How to completely remove the fingerprint on Xiaomi Redmi Note 7: all working methods

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 is still one of the most popular smartphones in the budget segment, despite the release of new models. Its fingerprint scanner located on the back is convenient for quick unlocking, but sometimes users need to turn off this feature completely — whether due to a sensor malfunction, phone sales or switching to another authorization method. Unlike modern Xiaomi with ultrasonic scanners under the screen, the Redmi Note 7 uses an optical-capacitive sensor that imposes its own features on the process of removing fingerprints.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can disable your fingerprint, from standard deletion through the settings menu to forced reset if your phone doesn’t respond to commands. Particular attention is paid to the noances of MIUI from 10 to 14, as the interface and menu locations may vary, and how to avoid common mistakes, such as when the system asks you to enter a password even though you haven’t set it, or the scanner suddenly stops recognizing saved fingerprints.

Why You Might Need to Turn Off Your Fingerprint

At first glance, biometric authorization seems like the perfect solution — fast, convenient, secure, but there are a few situations where fingerprint removal becomes a necessity:

• 🔄 Selling or transferring a phone, even after resetting to factory settings, some data can be stored in the sensor's secure memory.
• 🛠️ Scanner malfunction: The sensor on the Redmi Note 7 can become contaminated, scratched or malfunctioned over time, leading to false positives or complete inoperability.
• 🔒 Change the method of unlocking, for example, if you decide to switch to facial recognition or PIN-code for security reasons (prints can be forged using castings).
• 📱 Update MIUI. After major updates (for example, with the MIUI 12 on MIUI 14) the scanner may start to work incorrectly, requiring re-registration of fingerprints.
• 👤 Changes in the physiology of the fingers: Cuts, burns, or even severe weathering of the skin can make the stored prints unfit for recognition.

It's important to understand that removing a fingerprint is not the same as turning off the scanner, but it will remain active and consume minimal energy, and if the goal is to save battery power, you will have to deactivate the function at the system level (this will be discussed in one of the following sections).

⚠️ Note: If you delete fingerprints before selling your phone, be sure to complete a full reset (Settings) → The phone. → Otherwise, the new owner will be able to recover your data through Mi Account backups.

Method 1: Standard removal via MIUI settings

This is the easiest and most secure method that works on all versions of MIUI (10 to 14) and the main condition is that the phone must be unlocked and you must have access to the primary password (PIN or pattern lock) that was set when you added fingerprints.

Step instructions:

1. Open Settings (the gear icon on the desktop or in the application menu).
2. Go to Passwords and Security (some versions of MIUI may call it Lock and Protect).
3. Select the fingerprint item.
4. Enter the current one. PIN-code or pattern lock to verify identity.
5. Click on the saved print (usually displayed as Fingerprint 1, Fingerprint 2, etc.).
6. At the bottom of the screen will appear button Remove – press it.
7. Confirm the action by pressing OK.

If you have multiple fingerprints, repeat steps 5-7 for each. Once the last fingerprint is deleted, the system may suggest disabling fingerprint unlock completely - agree if that's your goal.

Make sure you remember. PIN-code|Close all background applications (especially banking)|Connect your phone to charge if the battery is below 20%|Make sure you have a backup of important data-->

On some firmware (e.g. MIUI 11 for the global version), the option to unlock fingerprints in settings may remain active after the fingerprints are deleted.

1. Return to Settings → Passwords and Security → Fingerprint.
2. Turn off the fingerprint unlock switch (if any).
3. Confirm the action with a password.

⚠️ Note: If after removing fingerprints, the phone stopped recognizing the password, do not try to reset settings through Recovery without the Mi Account attached. On Redmi Note 7, this can lead to the blocking of the Xiaomi account (requires login / password entry after resetting).

Method 2: Remove fingerprints after resetting settings

If you have already done a hard reset (recovery or Fastboot reset) but your fingerprints are still preserved (this happens when you don't completely reset), you'll need a deeper cleaning, which is also relevant if you bought a used phone and the previous owner hasn't deleted their biometrics.

Algorithm of action:

1. Perform a full reset via Settings → About Phone → Resetting → Delete all data.
2. After the reboot, go through the initial phone setup (choosing a language, connecting to Wi-Fi, etc.).
3. At the screen locking stage, do not add fingerprints – select only PIN-code.
4. After you have finished setting up, check the fingerprint section – it should be empty.

If the prints are still left (which is unlikely, but possible on custom firmware), you will have to resort to manual cleaning through ADB:

adb shell pm clear com.android.settings


adb shell rm -rf /data/system/users/0/fingerprint/*

These commands will delete all fingerprint scanner data, but require an unlocked bootloader and root rights. Without ADB experience, it is better not to take risks - contact the service center.

