The smartphone has a huge amount of personal information that can be a serious blow. Photos, contacts, notes and call history are all critical to everyday use. Owners of Xiaomi and Redmi devices have access to a powerful cloud service that allows you not only to save backups, but also to find the lost device.
Activating Mi Cloud is the first step to building a robust ecosystem around your gadget, a process that takes only a few minutes, but ensures the long-term security of your digital assets. Unlike third-party solutions, the system service is integrated deep into the MIUI shell, allowing you to synchronize even system settings and the layout of icons on your desktop.
In this article, we will discuss in detail the algorithm for connecting to your account, setting up sync settings and using advanced security features. You will learn how to optimize the use of free space and what settings should be changed immediately after installation.
Registration of Mi Account and login to the system
The foundation for all cloud services is the presence of a personal Mi Account. Without authorization, the functionality of the smartphone remains limited, and the ability to remotely manage the device becomes unavailable, the process of creating an account is as simplified as possible by developers and takes no more than a couple of minutes even for inexperienced users.
To start, you need to go to your device's system settings. Depending on the version of the MIUI shell or HyperOS, the item may be called "Mi Account" or "Account and Sync." Click on the "Login" or "Create Account" button if you do not already have a registered profile. The system will prompt you to enter a phone number or email address.
⚠️ Note: When registering, be sure to include a real phone number and mail to which you have permanent access. Restoring access to an account without tied data can be impossible or extremely difficult.
After entering the contact information, you will come SMS-A validation code or email. Create a strong password that's hard to guess but easy to remember. Once you've been successfully authorized, the device will automatically prompt you to enable the synchronization of your core data. Don't ignore this step, because it forms a basic protection for your information.
Activation of cloud storage and synchronization
Once logged in successfully, the cloud data control panel opens to the user, and this is where you set up which categories of files will be automatically transferred to Xiaomi servers, and by default, some points can be disabled to save traffic or space.
To enable full service, go to the Cloud or Mi Cloud menu in the acca-un settings, you will see a list of synchronized items: contacts, messages, call logs, notes, voice recorder and browser data. Activate switches opposite to the items you want to save.
- 📸 Gallery: allows you to save photos and videos in original quality, freeing up space on the device.
- 📞 Contact and SMS: ensures that when changing your smartphone, your phone book and correspondence history will not be lost.
- 📝 Notes: synchronizes text files, to-do lists and voice recordings in real time.
- 📱 System settings: saves desktop application location and system preferences.
It is important to understand the difference between simple synchronization and full backup. Synchronization is constantly running and updates data with each change, whereas the backup is created on schedule or manually.
☑️ Checking the synchronization settings
Synchronization of Gallery and optimization
Photos and videos take up the lion's share of memory on any modern smartphone. The Gallery Sync function in Mi Cloud works on the principle of "smart storage." Once the original photos and videos are uploaded to the server, the system can suggest removing local copies from the device, replacing them with thumbnails.
This allows you to free up gigabytes of free space while still allowing you to access the full versions of your files over the Internet. To set this option, open the Gallery app, go to the settings and select the one associated with the cloud, and you can choose the download quality: Original or Optimized.
⚠️ Note: When you enable the Clean Memory function (delete local copies), make sure that the originals are fully uploaded to the server.
Wi-Fi is critical to initially downloading a large amount of media. Mobile Internet can be unstable or charged, so the system defaults to pause the download when switching to mobile data. You can change this behavior in settings by allowing data to be transmitted over the mobile network, but this will result in a rapid traffic consumption.
In the gallery interface, cloud photos are marked with a special cloud icon, which means that the file is stored remotely and you need a network connection to view it at full size. If there is no Internet, you will only see a low-resolution preview.
Find the device and security
One of the most important features of the Mi Account is the Find Device service, which allows you to track the location of your smartphone on the map, remotely lock it or erase all data in the event of theft or loss, and you need to activate the appropriate switch in the cloud settings in advance.
In the Mi Account security section, look for Find the Device and make sure it's on, and check for location permission for system services, and without that, the coordinates of the devices can be determined with a large margin of error or not at all.
| Function | Description of action | Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Search for a map | Display the current location of the gadget | Internet, GPS |
| Sound signal | A loud sound even in silent mode | Internet |
| Lockdown | Prohibiting access to a system with a new password | Internet |
| Clearing the data | Full reset to factory settings | Internet |
In case of loss of the gadget, you do not need to panic. Just go to the official website of the service from any other device, enter your login and password. The interface will allow you to perform the necessary data protection actions remotely.
What happens if an attacker tries to reset his phone?
Storage management and tariff plans
Each user is given a basic free 5GB space when signing up. This amount may be enough for contacts, notes and a small number of documents, but there is often not enough space for photos and videos.
To expand the capabilities, Xiaomi offers paid subscriptions, which allow you to increase storage to 50 GB, 200 GB or even 2 TB. Payment is made monthly or annually, and the tariff can be changed or canceled at any time through account settings.
- 💾 Basic plan: 5GB free, suitable for text data.
- 🚀 50GB plan: optimal for an active user with a moderate amount of photos.
- 📦 200GB plan: a choice for those who shoot a lot of high-resolution videos.
- 💼 2 TB Plan: A Professional and Family Access Solution.
You can check the current state of the storage in the Mi Account profile, which displays a diagram of the place occupancy by file type, which helps you understand what exactly takes up the most space, and if necessary, remove unnecessary backups of old devices.
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Use the “Clear Similar Photos” function in the gallery before syncing, so you don’t upload multiple duplicates of the same images to the cloud.
Solution and access via browser
Sometimes users are faced with situations where sync stops or data is not updated, most often this is due to an unstable Internet connection or crowded storage, check network status and free space in the cloud.
Access to your data is not limited to your smartphone. You can log in to your account via a web browser on your computer at i.mi.com. The web version interface allows you to view photos, contacts, notes and even manage device search features.
If you plan to sell your phone or transfer it to another person, make sure to log out of your account. Go to settings, click on your profile name and select "Get Out." The system will alert you that the data will be deleted from the device but will remain in the cloud.
⚠️ Warning: Never transfer a device to a new owner without first logging out of your Mi Account and removing the device from the trusted list. Otherwise, the new owner will not be able to activate the phone and your data may remain available.
Checking sync status regularly helps avoid unpleasant surprises: Make sure all important files are marked as downloaded before performing a reset or changing the gadget.
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Regularly checking the synchronization status and having an up-to-date backup is the key to the security of your data in case of any system failures.