How to completely disable sync on Xiaomi phone: 5 proven ways

Syncing data on Xiaomi smartphones is a useful feature that automatically saves your contacts, photos, notes and settings in the Mi Cloud. However, many users prefer to turn it off for privacy reasons, traffic saving or just to avoid duplicate files. If you are looking for a way to completely or selectively disable sync on a Redmi, POCO or Xiaomi phone (including models on MIUI 14/15 and Android 13/14), this article will help you understand all the nuances.

Unlike standard instructions, here we will consider not only the basic settings, but also hidden parameters that the manufacturer does not advertise. You will learn how to turn off sync for individual applications (such as Gallery or Notes), what to do if the “Disable” button is inactive, and how to avoid automatically turning on the feature after a system update. Also, we will understand what data can not be disabled through the standard menu and you will need to use it. ADB third-party utilities.

Why is synchronization on Xiaomi turned on by itself?

Many users find that after a reboot or update to MIUI, synchronization is activated again, due to the features of the firmware:

• 🔄 Automatic Resetting – The system considers synchronization a “critical” function and returns it to its original state.
• 📱 Link to Mi Account – If you are logged in to Mi Account, some services (such as Mi Cloud or Find Device) force sync.
• 🔄 Background processes – applications like com.miui.cloudservice or com.xiaomi.account can activate the function on their own.

To permanently disable synchronization, it is not enough just to remove the ticks in the settings - you will need an integrated approach, which we will discuss later.

Method 1: Disable synchronization via Mi Cloud settings

The most obvious method is to use the standard Mi Cloud menu, which is suitable for most users and does not require additional knowledge.

1. Open the Settings app (cog icon).
2. Go to Xiaomi Account (or Mi Account on older versions).
3. Choose Mi Cloud.
4. You will see a list of all synchronized data, uncheck the boxes in front of unnecessary items (for example, Contacts, Gallery, Notes).
5. In the upper right corner, click on three dots and select Sync Settings, then turn off the Auto Sync option.

Note that even after these actions, some data (such as call history or messages) may continue to sync through other services.

Method 2: Selectively disabling for individual applications

If you need to turn off sync only for specific applications (such as Gallery or Browser), do the following:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the desired application (for example, Gallery or Notes) and tap it.
3. Select Permissions, then Other Permits.
4. Turn off the option of Data Sync or Auto Sync (the name may vary depending on the version of MIUI).

For some system applications (e.g. com.android.contacts), this method may not work, in which case you will need to use ADB (more on this below).

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If photos stop loading in Google Photos after you turn off sync, check the autoload settings in the Google Photos app itself – these features work independently.

Method 3: Completely disable via account settings (for advanced)

This method allows you to completely remove the binding to the Mi Account, which will automatically disable all types of sync, but be careful: after that, you will not be able to use Xiaomi services such as Find Device or Mi Cloud.

⚠️ Note: Deleting your Mi Account will reset some phone settings (such as themes or wallpapers) and we recommend backing up important data beforehand.

Instructions:

1. Open the Settings. → Xiaomi Account.
2. Put it on your account (email or phone number).
3. Select Delete Account (Password may be required).
4. Confirm the action. After that, all the data will no longer sync with the cloud.

If the Delete account button is inactive, the phone has the Find Device feature on it to turn it off:

1. Go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Find Device
2. Turn off the option and confirm the action with a password.
3. Return to deleting your account.

Method 4: Using ADB to force shutdown (no root)

If standard methods don’t work, you can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a debugging tool that allows you to manage hidden MIUI settings. This method does not require root rights, but you will need a computer.

Instructions:

1. Download and install Platform Tools (includes ADB).
2. On the phone, activate Developer Mode: go to Settings → About Phone and tap the MIUI version 7 times.
3. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable USB debugging.
4. Connect your phone to your PC, open the command prompt (or Terminal on Mac/Linux) and type:

adb devices

(Your device should appear)

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.cloudservice


adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.xiaomi.account

These commands will turn off the background services that are responsible for synchronization. To get it back, replace the disable-user with enable.

⚠️ Note: After these commands are executed, some features may stop working, such as push notifications from Xiaomi or authorization in Mi Home.

Method 5: Disable synchronization via Recovery (for power users)

This method is suitable for those who are willing to take drastic measures and have experience with custom firmware, and allows you to remove the system applications responsible for synchronization through TWRP Recovery.

Step-by-step:

1. Install TWRP Recovery on your Xiaomi (instructions depend on the model, search forums like XDA Developers).
2. Download the archive with remote synchronization services (for example, MiCloud_Remover.zip) Or create it yourself.
3. Download the phone to Recovery mode (usually by slamming Power + Volume Up).
4. In TWRP, select Install, find the downloaded archive and run it.
5. After the reboot, the Mi Cloud and Xiaomi Account apps will be removed and sync will be disabled at the system level.

This is irreversible, because you need to reflash your phone to get back to you, and it can also disrupt some of your system functions, so only use it if other methods don't work.

Table: comparison of methods of disabling synchronization

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even after you turn off sync, you're facing a number of problems, and here are the most common ones and the ways you can solve them:

• 🔄 Synchronization is activated after the update → Check the Auto Update settings MIUI In Settings → The phone. → System update. Turn off automatic firmware download.
• 📱 Contact synchronization is not switched off → Try to delete and re-add your Google account to Settings → Accounts: Sometimes contacts are synced through Google, not Mi Cloud.
• ⚠️ Notification: "Synchronization stopped" → It is normal if you have disabled the function through ADB. To remove the notification, turn it off in the Mi Cloud app settings.
• 🔒 You can’t delete your Mi Account because of device protection → Turn off Find Device (see instructions above) or use the ADB forced-out.

If none of these methods worked, you may have modified firmware installed on your device (e.g., Global ROM with regional restrictions), in which case you may want to reflash your phone to EU ROM or China ROM (but note that this may violate warranty).

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The most reliable way to turn off sync permanently is a combination of methods: first delete Mi Account, then disable background services via ADB, and at the end check permissions for individual applications.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions