Xiaomi Cloud Gallery – What is this service and how to use it?

Xiaomi Cloud Gallery is a cloud service from Xiaomi that automatically saves your photos and videos in a secure storage, freeing up memory on your smartphone. POCO X5 Pro, this tool can be a lifesaver. But how does it work? Is it safe to store personal images in the Mi Cloud? And why some users complain about missing files after syncing?

In this article, we’ll take a look at all the nuances of Xiaomi Cloud Gallery, from basic setup to hidden features that aren’t in the official documentation. You’ll learn how to enable automatic downloads, what Xiaomi offers in 2026, and what to do if the service stopped syncing files. And then compare Cloud Gallery with alternatives like Google Photos and how to transfer data between services without loss.

What is Xiaomi Cloud Gallery and Why You Need It?

Xiaomi Cloud Gallery (or Mi Cloud Gallery) is a part of the Mi Cloud ecosystem, specialized for storing and managing media files. Unlike standard cloud storage, where files are stored “as is”, Gallery automatically sorts photos by date, location and even recognizes faces (on devices with a camera). MIUI 12+). The main advantage is that synchronization works in the background even if the Gallery app is closed.

The main tasks of the service:

• 📱 Freeing up memory on a smartphone by uploading originals to the cloud and leaving compressed copies on the device.
• 🔄 Automatic backup of new photos and videos (including screenshots and screen recordings).
• 🌍 Access files from any device – via the web version of i.mi.com or the Mi Cloud app on other gadgets.
• 🔒 Protection against data loss in case of theft, breakage or resetting of the phone.

It is important to understand that Cloud Gallery is not a standalone application, but a feature within the standard Xiaomi Gallery. MIUI It works on all brand devices, starting with MIUI 10 (2018), but full support for artificial intelligence (object recognition, content search) appeared only in the United States. MIUI 13 and newer.

⚠️ Attention: If you are using POCO Launcher or custom firmware (e.g. LineageOS), the cloud gallery function may be disabled or unstable.

How to Enable and Configure Xiaomi Cloud Gallery

It takes less than a minute to activate the service, but there are a few things that are not mentioned in the official instructions, such as the default sync of only photos — the video should be included separately.

1. Open the Gallery app on yours Xiaomi/Redmi/POCO.
2. Slip on the profile icon (or three horizontal lines) → Choose Mi Cloud.
3. Turn on the gallery synchronization switch.
4. Click on Synchronization Settings and select: 📸 File types: photos, videos, screenshots. 📶 Network: Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi only + mobile. ⚡ Download quality: original or compressed (saves space in the cloud).

Confirm the changes and wait until the first synchronization is completed (may take minutes to hours, depending on the amount of data).

After activation, a cloud icon with a status indicator will appear at the top of the gallery screen:

• ✅ Green tick - synchronization complete.
• ⏳ Rotating indicator - loading is underway.
• ❌ Red Cross – Error (requires checking your Internet connection or re-authorizing your Mi Account).

Sign in to Mi Account (required!)

Connect to a stable Wi-Fi

Charge your phone at least 50%

Release. 10-15% Memory on the device (for temporary files)

Shut down. VPN (It can block access to Xiaomi servers)-->

If files are not synced after setting up, try the following:

1. Reboot the phone.
2. Open the Settings. → Accounts. → Mi Account and update your account details.
3. Clear the cache of the Gallery app (Settings) → Annexes → Application management → gallery → Clear the cache).

Less than 1,000 photos

1,000 to 5000 photos

5000–20,000 photos

More than 20,000 photos

Don't use the cloud.-->

Tariffs and Free Storage in 2026

By default, each Mi Account receives 5GB of free cloud storage, which is shared among all Mi Cloud services (including backups, notes and contacts). For Cloud Gallery, this will be enough for about 1500-2000 photos in original quality or 500-800 videos lasting 1 minute.

If there is not enough space, you can buy an additional volume. Current tariffs for Russia and the CIS for 2026:

You can pay for the subscription through:

• 💳 Bank card (Visa, Mastercard, MIR).
• 💰 Qiwi, WebMoney or Yandex.Money (in some regions).
• 📱 Mobile phone balance (not available in all countries).

⚠️ Note: When paying via Google Play (on Google phones), prices may vary due to platform fees. To save money, pay directly through the Mi Account website.

If you don’t plan to buy extra space, but want to save 5GB of free space:

• 🗑️ Remove old phone backups in Mi Cloud → Storage management.
• 📂 Transfer rarely used files to the archive (the feature is available in the web version).
• 🔍 Use search by take (Gallery) → Albums. → Duplicates) and delete unnecessary copies.

💡

If you often shoot high-resolution video, turn on the “Compressed Quality” option in your sync settings, which will reduce the size of files in the cloud by 40-60% without noticeable loss of quality.

How to use Xiaomi Cloud Gallery: hidden features

Most users use Cloud Gallery only for backup, but the service has much more to offer. Here are 5 little-known features that will make it easier to work with photos:

1. Search by content (AI-Search: Type a word (e.g., "cat," "sea" or "document") into the gallery search bar and the system will find all the photos with the relevant objects. MIUI 13+ and requires the option to recognize objects in the cloud settings.
2. Collaborative Albums: You can create an album and invite friends (even if they don't have Xiaomi smartphones) through a link. All photos added will automatically sync with all participants.
3. Automatic collages and stories: The service itself creates customized collections (e.g., Summer 2023 or Mountain Trip) based on dates and geolocations, and can be found in the Memories section of the Gallery app.
4. Hidden photos: To hide personal photos from prying eyes, move them to the Hidden Albums folder (available through the gallery menu). These photos will not appear in the main feed, but will remain in the cloud.
5. Export in original quality: When you download a photo from the cloud to your phone, the compressed version is downloaded by default. To get the original, hold your finger on the file. → More. → Keep the original.

Another useful option is sync with the PC.

1. Download the Mi program PC Suite.
2. Sign in with the same Mi Account as you do on your phone.
3. Go to the Gallery section – all cloud photos will be available for viewing and downloading.

Xiaomi Cloud Gallery Problems and Solutions

Despite the convenience, users often encounter Cloud Gallery bugs.Here's the top-5 problems and ways to correct them:

If none of these methods worked, try resetting the cloud settings:

1. Go to Settings → Accounts → Mi Account.
2. Select Delete Account (don’t worry, files will remain in the cloud).
3. Log in again under the same account and enable synchronization.

⚠️ Note: If you use Xiaomi Cloud Gallery on a phone with root rights (root), the service may block downloading files for security reasons.

To diagnose more complex problems (for example, when files are downloaded but not displayed in the gallery), you can use the system logs:

1. Turn on Developer Mode (7 times tap the MIUI version in your phone settings).
2. Go to Settings. → Additionally. → For developers → Logs of Mi Cloud.
3. Copy the log and send it to support Xiaomi through the feedback form.

Xiaomi Cloud Gallery Comparison with Alternatives

If you are in doubt whether to use Xiaomi Cloud Gallery, compare it with popular analogues:

When to choose Xiaomi Cloud Gallery:

• 📱 You have a smartphone. Xiaomi/Redmi/POCO You want maximum integration with the system.
• 💰 You don’t need much space (5-50 GB is enough).
• 🔒 You trust the security of Mi Cloud (data is stored on servers in Singapore and the United States).

When is the best time to choose an alternative:

• 🌍 You need cross-platform (e.g. synchronization between Xiaomi and iPhone).
• 🎥 You're making a lot of videos in 4K/8K You need a large cloud (from the cloud). 200 GB).
• 🛡️ Maximum privacy is important to you (e.g. Proton Drive or Nextcloud).

💡

Xiaomi Cloud Gallery wins over competitors in speed synchronization on devices with MIUI, But it's less flexible and free, and if you only use Xiaomi smartphones, it's the best choice.

How to transfer photos from Xiaomi Cloud Gallery to another service

If you choose to go to Google Photos, iCloud or another service, you can transfer data in a few steps.

Method 1: Web version (for small volumes)

1. Open i.mi.com and log in.
2. Select the desired photo/video (or press Ctrl)+A to pick everything).
3. Click Download - files are archived in ZIP.
4. Unpack your archive and upload your files to a new service (e.g., through photos.google.com).

Method 2: Through Mi PC Suite (for large volumes)

Method 3: Automated transfer (for advanced)

1. Install on your Python PC and the `mi-cloud-api ` library:


pip install mi-cloud-api





2. log in through the token (instruction on the GitHub project).





3. Run the script to download all files:




from mi_cloud import MiCloud




cloud = MiCloud ("your login", "your password")




cloud.download_all_photos ("path to folder to PC")

⚠️ This method requires technical skills and may violate Xiaomi’s user agreement.

⚠️ Note: When transferring a large number of files (more than 10,000), the Mi Cloud server may temporarily block the account for “suspicious activity.” To avoid this, download data in portions of 1000-2000 files with breaks of 1-2 hours.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi Cloud Gallery