How to completely disable syncing Google Photos on Xiaomi: 4 working methods

Synchronizing photos through Google Photos is a convenient feature for backing up images, but it is not always justified. Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi, POCO and Black Shark smartphones often find that the application uploads photos to the cloud on its own, consuming traffic and battery power, especially for users with limited Internet connection or tariffs with a small amount of data.

In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to disable synchronization, from standard in-app settings to hidden options in MIUI. We will pay attention to the nuances for different versions of the firmware (from MIUI 12 to MIUI 14), and also explain how to avoid automatically enabling backup after system updates. If you want to completely stop loading photos to the cloud or just limit it, here you will find a solution for your task.

Why Google Photos Sync Photos Without Permission

Many Xiaomi users are surprised to find that their personal photos have already been uploaded to Google Photos, even though they have not consented to it.

• 🔹 Automatic activation on first start. When you install an application or after you reset your settings MIUI may offer to enable default backup and the user accidentally agrees.
• 🔹 Integration with MIUI. On some models (e.g. Xiaomi 13 Pro or Redmi Note 12), the synchronization function is associated with com.google.android.gms system services that run in the background.
• 🔹 App updates. After the Google Photo update, you can reset your settings and re-enable photo downloads if you don't manually disable it.
• 🔹 Background activity. Even if you don't open the gallery, the app can sync new images over Wi-Fi or mobile Internet.

It's important to understand that Google Photos not only uploads photos, but also analyzes them to create collages, animations and suggestions in search. This is an additional load on the processor and battery. If you don't use cloud storage, turning off sync will extend the battery life of the smartphone by 5-15%.

Method 1: Turning off sync directly in Google Photos

The most obvious way is to turn off backup in the app’s settings, which works on all Xiaomi smartphones, regardless of the model and version of MIUI.

1. Open the Google Photos app (the multi-colored “mill” icon).
2. Slip on the profile avatar in the upper right corner.
3. Select the option of Setting up photos (or Photo settings in English).
4. Go to Backup and Synchronization.
5. Move the slider Backup to the off position.
6. Confirm the action by pressing OK in the window that appears.

If the synchronization continues after this, check:

• 📱 Application permissions in settings MIUI (Google Photos may have access to photos and storage).
• 🔄 Auto-run – the application can be turned on when connecting to Wi-Fi.
• 📶 Mobile data – if synchronization is going through 4G/5G, Turn off this option in the application settings.

Some MIUI firmware (like POCO F5 or Redmi K60) may display a notification after disabling the backup: "Sync is suspended. Renew?". Ignore it - this is standard behavior of Google trying to get the user back.

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If you want to save photos that have already been uploaded to the cloud, but stop syncing further, go to Google Photos → Library → Devices before you turn off and manually delete unnecessary copies.

Method 2: Restricting the background for Google Photos in MIUI

Even after disabling backup, Google Photos can run in the background, consuming the resources of the smartphone. To completely stop its activity, you need to limit background processes through the MIUI settings:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Search for photos (or photos) in Google and tap it.
3. Go to the Permissions section.
4. Disable the following paragraphs: 📸 Storage (so that the app can't scan the gallery). 📡 Autostart (prevents automatic start-up when the phone is turned on). 🔋 Background work (completely stops background processes).

Stop it.

Force Stop

These actions will not remove the app, but will minimize its activity. If you still want to get rid of Google Photos completely, you can turn it off via Settings → Apps → Show all apps → Google Photos → Disable. However, please note that this may affect the operation of other Google services (for example, Google Drive or Gmail).

Method 3: Disabling sync through your Google account

If previous methods failed, the problem may lie in the settings of the Google account linked to the smartphone. In MIUI, photo syncing is sometimes managed at the system level, rather than the individual application, to disable it:

1. Go to Settings → Accounts and Sync (or Passwords & Accounts).
2. Select your Google account (usually displayed with the G icon).
3. Slip on account sync (or account sync).
4. Find in the list of Google Photos and move the slider to the off position.
5. Confirm the action by pressing Ready or OK.

If sync is still active after this manipulation, try logging out of your Google account and logging in again, but don’t back up when you set up. This is a radical method, but sometimes it only helps on bug firmware (e.g. MIUI 13.0.4 for POCO X4 Pro).

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Disabling sync through your Google account is the most reliable way, as it blocks the upload of photos at the system level, not the application.

Method 4: Using ADB to completely disable (for advanced users)

If standard methods fail and Google Photos persists in syncing photos, you can turn off the Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a method that is suitable for power users and requires connecting a smartphone to a computer.

Warning: Incorrect ADB commands can disrupt the system, and use this method only if you are confident in your actions.

1. Turn on the developer mode on your smartphone: Go to Settings → About Phone. Tap 7 times on the MIUI version until the notification "You became a developer!" appears.

Settings → Additional → For Developers

USB debugging

USB-C

Micro-USB

command-line

terminal

adb devices

Make sure your device is listed.

Google Photo

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.apps.photos

Reboot your smartphone.

After that, the Google Photos app will be disabled at the system level and the sync will stop. To return it back, use the command:

adb shell pm enable com.google.android.apps.photos

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If ADB does not recognize the device, install Xiaomi drivers from the official website and check if File Transfer mode is enabled when connecting via USB.

What if the sync is resumed after the MIUI update?

Many Xiaomi users are faced with the fact that after updating the firmware (for example, from MIUI 13 to MIUI 14), the settings of Google Photos are reset, and the sync is turned on again, this is due to the fact that the system restores default settings for Google services.

To prevent this from happening:

• 🔄 Reverse to the previous version MIUI (If the update has caused more problems than benefits).
• 📵 Freeze Google Photos with apps like App Quarantine or Island (root rights required).
• 🛡️ Use alternative galleries (e.g. Simple Gallery or A)+ Gallery that is not integrated with Google Photos.

If you don’t want to opt out of updates, check your settings regularly after installing new versions of MIUI. You can also back up your settings through Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset, but note that this doesn’t always save you from resetting Google settings.

Alternatives to Google Photos for Xiaomi Owners

If you decide to completely abandon Google Photos, but want to keep the backup option, consider alternative services:

For maximum privacy, you can use local storage, such as transferring photos to a microSD card or external drive. On Xiaomi smartphones with OTG support (for example, Redmi Note 10 Pro or POCO X3 Pro), you can connect flash drives and automatically copy photos there using applications like FolderSync.

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If you choose an alternative to Google Photos, turn off autoloading in the old app to avoid duplicate photos.

FAQ: Frequent questions about syncing Google Photos on Xiaomi

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI Global (e.g. Xiaomi) 11T or POCO F4) Some of the settings may be different than the ones described in the article. If you don't find the right item, check the firmware version in Settings. → The phone. → Version. MIUI.

⚠️ Note: If you are using two-factor authentication in a Google account, make sure you have backup access codes before disabling Google Photos. In rare cases, changes to sync may require re-entry.