How to Set Up Google Photos Auto-Backup on Xiaomi / Redmi Phone
Google Photos backs up your photos and videos to your Google account — accessible from any device. Setup takes under 2 minutes.
Step 1 – Install or Update Google Photos
Google Photos comes pre-installed on most Xiaomi Global ROM phones.
- If missing: install from Google Play → search "Google Photos".
- Update to the latest version for best performance.
Step 2 – Enable Backup
- Open Google Photos → tap your profile picture (top right) → Photos settings.
- Tap Backup → toggle Backup on.
- Sign in with your Google account if prompted.
Step 3 – Configure Backup Settings
| Setting | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Backup quality | Storage saver (free, compressed) or Original quality (uses Google storage quota) |
| Back up over Wi-Fi only | ✅ Yes — saves mobile data |
| Back up while roaming | ❌ No — avoid surprise data charges |
| Back up photos / videos | ✅ Both |
Storage Saver vs. Original Quality:
- Storage saver: Compresses photos to ~16 MP and videos to 1080p. Does not consume your Google Drive quota (until June 2021 policy change — now all uploads count toward your 15 GB quota).
- Original quality: Exact file as taken. Better for professional editing but uses more quota.
Step 4 – Handle Xiaomi Battery Optimization (Critical)
HyperOS aggressively kills background apps. If Google Photos doesn't auto-backup:
1. Settings → Battery & Performance → App battery saver → Google Photos → No restrictions.
2. Also: Settings → Apps → Google Photos → Battery → Unrestricted.
Step 5 – Verify Backup Status
- In Google Photos → tap profile picture → see Backup status.
- "Backup is on" with a green checkmark = working.
- If it shows "Waiting for Wi-Fi" — connect to Wi-Fi.
- If "Backup paused" — check battery optimization.
Google Photos Storage
| Plan | Storage | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | 15 GB (shared with Gmail/Drive) | Free | Basic100 GB | ~$1.99/month |
| Standard | 200 GB | ~$2.99/month | ||
| Premium | 2 TB | ~$9.99/month |
Pro Tips
- Enable "Free up device storage" in Google Photos after backup is confirmed — it removes local copies of backed-up photos to free phone storage.
- Use Google Photos Library → Albums to organize backed-up photos without affecting the originals.
- If Mi Cloud is also enabled, you'll have two cloud backups — good redundancy, but counts storage on both services.
