Owning a Xiaomi smartphone requires using a Mi Account to fully synchronize data and access cloud services. Situations when you need to change an account often arise when you buy a used device, sell a gadget or simply want to separate personal and work data, a process that is not always intuitive, since the company has implemented serious security mechanisms to protect against theft.
In this article, we will discuss all the nuances of the procedure, from the standard exit from the profile to the complex cases with forgotten passwords. Understanding the principles of Mi Cloud and the security system MIUI will help to avoid locking the device and losing important contacts.
It’s worth noting that you can’t simply “switch” between two accounts, as Google services do, in Xiaomi’s standard interface. You’ll need to log out of your current profile before logging in under a new login, an important limitation that many people forget when they try to find a non-existent “change” button.
Why you might need to change your Mi Account
The main reason users have to change their Mi ID is because they have purchased a used smartphone, because the previous owner may have forgotten to untie the device from their cloud, which creates problems for the new owner, and without deleting the old profile, the new user will not be able to fully use the device, as search and lock functions will remain active.
Another common scenario is the digital space splitting, with some owners choosing to keep one account solely for work and another for personal use, so as not to mix contacts and location history, and a change may be required when moving to another region, as Mi Cloud servers are tied to a specific country of registration.
⚠️ Attention: If you buy a used phone, be sure to check that you are not tied to someone else's Mi Account before transferring money. ID Makes the device potentially useless after resetting.
Sometimes users want to change their account region to access specific topics or features that are not available in their country. While technically possible through the creation of a new profile, it requires the complete deletion of old sync data. It is important to understand the difference between changing the region in settings and creating a new Mi Account with a different geographic location.
Preparing the device for changing the account
Before you start taking action on the settings menu, you need to perform a number of preparatory operations, which will save important data and avoid unforeseen blocking, first of all, make sure that you have access to the phone number or email to which the current Mi ID is registered.
The next step is to check sync statuses. If you plan to use data (contacts, photos, notes) in the future, you need to export it or make sure it is stored in the cloud of the previous owner if it is your personal transition.
☑️ Preparing for account change
Special attention should be paid to the presence of an active Internet connection. The process of detaching a device from Xiaomi servers requires a stable connection to the network. If the connection is interrupted at the time of deleting the account, the security system may consider this as suspicious activity and temporarily block the ability to log in.
How to untie an old Mi Account
Without this step, the system will not allow you to register a new Mi Account with administrator rights on this device, and the algorithm of actions is the same for most models running on MIUI 12, 13, 14 and HyperOS.
To start, open the settings menu and find the top plaque with the current user name, clicking on it will take you to the profile management, which displays all information about the associated services, the amount of cloud storage and the devices authorized under this login.
Settings → Mi Account → ExitOnce you press the exit button, the system will request proof of identity, which can be a password, a fingerprint, or a face, and if you don't remember the password, you'll have to go through a form on the official website, which requires access to the linked mail.
What if your phone asks for a password and you don’t know it?
The important thing is to choose the option when you leave, the system can offer to save data on the device or delete it. If you change the owner of the phone, choose complete deletion. If the account changes only in the software layer, and the data is needed, choose save.
Registration and login to a new Mi Account
Once the exit and cleanup process is completed successfully, the phone will return to a clean slate for Xiaomi services, and you can now start adding a new user, a process similar to the initial setup of the smartphone you just bought.
Go to the settings menu and click on the "Sign in" or "Add Account" button. The system will prompt you to enter your phone number or email address. Different registration options may be available for users from different regions, so make sure that the correct country code is selected.
| Parameter | Description | Importance |
|---|---|---|
| Phone number | Primary identifier for entry and recovery | Tall. |
| Alternative way to enter and receive notifications | Medium | |
| Password. | The access key must be complex and unique. | Critical |
| Region | Identifies the data storage server and available content | Tall. |
When creating a new Mi ID, be sure to activate two-factor authentication, which will significantly increase the security of your data, even if attackers gain access to your password, the codes will come to the associated phone number or to the authentication application.
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When registering a new account, use a strong password that you do not use on other sites. The combination of letters from different registers, numbers and special characters will make it much harder to hack.
After entering the data, the system can request confirmation via SMS-Enter it in the appropriate field. After successful authorization, the initial synchronization will begin. If the phone has files from the previous user, the system will suggest combining them or replacing them with data from the new cloud.
Problems with activation blocking and finding device
One of the most frustrating things is that you have an Activation Lock screen after you reset, and it's a Mi Cloud security mechanism that prevents you from using your phone without having to enter a password from your account that was on your device before the reset, and if you see one, it means that the previous owner didn't log out correctly.
There is no legal way around this protection, and it is designed to make stolen phones useless to scammers, and the only way to do that is to contact the previous owner and ask them to remotely remove the device from the i.mi.com trusted list.
⚠️ Note: Using third-party unlocking software (so-called “boxes” or patches) is a violation of the terms of use and may result in the device being completely inoperable (“bricks»).
If a lock is on your personal device due to a system failure, try to restore access through the password recovery form. In some cases, with a purchase check, official Xiaomi support can help unlock, but this process is long and requires proof of ownership.
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Activation locking is a theft protection, not a system error. Without the password from the original account, you can't legally unlock your phone.
Frequent mistakes and ways to solve them
Users often face technical difficulties when changing their account, and one common mistake is “Network error” or “Can’t connect to the server,” often due to unstable Internet or blocking Xiaomi services in some regions.
Another problem is time desynchronization, so if the date and time on your phone are downed, the security server won't accept your credentials, and always check if you have automatic network time synchronization before you try to log in to your Mi Account.
- 📱 Authorization error: Check the correct login and password input, make sure that Caps Lock is not enabled and the correct keyboard layout is selected.
- 🌐 Server problems: If Xiaomi servers are doing technical work, the input may be temporarily unavailable. 1-2 hour.
- 🔄 Logo getting stuck: If your phone goes into reboot after changing your account, try logging into Recovery Mode and clearing the cache (Wipe Cache Partition) without deleting the data.
Also worth mentioning is the problem of "Other Device," which is that if you change accounts on one phone often, the security system can temporarily limit this feature if you suspect a hack, and then waiting for 24 hours without trying to log in helps.
Differences in MIUI and HyperOS Interface
With the release of the new HyperOS operating system, the visual design of the account menu changed a little, although the logic remained the same: in the old MIUI shell, the profile was at the very top of the settings, but now it can be integrated into the general management center of Xiaomi.
HyperOS adds new security features when changing devices, and now the system more carefully checks the “trust” of a new account, especially if you have a new account. IP-The login address has changed dramatically to another region, which may require additional confirmation through trusted devices or contacts.
⚠️ Note: When transitioning from MIUI on HyperOS, account settings are saved through the update, but with a clean installation of HyperOS, you will have to enter Mi data ID freshly.
Users of older versions of MIUI 10-11 should be more careful: the interface there may differ in the location of the buttons, but the key terms “Log out” and “Delete account” remain unchanged in all versions of the firmware.