How to completely remove a working profile from a Xiaomi phone: 3 proven ways

Work profiles on Xiaomi smartphones are a convenient tool for separating personal and corporate data, but sometimes they become unnecessary. You may have changed jobs, experienced synchronization errors or just want to make room in the memory of the device. Deleting such a profile seems like an easy task, but in practice users face hidden settings, blocked options or the consequences of lost data.

In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to delete a work profile on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO phones running MIUI 12-14, including forced deletion through reset and solving typical errors.

If you've never seen a work profile, it's important to understand that it's not just a folder or an account, but a full-fledged sandbox with its own settings, applications and data, and when you delete it, you lose access to everything that's been installed or stored inside. So before you start, make sure you check if your profile contains important information, such as work chats on Telegram or documents on Google Drive.

Never used it.|Used before, but removed|I am actively using it for work.|I tried it, but there were problems.-->

What is a Xiaomi Work Profile and Why You Should Delete It

A work profile (or Android Work Profile) is an isolated environment on a phone designed to separate personal and corporate data, which appears when you connect your device to a mobile device management system (MDM), such as Microsoft Intune, VMware Workspace ONE or MobileIron.

The main reasons for removal:

• 🔄 Change of job – profile is tied to old company and new apps are not installed.
• 🚫 Limitations MDM — Administrator blocks application installation, changing settings, or even accessing the camera.
• 📱 Lack of memory – the profile takes up space by duplicating applications (for example, two Google Plays – personal and work).
• ⚠️ Synchronization errors – the profile “hangs” and interferes with the main system.

It is important to understand that a work profile is not the same as a second user or guest mode in MIUI. Unlike them, a work profile does not have a separate desktop and always works on top of the main account. By deleting it, you do not affect personal data outside the profile - photos, SMS or calls will remain intact.

⚠️ Note: If the profile was set by the administrator of the company, its deletion may violate the corporate security policy, in some cases, this will lead to the blocking of access to work services (for example, mail or mail). CRM). Check with IT-Department, whether self-removal is permitted.

Method 1: Delete your work profile through MIUI settings

The easiest and safest method is to use built-in MIUI tools, which is suitable if the profile is not blocked by the administrator and you remember the password from the Google account associated with the device.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Accounts and Synchronization.
2. Scroll down to the Work Profile section (or Work Profile in some versions of MIUI).
3. Tapping by the profile name (usually the company name or "Work").
4. In the upper right corner, press three dots (⋮) and select Delete the Work Profile.
5. Confirm the action by entering a password or PIN-code.

If no Delete item, the profile is managed MDM-In this case, try the following method or contact the administrator.

Backup your profile data (if necessary)|Make sure there are no active work tasks|Remember passwords from corporate accounts|Check if the settings are blocked by the administrator-->

Method 2: Forced removal through resetting settings

If the standard method doesn’t work (for example, the delete button is inactive), you’ll have to use a hard reset, which will remove all data from the device, including personal files, so it should only be used as a last resort.

Step-by-step:

1. Back up important data (photos, contacts, messages) through Settings → About Phone → Backup or manually copy files to your PC.
2. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
3. Choose to delete all data (hard reset).
4. Enter the password from your Mi Account (if requested) and confirm the reset.
5. After the reboot, the device will be clean – the working profile will disappear along with all the other data.

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 10 Pro) POCO X3 Pro) after reset, you may need to re-activate via Mi Account. Make sure you remember your username and password, otherwise the phone will turn into a brick".

The alternative is to reset through recovery mode (Recovery Mode):

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Power + Volume buttons up until the Mi logo appears.
3. In the recovery menu, select Wipe Data → Wipe All Data (manage volume buttons, confirm – power button).
4. After reset, select Reboot.

Method 3: Remove via ADB (for advanced users)

If the first two methods didn’t work and the profile was in the way of work, you can try to delete it via Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which requires connecting the phone to a computer and basic command line knowledge.

What you need:

• 💻 A computer with installed Xiaomi drivers and ADB (download).
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).
• 🔓 Included debugging by USB on the phone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI — Tap 7 times, then return to the additional → For developers → Debugging by USB).

Instructions:

1. Connect your phone to your PC and open the command prompt (cmd) in the ADB folder.
2. Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices should appear the name of your device.
3. Execute the command to delete the working profile: adb shell pm remove-user 11 (where 11 is the working profile ID; specify it through the adb shell pm list users command).
4. Reboot your phone: adb reboot

If the profile is not gone after the command, try an alternative method by removing the Device Policy Controller:

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.android.managedprovisioning

⚠️ Attention: Misuse of the right ADB If you're not sure what you're doing, you should consult a specialist or use other methods.

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Before working with ADB, create a restore point in TWRP (if installed) so that you can roll back changes in the event of an error.

Frequent mistakes and their solutions

When you delete your work profile, Xiaomi users often face typical problems, and let's look at the most common ones and how to fix them.

If none of these methods worked, it might be that the profile is locked at the firmware level, in which case only flashing the device through Fastboot or TWRP will help. However, this is an extreme measure that requires technical skills.

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Before flashing, check to see if you lose the warranty. On some Xiaomi models (such as the Mi 11 or Redmi K40), unlocking the bootloader resets all data and can void warranty obligations.

How to avoid problems when deleting your profile

To make the process go smoothly, follow these tips:

• 📱 Check backups – a work profile may contain important data (such as saved passwords or documents). Use Google Drive or Mi Cloud to backup.
• 🔍 Remove unnecessary applications – Uninstall enterprise programs (such as Outlook or Teams) before deleting your profile so they don’t stay on the main system.
• 🔒 Unplug accounts – if your profile is linked to Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, remove those accounts from Settings → Accounts.
• 📡 Check the network connection – some MDM-Systems require the Internet to deactivate profiles.

If you plan to sell or transfer your phone to another person, deleting your work profile is a must, otherwise the new owner may have access to your corporate data (unless it has been completely erased).

Alternatives to the Xiaomi Work Profile

If you need to isolate your work data, but the standard Android Work Profile is not satisfied, consider alternative solutions:

• 🔄 Second user: in MIUI You can create a full-fledged second user with a separate desktop (Settings) → System system → Multiplayer mode) minus: requires switching between profiles.
• 📱 Clone Apps – Dual Apps function in MIUI You can duplicate messengers (for example, two WhatsApp personal and work). → Annexes → Cloning of applications.
• 🔒 Insulation containers – applications like Island or Shelter create a sandbox for selected programs without being tied to the box. MDM.
• 💼 Separate device – if budget allows, use a second phone specifically for work (e.g., the low-cost Redmi). A2).

Each of these solutions has pros and cons: For example, the second user provides maximum isolation, but requires manual switching, and app cloning is convenient for messengers, but not suitable for a full-fledged work environment.

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If you want complete isolation without the risk of data leakage, a separate device is the best option, especially when dealing with sensitive information (e.g. banking or legal).

FAQ: Frequent questions about removing a work profile