Xiaomi Cloud Gallery Thumbnails: What it is, where it is stored and how to manage it

If you've ever walked into a Xiaomi cloud gallery through a browser or a Mi Cloud app, you've probably noticed that photos don't load immediately in full resolution. First, blurred or smaller versions of images appear — these are thumbnails. They save traffic, speed up viewing and reduce server load. But how exactly does this system work in the Xiaomi ecosystem, where these thumbnails are physically stored, and can you manage them? In this article, we'll discuss in detail the mechanism of Xiaomi Cloud Gallery Thumbnails, its pros and cons, and also give practical tips for cloud optimization.

Many users mistakenly believe that thumbnails are just smaller copies of the original photos that are created on the fly when you upload. In fact, the process is more complicated: Xiaomi generates multiple versions of each image during the cloud sync stage, and then uses them depending on the device, Internet speed and even economy settings, while miniatures can take up significant space in both the cloud and the smartphone itself — especially if you actively use the autoload feature in the Mi Cloud. Next, we will explain how this works under the hood and what to do if the thumbnails take up too much space or are not updated.

Note: the system of miniatures in Xiaomi Cloud Gallery is closely related to the synchronization protocol MIUI Cloud Sync, which is different from standard solutions (eg, Google Photos). There is no single compression algorithm - the parameters depend on the model of the smartphone, the version of the device. MIUI And even regional server settings, like on devices with MIUI 14 The newer thumbnails can be stored in.webp format, whereas the older versions used.jpg with fixed resolution. 2048×2048 pixel.

What is Xiaomi Cloud Gallery Thumbnails and why do you need them?

The thumbnails in Xiaomi Cloud Gallery are miniature copies of original photos and videos that are created automatically when files are uploaded to the cloud, and their primary goal is to speed up previews without having to download full-size files. For example, when you open an album in the Gallery app or on the Mi Cloud web version, thumbnails are first uploaded, and the originals are only uploaded after you click on the image.

The miniature system works on the principle of adaptive content delivery: depending on the speed of your Internet, the resolution of the device’s screen and the current settings of the cloud, Xiaomi can show different versions of the same file.

• 📱 On a smartphone with a screen FHD+ download the miniature with permission 1080×1920.
• 💻 On PC via browser - version 2048×2048 (if the original is larger).
• 🌐 With the Internet slow (3G/EDGE) It might seem like a blurry miniature. 320×320.

It's important to understand that thumbnails are not just "smaller originals" but they go through some additional processing.

1. Loss compression (usually before) 70-80% quality).
2. Convert to.webp (on new versions) MIUI) or.jpg (on the old ones).
3. Pruning according to the rule of "preserving proportions" (to avoid distortion).
4. Adding metadata for fast indexing (e.g. tags) EXIF remove).

Without thumbnails, working with a cloud gallery would be extremely inconvenient: each opening of the album would require downloading full-size files, which would take time and traffic. But there is a downside to this mechanism: thumbnails take up space in both the cloud and on the device, and sometimes may not sync correctly.

How to create and update thumbnails in Mi Cloud

The process of generation of thumbnails in Xiaomi Cloud Gallery starts automatically in three cases:

1. When you first upload a file to the cloud (through Autoupload or manually).
2. When editing a photo (trimming, filters, turning) – a new thumbnail is created.
3. When recovering files from the cloud basket (miniatures are recreated).

On devices with MIUI 12 and older algorithms work this way:

1. The smartphone sends the original file to Mi Cloud servers.
2. The server analyzes the resolution and file format, and then generates 2-3 Miniature versions (depending on the size of the original).
3. The thumbnails are saved in a separate cloud database linked to your Mi Account.
4. On the device, a local copy of thumbnails is created in the folder /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.miui.gallery/cache/thumbnails (The path may differ depending on the model).

The thumbnails don't get updated instantly. For example, if you edited a photo in the Gallery app, a new thumbnail can only appear in the cloud through the use of a new thumbnail. 5-15 This is because Xiaomi uses delayed synchronization to save server resources:

• 🔄 If you delete a photo from the cloud and then restore it from the cart, the thumbnail will be recreated.
• ⚡ When you quickly edit several photos in a row (for example, applying a filter to 20 pictures), thumbnails can be updated in a packet, rather than one at a time.
• 📶 If the Internet is lost during synchronization, the process of generating thumbnails will be interrupted and resumed only at the next connection.

Important: thumbnails are not backups. If you delete the original file from the cloud, thumbnails will also be deleted after 30 days (the shelf life in the Mi Cloud Recycle Bin), however, sometimes thumbnails can remain in the device's cache even after the originals are deleted - this can take up up to 500 MB of internal storage space.

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If thumbnails in the cloud don’t update after editing your photo, try manually running sync: open Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → Gallery and click Synchronize.

Where are the Xiaomi Cloud Gallery miniatures stored?

Xiaomi Cloud Gallery miniatures are stored in three locations:

1. On Mi Cloud servers, in a separate database that is not available for direct download.
2. On the device - in the cache of the Gallery application.
3. In temporary files - when viewed through the browser.

Let’s look at each option in more detail:

Local thumbnails on a smartphone can take up a lot of space, especially if you’re actively using a cloud gallery. For example, with 10,000 photos in the cloud, the thumbnail cache can reach 800 MB – 1.2 GB. To check how much space the thumbnails take up on your device:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the Gallery app (com.miui.gallery).
3. Go to the Warehouse. → Cash.

If the thumbnail cache takes up too much space, it can be manually cleaned (see next section).However, note: once cleaned, the thumbnails will be reloaded the next time you open the gallery, which can temporarily increase traffic consumption.

How to clean up the thumbnail cache and free up space

If Xiaomi Cloud Gallery thumbnails take up too much space on your device, they can be cleaned in a number of ways.It is important to understand that deleting the cache will not affect the original files in the cloud - only the speed of their subsequent download.

Method 1: Cleaning through application settings

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Choose the Gallery (com.miui.gallery).
3. Press Warehouse. → Clear the cache.

This method will delete all temporary files, including thumbnails, but will not affect your Mi Cloud account details.

Method 2: Manually remove folder with thumbnails

1. Connect your smartphone to your PC or use a file manager (such as Mi File Manager).
2. Cross the path. /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.miui.gallery/cache/thumbnails.
3. Delete all files in this folder (or the folder itself).

⚠️ Attention: If you are using MIUI 14/15, After manually removing the thumbnails folder, it will be restored automatically the next time you start the gallery. To avoid this, disable Autoboot in Mi Cloud before cleaning.

Method 3: Disabling synchronization of miniatures

If you don’t want the thumbnails to be saved at all on the device:

1. Open Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Gallery
2. Turn off the option to sync thumbnails (on some versions) MIUI This item may be called a quick view).
3. Clear the gallery cache (see Method 1).

After that, thumbnails will only be downloaded when viewed through the browser or Mi Cloud app, but will not be stored locally.

Problems with miniatures in Xiaomi Cloud Gallery and their solutions

Xiaomi users often face problems with thumbnails in the cloud gallery, and here are the most common ones and ways to fix them:

1. Miniatures are not updated after photo editing

If you cropped a photo, applied a filter, or changed your orientation, but the cloud displays an old thumbnail:

• 🔄 Start Forced Synchronization: Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → gallery → Synchronize.
• ⏳ Wait. 10-15 Minutes – sometimes updating thumbnails is delayed.
• 📱 Restart the device and check the internet connection.

Miniatures blurred or of poor quality

This can happen for several reasons:

• 📶 Slow Internet connection (the cloud automatically displays low-resolution thumbnails).
• ⚙️ Mi Cloud Settings Enables Traffic Saving.
• 🖼️ Original photo has a low resolution (miniature can not be better than the original).

Solution: Check the quality settings in Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → gallery → Download quality and choose Original or High.

3. Miniatures take up too much space on the device

If the thumbnail cache has grown to gigabytes:

• 🧹 Clear the gallery cache (see previous section).
• 🚫 Turn off synchronization of thumbnails in Mi Cloud settings.
• 📁 Move the cache to SD-map (if supported): Settings → Warehouse → Default location.

4 Miniatures are not displayed at all

If instead of thumbnails you see empty squares or download icons:

• 🌐 Check your internet connection (miniatures don’t load offline).
• 🔒 Log in again to your Mi Account (sometimes resetting the authorization token helps).
• 📦 Remove and reinstall the Gallery app.

⚠️ Note: If after all the manipulations, the thumbnails still do not work correctly, the problem may be on the side of the Mi Cloud servers. Check the status of Xiaomi services on the official website or Twitter support.

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If thumbnails don't update after editing, first check if changes are saved to the original file.Sometimes editing apps (like Snapseed or Lightroom) save the edited version as a new file rather than overwrite the original.

How to turn off thumbnails in Xiaomi Cloud Gallery (and whether to do it)

Some users prefer to completely disable thumbnails in Xiaomi Cloud Gallery to save space on the device or traffic.

The advantages of turning off miniatures:

• 📉 Saving space on the internal storage device (up to) 1-2 GB).
• 📡 Reduced mobile traffic (miniatures are not loaded in the background).
• 🔒 Reduce the load on the Mi Cloud account (fewer requests to servers).

Disadvantages of turning off miniatures:

• ⏳ Slow album loading (you’ll have to wait for the originals to load).
• 📶 Increased traffic consumption when viewing photos (full-size files weigh more).
• 🖼️ Inability to quickly view photos in poor communication.

How to turn off the thumbnails:

1. Open Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Gallery
2. Turn off the option to sync thumbnails (or quick browsing).
3. Clear the gallery cache (see previous sections).

If you decide to disable thumbnails, consider that: on devices with MIUI 14 and later, when you turn off synchronization of thumbnails, the function Quick access to photos in the gallery widget on the main screen also stops working.

An alternative is to leave thumbnails on, but limit their caching:

• Set a cache limit in the gallery settings (if such option is available).
• Clean the cache manually regularly (for example, once a month).
• Use it. SD-cache storage card (if the device supports).

Comparison of Xiaomi Cloud Gallery Thumbnails with analogues (Google Photos, iCloud)

The miniature mechanism in Xiaomi Cloud Gallery has similarities and differences from the solutions of competitors.

The main advantage of Xiaomi Cloud Gallery over Google Photos is the absence of strict restrictions on the volume of stored thumbnails (in Google Photos, thumbnails are taken into account in the limit of 15 GB).

• 🔄 Slow update of thumbnails after editing.
• 📁 There is no option to choose the quality of thumbnails (in Google Photos there is an option High Quality or Original).
• 🌍 There is no web interface for managing thumbnails (iCloud can configure sync via iCloud.com).

If you’re a cloud galleries enthusiast, these are the things to consider. For example, for professional photographers, Google Photos or iCloud may be more convenient because of the more flexible quality settings, and for ordinary users, Xiaomi Cloud Gallery offers plenty of out-of-the-box features.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi Cloud Gallery Thumbnails