How to completely disable synchronization between Xiaomi phones: 5 working ways

Synchronizing data between Xiaomi devices via Mi Account is a convenient feature, but not always necessary. If you bought a used smartphone, handed over your old phone to a relative or just want to break the connection between two gadgets, automatically synchronizing contacts, notes and even SMS In some cases, it even leads to a leak of personal information if the new owner of the device has not deleted your account.

In this article, we will analyze all possible ways to disable synchronization - from the basic settings in the MIUI Notice that the procedure is different depending on whether you want to simply stop sharing data between two phones or completely remove the binding to your Xiaomi account. We will also look at the nuances for different models – from the Redmi Note 12 to the flagship Xiaomi 14.

Why Xiaomi synchronization can be dangerous

Many users do not know that the synchronization function in the MIUI It works by default and transfers not only contacts between devices, but also:

• 📱 SMS and call history (if Settings are enabled) → Synchronization)
• 📝 Notes and Reminders (via Mi Notes app)
• 📁 Files from Mi Cloud (photos, documents, backups)
• 🔑 Wi-Fi passwords (if you use Mi WiFi)

The main threat is unauthorized access to data, for example, if you sold your phone but didn't untie it from your Mi Account, the new owner might:

• 🔍 See your contacts and correspondence (unless your settings are reset).
• 📲 Access cloud backups (unless synchronization is disabled).
• 🔄 Recover your data on your device via Mi Cloud.

⚠️ Note: If you are transferring your phone to another person, it is not enough to simply log out of your Xiaomi account, you need to disable sync on both devices and remove the Mi Account binding in the security settings.

Another problem is data conflict: If you use two Xiaomi phones (for example, a work phone and a personal phone), sync can duplicate contacts, create chaos in notes, or even delete files on one device when you change on another.

Method 1: Disabling synchronization in settings MIUI

The easiest method is to deactivate synchronization directly in the menu. MIUI. This is a good way to stop sharing data between your two phones, but you don’t plan to decouple them from your Mi Account entirely.

The instructions are relevant to MIUI 12/13/14 (including HyperOS on new models):

1. Open the settings on your phone.
2. Go to Xiaomi Account (or Mi Account on older versions).
3. Choose Mi Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud).
4. Click on Synchronization.
5. Turn off the sliders in front of all points: 📇 Contacts 📝 Notes 📱 Text 📁 Gallery (if included)

Shut down.

After that, the data will no longer be updated between devices, but the files that have been synchronized will remain on both phones, and you will have to manually clean them to delete them.

⚠️ Note: On some models (e.g, POCO F5 or Redmi K60) Sync can be hidden behind an additional menu. If you can't find it, try the path: Settings → Memory. → Mi Cloud → Synchronization.

Method 2: Delete Xiaomi account from your device

If you're transferring your phone to another person, or you want to completely cut off communication between your devices, it's not enough to just turn off sync, you need to delete your Mi Account from your device, and this will lead to:

• 🔄 Stop any synchronization with other devices.
• 📱 Removing the binding to the Mi Cloud.
• 🔒 Blocking features like Find Device (phone search).

How to delete your account:

1. Open the Settings. → Xiaomi Account.
2. Click on the profile avatar at the top of the screen.
3. Select Account Management (or Account Settings).
4. Scroll down and click Delete Account.
5. Enter the password from Mi Account for confirmation.
6. Confirm deletion (some devices will require you to enter a code from the SMS).

After that, the phone will be untied from your account, but the data will remain on it (unless a reset is made). To completely clean the device, perform a factory reset (Settings). → The phone. → Resetting settings).

Method 3: Disable synchronization via the web version of Mi Cloud

If you don't have access to one of the phones (for example, it's lost or sold), you can control sync via the web version of Mi Cloud.

• 📵 Remotely disable synchronization for a particular device.
• 🗑️ Remove backups so they don’t recover on a new phone.
• 🔍 View the list of attached gadgets.

Step-by-step:

1. Go to i.mi.com and log in.
2. In the menu on the left, select Devices.
3. Find the phone you want to turn off sync for and click on it.
4. In the window that opens, select Remove Device.
5. Confirm the action (may be required) SMS-code).

After that, the phone will be uncoupled from your account and sync will stop, but the data already copied to the device will remain (unless a reset is made).

💡

If you are selling a phone, make sure to reset the device on the device itself before removing it from the Mi Cloud, otherwise the new owner can recover your data through a local backup.

Method 4: Reset to factory settings (radical method)

If you're transferring your phone to another person, or you want to guarantee that you're removing all traces of sync, the most reliable way to do that is to reset completely.

• 🧹 Delete all data, including apps, photos and settings.
• 🔄 Mi Account Execution (if done correctly).
• 📱 Returning the phone to a “clean” state, as after buying.

How to reset:

1. Open Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Choose to erase all data.
3. Enter the phone password (if installed).
4. Confirm the reset (some models will require you to enter a code from Mi Account).
5. Wait for the process to be completed (5-10 minutes).

After the reset, the phone will reboot and prompt you to set it up as new. Don't sign in to your Mi Account at this point if you're transferring the gadget to another person!

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI 14+ and HyperOS after reset may require login and password from the previous Mi Account (protection against theft).If you forget the data, restore it to account.xiaomi.com.

💡

Factory reset is the only way to guarantee that you will delete all data from your phone, including hidden sync files. However, after this procedure, you will not be able to recover information, so you can back up important files on your PC or external drive beforehand.

Method 5: Disabling synchronization for individual applications

If you only need to stop sharing data on specific services (such as Mi Notes or Mi Browser), you can turn off sync selectively. This is convenient if you use two Xiaomi phones and want to split:

• 📝 Notes (so that work and personal records are not mixed).
• 🌐 Browser bookmarks.
• 📅 Calendar.

How to do this:

For Mi Notes (Notes):

1. Open the Notes app.
2. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Settings.
3. Go to Synchronization.
4. Turn off the autosynchronization slider.

For Mi Browser (Browser):

1. Open Mi Browser.
2. Click on the profile icon (avatar) at the bottom of the screen.
3. Select Synchronization.
4. Turn off the option to sync bookmarks.

For Contacts:

1. Open the Contacts app.
2. Press three points. → Contact management.
3. Choose Import/Export → Synchronization settings.
4. Turn off sync with Mi Account.

This method allows you to manage the data exchange flexibly without affecting other phone functions.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When you turn off sync, users often encounter problems, and here are the most common ones and how to solve them:

1.Sync is resumed after reboot

This happens if the auto-sign in your Mi Account settings are enabled to correct:

• Go to Settings. → Xiaomi Account → Entry settings.
• Turn off Automatic Entry.

2. Cannot delete Mi Account

On some models (e.g. Xiaomi) 13T Or the Redmi Note 12 Pro.+) The system requires confirmation through SMS, Even if the phone doesn’t support SIM-The decision:

• Connect your phone to Wi-Fi.
• Make sure the date and time are set correctly.
• Try to delete your account through the Mi Cloud web version.

3.Once reset, you need an old Mi Account

This is the Mi Account Lock, if you have your phone but you have forgotten the data:

• Restore your password at account.xiaomi.com.
• If your account is not yours (the phone is purchased by a used one), contact the seller to unbundle.

4.The data continues to sync after disconnection

Perhaps sync is enabled in the app itself (like Google Contacts or Mi Fit).

• Synchronization settings in Settings → Accounts. → Google.
• Settings for specific applications (e.g. Mi Fit) → Profile → Synchronization).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions