How to remove photos from the Xiaomi cloud: 5 working ways + synchronization nuances

Store photos in the cloud Xiaomi Mi Cloud convenient until there is no need to vacate space or remove sensitive photos. Many users face the problem: files are deleted from the phone, but remain in the cloud, occupying precious gigabytes. Others find that sync works unpredictable — photos are returned after cleaning or duplicated.

In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to remove photos from the Xiaomi cloud, including the hidden nuances: how to turn off autosynchronization, what to do if photos are not deleted, and how to avoid data loss during cleaning. Instructions are suitable for smartphones with MIUI 12-14 (including Redmi Note 12/13, POCO X5/F5, Xiaomi 13/14) and the web version of the cloud.

Important: the deletion procedure is different from the standard gallery cleanup on your phone. Even if you delete photos locally, they can stay in the Mi Cloud for up to 30 days (depending on the shopping cart settings), we will show you how to delete them permanently, rather than just move them to the archive.

1. Delete photo through the app “Gallery” on Xiaomi

The most obvious, but not always effective, way is to use the built-in gallery, and there are two options: delete individual files or batch cleanup.

To delete one photo:

1. Open the Gallery app.
2. Find the right picture and hold it with your finger for 1-2 seconds.
3. In the top menu, click on the basket icon (or select Remove).
4. Confirm the action by pressing OK.

For mass removal:

• 📂 Go to the album All photos or select a folder (for example, Camera).
• 🔍 Click on three dots in the upper right corner → Choose.
• 📋 Check the necessary photos (you can tap on the date to select all the pictures for the day).
• 🗑️ Click on the basket icon at the bottom of the screen.

An important nuance: by default, the photos are moved to the cloud basket, where they are stored for 30 days before final deletion, to remove them immediately:

1. After clicking Delete, select Delete Forever (if the option is available).
2. Or go to the Recycle Bin (in the gallery side menu) and clean it manually.

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If the option “Delete Forever” is inactive, check the sync settings in Mi Cloud → Settings → Recycle Bin. There you can reduce the storage period to 1 day.

2. Clean up the cloud through the web version of Mi Cloud

The Mi Cloud web interface gives you more control over files than a mobile application, and this method is useful if you:

• 📱 The phone does not have enough memory to download previews.
• 🔄 You need to delete photos that have already been deleted from the device, but remained in the cloud.
• 🖥️ It is easier to work with a large PC screen.

Instructions:

1. Go to i.mi.com and log in to your Xiaomi account.
2. On the left menu, select Gallery.
3. Check out unnecessary photos or folders. To select all files in the album, click the checkbox in the list header.
4. Click on the basket icon in the top menu.
5. Confirm the removal in the pop-up window.

What do you do if you don't delete your photos? Sometimes the system will say, "Failure to delete."

3. disable gallery sync with Mi Cloud

If you do not want photos to automatically upload to the cloud, you can turn off sync completely or customize it to suit your needs.

Complete shutdown:

1. Open your Settings → Accounts → Mi Cloud
2. Slip on the gallery synchronization.
3. Move the slider to the off position.
4. Confirm the action by clicking Disable.

Selective sync: If you want to leave autoboot only for certain folders (like Camera, not Screenshots):

• 📁 In Mi Cloud Settings, select Synchronization Settings.
• 🔧 Tap it on Folder Control.
• ✅ Uncheck the boxes from unnecessary folders (such as Downloads or WhatsApp Images).

Attention:

⚠️ Disabling sync does not delete photos already uploaded to the cloud. It only stops new images from being uploaded. Use the Mi Cloud web version or mobile app to clean up completely.

4. Delete photo via the Mi Cloud app on your phone

If the web version is not available or inconvenient, you can manage the cloud through the official application.

Steps:

1. Open the Mi Cloud app (white cloud icon on a blue background).
2. Sign in if you need to.
3. Go to the Gallery tab.
4. Select an album or click All photos.
5. Hold your finger in any picture. → tag the right photos.
6. Click on the basket icon at the bottom of the screen.

