Where is Xiaomi Cloud in Your Phone and How to Manage It

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face the question: where is the Xiaomi cloud physically stored in their phone? In fact, it is not physical storage inside the device, but a remote service Mi Cloud integrated into the MIUI firmware. But how to access it, where to look for sync settings and how to manage backups? In this article, we will examine all the nuances from the location of the menu item to hidden cloud functions that many people do not know about.

It’s important to understand that Xiaomi’s cloud doesn’t take up space in the phone’s memory — it’s virtual storage on the company’s servers, but access to it is configured through the system menus of the smartphone, while some data (such as the cache of the com.miui.cloudservice app) can be temporarily stored locally, and then you will learn how to find these settings, what to do if the cloud is not synchronized, and how to recover data from another device.

What is Mi Cloud and where is it actually stored?

Mi Cloud is an analogue of Apple’s iCloud or Google Drive, but with unique features for the Xiaomi ecosystem.

• 📱 Create backup copies of contacts, messages, photos and applications
• 🔄 Synchronize data between devices (smartphone, tablet, smart watch)
• 🔐 Recover information after resetting or buying a new phone
• 📍 Tracking a lost device through Find the device

Physically, the files are stored on Xiaomi servers in data centers in China, Singapore and India (depending on the region of the account), and on the phone you will find only:

• 🔧 Synchronization settings in the account menu
• 📁 Cash clouds in a folder /data/data/com.miui.cloudservice (available only with root rights)
• 🔄 Synchronization Logs in System Logs

Free storage is 5GB, but it can be expanded to 200GB for a monthly fee, and some data (such as call histories) is synchronized for free without limiting the amount.

Where to find Xiaomi cloud in your phone settings

To open the Mi Cloud menu, follow the following steps (relevant to MIUI 12/13/14):

1. Open the Settings app (cog icon).
2. Scroll up and tap your Mi Account profile (at the top of the screen).
3. Select Mi Cloud (cloud with Xiaomi logo).

In some versions of the firmware, the path may differ:

• 📱 MIUI 11 and older: Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud
• 🔄 POCO/Redmi with global firmware: Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud
• 🌍 Chinese version MIUI: The cloud icon may be called

If you don’t have Mi Cloud, check to see if you are logged in to Xiaomi. Without a linked account, the cloud will be unavailable.

What data can be synchronized through the cloud

The following backup options are available in the Mi Cloud menu:

To enable synchronization:

1. Go to Mi Cloud → Synchronization.
2. Activate the sliders in front of the desired categories.
3. Click Sync Now for Forced Update.

⚠️ Warning: If you turn off the sync of Contacts, they may disappear from the phone book after resetting. Always check the backup before important phone manipulations.

How to Backup Xiaomi’s Cloud

A full backup saves not only individual data, but also system settings, wallpaper, Wi-Fi settings, and even installed applications to create it:

1. Open Mi Cloud → Backup.
2. Click Backup now.
3. Select the data to copy (you can leave all the ticks).
4. Confirm the action and wait until it is completed (may take up to 30 minutes).

The finished copy can be found in the backup management section.

• 📅 Date of establishment
• 📊 Archive size
• 🔄 Possibility of restoration or disposal

Tip: Before creating a copy, connect your phone to charging and Wi-Fi networks – this will speed up the process and prevent discharge.

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If the backup is 0% or 99% down, restart the phone and try again, often by clearing the Mi Cloud app cache in the app settings.

How to Recover Data from the Cloud to a New Phone

When you first turn on a new Xiaomi smartphone, the system will suggest recovering data from the Mi Cloud. If you missed this step, do the following:

1. Sign in to the same Mi Account as your old phone.
2. Go to Mi Cloud. → Recovery.
3. Select the last backup from the list.
4. Check the data you want (or select Restore everything).
5. Confirm the action and wait for the completion (the phone will restart).

Important nuances:

• 🔄 When you restore apps, they will be downloaded from Google Play or the App Store, not from the cloud.
• 📱 WhatsApp and other messengers are restored separately (through their built-in features).
• ⚠️ If the new phone already has data, it can be overwritten.

⚠️ Warning: Do not interrupt the recovery process, this may lead to loss of data. If the phone freezes during the Preparation for Recovery phase, wait. 10-15 minutes or restart it manually.

Xiaomi Cloud Problems and Solutions

Users often experience sync errors, and here are the most common ways to fix them:

If the problem is not solved, try:

1. Clear the cache of the Mi Cloud application in Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Update MIUI to the latest version.
3. Reinstall Xiaomi account via Settings → Account → Delete account (data will be saved in the cloud).

Mi Cloud alternatives for backup

If Mi Cloud doesn’t suit you (low space, regional restrictions), consider these options:

• ☁️ Google Drive: 15GB free, Android integration but no sync SMS.
• 📱 Local storage: backup copies to SD-card or computer through settings → The phone. → Backup.
• 🔗 Third-party applications: Swift Backup (requires root) or Titanium Backup (for power users).
• 💻 Xiaomi PC Suite: the official utility for backup to the computer.

Comparison of Mi Cloud and Google Drive:

For local backup:

1. Connect your phone to your computer via USB.
2. Enable File Transfer (MTP) mode.
3. Copy the MIUI/backup folder to your hard drive.

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Mi Cloud is convenient for synchronization between Xiaomi devices, but for long-term storage of critical data, it is better to use a combination of cloud and local copies.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi's cloud