Yeah, the sensor stopped working.|Yeah, the phone didn't recognize my fingerprints.|No, it always worked fine.|I tried to turn it off, but it didn't work.-->

Method 3: Disabling the fingerprint scanner at the system level

If you want to not just remove the saved prints, but completely deactivate the scanner (for example, to save battery power or because of a malfunction), you will need to disable the appropriate Android services.

Option 1: Through Developer Settings (without root):

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and click on MIUI Version 7 times.
2. Return to the main settings menu and open Additional → for developers.
3. Find the USB debugging option and turn it on.
4. Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command: adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.android.biometrics.fingerprint
5. Reset the device.

Option 2: With service management applications (requires root):

• 📱 Install Titanium Backup or SD Maid.
• Find the services in com.android.biometrics.fingerprint.
• Select the option Freeze.
• Reboot the phone.

After the fingerprint scanner is turned off:

• ✅ The possibility of adding new prints will disappear.
• ✅ The sensor will stop consuming energy.
• ❌ Some applications (e.g. banking) may give errors when checking biometrics.

💡

If after turning off the scanner, the phone became slower to work, try to clear the cache of the system through Recovery (wipe cache partition).

What to do if the fingerprint scanner is not working

Sometimes users are faced with a situation where the fingerprint sensor on the Redmi Note 7 stops responding - does not recognize fingers, does not turn on the backlight or gives an error "Fingerprint scanner is not responding", the reasons can be both software (firmware failure) and hardware (sensor damage).

Try the following steps to diagnose:

1. Restart your phone – sometimes a simple reboot helps, especially if the crash happened after the upgrade.
2. Clean the sensor -- wipe it with a soft napkin soaked in alcohol. Avoid abrasive materials!
3. Check settings: Make sure that the Unlock fingerprint function is enabled. Try adding a new fingerprint - if the process is interrupted, the sensor is problematic.

Update the firmware

Settings → About the phone → System update

Reset the scanner settings

adb shell cmd fingerprintd reset

(Requires ADB and USB debugging).

If nothing helps, it's probably a hardware problem. Redmi Note 7 is more likely to fail:

• 🔌 Sensor plume – oxidized or departs from the board.
• 📱 The scanner itself - glass cracks or the matrix is damaged.
• 🔋 Power controller - does not apply voltage to the sensor.

⚠️ Warning: If you notice that the scanner has begun to unlock the phone (without touching), this may be a sign of a hacked device!

Security: What to Know Before Disabling Your Fingerprints

Fingerprints are biometric data that, unlike passwords, cannot be changed, so it is important to understand the risks and consequences of deleting or storing them on a device.

Key points:

• 🔐 Fingerprints are stored in a trusted execution environment (TEC, TEE) They're not transmitted to the Xiaomi cloud, but when they're reset via Fastboot, they can stay in the sensor's memory.
• 📲 Some applications (e.g. banking) require biometric authorization, and once fingerprints are deleted, they can block access until they are reconfigured.
• 🔄 If you are selling a phone, it is not enough to simply remove fingerprints – you need to perform a complete reset and untie Mi Account.
• 🛡️ On custom firmware (for example, LineageOS), the scanner may work unstablely or store data in an unprotected form.

If you are concerned about privacy, consider alternative methods of blocking:

💡

Never use fingerprints as the only method of authorization in critical applications (banks, payments). PIN-password.

Frequent mistakes and their solutions

When working with the fingerprint scanner on the Redmi Note 7, users often face typical problems, and let's look at the most common and ways to fix them.

Mistake 1: "Failure to add a fingerprint. Retry"

• 🧼 Rub the sensor and finger with alcohol – dirt or fat interferes with the scan.
• 🔄 Restart your phone and try again.
• 📱 Remove all the saved prints and add again.
• 🔧 If the error appears on custom firmware, check the sensor compatibility with your version. MIUI.

Error 2: "The fingerprint scanner is not responding"

• 🔌 Check the connection of the sensor plume (requires disassembly of the phone).
• 📲 Update the firmware to the latest version.
• 🔄 Reset the scanner settings through ADB (command is given above).

Error 3: Phone asks for password after fingerprints are deleted

• 🔑 Enter the last used PIN-code.
• 📱 If you forget your password, reset your settings via Recovery (Mi Account required).
• 🔧 On some firmware helps rollback to the previous version MIUI.

Error 4: Fingerprints deleted, but phone unlocks them

• 🔄 Perform a complete reset of settings.
• 📱 Check if third-party biometrics management applications are installed (e.g. Fingerprint Quick Action).
• 🔧 Clear the Settings application data through Settings → Annexes → Application management → Settings → Warehouse → Clear the data.

💡

If the scanner stopped working after the MIUI update, try to roll back to the previous firmware version via Fastboot. The instructions are on the 4PDA forum in the theme of your model.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions