Its Own (and How to Stop It)

The main reason is automatic synchronization, which Xiaomi turns on by default when you first sign in to your Mi Account, and not only photos from the gallery, but also about:

• 📱 Backup copies (including SMS, call log, notes, and even game data)
• 🎵 Records from the recorder (synchronized in the background)
• 📁 Files from the Safe Folder (even if you moved them there to hide them)
• 🔄 Application cache (e.g. Mi Video or Mi Browser saves temporary files to the cloud)

The second trap is data duplication. If you used a smartphone on Android 10 and below, and then upgraded to MIUI 14, the system could create an old backup and a new one without removing the first one. Check the Backup folder in Mi Cloud, which often contains copies weighing 1-2 GB each.

⚠️ Note: If your Mi Account is linked to China (e.g., Xiaomi models for the domestic market), even paying for an additional seat may not work, in which case you will have to create a new global account and manually transfer data.

Method 1: Clean up through the official Mi Cloud app

The easiest method is to use the built-in Mi Cloud app (cloud icon on a white background), which is available on all Xiaomi/Redmi/POCO smartphones with MIUI 12 and later.

1. Open the Settings. → Mi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Storage Storage (or Storage in English version).
3. The system will show you a diagram of the occupied space by category, click on the "heavy" one (usually Photos or Backups).
4. Select unnecessary files and click Delete (or Delete).

An important caveat is that if you delete backups, the system may suggest you create a new one right after cleaning, cancel this action, or the space will fill up again.

Method 2: Removing hidden duplicates and cache

Even after cleaning through the application, there may be invisible files in the cloud that don't appear in the interface.

1. Go to the web version of Mi Cloud: i.mi.com (sign up with the same account as your phone).
2. On the left menu, select Trash, which may contain files that were deleted months ago but still occupy space.
3. Go back to the main storage and sort the files by size (click on the Size column). Look for folders with names like com.miui.gallery.cache com.xiaomi.midrop backup_20221015

If you find folders with the.tmp or.cache extension, you can delete them. These are temporary files that the system forgot to clean.

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Before mass deletion, take a screenshot of the file list in Mi Cloud, and if something disappears from your phone after cleaning it (such as notes), you can only recover the data you need.

Method 3: Turning off automatic synchronization

To prevent the problem from recurring, disable unnecessary synchronization:

1. Go to Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Synchronization.
2. Turn off the switches opposite: 📸 Gallery (if you use Google Photos) 📝 Notes (if you do not keep important notes) 🎮 Games (saves take up little space, but are easy to lose) 📱 Contacts (if they are already synced to Google)

For models on MIUI 14 and later, there is a separate item Autoupload photos - it is also better to deactivate if you do not make backups manually.

⚠️ Note: If you turn off synchronization SMS If you reset your phone, this data will be lost forever.We recommend that you export it manually before you do so through the Contacts app.

Method 4: Transfer data to another cloud (without loss of quality)

If 5GB is too little, but you don’t want to pay for the extension, transfer your files to another cloud:

Google Takeout can be used to automatically transfer photos from Mi Cloud to Google Photos, but it requires pre-uploading data to your PC.

Method 5: Cleaning through Engineering Mode (for advanced)

If standard methods didn’t work, and the cloud still takes 4.9 GB out of 5, try the hidden engineering mode. MIUI 12–14:

1. Open the Phone app and enter the combination: ##4636##.
2. In the menu that appears, select Usage statistics.
3. Scroll down to the Storage block and press Mi Cloud Storage.
4. Slip on Clear Cache (Clear Cache)

This method removes service files that are not visible in the normal interface but can take up to 500MB.

Method 6: Reset Mi Cloud (last resort)

If the cloud is full of files that are not deleted (for example, corrupted backups), and Xiaomi support does not respond, there is a complete reset of cloud storage.

1. Export important data (contacts, notes) manually.
2. Go to account.xiaomi.com.
3. In the Mi Cloud section, find the Reset Storage (or Reset Storage) option.
4. Confirm the action via SMS or email.

After resetting, you will have to reconfigure the sync and choose which data to store in the cloud.

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Resetting Mi Cloud doesn’t affect files on the phone itself — only data in the cloud is deleted, but if you’ve used Gallery Sync, photos can also be lost from the device.

Method 7: Buying extra space (and how to save money)

If you can't do without the Xiaomi cloud, you can buy an extra space. Prices for 2026:

• 💰 50GB — ~1$ per month (or 10)$ yearly)
• 💰 200GB — ~3$ monthly (or 30)$ yearly)

To save money:

• 🎁 Check out the promotions in the Mi Cloud app (sometimes give a 50% discount for the first year).
• 🔄 Buy a subscription via a Chinese account (price may be lower, but you will need to buy a subscription). VPN pay).
• 📅 Pay for an annual subscription – it’s cheaper than a monthly subscription.

⚠️ Note: When you purchase a space through Mi Cloud, the payment is automatically debited. To cancel the extension, 2 days before the end of the term, go to Settings → Mi Account → Payments and subscriptions and disable auto renewal.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When working with Mi Cloud, users often face typical problems:

• 🔒 «Unable to log in to your account" - check if your Mi Account is linked to another region (e.g. if you bought a phone in China) Solution: create a new account in the Global section.
• ⏳ «Files deleted but space not vacated" - cloud cache updates with a delay of up to 24 hours.Wait or restart the phone.
• 📵 «Photos are not synced" - check if the option is enabled Autoboot over Wi-Fi in the Gallery settings.

If after all the manipulations the cloud still shows 100% fullness, try:

1. Sign out of your Mi Account on your phone and log in again.
2. Clear the Mi Cloud application data in settings (Settings → Applications → Application Management → Mi Cloud → Storage → Clear data).

FAQ: Answers to Tough Questions