How to permanently disable the Mi Cloud on Xiaomi: 5 proven ways

Why users want to get rid of Mi Cloud and what happens after the shutdown

Xiaomi’s Mi Cloud service is marketed as a convenient solution for backing up, syncing contacts and finding lost phones. However, many owners of Redmi, POCO or Xiaomi Mi smartphones face problems: the service consumes traffic in the background, slows down the device and sometimes blocks access to files without an Internet connection. Moreover, after resetting, the phone may require data input from the Mi Account, even if you haven’t used it in years.

Disabling the cloud is not always a trivial task. The manufacturer does not make this option prominent in the settings, and some functions (such as finding a device) remain active even after deleting an account. In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to disable Mi Cloud, including hidden settings and bypassing locks after a reset, you will learn how to completely remove the cloud binding without losing data, what risks this entails and how to return access to the phone if something goes wrong.

It’s important to understand that completely shutting down the cloud prevents you from remotely locking or finding your phone when you steal, and automatically recovering backups when you flash it. If you use Xiaomi as a work phone with important data, weigh the pros and cons before you do something.

Method 1: Standardly disable synchronization through settings

The easiest method is to manually deactivate the data sync, which will not delete the Mi Account, but will stop the background transfer of information to the cloud, suitable for users who want to keep access to Xiaomi services (such as Mi Home for smart devices), but get rid of unnecessary traffic.

The instructions are relevant for MIUI 12/13/14 (including POCO and Redmi shells):

1. Open Settings → Accounts and Synchronization.
2. Slip on Mi Cloud (or Xiaomi Cloud in newer versions).
3. Turn off the Mi Cloud Sync slider at the top of the screen.
4. Scroll down and manually deactivate synchronization for each item: 📱 Contacts (if you use Google contacts, this item can be safely disabled) 📅 Calendar and Notes (unless you use standard applications) 📷 Gallery (disables automatic uploading of photos to the cloud) 🔄 Backups (the most voracious item by traffic)

After disabling, check service activity through Settings → Applications → Application Management → Mi Cloud. Here you can force the application to stop working and prevent auto-start. Please note that some system processes (for example, com.miui.cloudservice) can restart after the phone is restarted.

Remove the Mi Cloud app cache|Prohibit background activity in battery settings|Check the traffic in the section "Use of data"|Create a local copy of important data (contacts, photos)-->

Method 2: Completely delete your Mi Account from your phone

If you want to permanently remove your Mi Cloud binding, you need to delete the Mi Account itself from your device, a method that is suitable for phones you plan to sell, give or reset to factory settings.

• 🛒 Shopping in the Mi Store (applications, themes, subscriptions)
• 🏠 Xiaomi Smart Devices (if they are linked to this account)
• 🔄 Backup copies stored in the cloud
• 🎮 Achievements in games (if you used Mi Game Center)

To delete the account:

1. Go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Mi Account.
2. Slap the icon. ⚙️ (gear) in upper right corner.
3. Select Delete Account (Password may be required).
4. Confirm the action via SMS or email (if two-factor authentication is enabled).

⚠️ Note: On some models (Redmi Note 10 Pro, POCO X3 Pro et al.) after deleting the account, an error may appear: "This device is linked to a Mi Account" on the next sign-in, this is due to the Mi Cloud Activation Lock function. To avoid problems, be sure to untie your phone from your account on account.xiaomi.com under Devices".

Method 3: Disable the Cloud through ADB (for power users)

If standard methods fail (e.g., the service continues to sync after deleting an account), you can use ADB debugging. This method requires connecting the phone to a computer and basic command line knowledge. The advantage of the method is that it allows you to completely block cloud processes at the system level, even if Xiaomi hid such settings in the interface.

You'll need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB Tools
• 📱 Included Debugging by USB on the phone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times tap the version → return to → For developers)
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original)

Commands to disable Mi Cloud:

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.cloudservice


adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.xiaomi.cloud

These commands will remove Mi Cloud and Xiaomi Cloud apps for the current user (without root permissions). To return everything back, just reinstall the updates through Settings. → Annexes → Mi Cloud → ⋮ → Install updates.

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware (MIUI China or custom builds) these commands can cause a "Failure" error [DELETE_FAILED_INTERNAL_ERROR]">. Try the alternative method: adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.cloudservice adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.xiaomi.cloud This won’t remove apps, but will block them from working.

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Before using ADB, create a restore point in TWRP (if installed), which will help return the system to working condition if something goes wrong.

Method 4: Bypassing Mi Cloud lock after reset (FRP)

One of the most frustrating features of the Mi Cloud is Factory Reset Protection (FRP), or lock-down after a reset. If you reset your phone to factory settings and then forget your Mi Account data, the device can be locked with a username and password requirement, a feature designed to protect data when stolen, but often becomes a problem for legal owners.

The official way to unblock the account is to enter the account that was linked to the phone, and if you don't remember it, try:

1. Restore access to your account through the recovery form (email or phone number required).
2. Untie your device remotely: Go to i.mi.com from your PC. Sign in with the same account you had on your phone. Go to Find Device → Delete your device.

Use the official unlocking tool

• Download the Mi Unlock Tool.
• Connect your phone in Fastboot mode (press Power + Vol Down when the phone is off).
• Follow the instructions of the program (it takes 72-168 hours).

Informal methods (such as firmware through EDL or exploits) can lead to hard-brick (complete loss of phone health).

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If the phone is bought from hand and blocked by the previous owner, it is impossible to officially unlock it, in which case you can only contact Xiaomi support with proof of purchase (check, contract).

Method 5: Alternative cloud services for Xiaomi

If you have disabled Mi Cloud but still want to back up your data, consider the alternatives:

• 🅾️ Google Drive: Automatic synchronization of contacts, calendar and photos. 15 GB free (vs. 5 GB in Mi Cloud). Integration with Google Photos for backup media files.
• 🍎 iCloud (for Mac or iPad users): 5GB is free, but better data encryption. handy if you have other Apple devices.
• 📁 Nextcloud or OwnCloud: A self-contained cloud on your server or NAS. Full control over data (no risk of leakage).
• 🔗 Syncthing: Decentralized sync between cloud-free devices. Suitable for PC backup.

To transfer data from Mi Cloud to another service:

1. Export contacts via Settings → System → Import / Export → Export to.vcf file.
2. Download photos from the web version of Mi Cloud (Gallery section).
3. For notes, use apps like Google Keep or Simplenote with manual portability.

If you choose Google Drive, remember to turn off high-quality autoload photos so you don’t waste space. Go to Google Settings → Backup → Download Quality and select Original (if you have enough space) or High (compressed photos).

What to do if your phone gets worse after the cloud is turned off

In rare cases, users will notice that after removing the Mi Cloud or turning off sync, the phone starts:

• 🔋 Quickly discharge.
• 🐢 Reduce when opening applications.
• 📶 Losing connection to the mobile network.

This is because some MIUI system processes are optimized for cloud computing, to bring back stability:

1. Clear the system cache: Go to Settings → Memory → Clean. Select Deep Clean and wait until it's finished.

Reset the network settings

→ SIM-maps and mobile networks → Network reset

Turn off battery optimization for system applications

Settings → Battery → Energy Saving Mode → Optimization → Find “Mi Cloud” and turn off restrictions

Update the firmware

• Sometimes cloud bugs are fixed in newer versions of MIUI.
• Check the updates in Settings → About Phone → System Update.