Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face the need to change an account that is tied to telephony and contact sync, which can be caused by buying a new device, having to separate personal and work contacts, or simply wanting to change the main Google account. Understanding how the user identification system works in the shell of MIUI or HyperOS is key to successfully managing your data.
It's worth noting that the term "call account" can be interpreted in two ways: on the one hand, it is an account through which the phone book and call history are synchronized. IP-telephony, such as Skype or Viber. In this guide, we will discuss all aspects, paying special attention to system settings, as they affect the basic functionality of the device.
Changing an account requires care to avoid losing important phone numbers or correspondence history. Xiaomi’s modern shells have a complex synchronization structure where data can be stored in three places at once: SIM-It is critical to understand that deleting a Google account without first disabling sync can result in the loss of all contacts stored in the cloud. Therefore, before any manipulations, you need to conduct an audit of where your numbers are physically located.
Differences between Mi Account and Google Phone Account
The first step to a smart setup is to understand the difference between the two main types of accounts used in Xiaomi smartphones. Mi Account (or Xiaomi Account) is a proprietary manufacturer system that is deeply integrated into the shell. It is responsible for finding the device, cloud backup of system settings, and, importantly, can store backups of contacts and SMS.
Google accounts, in turn, are the standard for Android, which manages contact synchronization through Google Contacts, location history, and access to the Play Market app store. When calling from a regular mobile number, it is Google’s account that most often dictates how callers ID names will be displayed and where the call history will be stored, unless otherwise selected.
Can I use only one account?
When you change your account for calls, you have to decide which service will be your primary storage, and if you're used to the Google ecosystem, you just need to log in to a new profile and all the numbers will appear automatically, and if you've relied on Mi Cloud, the recovery process will look different and require you to enter a password from Mi Account.
Preparing for account change and backup
Before you delete old accounts or add new ones, you need to secure your data, the process of changing the profile owner in the system should be without loss of information, and there are several proven methods to ensure that your phone book is safe.
- 📱 Check your current contact source: go to the Contacts app, click on three dots or a setup gear, and select Display Contacts. Make sure all sources are ticked to see the full picture.
- ☁️ Forced Synchronization: Go to Settings → Accounts and syncs. Select your current Google account and click Sync. Make sure that the contact item has a fresh date and time.
- 💾 Local Export: As an additional method of protection, you can export contacts to the file VCF. In the Contacts app, select Import/Export» → «Exports to device memory».
☑️ Checklist before changing your account
Particular attention should be paid to the contacts saved on the SIM-It is an outdated but still living storage method that has limits (usually a finite one). 250-500 It does not support storing multiple numbers or email addresses for a single contact. If your numbers are there, you must copy them to your phone memory or to the cloud before any manipulation of your accounts.
How to Delete an Old Google Account
To change the account that calls and syncs are associated with, it often requires removing the old profile from the system first.This doesn't delete the Google account itself forever, it just disappears from that particular Xiaomi device.
The procedure is done through the system settings menu. Navigation may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI (12, 13, 14) or HyperOS, but the logic remains the same. You need to find the section responsible for managing users and passwords.
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If you plan to sell your phone, deleting your Google account is a must, otherwise FRP (Factory Reset Protection) protection will work, and the new owner will not be able to activate the device without your password.
The sequence of actions is as follows:
- Open the Settings app.
- Scroll down and find Accounts and Sync (newer versions may simply be called “Accounts” or be inside “Passwords and Security”).
- In the list, select Google.
- Click on the email address you want to delete.
- At the bottom of the screen or in the menu (three dots), select the option to Delete your account.
- Confirm the action by entering the screen unlock password or pattern lock.
Once you do this, the old profile will be deleted, and all the data that was synced to that profile and not stored in the cloud or on another medium will disappear from your phone, but if you log in to the same account on another device, all the data will be restored, because it is stored on the servers of the corporation.
Adding a new account and setting up synchronization
Once the space is cleared, you can start adding a new profile that will become the main one for calls, whether it is your personal account, a work account or a specially created one for certain purposes, and the addition is done in a standard Android way.
In the same Accounts and Sync menu, click Add Account (usually the + button or the plaque at the bottom of the list). Select the Google logo. The system will redirect you to the login page. Enter the new user's login and password. If two-factor authorization is enabled, confirm the login through the code from the SMS or authenticator application.
| Setup parameter | Recommended value | Description of the impact of calls |
|---|---|---|
| Contacts | Included. | The numbers will be saved to Google’s cloud and available on all devices. |
| History of applications | Included. | Synchronizes the list of installed applications, but does not directly affect calls. |
| Disc. | If you wish, | It doesn't affect the phone book, but it's important for the backup. |
| Secure search | Included. | Filters search results, does not affect the functionality of calls. |
It is important to check your sync settings immediately after logging in. Click on the account you just added to the list and make sure the switch opposite the Contacts item is active. Also, in the Phone app settings itself, you may need to choose which account to use by default to display your call history if there are more than one.
Configure the display of contacts for several profiles
A common situation: two or more Google accounts (for example, personal and work) are added to the Xiaomi phone, in which case duplicates may appear in the phone book, or, conversely, some contacts may become invisible, and the system allows you to flexibly configure filtering.
To manage the display, open the Contacts app. Click on the menu icon (three bars or dots) and select Settings or Contact Display. Here you will see a list of all connected accounts. You can select the All Contacts option to see the total mass, or select a specific account, such as Google (Personal Only).
⚠️ Note: When you create a new contact, the system always asks where to save it. SIM-Always check the Save in box to ensure that the new number does not get lost in an unnecessary profile.
There's also a linking feature, where if you have the same person on your Google contact list and your Mi Account, Xiaomi can offer to combine them into one card, which is useful for keeping the database clean, but it requires care to avoid confusing different people with the same names.
Change of account in IP-telephony applications (Skype, Viber, WhatsApp)
If by "call account" you didn't mean the system phone book, but messengers and Internet calling services, the procedure is different. These apps are not tied to an Android account, but to a phone number and internal login.
To change your Skype or Viber account to Xiaomi, you need to log out of your current profile inside the app itself. This is usually done through the app settings menu (cog or avatar) → Sign out or Delete the acca.
WhatsApp is a more complicated business, and it only officially supports one account per phone number, and you need to change your account.
- 📲 Backup chats in your current account (Settings) → chat → Backup copy).
- 🗑️ Delete the WhatsApp app or clear its data through Settings → Annexes → WhatsApp → Memory. → Clean up.
- 📥 Install the app again (or run clean) and enter the new account’s phone number.
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Applications for calls over the Internet (Viber, WhatsApp, Telegram) do not depend on the phone’s Google account, they are tied exclusively to the Internet. SIM-map and phone number.
It’s worth noting that some services, such as Google Duo (now Google Meet) or the built-in Internet calling feature in MIUI, can directly use the system’s Google account, in which case changing the main profile in the phone’s settings will automatically change the profile for incoming video calls.
Frequent problems and their solution
Xiaomi users may encounter various technical difficulties when changing accounts, most often due to synchronization errors or security locks.
One common problem is the “Can’t log in” error or endless password check, which often happens if the device has a date and time down or if Google considers the login suspicious, in which case you need to log in to your computer, go to Google’s security settings and allow login for “less secure apps,” or confirm the device through a notification on another gadget.
⚠️ Note: If you bought your phone with your hands and when you try to reset or change your account, you see a requirement to enter a password from the previous Mi Account, this means that the device is blocked by anti-theft protection.
Another problem is that contacts disappear after you change your account. If you see an empty phone book, don't panic. Chances are that contacts are still there, just that the display settings are "Phone Only" or the wrong account is selected. Go back to the contact display settings and select "All Contacts" or the specific Google account you saved them to before.