How to change your Gmail address on your Xiaomi phone: all the ways

Change the email address in Gmail on Xiaomi smartphones (including the Redmi Note 12 models, POCO X5, Mi 11 and others are a procedure that you may need to change your job, lose access to old mail or want to update your personal data. However, many users face difficulties: the system does not always allow you to directly change the main Google account address, and the interface is not always easy to change the user interface. MIUI This article will look at all the current ways to change email, from adding an alias to creating a new account with data transfer.

It is important to understand that Gmail does not support direct replacement of the primary address (for example, with the main address). ivanov1990@gmail.com ivanov.pro@gmail.com) But there are workarounds: adding aliases, moving emails over Google Takeout, or using corporate features (if the mail is tied to an organization). MIUI 13/14 Android versions 12-14.

If you use Xiaomi with custom firmware (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience), some steps may be different. The article provides general instructions, but for custom builds you will need to adapt.

Why can’t you just change your Gmail address?

The concept behind Google Account is that email is a unique user ID, similar to the username. Unlike social networks (where the username can be changed in settings), Gmail does not provide a "replacement" feature for the primary address for two key reasons:

• 🔒 Security: Email is used to log into Google services (YouTube, Play Market, Google Drive) and could be used to change it, allowing attackers to intercept an account.
• 📤 Integration with other services: email addresses are often linked to subscriptions, payments (Google Pay), purchase histories in the Play Market.
• 📧 Uniqueness of data: each address @gmail.com If users could change their emails to busy ones, it would lead to conflict.

However, there are 4 legitimate ways to update your postal address:

1. Add alias (alternative address for receiving letters).
2. Create a new Google account and transfer data from the old one.
3. Use a corporate account (if the mail is linked to the organization).
4. Set up a forwarding of letters from the old address to the new one.

⚠️ Note: If your Google account is linked to Xiaomi Cloud (to back up photos, notes, or other content) SMS), Changing mail may result in loss of access to this data. Before starting the procedure, check the synchronization settings in Settings → Google accounts → Synchronization.

Method 1: Adding Alias to Gmail (without changing the main address)

Alias is an additional email address that is linked to your primary account, and all emails sent to alias will automatically enter the inbox of the main inbox, which is suitable if you need to:

• 📩 Getting emails to a new address without losing the old one.
• 🔄 Separate personal and work correspondence in one box.
• 🚫 Avoid having to tell all contacts about the change of mail.

On Xiaomi smartphones, you can add alias through a browser (Google Chrome is recommended) or the Gmail app.

Through the Gmail app on Xiaomi

1. Open the Gmail app (the envelope icon on a white background).
2. Swipe the profile icon in the upper right corner (or swipe to the right to open the side menu).
3. Select Manage Google Accounts.
4. Go to the Personal Data section → Contact information → E-mail.
5. Click Add an alternative email address.
6. Enter a new address (e.g. ivanov.new)@gmail.com) and confirm it through SMS backup email.

Limitations:

• Alias must be free (not occupied by another account).
• You cannot use alias to log in to Google services (main address only).
• Maximum - 30 aliases per account.

Through a browser on Xiaomi

If Gmail does not offer the option of adding alias (relevant for older versions) MIUI), Use a mobile browser:

1. Open Google Chrome or Mi Browser.
2. Follow the link: myaccount.google.com/email.
3. Sign in under your account.
4. In the Alternative Email Addresses section, click Add.
5. Follow the confirmation instructions.

Check your internet connection (Wi-Fi or mobile data)

Make sure your phone has enough charge (minimum 20%)

Open access to SMS (if you confirm via phone)

Remember the password from your main Google account-->

⚠️ Note: Aliases do not support the “on behalf” feature on free accounts, and you will need to set up a forwarding or separate account to send emails from a new address.

Method 2: Create a new Google account with data transfer

If you need to change your primary address (e.g., from oldmail)@gmail.com newmail@gmail.com), The only reliable way to do this is to create a new Google account and move important data there, which is a method that is suitable for Xiaomi users who are not interested in the use of the new Google account:

• 🔄 Want to start with a clean slate without linking to the old mail.
• 📱 Plan to sell/give your phone and want to delete all personal data.
• 🔒 It is suspected that the old account was compromised.

The process consists of 3 stages:

1. Creating a new account.
2. Exporting data from an old account.
3. Import data to a new account.

Step 1: Registering a new Google account

On Xiaomi's phone:

1. Open Settings → Accounts and Synchronization.
2. Tap Add an account → Google.
3. Choose Create an Account.
4. Fill in the data: first name, last name, new mail address (for example, yourname.new)@gmail.com).
5. Confirm your phone number (required for security).
6. Set up a backup email address (it is recommended to specify an alternative box on another service, for example, Yandex or Mail.ru).

On Xiaomi phones with firmware MIUI 14 and later, when creating a Google account, it is automatically suggested to link it to Xiaomi Cloud.

Step 2: Exporting data from your old account

Use Google Takeout to save emails, contacts and files:

1. Open your browser and go to takeout.google.com.
2. Sign in under your old account.
3. Select data for export: Mail, Contacts, Google Drive, Calendar.
4. Specify the file format (.zip or.tgz) and the maximum file size (recommended 2 GB for easy download to the phone).
5. Click Create Export and wait for the archive to form (can take anywhere from a few minutes to hours).
6. Download the archive to your phone or computer.

Step 3: Import data to a new account

Transferring data to a new account:

After transferring the data, do not forget:

• Update your email address in important services (banks, social networks, subscriptions).
• Set up a redirect from the old box (see Method 3).
• Delete your old account from your Xiaomi phone if you no longer need it (in Settings) → Accounts).

💡

Before deleting your old account from your phone, untie it from Xiaomi services: check Settings → Memory. → Backup and disable sync with Mi Cloud if it was active.

Method 3: Set up forwarding of emails from the old address

If you don't want to lose access to your old mail, but you need to get all the new emails to the new address, set up an automatic forwarding.

• 📧 Subscription to newsletters.
• 🏦 Notifications from banks or services (until the address is updated in their systems).
• 👥 Letters from contacts you haven’t told about the change of mail.

On Xiaomi phone, redirects can be configured via:

1. Gmail (web version has more options)
2. Browser (recommended for full control of the rules)

Instructions via browser

1. Open Google Chrome and go to mail.google.com.
2. Sign in under your old account.
3. Push the gear. ⚙️ top-right → See all the settings.
4. Go to the Redirect tab and POP/IMAP.
5. In the Redirect section, click Add Add the Redirection Address.
6. Enter a new address (e.g. newmail)@gmail.com) and confirm it through the code sent to this box.
7. Select Action: Redirect a copy of an incoming message (recommended) or Redirect and archive.
8. Save the changes.

Important nuances:

• Emails marked as spam are not forwarded.
• Redirects only work for new emails (old emails will stay in the old drawer).
• If the new address is not @gmail.com (For example, Yandex or Mail.ru, check whether the provider blocks such transfers.

Method 4: Use of a corporate account (for work mail)

If your Gmail address is linked to an organization (such as your name)@company.com Google Workspace, you can change your email through the domain administrator:

• 🏢 Employees of companies using Google Workspace.
• 🎓 Students with corporate mailboxes.
• 👨‍💼 Freelancers working through customer accounts.

On a Xiaomi phone, you can't change your corporate address yourself -- you can do it through the admin panel.

1. To clarify IT-departmental ability to change address.
2. Add alias to corporate mail (if permitted by company policy).
3. Set up a redirect to a personal box (with the permission of the administrator).

If you are a Google Workspace administrator and need to change your user address:

1. Log in to admin.google.com.
2. Go to the Catalogue. → Users.
3. Select the user and click Change the email address.
4. Follow the confirmation instructions.

⚠️ Note: When changing a corporate address, all user data (letters, files on the Drive, events in the Calendar) will be saved, but links to old documents (for example, in docs.google.com) may cease to work.

Mistakes and problems when changing mail to Xiaomi

Xiaomi users often face technical difficulties when working with Gmail.

If the problem is not solved, try:

• 📱 Update Gmail to the latest version in Google Play Market.
• 🔄 Reset network settings on your phone (Settings) → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Resetting network settings).
• 📧 Contact Google through the feedback form.

Added Alias to Gmail Settings

Created a new account and transferred the data

Set up a forwarding of the emails.

Used a corporate account

I haven't changed my mail yet.-->

Security when changing emails

Changing Gmail is not just a technical procedure, it's also a security issue.On Xiaomi phones (especially with firmware). MIUI) It is important to consider a few points:

• 🔐 Two-factor authentication (2FA): If it was enabled on an old account, disable it after transferring data to avoid blocking it.
• 📱 Xiaomi Cloud binding: Before deleting your old account, check if you have backups of photos, notes or other photos attached to it. SMS.
• 🛡️ Backup Codes: Generate and save backup codes for a new account (Google Settings) → Security → Two-step authentication → Standby codes).
• 🔄 Device Sessions: After changing email, check active sessions in Google Settings → Security → Your devices and remove unknowns.

Safety checklist:

Disable your old account from Xiaomi Cloud (if you don’t need it)

Remove the old address from the password manager (Mi Browser, Google Password Manager)

Update email in banking applications and payment systems

Set up two-factor authentication on your new account

Check activity in the security log (myaccount.google.com/security)-->

If you are selling or transferring a Xiaomi phone to another user, you must:

1. Delete all Google accounts in Settings → Accounts.
2. Perform a reset to factory settings (Settings → About phone → Reset settings).
3. Untie the device from Mi Account at account.xiaomi.com.

💡

Even after resetting Xiaomi’s phone to factory settings, an old Google account can remain tied to the device through the feature. FRP (Factory Reset Protection: For the new owner to activate the phone, be sure to delete your Google account before the reset!

FAQ: Frequent questions about changing mail in Gmail to Xiaomi