How to sync on Xiaomi: A complete guide to setup and error fixing

Why is syncing on Xiaomi important?

Synchronizing data on Xiaomi devices is not just a handy feature, it's a critical tool for storing information: Imagine you lost your phone and all your contacts, photos and notes were safe in the cloud, or switched to a new Redmi or POCO smartphone, and all the data was automatically transferred without manual copying, saving time and nerves.

But not all users know how to set up sync correctly on Xiaomi. Often problems arise: data is not updated, account is not connected, or sync is selective. In this article, we will analyze all the ways of syncing, from basic settings of Mi Account to solving complex errors, and also find out what data can be synchronized, and how to do it as safely as possible.

What data can be synchronized on Xiaomi?

Xiaomi devices support synchronization of almost all key data types through the Mi Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud).

• 📱 Contacts – a phone book with numbers, email and other information.
• 📷 Photos and Videos – Automatic upload to the cloud (with quality settings).
• 📝 Notes - text recordings from the Notes app.
• 🎵 Call records – if the function is enabled in the settings.
• 📅 Calendar - Events and Reminders.
• 🔑 Wi-Fi passwords – saved networks (only for devices with Wi-Fi passwords) MIUI 12+).
• 📱 System settings - wallpaper, sounds, some interface parameters.
• 📊 Application data – for example, Mi Browser browser history or Topics settings.

However, there are limitations, such as SMS synchronization available only in some regions (often disabled in Russia for legal reasons), and not all third-party applications support cloud backup, depending on their integration with MIUI.

How to enable synchronization through Mi Account?

The main way to sync on Xiaomi is through Mi Account (Xiaomi account), without it, the cloud and other functions simply will not work.

1. Open Settings → Xiaomi account.
2. If you do not have an account, click Create an account and follow the instructions. Specify a valid email (better not Mail.ru due to blocking).
3. After logging in to your account, go to Mi Cloud.
4. Turn on sliders opposite the data you want to sync (contacts, photos, etc.).
5. For photos, click on Photo → select Download Quality (Original or Compressed).
6. Activate Autosynchronization in the upper right corner.

Important: When you first turn on sync, you may need to confirm via SMS or email, and Xiaomi sometimes asks you to link your phone number for additional security.

Make sure your device has enough space | Connect to stable Wi-Fi | Check that your Xiaomi account is confirmed | Update MIUI to the latest version | Disable VPN (may block access to Mi Cloud)

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⚠️ Note: If you use a Google Account for Contacts, turn it off in Settings → Accounts. → Google to avoid duplication of records Mi Cloud and Google Contacts may conflict.

Configuring Contact Synchronization: A Step-by-Step Guide

Contacts are the most important data you need to sync. At Xiaomi, this is done through the Mi Cloud, but there are nuances:

• 📱 Go to Settings. → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud.
• 🔄 Turn on the contact slider.
• 🔍 If contacts are not synced, check: Are there any duplicates in Google Contacts, is Auto Update disabled in the cloud settings, is there enough space in the cloud (free 5 GB).
• 📲 For forced synchronization, click on three dots in the upper right corner. → Synchronize.

If the contacts are missing after synchronization, try:

1. Disable and re-enable contact synchronization.
2. Reboot the phone.
3. Check if contacts are hidden in the Contacts app (group filter).

Synchronization of photos and videos: optimal settings

Photos take up the most space in the cloud, so you need to adjust their sync carefully. Here's how to do it correctly:

1. Go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Photos.
2. Enable Autouploading of photos.
3. Select Download Quality: Original - saves original resolution (takes up a lot of space); compressed - reduces the weight of files (saves space, but loses quality).

Autoboot over Wi-Fi

Downloading video

Tip: If you don't have much space in the cloud, use Compressed Quality and disable video downloads, and you can manually upload only important photos through the Gallery:

1. Open the gallery.
2. Select the photos you need.
3. Press More. → Download to Mi Cloud.

If nothing helps, try resetting the Mi Cloud settings:

1. Go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner → Synchronization settings.
3. Select Reset the synchronization settings.
4. Confirm the action and restart the phone.

⚠️ Note: If the data is missing after reset, check the Mi folder Cloud/Trash In the cloud, deleted files are stored there. 30 You can also restore contacts from backup if it was created earlier.

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Before resetting your sync settings, make sure you have a local copy of important data (VCF contacts, photos on your computer).

Synchronization between several Xiaomi devices

If you have several Xiaomi gadgets (smartphone, tablet, smartwatch), they can be synchronized with each other.

1. Sign in with one Mi Account on all devices.
2. Turn on Mi Cloud and select the same data to sync (such as contacts and notes).
3. For smart watches Mi Band or Xiaomi Watch use the Mi Fitness app – there is also synchronization with the account.
4. If you need to transfer data from one phone to another: On an old phone, back up to Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset. On a new phone, log in to the same Mi Account and restore data from the copy.

Example: If you add a contact to the Redmi Note 12, it will automatically appear on the Xiaomi Pad 6 and Mi Band 7 (if sync is enabled).

However, there are limitations:

• Some data (such as Wi-Fi settings) are synchronized only between smartphones, but not with smartwatches.
• Third-party apps (such as WhatsApp or Telegram) are not synced through the Mi Cloud, but need their own cloud services.

Alternative synchronization methods (without Mi Cloud)

If you don’t want to use Mi Cloud, there are other options:

• 🌐 Google Account: Syncs contacts, calendar, email and some settings. Use Google Photos for photos (gives 15GB free).
• 📱 Local Synchronization: Transfer data through the cable USB OTG Use a file manager (such as Mi File Manager) to copy folders.
• ☁️ Third-party clouds: Yandex Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive for backup. Auto-upload photos can be configured via Google Photos or Amazon Photos.
• 🔄 Sync apps: Sync for Reddit (for notes), Resilio Sync (for local area files).

Alternative methods have the advantage of greater flexibility, such as Google Photos, which offers better photo search tools than Mi Cloud, and Resilio Sync, which allows you to sync files directly between devices without the cloud.

⚠️ Note: When using third-party cloud services (such as Google Photos), disable autoloading to Mi Cloud to avoid file duplication and space overruns.

FAQ: Frequent questions about synchronization on Xiaomi