Many Redmi and Poco smartphone users face incomprehensible charge-offs on their bank cards or notifications to extend their access to cloud storage, often caused by an activated Xiaomi Cloud Premium subscription that the device owner may have forgotten or not known the activation details, a cloud service integrated into the MIUI and HyperOS shell, allowing you to store backups of data, photos and videos on the company’s servers.
The basic Mi Account offers only 5GB of free space, which is almost invisible in modern conditions. The system often offers to expand this limit for a small monthly fee, promising automatic synchronization and protection against data loss when changing devices, but not everyone understands what they pay for and whether you can do free analogues.
In this article, we will take a closer look at the paid fare functionality, analyze the cost, and provide step-by-step instructions for managing your subscription, learn how to check the payment status, what data is synchronized first, and whether the game is worth the candle in the presence of alternative services.
The essence of cloud storage service from Xiaomi
Xiaomi Cloud is an ecosystem service designed to ensure the smooth operation of the brand’s devices. Unlike third-party solutions, it is deeply integrated into the system processes of the Android operating system with the MIUI shell. This allows you to perform background synchronization of contacts, messages, notes and settings of the system without user intervention.
The main purpose of the service is to create a single digital profile. When buying a new smartphone, you just need to enter the username and password Mi Account, so that all your data automatically returns to the device, this is especially true for those who often change gadgets or fear losing information in the event of a breakage or theft of the phone.
It's important to understand that the standard free rate is extremely limited, designed to test functionality or store a minimum amount of critical text data, and for multimedia content such as high-resolution photos or 4K videos, basic volume is absolutely not enough.
⚠️ Note: The service is not an analogue of a full-fledged backup of the entire system (as in the case of the system). TWRP It stores primarily user content and settings of applications that support synchronization through API Xiaomi.
Technically, the synchronization process is done through secure communication channels, data is encrypted during transmission, which guarantees its confidentiality, but it is worth remembering that storing personal information on third-party servers always carries certain risks that should be kept in mind when choosing a service provider.
Tariff plans and subscription cost
The company offers a flexible charging system that allows you to choose the amount of storage depending on the needs, pay monthly or annually, which often comes cheaper in terms of monthly use, prices can vary slightly depending on the region and currency of the account.
Below is a table of current rates available to most users in the international segment:
| Name of tariff | Memory capacity | Payment per month | Payment per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free (Basic) | 5GB | 0 ₽ | 0 ₽ |
| Premium 50GB | 50GB | ~99 ₽ | ~990 ₽ |
| Premium 200GB | 200GB | ~149 ₽ | ~1490 ₽ |
| Premium 2 TB | 2048 GB | ~649 ₽ | ~6490 ₽ |
It’s worth noting that the subscription is valid for the entire Mi Account, not for one particular device, which means you can use the dedicated space on multiple smartphones, tablets, or even through the web interface on your computer by logging in under the same login.
There are also family subscriptions that allow for sharing of storage among family members, a cost-effective solution for small groups of users who are actively using the cloud to store family archives.
What gives a Premium subscription to the user
The switch to a paid tariff opens up access to advanced functionality that is not available in the free version, primarily in terms of volume. 50 GB is about 10-15 thousand photos in high quality or several tens of hours of video. For an active smartphone user, this volume can be enough for a year.
The key feature is automatic gallery sync, which is often disabled or restricted in free mode, and a paid subscription allows you to set up automatic upload of all new images to the cloud immediately after creation, freeing up the device's memory and creating an additional copy of files.
- 📸 Advanced photo and video sync settings (including: RAW-formats).
- 📱 Synchronization of voice recorder data, screen recordings and screenshots.
- 🔒 Device Search with advanced geolocation and remote control capabilities.
- 🗑️ Extended storage time for deleted files in the cloud basket (up to 60 days).
The lost device search feature deserves special attention: with active subscription, location accuracy is improved, as well as the possibility of remote access to the device’s camera or more detailed erasure of data in the event of a theft.
Do you need a Premium for Find Device?
Instructions for Connecting and Managing a Subscription
The paid rate is activated directly through the settings of the smartphone, the system itself will offer an expansion of storage when the free space on the free account comes to an end, but you can also manually connect the service at any time.
You need to go to the settings menu, find the partition responsible for the account, and choose cloud management. The interface may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI or HyperOS, but the logic remains the same.
☑️ Premium activation algorithm
Payment is made through linked payment systems (Google Pay, Apple Pay, bank cards). It is important to monitor the date of the next debit, since subscriptions are often issued with auto-renewal. You can cancel autopayment at any time, but access to files will remain until the end of the paid period.
Subscription management is also available via the web version of i.mi.com. This is convenient if you do not have a smartphone at hand, but you need to immediately vacate space or check the status of payment. The web interface allows you to view files, but setting up tariffs is more convenient from a mobile device.
⚠️ Note: When you change your account region or move to another country, the subscription terms and payment methods available may change".
Comparison with competitors: Google and iCloud
Xiaomi has serious competitors in the cloud storage market, most notably Google One, which is pre-installed on any Android smartphone. Google offers similar rates, but its integration is deeper with the company's services: Gmail, Google Photos, Google Drive.
The main difference is ecosystem isolation: if you use only Xiaomi’s technology, their cloud will work more natively and faster in the background. However, if you plan to switch to a smartphone from another brand (such as Samsung or Pixel), data from Xiaomi Cloud will be more difficult to get from than from Google Drive.
- 🌐 Google One: Universal for all Android, great integration with photos and mail.
- 🍎 iCloud: Ideal for iPhone owners, but has limited web functionality on Android.
- ☁️ Xiaomi Cloud: Optimal for brand devices, but less convenient when changing platforms.
The pricing policies of all three giants are roughly the same for basic tariffs (50-200 GB).So the choice often depends on the habit and the fleet used. For users with a smart home Xiaomi, the brand cloud becomes more attractive due to the synchronization of settings of IoT devices.
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Tip: Use Xiaomi Cloud for quick synchronization of system settings and contacts, and for heavy photo archives, set up sync with Google Photos or Yandex.Disk. This will give a double backup.
How to Disable Subscription and Avoid Write-offs
If you realize that you don't need paid storage, or you want to avoid unexpected expenses, you need to cancel your subscription. Simply uninstall the application or log out is not enough - autopayment will continue to operate until the end of the billing period.
The disablement procedure is standard for mobile services. Go to your account settings, select subscription management, and click "Cancel." The system may ask you several times about your decision, offering discounts or lower rates — this is standard marketing practice of customer retention.
After disconnecting, your data is not deleted instantly. Usually, a grace period (about 30 days) is provided during which files are still available for download, but the new sync will not work, after which the files can be deleted or frozen until repayment.
⚠️ Note: Deleting your Mi Account will result in a total loss of all data in the cloud.If the goal is simply to stop payments, use the Unsubscribe feature, not delete the acc!
It is recommended to manually upload important photos and documents to an external hard drive or computer before disabling the tariff, which ensures the safety of information even in the event of technical failures when changing the status of the account.
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The cancellation of the subscription takes effect immediately, but access to the paid period is preserved. Data begins to be deleted only after the paid time and the waiting period have expired.