How to delete photos from Xiaomi Cloud without touching a copy on your phone: 3 working methods

Cloud storage Xiaomi Cloud is a convenient tool for backup photos, but over time it fills up with unnecessary pictures, and the free tariff is limited to 5 GB. Many users face a dilemma: how to free up space in the cloud without losing the originals on the phone? In this article, we will analyze the proven ways to selectively delete photos from Xiaomi Cloud, which will save files on your device.

It's important to understand that standard removal through a gallery or Mi Cloud app often syncs the action with the phone - and the photos disappear from everywhere. We'll show you how to bypass this sync and clean the cloud without risk. The instructions are relevant for all modern smartphones Xiaomi, Redmi, POCO based MIUI 12-14 and HyperOS.

Before you start, make sure that the phone has enough free space – temporary copies of photos can take up additional volume, and also check if the option Auto-Delete from the device after downloading to the cloud is enabled (you can turn it off in the Gallery settings).

Why photos stay in the cloud after being deleted from your phone

Synchronization between Xiaomi Cloud and phone works like a mirror: changes on one device automatically apply to another, which means that if you delete a photo from the gallery, it will disappear from the cloud, and vice versa, a mechanism that protects against data loss, but makes it more difficult to selectively clean.

The main reasons why photos are stuck in the cloud:

• 🔄 Two-way sync enabled in Mi Cloud settings (active by default).
• 📁 Backups are created automatically when you connect to Wi-Fi, even if you have not given your consent.
• 🗑️ The cloud basket stores deleted files for up to 30 days (they need to be cleaned separately).
• 🔗 Linked accounts: If you used the same Mi Account on multiple devices, photos could be duplicated.

To break this connection, you either have to temporarily shut down the synchronization or use alternative deletion methods, which are discussed in the following sections.

Method 1: Remove via the web version of Xiaomi Cloud (the safest way)

Xiaomi Cloud’s web interface allows you to manage files directly without syncing with your phone, a method that is suitable if you want to delete only individual photos or folders without affecting your device.

Step-by-step:

1. Open your browser on your computer or phone and go to i.mi.com.
2. Sign in under the same Mi Account that is tied to your smartphone.
3. In the menu on the left, select the Gallery section (Photos in English).
4. Find the photo or folder you want to delete. Use date filters or albums for convenience.
5. Select files (you can use a Ctrl+click combination on your PC or a long press on your mobile) and click on the basket icon.
6. Confirm the deletion. The photos will disappear from the cloud, the phone will remain.

Check that the login is made under the correct Mi Account|

Turn it off. VPN (It can block access to i.mi.com)|

Use Chrome or Edge browser for stable work |

Close the Gallery app on your phone (to avoid sync conflicts)-->

⚠️ Note: Deleted photos from the web version are placed in the Xiaomi Cloud Recycle Bin, which is stored for 30 days. To make room immediately, go to the Recycle Bin section and manually clean it.

This method doesn't require you to turn off sync, and it works even if you don't have Internet access on your phone, but it's not suitable for mass removal, so you'd better use the following method.

Method 2: Disabling synchronization before removal

If you need to delete a large number of photos (for example, the entire Screenshot folder or old backups), temporarily disabling sync is the most reliable option, which will prevent automatic deletion of files from the phone.

How to do this:

1. Open Settings → Accounts and Sync → Mi Cloud.
2. Find the Gallery section and turn off sync (the switch should turn gray).
3. Return to the Gallery, select the photos or folders you want to remove from the cloud.
4. Click Delete and confirm the action. Since the sync is disabled, the files will remain on the phone.
5. Once cleaned, turn on sync again in Mi Cloud if you need it.

⚠️ Warning: If you manually delete photos from your phone after you turn off sync (for example, through a file manager), they will disappear forever.

💡

Before you turn off sync, back up your important photos to your computer or external drive. To do this, connect your phone to USB in File Transfer mode and copy the DCIM folder.

Method 3: Using a file manager to selectively delete

For power users, there is a way to remove photos from the cloud through hidden system folders, which requires access to the file system and does not work on all firmware, but allows you to spot-clean the cloud without risking the phone.

Instructions:

1. Install a file manager with access to root folders (such as MiXplorer or Solid Explorer).
2. Go to /storage/emulated/0/MiCloud/Photos This is where local copies of the photos from the cloud are stored (not the originals!).
3. Find the files you want to remove from the cloud and rename them (e.g., add a character to the beginning of the name).
4. Turn on sync in Mi Cloud (if it was disabled) and the system will detect the "disappeared" files and delete them from the cloud, but the originals on the phone will remain intact.

⚠️ Note: Do not delete files from the folder /MiCloud/Photos directly, it can lead to synchronization errors, only renaming works correctly, and also don't touch files with the.nomedia extension, they are responsible for displaying folders in the gallery.

This method is suitable for technically savvy users, as errors in working with system folders can disrupt the stability of MIUI. If you are not sure, use the first two methods.

How to avoid re-uploading deleted photos to the cloud

Even after successfully removing a photo from Xiaomi Cloud, they can get back there the next time they sync, so you need to set up your backup rules to prevent that from happening.

Ways to prevent rebooting:

• 📵 Turn off autoload for specific folders: Open the Gallery → Albums. → Click on three dots in the top right corner. Select Sync settings. uncheck folders you don't want to reserve (like Screenshots or Downloads).

Set the filter to size

Mi Cloud

Use manual synchronization

Also note the Delete from your device after downloading to the cloud (located in Gallery → Cloud Settings). If it is active, all photos will be erased from your phone after backup - disable it to avoid data loss.

💡

Check the Storage section in Mi Cloud (Settings) regularly → Mi Cloud → Storage. This shows which data takes up the most space, and you can quickly clear unnecessary backups.

What to do if the photo is removed from the phone

If the sync is not working correctly and the photos are gone from the device, don't panic - they can be restored within 30 days.

1. Check the Xiaomi Cloud Recycle Bin: Go to i.mi.com → Gallery → Recycle Bin. Find deleted photos and click Restore.
2. Use your local phone basket: Open Gallery → Albums → Recycle Bin. Select the photos you want and select Restore.
3. Restore from backup: If you did a backup through Mi Cloud or Google Photos, check the archives. For Google Photos: go to the Library → Recycle Bin.

⚠️ Note: If the photos were deleted more than 30 days ago and did not get into the cart, their recovery is possible only through specialized programs (for example, DiskDigger or EaseUS MobiSaver), but success is not guaranteed. To avoid such situations, regularly export important photos to your computer or external drive.

If you’re using Google Photos in parallel with Xiaomi Cloud, check the sync settings on both services, and sometimes the conflict between the two leads to double deletion of files.

Xiaomi Cloud Alternatives for Photo Storage

If you don’t like the limitations of Xiaomi Cloud (low free storage, sync issues), consider alternative services that offer more space and flexible backup settings.

To transfer photos from Xiaomi Cloud to another service:

1. Download all photos from Mi Cloud to your computer (via i.mi.com).
2. Upload them to a new service (e.g. Google Photos via photos.google.com).
3. Turn off autoboot in Xiaomi Cloud and set it up in the selected service.

Before migrating, check if the new service supports background loading over the mobile network (Xiaomi Cloud has it, but it is disabled by default), which is useful if you often take pictures on trips.

FAQ: Frequent questions about removing photos from Xiaomi Cloud