Xiaomi Cloud is full: what to do and how to free up

Xiaomi Cloud reports a storage overflow, familiar to many Mi and Redmi smartphone owners: It’s not just an annoying notification, but a signal that your new photos, contacts and voice recorder recordings will no longer be stored in the cloud, and inactivity at that point can lead to the loss of important data if the device fails or is lost.

In this article, we’ll look at all the solutions available, from quick garbage cleaning to radical measures to turn off sync. Xiaomi’s cloud service provides 5 GB of free space, which is too little for a modern user with a high-resolution camera. Understanding the mechanisms of cloud storage will help you manage available gigabytes competently.

Before you delete valuable footage, it's worth analyzing what exactly takes up the lion's share of memory, often old system backups or duplicate screenshots that you've long forgotten about, and we've developed a step-by-step algorithm that will allow you to regain control of your digital space.

Analysis of vault occupancy

The first step should always be diagnostics. You can't blindly delete files without understanding the structure of the space you're occupying. Go to your account settings through the Settings menu → Mi Account → Cloud. Here, the system will show you a detailed data distribution diagram.

The most common memory eaters are the gallery and the voice recorder. Synchronizing photos in their original quality quickly eats up the available 5 GB. If you shoot a lot of 4K videos, the space can run out in just a couple of weeks of active use.

Note the backup section, which may store old copies of system settings or SMS-Sometimes the weight of one backup can be as high as several gigabytes if it has a multimedia attachment.

⚠️ Note: Before removing any data from the cloud, make sure that important files are copied to your computer or external hard drive. Deleting from the cloud may entail deleting files on all synchronized devices.

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Use the web version of i.mi.com to analyze cloud content in more detail from the large screen.

The most effective way to free up space is to work with the media library. Xiaomi Gallery has built-in tools to find similar shots. Go to the album "Recently Deleted" and clean it up, as the files there still take up space in the cloud storage for 30 days.

Also worth checking out is Screenshots and Favorites, and users often forget that saving a photo to a favorite doesn't take it away from the whole thing, it just tags it. Deleting blurred or failed frames is a great way to get a few hundred megabytes back.

If you have the storage optimization option enabled, the original photos can be replaced by sketches on your phone, but the full versions are stored in the cloud. Check your download quality settings. You might want to switch to uploading only photos, eliminating video files.

  • 📸 Open the album “Recently deleted” and click “Clean everything».
  • 🗑️ Remove long videos that are not valuable.
  • 📂 Check the folders of messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram) if their synchronization is enabled.
📊 What takes up the most space in your cloud?
Photos
Video
Backups of the system
Recordings

Managing system backups

The cloud management section often hides old backups. System backup is a useful feature, but there's no point in keeping multiple versions in a row. Go to Backups and delete archives from last year.

Pay special attention to application backups. Some programs can save their data to the cloud by taking up space. Unless you plan to change your phone often or reset to factory settings, this data can be deleted.

For advanced users, you can selectively exclude data types from the backup, for example, you can leave the synchronization of contacts and notes, but disable saving Wi-Fi settings and home screen layouts, which will significantly reduce the weight of the archive.

⚠️ Warning: Removing the system backup will make it impossible to quickly roll back your phone settings to a previous state in the event of a crash.

How to reduce the size of the backup copy?
In the backup settings, uncheck the Settings, the Alerts and the Blacklist if they are not critical to you.> Setting up the synchronization of the recorder and notes Many users do not suspect that Mi Recorder defaults to synchronize all records. If you use the phone to record lectures or interviews, these files can weigh gigabytes. Check the Dictophone section in cloud management. High-quality records take up a lot of space. It makes sense to relist the archive and delete the extra. Also in the settings, they synchronize the documents in the format, if you also have the heavy ones in the file in the file in the file format, if you can change the file in the file in the file to the file format. 🎙️ Turn off the synchronization of the recorder if it is rarely used. 📝 Check your notes for heavy investments. 💾 Export important voice recordings to your PC via Mi Cloud.Table: Comparison of Xiaomi Cloud tariff plans If cleaning doesn't help and you don't want to delete anything, there's still the option of expanding storage. Xiaomi offers paid subscriptions that allow you to increase the amount of available space. This is true for those who want to have a full backup of the device.Below is a comparative table of available options.Prices can vary by region and current stocks, but the tariff structure remains uniform for most users. Rate Memory Price (example) For whom the Basic 5 GB Free Only Contacts and Notes Standard 50 GB ~100 RUB / month Active users Photo Extended 200 GB ~200 RUB / month Family accounts Premium 2 TB ~600 RUB / month Professionals and videographers Disconnect synchronization and alternatives If you are not willing to pay, and 5 GB you will have to switch to manual control. The most radical method is to completely disable Mi Cloud. This will stop notifications about the lack of space, but deprive you of automatic data protection. Instead, Professionals and videographs can use Google's alternatives (from this service). To turn off sync, go to Settings. → Mi Account. → The cloud, remove the switches from the unnecessary points, and then the system will be asked to delete the data from the cloud — agree if you care about the copies on your phone. ☑️ Checklist for freeing spaceDelete duplicates PhotoClean the basketDelete old backupsDeactivate synchronization VideoCheck the folder recorderCompleted: 0 / 5 Frequently asked questions (FAQ) What happens if you don't pay for your subscription and clean the cloud? You stop syncing your new data, your old files stay in the cloud, but your new photos and contacts stop being saved on Xiaomi servers until the space is free. Can you restore the data after the cloud is cleaned? If you deleted files through the shopping cart on the site or in the settings, recovery is impossible.If the files simply stopped syncing due to lack of space, they stayed on your phone. Does cleaning up Xiaomi Cloud on Google Photos? No, these are independent services. Deleting photos from the Xiaomi cloud will not affect backups in Google Photos if they were uploaded there before. Where are files deleted from the cloud? They end up in the shopping cart inside the Gallery app or on i.mi.com, where they are stored for 30 days before final deletion.