Features of the method:

• 🔄 In the Mi Cloud application, you can sort photos by date, size or type (photo / video).
• 📤 There is an option to Download to save copies to the phone before deleting.
• 🔍 The keyword search function (such as “beach” or “2023”) only works for tagged photos.

If the Mi Cloud app is not on your device (for example, on POCO with firmware without Xiaomi services), install it from Google Play or AppGallery.

Backup important pictures on your PC or external drive|Check that the photos you delete are not used in other services (e.g. Google Photos)|Turn off mobile internet and connect to Wi-Fi to speed up the process|Make sure that your account has enough space for temporary transactions (minimum 100MB is free)-->

5. Cloud dumping and complete cleanup (last resort)

If standard methods don’t work (e.g., photos are frozen when deleted or the cloud is full of debris), you can completely reset the gallery to Mi Cloud, which removes all photos and videos without recovery!

Instructions:

1. Open the web version of Mi Cloud.
2. Go to Settings (cog in the upper right corner).
3. Select Storage Management.
4. Click on Clear Gallery.
5. Enter the password from your Xiaomi account for confirmation.
6. Confirm the action in the pop-up window.

Effects of discharge:

• 🗑️ All photos and videos will be deleted irrevocably (including the cart).
• 🔄 Synchronization with the phone will temporarily stop (resume in 1-2 hours).
• 📱 Local copies on your phone will remain intact (unless the option “Delete from your device when removed from the cloud” is enabled»).

Attention:

⚠️ Once reset, the cloud can temporarily block new photos from uploading (for 24 to 48 hours), a protective measure against abuse. If you need to upload photos urgently, use alternative services (Google Photos, Yandex Drive).

6. Alternative methods: through PCs and third-party tools

If standard methods do not work, you can try to bypass the restrictions with a PC or specialized utilities.

Method 1: Through Windows/macOS file manager

The Mi Cloud can be connected as a network drive:

1. Download Mi PC Suite and install it on your computer.
2. Connect your phone via USB (in file transfer mode).
3. In the program, go to the Cloud tab.
4. Select the Gallery folder and delete the files as if on a local drive.

Method 2: Use of ADB (for power users)

If photos are stuck in the cloud cache, they can be deleted via the command line:

adb shell pm clear com.miui.gallery


adb shell pm clear com.miui.cloudservice

These commands will reset the gallery and cloud settings, but will not delete the photos themselves – only clear the cache and temporary files.

Method 3: Third-party applications

Applications like CloudMounter or RaiDrive allow you to connect Mi Cloud as a network drive and manage files through Explorer.

• 🔒 Requires username/password from Xiaomi account (risk of data leakage!).
• 🛠️ Not all cloud functions are supported (e.g., shopping carts).
• 📛 The folder structure may be broken after mass operations.

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Use third-party tools only if official methods have not worked, and the risk of data loss or account locking for incorrect actions is ~15% (according to statistics from Xiaomi service centers).

7. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

When working with the Xiaomi cloud, users often face typical problems.

Error 1: Photos deleted from phone but left in the cloud

This is because by default, the Gallery and Mi Cloud are synchronized independently.

• 🔄 Enable the option to Remove from the device = Remove from the cloud in synchronization settings.
• 📲 Or delete your photo directly through the Mi Cloud app, not through the gallery.

Error 2: Lack of space in the cloud, though photos have been deleted long ago

Reason: files from the cloud cart take up space before the storage period expires (by default 30 days).

1. Open the Recycle Bin in the web version of Mi Cloud.
2. Press Clear the basket.
3. Confirm removal.

Error 3: Synchronization is 99% frozen

A common problem with mass removal or downloading.

• 🔄 Reboot your phone and router.
• 📶 Switch from mobile to Wi-Fi (or vice versa).
• 🗑️ Clear the Gallery and Mi Cloud app cache in your phone settings.

Mistake 4: You can't delete a photo from a shared album

If a picture is added to the overall album, only the owner of the album can delete it.

• 📬 Ask the owner to delete the photo or exclude you from the album.
• 🔄 If your album is yours, delete it in its entirety via the Mi Cloud web version.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions