How to completely disable sync between two Xiaomi phones: 5 working ways

Synchronizing data between Xiaomi smartphones through the Mi Account is a convenient feature for those who actively use several devices of the brand, it automatically updates contacts, notes, photos and even call history on all attached gadgets, but there are situations when this option becomes more of a hindrance than an assistant, for example, when selling an old phone, transferring it to relatives or simply because of the desire to share personal and work data.

The problem is that turning off sync is not as easy as turning on. Even after you delete your Mi Account on one of your devices, data can continue to be duplicated through the cloud. MIUI We'll focus on the nuances of different versions of the firmware (MIUI 12–15) and models (Redmi Note) 10/11/12, Xiaomi 12/13/14, POCO F3/F4/F5).

Why sync between Xiaomi phones doesn’t turn off in standard ways

Many users find that after the sync is turned off, the data is still transmitted, and this is due to the architecture of Mi Cloud, Xiaomi's all-or-nothing cloud service, here are the key reasons:

• 🔄 Background sync via Google: Even if you have disabled your Mi Account, contacts and calendars can sync through a Google account linked to both phones.
• 📱 Cache data: MIUI Stores local copies of synchronized files that are not automatically deleted.
• 🔗 Related devices in Mi Account: If both phones are tied to the same account, they will share data until completely removed from the list of trusted gadgets.
• 🔄 Automatic Recovery: When resetting or flashing, Xiaomi can automatically restore sync if you don’t disable it in advance.

Moreover, MIUI 14+ has introduced the "Mi Share" feature, which can also create the illusion of synchronization, which is often confused with cloud synchronization, although these are different mechanisms, and to guarantee that you will have to break communication between devices, you will have to act on several fronts.

⚠️ Note: If you plan to sell or transfer one of the phones, it’s not enough to just turn off sync. You must remove your device from the list of trusted in Mi Account via the web version of cloud.xiaomi.com, otherwise the new owner will be able to access your data through the “Find the device” function".

Method 1: Disabling synchronization through Mi Account settings

The most obvious and safe method is to disable sync directly in the Mi Account settings. This method is suitable for most models (Redmi, POCO, Xiaomi) on MIUI 12-15.

1. Open Settings → Accounts and Sync → Mi Account.
2. Slip on your profile (if not authorized, log in to your account).
3. Select Mi Cloud (or Xiaomi Cloud in the newer versions).
4. A list of synchronized data will open before you: contacts, notes, photos, call records, etc. Turn off all sliders.
5. Go back and click Sync Now to apply the changes.

After that, the data will no longer be updated between devices, but there is a caveat: files already synchronized will remain on both phones, and to delete them, you will have to manually clean the corresponding applications (for example, Contacts or Gallery).

Make sure that the sliders in Mi Cloud are grey (off)

Reboot both phones

Check if new contacts/photos have appeared after the reboot

Delete the cache of the “Contacts” and “Mi Cloud” applications in the settings

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If sync still works after these steps, move on to the next method – the problem may lie in Google settings or MIUI background processes.

Method 2: Breaking the link through the web version of Mi Cloud

Sometimes the settings on the phone are not saved due to crashes or firmware limitations, and in this case, the Mi Cloud web interface, which allows you to control sync remotely, will help.

1. Go to cloud.xiaomi.com from a computer or other phone.
2. Sign in with the same Mi Account that is used on synced devices.
3. In the menu on the left, select Devices.
4. Find both phones in the list and click "Delete" (or "Untie") next to one of them.
5. Confirm the action via SMS or email (if two-factor authentication is enabled).

This method is guaranteed to break the connection between devices at the account level.

• 📵 After unbundling, the phone will lose access to the Mi Cloud, including backups and notes.
• 🔄 If you log in to the same account again on this device, sync may resume.
• 🔒 To completely remove data from the cloud, you will need to manually clear each category (contacts, photos, etc.) in the web interface.

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If you sell a phone, after you unplug Mi Account, reset to factory settings (Settings → About Phone → Reset) and this will delete all local data, including the sync cache.

Method 3: Turn off sync via Google (for contacts and calendars)

Many users do not take into account that Xiaomi syncs contacts and calendars by default not only through Mi Cloud, but also through Google Account. If both phones use the same Google account, the data will be duplicated regardless of the Mi Account settings.

To turn off this synchronization:

1. Go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google.
2. Select your Google account (if there are more than one).
3. Turn off the sliders next to Contacts and Calendar.
4. Click Sync in the top right corner to save the changes.

If you want to separate contacts from each other, create separate Google accounts for each device, and the alternative is to export the contacts to a.vcf file on the same phone, delete them from your Google account, and then import them back without syncing.

Method 4: Reset Mi Cloud settings (for power users)

If standard methods don’t work, try resetting Mi Cloud settings through hidden MIUI menus, which is suitable for advanced users, as it requires working with system files. Be careful: improper actions can lead to malfunctions of the phone.

Instructions:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and tap the MIUI version 7 times.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable USB debugging.
3. Connect your phone to your computer and use ADB (Android Debug Bridge) to execute the command: adb shell pm clear com.miui.cloudservice This command will reset the cache and settings of Mi Cloud.
4. Reset the device.

Once reset, all sync settings will go back to factory settings, and you'll have to reset them, which helps when MIUI is buggy and doesn't save changes, but it doesn't delete the data that's already synchronized, it requires cleaning the applications.

⚠️ Attention: Use ADB It can disrupt some system functions if you run the wrong command. Do not experiment with other commands unless you are sure of their purpose. --user 0 com.miui.cloudservice will completely remove Mi Cloud from your device, which can lead to update errors MIUI.

Method 5: Radical measures - reset to factory settings

If no other method has worked, the last option is a complete phone reset, which will delete all data, including sync settings, but also erase all user files, apps and accounts, and use this method only as a last resort, for example, before selling the device.

Step-by-step:

1. Back up important data (photos, contacts, messages) to an external medium or computer.
2. Go to Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Reset settings.
3. Choose to erase all data and confirm the action.
4. After the reboot, set your phone up as new without logging into your old Mi Account.

If you reset your phone before transferring it to another person, be sure to remove the device from the trusted list in Mi Account via cloud.xiaomi.com, otherwise the new owner will be able to recover your data through the Find Device feature.

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even after sync is turned off, Xiaomi users face unexpected problems, and let's look at the most common cases and how to fix them.

Problem 1: Contacts continue to be duplicated

If your contacts are synced through Google, but you don’t want to create a new account, try the following:

• Export contacts to the.vcf file via the Contacts app.
• Delete all contacts from your Google account (via contacts.google.com).
• Import contacts back, but without syncing (select the option "Save on your phone").

Problem 2: Photos are automatically uploaded to the cloud

MIUI has a separate setting for autoloading photos in Mi Cloud:

1. Open the gallery → Settings → Cloud synchronization.
2. Turn off Autoload and Sync Albums.
3. Clear the cache of the galleries in the application settings.

Problem 3: Synchronization notifications appear after MIUI update

After major MIUI updates (e.g. 13 to 14), sync settings may be reset.

• Before updating, take screenshots of the current Mi Cloud and Google settings.
• After updating manually check and disable all unnecessary sync options.

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If you use two Xiaomi phones with one SIM-By card (e.g. via eSIM), the data can be synchronized via the carrier, in which case contact your mobile provider to disable the Contact Cloud or Subscriber Sync service".

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions