How to replace your Google account on Xiaomi smartphone: 3 proven ways

Why Change Your Google Account to Xiaomi and When You Need to

Changing your Google account on Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO smartphones can be necessary in a variety of situations, such as selling a device and wanting to delete personal data, buying a used phone with a tied account, or simply choosing to move to a new email. It is important to understand that Google account is not only access to the Play Market, but also synchronizing contacts, photos, notes and even some system settings.

On Xiaomi devices, the account replacement process has its own nuances due to the proprietary shell MIUI. Unlike “pure” Android, it may require additional authorization through Mi Account, and in some cases even resetting to factory settings. This is especially true for models with Find Device (device search), where binding to an old account blocks many actions.

In this article, we will discuss three main ways to replace a Google account with Xiaomi: 1) Simply add a new account and then delete the old one (suitable for most cases), 2 Reset via data saving settings (if the phone is not locked), 3) Complete reset to factory settings (an extreme case when blocked).

Each method has its pros and cons, which we will consider in detail.

Before you start, make sure you have access to the password from your old Google account and Mi Account (if it is tied).Without this, some steps will be impossible, and in the worst case scenario, the phone may end up locked after being reset.

Method 1: Adding a new Google account without resetting

This is the easiest and most secure method if you have access to your current account and your phone is not locked.It is suitable for most Xiaomi models, including the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Mi 11 and newer devices.The main advantage is the preservation of all data (photos, messages, apps).

To add a new Google account:

1. Open Settings → Accounts and Sync (or Google depending on the version of MIUI).
2. Click Add Add Account → Google.
3. Enter your new account (email and password) and if you don't have an account, create it right here.
4. Confirm login via SMS or backup email (if two-factor authentication is enabled).
5. Choose which data to sync (contacts, calendar, Gmail, etc.).

After adding a new account, the old one can be deleted:

• 🔹 Go to Settings. → Accounts and synchronization → Google.
• 🔹 Select an old account and click Delete Account (or Delete in new versions) MIUI).
• 🔹 Confirm Action. The phone can request a password from the account for security.

⚠️ Note: If Google’s Find My Device feature is enabled on your phone, deleting your account may result in a 72-hour lock, requiring you to enter a password from your old account after you reboot.

Backup important data (photos, contacts, SMS)

Make sure you know the password from your old Google account.

Turn off the “Find My Device” feature in Google Settings (if enabled)

Charge your phone at least 50% (in case of reset)

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Method 2: Reset via data-saving settings (for MIUI 12 and later)

If the first method didn’t work (for example, the phone asks for a password from an old account when you delete), you can try a partial reset via the settings menu.This method works on devices with MIUI 12 and later, including Xiaomi 13, Redmi Note 11, POCO F4 and other modern models. It allows you to delete your Google account without a complete reset, saving apps and files.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → About the phone → All settings (or additionally).
2. Find Resetting (not to be confused with Resetting to Factory!).
3. Choose Delete accounts or Reset Google accounts (the name may vary).
4. Enter your phone password (PIN, pattern lock, or fingerprint).
5. Confirm the deletion. The phone will reboot.

After the reboot:

• 📱 Go to Settings. → Accounts and synchronization.
• 🔄 Add a new Google account (as in Method 1).
• ⚙️ Set up data synchronization.

⚠️ Note: On some models (Redmi 9, POCO M3) This method may not work due to manufacturer restrictions, and this will require a full reset (Method 3.

Method 3: Complete reset to factory settings (extreme case)

If the first two methods didn’t work (for example, the phone is locked after a failed account deletion or bought with a Google account tied by someone else), then only a complete reset remains. This method will delete all data from the device, including photos, messages and installed apps. Use it only as a last resort!

How to reset:

1. Open Settings → About Phone → Resetting → Delete all data.
2. Choose to erase everything (or reset to factory).
3. Enter the phone password (if installed).
4. Confirm action. The phone will start the cleaning process (it will take 5-15 minutes).

After discharge:

• 🔧 The phone will be switched on in the initial settings (as after purchase).
• 📱 At the setup stage, select Add a Google account and log in to a new account.
• ⚠️ If the phone asks for the old account, it is FRP-lockdown (see spoiler above).

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI 12.5 and older after a complete reset may require an Internet connection via SIM-map (not Wi-Fi!) to bypass FRP. It's related to Xiaomi's security policy. SIM-maps, use a wired connection to a PC with the modem mode on.

Added a new account without resetting|Resetting through data saving settings|Full reset to factory.|I haven't tried it yet.|Another way.-->

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When replacing a Google account with Xiaomi, users often face typical problems, and here are the most common mistakes and ways to solve them:

• 🔐 "Phone asks for password from old account after reset" → It's FRP-Solutions: Enter your old account details (if you remember) If you bought your phone from hand, ask the seller to delete your account remotely via Find My Device. In extreme cases, contact the Xiaomi service center with a check.
• 📵 "I can't add a new account, says 'Sync error'" → Google server connection problem Solutions: Check your internet connection (mobile data is better than Wi-Fi); Update Google Play Services in Play Market; Set the correct date and time in your phone settings.
• 🔄 "After deleting the account, contacts and photos were lost" → Data was linked to an old Google account. Solutions: Restore contacts through Google Contacts (if sync was enabled).Photo check in Google Photos.If sync was not configured, data is lost (if there was no local copy).

Another common problem is that the phone doesn't see a new account after adding it, which may be due to the cache of Google Play Services.

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find Google Play Services and click Storage → Clear Cache.
3. Reboot the phone.

💡

If you are selling a Xiaomi phone, be sure to delete not only your Google account, but also your Mi Account! Go to Settings → Mi Account → Sign out. Otherwise, the new owner will not be able to use some features (such as themes or cloud storage).

How to Transfer Data from an Old Google Account to a New One

Replacing an account doesn't mean losing data, but you can transfer most of the information to a new account before you delete the old one.

• 📇 Contacts: Export through Google Contacts (Settings) → Export. Import to a new account (Settings) → Imports).
• 📷 Photo and video: Download archive from Google Photos (Settings) → Backup copy → Download files to a new account through the same service.
• 📅 Calendar and Notes: Export events via Google Calendar (Settings) → Import and export. Use Google Keep (manual transfer or export to the country) for notes JSON).
• 🎮 Game and App Data: Game progress is only portable if the game supports cloud-based saves (e.g., through Google Play Games). For other applications, check the backup settings within the app itself.

Important: If the phone has MIUI Backup enabled (in Xiaomi account settings), the application data and system settings can be linked to Mi Account, not Google. In this case, the data transfer is possible only through a MIUI backup, which can be created in Settings → About Phone → Backup.

For convenience, you can use automatic transfer through the Google Takeout service:

1. Sign in under your old account.
2. Select the data for export (contacts, mail, photos, etc.).
3. Download the archive to your computer.
4. Import data to your new account through the relevant Google services.

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Transfer data until you delete your old account! After deleting, access to synchronized data (contacts, photos, mail) will be lost if it is not stored locally.

What to do if your phone is blocked after changing your account

One of the most frustrating things is when, after you delete your Google account or reset your settings, your phone requires you to enter your old account data and stops you from configuring it. FRP-Factory Reset Protection is enabled on all Android 5.1 and newer devices, and this feature works especially hard on Xiaomi, especially if the phone was tied to the Mi Account.

Here's what we can do:

• 🔑 If you know your old account details: Enter your email and password from your old Google account on the lock screen. If you forget your password, restore it through Google's recovery page.
• 📱 If the phone is bought from hand and you can not contact the seller: Try to get around FRP Recovery mode (not all models) To do this: Turn off your phone. Press the power button. + Volume up to log into Recovery. Select Wipe Data → Wipe All Data (manage volume buttons). Confirm action. Phone will restart.
• If that doesn’t work, contact Xiaomi’s service center with a check or a sales contract. They can remove the lock by IMEI.

What NOT to do:

• Do not use questionable programs to bypass FRP – they may contain viruses or permanently lock your phone.
• Do not try to flash the phone without experience - this can lead to a "brick" (complete inoperability).

On some models (Redmi 9A, POCO M2), you can bypass FRP through Fastboot mode, but this requires ADB and Fastboot skills. If you're not sure, it's better not to take risks. Here's a basic guide for power users:

fastboot oem frp-unlock


fastboot reboot

This command doesn’t work on all devices and can result in a warranty reset.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions