When a smartphone is lost, sold or simply needs to be cleaned, and access to it is limited to a tied Mi Account, it is quite common. Xiaomi security system called Find Device is designed to protect the owner’s data, but sometimes becomes an obstacle for a new user or even the owner who changed the number or device. Deleting an account remotely is the only legal way to prepare the gadget for resale or unlock it after resetting the settings without entering a password on the screen itself.
The detachment process does not require the physical presence of a locked device, if it has even connected to the Internet after an attempt to reset. The entire operation is done through the web interface of the company's cloud service, accessible from any modern smartphone, tablet or computer. The main condition for success is that you must remember the username and password from the Mi Account account, which is activated on the problem device.
In this article, we will discuss in detail the algorithm of actions that allows you to safely remove the binding of a device to the cloud. We will examine the nuances of working with FRP blocking, explain the difference between deleting trusted devices from the list and completely erasing data, and answer frequent questions that users have when working with Xiaomi services.
Why you should remove your device from the Xiaomi cloud
The Find Device security mechanism tightly ties the smartphone to the owner's account, and if you do a full Hard Reset on the device, the first time you activate it, the system will require you to enter the Mi Account password that was used before, which is anti-theft protection, but it creates problems when you sell it legally.
A customer will not be able to activate the phone without you, unless you pre-untie it remotely, and the cloud may have backups of contacts, photos and notes that the new owner does not need, removing the device from the trusted list breaks the sync and frees up space in the cloud.
There are two scenarios that require intervention: selling or losing a gadget, in the first case you just remove the binding, in the second case you can initiate a remote erasure of data so that sensitive information does not fall into the wrong hands, and it is important to understand that once removed from the cloud, the device becomes a “clean slate”.
⚠️ Warning: If you sell a phone, be sure to untie it from your account before transferring it to the buyer, otherwise the new owner will not be able to fully use the device, as the activation lock will work.
Also worth mentioning is privacy: while the phone is listed on your profile, it theoretically retains the ability to track its location (if the Internet is turned on) or remote control.
📊 What do you plan to do with the device?
Sell the phone
Give to the child
Repair
Just clear your memory.
Preparation for remote uncoupling: requirements and conditions
Before you start manipulating your account settings, you need to make sure that you meet a number of technical conditions, without them, the procedure may not be successful, and the device will remain locked, the main requirement is an active Internet connection on the gadget from which you will manage the profile.
You will need to have the exact login details: login (phone number or email) and password. If you forget the password, it must be restored in advance through the reset procedure, otherwise you will not be able to log in.
It is important to check whether two-factor authentication is enabled on your account. if it is active, you may need access to the account. SIM-map to which they come SMS-If you don't do this, you can use the confirmation codes, or you can use the authenticator application, and without that step, the security system might consider the new device's login to be suspicious.
Make sure you use the current version of the browser. Older versions may not display the interface elements of the cloud service correctly, which will lead to errors when you press the device management buttons. Modern browsers based on Chromium or WebKit work most stable.
Step-by-step: deletion via browser i.mi.com
The most reliable and versatile way to untie your phone is to use the official web portal of Xiaomi cloud services, which works regardless of the smartphone model you sign in from, whether it’s an iPhone, another Android or a PC. The site interface is adapted for mobile screens, but it’s easier to manage the list of devices from a computer.
To start, open any browser and go to i.mi.com. Log in the window that opens by entering your Mi Account. The system can request a sign-in confirmation via SMS or push notification to a trusted device. Once successfully logged in, you will be taken to the main menu of the cloud.
On the home page or side menu, find a section called Find Device or a smartphone icon. When you go to that section, you'll see a map and a list of all the gadgets that are tied to your profile.
Menu path: i.mi.com → Find Device → Device selection → Advanced → Remove from account
After selecting the device, look at the control panel, and there will be "Block", "Sound" and "Erase Data" buttons. We're interested in the deletion function. In some versions of the interface, the button is called Remove from account and is located in the bottom menu or in the "Advanced" section.
What to do if the removal button is inactive?
If the button is grey or missing, it means that the phone has not been online for a long time. The system can not send a command to unplug. In this case, only a full reset and waiting for a Wi-Fi connection, or calling for support with checks. After pressing the delete button, the system will request final confirmation. It will warn that all data will be deleted and the device is unplugged. Now the gadget will disappear from the list, and the activation lock will be removed. There is an alternative way to manage the list of trusted devices directly through the settings, the security settings, it will warn that the device does not work, if you just delete the device from the search engine, or the device is useful for the device. You can go to your Mi Account security settings by clicking on account.xiaomi.com and selecting Security, which displays a list of devices that have recently logged in to your account. Find the model you want. It can be listed as Trusted or the date you last logged in. Click on the device name to unlock additional options. You need to select Delete or Sign out on this device. Impact on FRP Data Impact Necessary to Block Your Account (Nontiting to Save Your Account) This Data Is Synchronized by Device (Secure) If you sold your phone and just logged out before you sold it, but forgot to unplug in the cloud, this list will complete the process (FRP) After discharge, it is preferable to use the method described in the previous section. ⚠️ Attention: Simply removing a device from the Security list does not always guarantee the release of the activation lock if the phone has already reset to factory settings. Use the method via Find Device for guaranteed results. FRP and their solution FRP (Factory Reset Protection is a Google and Xiaomi protection mechanism that is activated when you reset your settings. If your phone was linked to your account, it will require you to enter a password from that account after the reset. Many users find that even after removing the device from the cloud, the phone continues to require a password. This is due to a delay in sync. The deletion command must go to Xiaomi servers and update the status of the device. If the phone is not connected to the Internet at this point, it will not know about the decoupling. The solution is simple: connect the phone to the same Wi-Fi network as the control device, or provide stable mobile Internet. In some cases, re-authorization helps. Try to log in again on the problematic phone (if you have such an opportunity), and then repeat the deletion procedure through the browser. This will update the access tokens and force synchronize the Internet status, if you can not provide it immediately from the server. The device will remain locked until the new owner (or finder) connects it to the network, at which point the server will receive a command to delete and unlock the device. 💡Lockdown FRP It is only removed after successful synchronization of the "remote" status between the Xiaomi server and the device itself via an Internet connection (FAQ) Can I untie my phone if I can't remember my password? Without a password, you can't log in to delete the device. You'll first have to restore access through the password recovery form on account.xiaomi.com using a linked phone number or backup email. Without this step, security will not allow you to control your devices. What happens to photos and contacts after the detachment? If you used the Erase Data feature, all local data on your phone will be destroyed irrevocably. If you just delete the device from the trusted list, the data on the phone itself will remain, but the sync will stop. The backups in the cloud (if they were made earlier) will remain in your account. How long does the unblocking process take? The delisting process on the server itself takes place instantly. However, in order for the phone to "understand" that it is no longer locked, it needs an Internet connection. If the phone is in your hands and connected to Wi-Fi, it will take from 10 seconds to 2 minutes. If the phone is lost, the process will take until it is connected to the network. Can you bypass the lock if the phone is legally purchased from its previous device and ask the owner to delete it from his/he/he/he/he/he/he/he/he/he/he/he/he/she/she/she/she/she/she/she/she/she/she/she/she/she/she/she/she/she/she/she/she/she/she/she/she/she/she/she/she/she/she/she/she/she/she Buying locked phones is risky, as the previous owner can remotely lock the device again at any time. SIM-For the detachment card? For the browser-based deletion procedure SIM-The card in the control device (from which you access your account) is optional if you remember your password or have access to your mail, however, if two-factor authentication is enabled, SMS It can come to the SIM card that's tied to the account, in the most untied phone. SIM-The card is only needed to access the Internet to receive a command from the server. Technical detail about tokens When removing the device, the Xiaomi server cancels OAuth access tokens. This means that even if the phone saves the application sessions (Mi Cloud, Gallery), they will stop working the first time you try sync, as the server will reject their request. To conclude, Xiaomi’s account system is a powerful security tool that requires careful attention. Regularly checking the list of connected devices helps keep your data secure at a high level. Always monitor which gadgets have access to your profile, and delete those you no longer use in a timely manner.