How to Free Up or Expand Mi Cloud Storage on Xiaomi

The free 5 GB Mi Cloud tier fills up quickly if you're syncing photos. Here's how to manage your storage and decide whether to expand.

Check Current Mi Cloud Usage

1. Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Storage.
2. You'll see a breakdown by category: Photos, Backup, Notes, etc.
3. Alternatively, visit i.mi.com → Cloud storage for a visual breakdown.

Free Up Space – Method 1: Delete Duplicate & Low-Quality Photos

1. Open Gallery → Tools → Clean up (on HyperOS).
2. Mi Gallery automatically identifies:
   • Duplicate photos
   • Blurry / low-quality shots
   • Screenshots (often unnecessary to keep in cloud)
3. Select and delete unwanted items — changes sync to Mi Cloud.

Free Up Space – Method 2: Move Photos to Alternative Cloud

1. Enable Google Photos backup on the same photos.
2. Once Google Photos has backed up all images, delete them from Mi Cloud.
3. This effectively offloads photo storage from Mi Cloud to Google (Google Photos offers 15 GB free).

Free Up Space – Method 3: Delete Old System Backups

System backups can consume 1–3 GB:
1. i.mi.com → Backup → Manage backups.
2. Delete old backups, keeping only the most recent one.

Expand Mi Cloud Storage

1. Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Storage → Upgrade.
2. Choose a plan:

Payment via Mi Account wallet, credit card, or regional payment methods.

Use Google Drive / OneDrive as Alternative

If Mi Cloud pricing is too high:
- Google Drive (15 GB free) — back up documents, files.
- Google Photos (15 GB shared with Drive) — photos and videos.
- OneDrive (5 GB free, 100 GB at $1.99/month) — good for Microsoft Office users.
- Disable Mi Cloud sync for categories you're backing up elsewhere to avoid double storage.

Pro Tips

• Family plans are available in some regions — share Mi Cloud storage between 2–6 family members at a discount.
• Mi Cloud notes and contacts are tiny in size; photos and video are almost always the main storage consumer.
• Regularly clearing the Mi Cloud trash bin (deleted files remain there for 30 days before permanent deletion) frees up space immediately.