Changing your account on your device is a standard procedure that every user of the Android ecosystem will face sooner or later. In Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones, this process has its own peculiarities, since there are two levels of authorization simultaneously: a global Google account and a branded Mi Account. Understanding the difference between them is critical for the correct management of the device and data.
Often, the need to change profiles arises when you buy a used gadget, transfer the device to a relative, or simply want to separate personal and work data. The wrong approach to this task can lead to the device being blocked by the FRP protection function or the loss of important contacts and photos.
In this article, we will discuss in detail the algorithms of actions for both identification systems, you will learn how to safely untie the old profile, add a new one and avoid common errors that turn a smartphone into a “brick”. MIUI HyperOS.
Differences between Google Account and Mi Account
Before you start technical manipulation, you need to clearly understand the security architecture of Xiaomi. The smartphone is tied to two independent services, each of which performs its functions. Google account is the foundation of the Android operating system. Through it, contacts, calendar, Gmail, and apps from the Play Market store are synchronized.
Mi-account (or Xiaomi Account) is a proprietary service of the manufacturer, which is responsible for the operation of the cloud storage Mi Cloud, device search, synchronization of the gallery, notes and voice recorder. It is the presence of an association to the Mi-account that most often causes problems when reselling or resetting, since the Find Device security system blocks activation without the password of the previous owner.
Ignoring one of these layers can backfire, for example, if you just add a new Google profile without deleting the old one, apps will offer an update for the old account, and having someone else’s Mi Account will prevent you from fully using the brand’s cloud services.
- 📱 Google: Needed for Play Market, YouTube, Drive and Contact Synchronization.
- ☁️ Mi Account: Required for Device Search, Cloud Gallery and Design Theme.
- 🔒 Security: Both accounts can lock the device when reset to factory settings.
- 🔄 Independence: Deleting one account does not automatically delete the second account, they must be controlled separately.
⚠️ Note: If you buy a used Xiaomi phone, be sure to ask the seller to log out of both accounts with you.Having someone else's Mi Account with search feature enabled makes the device virtually useless after a reset.
Preparing for account change
The procedure for changing the profile requires prior preparation to avoid losing valuable data, first of all, you need to make sure that you have access to the Internet, preferably through a stable Wi-Fi connection, mobile traffic can be consumed quickly if you need to synchronize large amounts of data or download system components.
The second important step is to verify passwords, so you need to know exactly the password of your current Google account and the Mi Account you want to delete, Android and MIUI security will require proof of identity before you unplug it, and if you forget your password, you should do the recovery process in advance on your computer through your browser.
It is also recommended to back up important data. Although changing an account does not delete files by itself, an accidental reset or synchronization conflict can lead to loss of information.
Make sure you check to see if two-factor authentication is enabled. If it's active, make sure you have access to a phone number or an authentication app where the confirmation code will come in. Without this step, the system can view an exit attempt as suspicious activity and temporarily block access.
How to delete and add a Google account to Xiaomi
Google’s MIUI and HyperOS profile management process is almost identical to standard Android, but has its own paths on the menu. First, open your smartphone settings and search for Accounts and Syncs (or just Accounts).
Select the Google email address you want, and before you delete it, the system will alert you that all data associated with that profile (contacts, mail, calendar) will be deleted from the device, and this will not affect the data in the Google cloud, but locally on the phone it will disappear. Confirm the action by entering a pattern lock or PIN-screen-lock.
Once you successfully delete your old profile, you can add a new one. Press Add an account, select a Google logo, and follow the configuration wizard's instructions. You'll need to enter your username and password, and then you'll start the initial sync.
What to do if the removal button is inactive?
If you can’t delete your Google account, it may be used as the primary administrator of the device or enterprise apps are installed on the phone (MDM). In the case of a corporate profile, permission is required IT-If it's a personal phone, try to delete the lock screen password, log out, and then set the password again.> It is important to understand that when you change your main Google account on an already configured phone, some apps may continue to require authorization in your old profile. In such cases, you need to go to the settings of a particular application (for example, YouTube or Play Market) and change the user already inside it. Action Path in the Risks Menu Delete Google Settings → Accounts. → Google → Delete Loss of Local Contacts and Notes Adding Google Settings → Accounts. → Add an account Contact Synchronization Conflict Change in Play Market Play Market → Profile icon → Paid apps will remain on the old account ⚠️ Warning: If you plan to sell a phone, simply delete your Google account is not enough. Be sure to perform a full Wipe Data reset only after unbundling so that the protection does not work. FRP (Factory Reset Protection! Mi Account Management: Untipping and Registration: Working with the Mi Account requires more care, as it is deeply integrated into Xiaomi’s security system. Go to Settings to manage and click on the top plaque with your name or avatar. This shows the status of the current authorization. To exit the profile, scroll to the bottom and select the red button to exit. The system immediately warns of the consequences: sync will be turned off, device search will stop working, topics and cloud albums will become unavailable. To confirm the operation, you will need to enter the password from the Mi Account. Once you log in, you can register a new profile or log in to an existing one. When a new user logs in, all Xiaomi services will switch to it. This is especially important for owners of the smart home, since the management of Mi Home devices is also often tied to the region and account. In some cases, especially on Chinese versions of firmware, it may be necessary to enter the SMS-- the code to confirm the change of account. SIM-A card linked to an old profile is active and on the phone, or that you have access to its number to receive codes.Change when selling or transferring a phone If the purpose of changing an account is to transfer the device to another person, simply logging out of the profiles is not enough. The new owner will have access to your residual data, the app cache, and possibly be able to recover some of the information. The correct algorithm ensures a complete cleanup. First, you need to manually delete all accounts, as described in the previous sections. Make sure that there are no unnecessary Google, Mi, or third-party services like Facebook or Twitter in the Accounts and Sync list. Then turn off the lock screen (set the password "No" or "Swipe") so that the new owner can set up the phone from scratch. Only after these actions, a full reset is performed. Go to Settings → Phone → Reset. Choose Erase all data. The phone will reboot and begin the cleaning process, which can take several minutes. Once turned on, the phone greets the user with the language selection screen. This means that the procedure was successful and the device is ready for a new activation. If at this stage the phone requests a password from an old Google or Mi Account, then you missed the step before resetting, and you will have to synchronize the data, and you will have to the most common problems in the process of the previous one of the process of the search of the data synchronization. This is usually due to unstable Internet or blocking of Google services in some regions. Another common situation is the device says “Can not delete the account” or “Owner action is required.” This happens if the phone has applications with administrator rights (such as antivirus or corporate clients). You need to go to Settings → Security and Security → Device administrators and uncheck the third-party applications. You may also have problems logging into the Mi Account due to the wrong region. If the account was registered in India and you are trying to log in through servers in Russia, the system may not let you in or show an empty interface. Check the region where it is tied to the account. If you're faced with a phone requiring a Mi Account unlock code that you don't remember, the only legal way to do that is to restore it through a form on the official website. The workarounds (flashing, using third-party software) often lead to a complete lockdown of the device via IMEI or loss of warranty. What if you just reset your settings without leaving your accounts? FRP (Factory Reset Protection) protection will work. Once you reset your phone, you will require you to enter a password from a Google account or a multiple account that was synchronized before the reset. Without this password, you can'tract multiple accounts at the same time, you can't from Google's Android account. You can switch between them in apps (YouTube, Play Market, Mail), but the one that was added first or selected as a default for downloading apps is considered the main one. Will photos disappear when you delete your Google account? Photos that have synced with Google Photos will remain in the cloud and will be accessible from any device under this login. Local copies in the phone gallery can disappear when you delete your account if you did not turn on the option to save the originals in the device memory. Always back up before deleting. How do you know if your phone is tied to someone else's Mi Account? Go to Settings and look at the top of the screen. If it says a person's name or an email other than yours, the phone is tied. You can also check in the Settings menu. → Mi-account. If there's a login, the link is active. Do you need the Internet to change your account? Yes, the Internet is a must. It's used to check passwords on Google and Xiaomi servers, to turn off device search, and to first sync a new profile, and without a network connection, you can neither log out of your old account nor add a new one.