How to lock Xiaomi phone with Mi Account: a complete guide with nuances

Losing or stealing a smartphone is stressful, especially if the device stores personal data, photos or access to banking applications. Xiaomi phone owners have a powerful protection tool called remote locking via Mi Account. This mechanism allows not only to lock the device, but also to track its location, erase data or display a message for the finder. However, many users face difficulties when trying to activate the lock: the system requires confirmation of rights, and the interface of the site.account.xiaomi.com is regularly updated.

In this article, we will discuss all the current ways Xiaomi locks through Mi Account (including Redmi, POCO and Black Shark models), explain why the feature is sometimes unavailable, and give recommendations for restoring access to the device after blocking. Particular attention will be paid to the new security requirements of 2026, which Xiaomi introduced to protect against fraudulent unlocks. If you read this after losing your phone, immediately go to the section with the step-by-step instructions.

Why blocking through Mi Account is the most reliable way

Unlike standard Android features (like Google’s Find My Device), blocking through Mi Account has several key benefits:

• 🔒 Hardware binding: Even after resetting, the phone will remain locked without entering Mi Account (Mi Cloud Lock feature).
• 📍 Exact location: The positioning works even if the SIM- card is replaced (when connected to Wi-Fi).
• 📱 Remote control: the ability to erase data, lock the screen, or turn on an audio signal.
• 🛡️ Bypass protection: The lock is not removed through the engineering menu or flashing (on most models).

It is important to understand that the effectiveness of the lock depends on three conditions:

1. The phone has enabled synchronization with Mi Cloud (checked in Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud).
2. The device is connected to the Internet (mobile data or Wi-Fi).
3. You remember the username and password from the Mi Account tied to the phone.

If at least one of the conditions is not met, remote locking may not work. For example, if the phone is turned off or in airplane mode, the lock command will be executed only after connecting to the network. It is also worth considering that some models (for example, Xiaomi 12T Pro or Redmi Note 12 Pro+) after a hardware reset require input of Mi Account data even to access the recovery menu.

How to block Xiaomi with Mi Account

The blocking process takes no more than 5 minutes if you have access to a computer or other smartphone. Follow the instructions carefully - errors in the confirmation stage can lead to a temporary account lock.

Check that the phone is connected to the internet.

Make sure you remember the username/password from your Mi Account.

Prepare a backup email or phone number for recovery

Close all Mi Account sessions on other devices (if you suspect a hack)

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Step 1 Go to the Mi Cloud website

Open your browser and enter the address: account.xiaomi.com. Sign in with the same account that is linked to the lost phone. If you do not remember the password, use the recovery function via email or SMS (link Forgot the password? under the login form).

Step 2. Find the "Find Device" section

After logging in, select the Find Device tab (or Find Device in the Russian version) from the top menu, and the system will automatically identify all associated devices.

• 🔄 Update the page (button F5 or update icon in the browser).
• 📶 Check if geolocation and sync are enabled on the lost phone (if you still have it in your hands).
• 🕒 Wait 10-15 minutes — sometimes the data is updated with a delay.

Step 3: Select the device and activate the lock

Click on your phone model in the list, and you'll see the map with the last known location and the control panel.

🔐 Lock the device


📲 Erase the data




🔔 Turn on the sound




📍 Update location

Click Lock Device. The system will prompt you to enter a new unlock password (at least 6 characters, with numbers and letters) and a message for the lock screen (for example, “Nawner please call +7...”). Once confirmed, the phone will be locked within 1-2 minutes.

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If the phone is turned off, the lock will work the next time you connect to the Internet, and to speed up the process, try calling the device — sometimes this will activate mobile data.

What to do if the lock is not working

If the phone remains unlocked after completing all the steps, the reasons may be as follows:

The most common error is unconfirmed Mi Account. Xiaomi requires phone or email verification to use the Find Device function. If you see a notification that says “Account not confirmed,” follow these steps:

1. Go to Profile → Security settings.
2. Click Confirm Account and follow the instructions (you will need to enter a code from an SMS or email).
3. After confirmation, update the Find Device page.

If none of these methods worked, there are two options:

• 📧 Contact Xiaomi with IMEI and account details.
• 🔧 Use alternative services, such as Google’s Find My Device (if configured).

How to Unlock Xiaomi After Remote Locking

If you find the phone or it returned to you after locking, you will need to unlock:

1. Enter the password you set when you lock through Mi Cloud.
2. Confirm unlocking via SMS or email (if two-factor authentication is enabled).

If you have forgotten the lock password:

1. Go to account.xiaomi.com and log in.
2. In the Find Device section, select your device and click Remove Lock.
3. Confirm the action via SMS or backup email.

Some models (such as the Xiaomi 13 Ultra or Redmi K60 Pro) may require re-authorization in the Mi Account after unlocking, due to enhanced security measures introduced in 2023-2026.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Many users make critical mistakes when trying to lock a phone, resulting in loss of access or ineffective locking.

⚠️ Warning: Never use the Delete Data feature immediately after locking. If you find your phone, you will lose all data without being able to recover. First try to contact the finder via the message on the lock screen.

Mistake 1: Blocking through an incorrect Mi Account

If you have one account attached to your phone and you try to block it through another, the system will give you an error.

• 📱 Go to Settings → Xiaomi Account on another Xiaomi device (if any).
• 📧 Check emails from Xiaomi – when you sign up or log in, a notification comes with your account details.

Mistake 2: Ignoring Two-Factor Authentication

If your account is enabled with 2FA, but you don’t have access to a backup code or a linked number, it will be impossible to unlock your phone. Always keep your backup codes in a safe place (for example, in a password manager).

Error 3: Trying to block through third-party services

Some users are turning to services like iCloud Unlock or other “unlockers” that promise to bypass Mi Cloud Lock. This is a scam – Xiaomi does not provide official ways to bypass the lock without account data.

Alternative ways to block Xiaomi

If the blocking through Mi Account is not available for some reason, you can use alternative methods:

• 📱 Find My Device from Google: Works if your phone is geolocated and synced to your Google account. Go to google.com/android/find and log in to the same account as your phone.
• 📡 Telecom operator: Some carriers (e.g. MTS, Beeline) offer a SIM- card lock service over IMEI. This will not lock the phone itself, but will render it useless for attackers.
• 🛡️ Antivirus apps: If your phone has an antivirus installed (like Avast or Kaspersky), check if it has a remote lock feature.

Compare the features of Mi Cloud and Find My Device:

As you can see from the table, Mi Cloud is more reliable for protection against theft, since the lock is maintained even after resetting, but if the Mi Account was not tied or the phone did not sync with the cloud, Find My Device will be the only option.

How to Prepare Xiaomi for a Possible Loss in Advance

In order to quickly lock your phone and save data in case of loss, make the following settings in advance:

Enable sync with Mi Cloud in Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud

Activate the “Find Device” function in the same section

Link backup email and phone number to Mi Account

Enable two-factor authentication in Settings → Xiaomi Account → Security

Save the phone's IMEI (see Settings → About Phone → General Information)

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Step 1. Set up Mi Cloud

Go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud and turn on:

• 📁 Synchronize contacts, notes, and photos (so that data is not lost).
• 📍 Find the device (the main switch at the top of the screen).
• 🔄 Automatic backup (Section Backup).

Step 2. Check the account binding

Make sure your phone is linked to your Mi Account:

1. Open Settings → About the phone → All the characteristics.
2. Check out Xiaomi Account – your email should be there.

Step 3: Save the backup codes

If two-factor authentication is enabled:

1. Go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Security → Two-factor authentication.
2. Generate and save backup codes (you can print them or copy them to a safe place).

Step 4. Write down the IMEI.

You'll need an IMEI to contact the police or the telecom operator, and you can find out if you want to:

• In settings: Settings → About the phone → General information → IMEI.
• On the phone box (usually under a barcode).
• By code: enter in the dialer *#06#.

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Check regularly (once every 1-2 months) that sync with Mi Cloud works, just open the Find Device section on the site and make sure the phone is displayed in the list.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi blocking