How to remove the protection of applications in Xiaomi, if you forgot the password

Xiaomi smartphones today are equipped with a powerful privacy tool that allows you to hide the contents of a gallery, notes or banking applications from prying eyes. However, it often happens that the user himself drives himself into the trap: by installing a complex pattern lock or digital code, he safely forgets it after a few months, at which point the device turns into a private safe, access to which is limited, and the system insists on entering a combination that you do not remember.

Making matters worse, Xiaomi, following the top security trends, doesn’t provide a simple “Forgot Password” button in the input interface itself, but it does pose real problems for owners. However, there are proven ways to get around the lock, and they range from simple recovery via the cloud service to radical data reset.

In this guide, we will discuss all the current methods to remove application protection while saving your data or, in the worst case, quickly returning access to your phone. It is important to understand what type of lock you have installed and whether Mi Account is tied, as this will determine the choice of strategy for restoring access to MIUI or HyperOS.

Restoring access through your Mi Account

The most civilized and safe way to unlock the App Lock section is provided by the developers of the system, but only on one condition: you must have previously linked your Mi Account to this feature. If you did this when you first set up the phone, the recovery procedure will take only a couple of minutes and will not require deleting personal files.

First, you need to enter the password or pattern lock several times incorrectly on the app lock screen. After five attempts, the system will give an error message, but under the input field, a barely noticeable link will appear, “Forgot the password”, clicking on it initiates the process of verifying identity through Xiaomi servers.

In the window that opens, you will be asked to enter your Mi Account password, and once you have successfully logged in, the system will allow you to set a new security code or disable the feature altogether, which works seamlessly if the phone has an active Internet connection.

⚠️ Note: If you have recently changed your Mi Account password, use the new login details.

It is worth noting that this method will not work if you previously ignored the offer of the system to link an account or if the phone was in “In the plane” mode for a long time, in which case the server will not be able to confirm your rights to own the device.

Using a Secret Question

An alternative that is often overlooked is the use of a secret question. When you first install application protection, Xiaomi suggests selecting a control question and answering it, and if you remember what question you were asked (such as “Mother’s Maiden Name” or “First Pet’s Name”), you can restore access instantly.

To use this method, click on the password screen to say "Forgot your password" (it appears after several failed attempts). In the menu that appears, select the option "Ask a secret question" and the system will prompt you to enter the previously specified answer.

It is important to consider the letter register and the input language. If you write a response in Cyrillic and type in Latin (or vice versa), the system will give an error, and also make sure that the device is on data transfer or Wi-Fi, since the answer is checked online.

• 🔑 Enter the answer exactly as you did when registering, observing the gaps and punctuation marks.
• 📡 Make sure you have a stable connection to the internet before entering data.
• 🔄 If the answer is not accepted, try to remember if you have changed the wording of the question in the security settings before.

The good thing about this is that it doesn't require you to remember complex passwords or have access to your mailbox, but if you've forgotten both your password and your answer to a secret question, you'll have to move on to the more radical measures described below.

Resetting through Safe Mode (Safe Mode)

One effective workaround that works on many versions of MIUI firmware is to enter Safe Mode, in which the operating system only loads with basic components, disabling all third-party applications and, most importantly, often ignoring system restrictions on running secure applications.

To enter Safe Mode, you need to press the power button, and when the turn off menu appears, hold your finger on the "Switch off" icon for a long time (or "Reset", depending on the version of the shell), and a request to enter Safe Mode will appear on the screen — agree. After rebooting, there will be a corresponding inscription in the corner of the screen.

When you're in Safe Mode, go to your phone's settings, and your goal is to find the Apps section and clear the security system component, which is usually called Security or has a shield icon.

Once the data is cleaned and rebooted in normal mode, application protection will be reset to factory settings, meaning no password, but on newer versions of HyperOS and newer security patches, this method may be blocked because the system requires password confirmation even to log into the settings in safe mode.

Full reset (Hard Reset)

If none of the gentler methods worked, the last and most effective way is to completely reset the device to factory settings, which is guaranteed to remove any protection, including blocking applications, but has a critical disadvantage: all data on the phone will be destroyed.

Before starting the procedure, be sure to back up important files if you have access to the file system or cloud services.Reset is made through the Recovery menu, which is available even when the screen is locked.

Turn off the smartphone completely. Then simultaneously press the volume button and the power button. Hold them until the Mi logo appears, then release the power button, while continuing to hold the volume, and you will be taken to the Recovery menu.

Use the volume buttons to navigate to the Wipe Data and confirm the choice with the power button. Then select Wipe All Data and confirm the operation. The process will take a few minutes, after which the phone will return to the "out of the box" state.

⚠️ Warning: Once reset, the phone will ask for a password from a Google account or Mi Account that was synced to the device earlier (FRP), It is impossible to avoid without the owner’s data.

Using ADB for Advanced Users

For users familiar with the operation of the command line, there is a method of removing protection through debugging over USB (ADB), this method is possible only if the phone has previously been activated the function “Debugging over USB” and the computer has been given access permissions.

You'll need to connect your smartphone to your PC, install ADB drivers, and run the terminal. With the adb shell pm clear com.miui.securitycenter command, you can clear the security component data, which will actually remove the password from the applications.

adb shell pm clear com.miui.securitycenter

If the command is successful, you'll see a Success message, and then you can restart the device and check the security, which doesn't require deleting personal data, but it's technically difficult for an untrained user.

Prevention and backup

To prevent a forgotten password from happening again, it is important to set up your security system correctly. Xiaomi offers several layers of protection, and understanding how they work will help you avoid problems in the future. Don't rely on memory alone, use cloud services to store your access keys.

Check your Mi Account settings regularly, make sure your phone number and email are up to date, as that’s where access is restored, and it’s also recommended to write complex passwords to a secure location or use password managers.

• 📝 Write down a secret question and answer in notes available from another device.
• ☁️ Enable synchronization of security settings with Mi Cloud.
• 🔐 Use biometrics (fingerprint, face) ID) as the main method of unlocking to enter a password less often.

Remember that app protection is an important tool, but it requires accountability, and simple precautions will save you hours of time to recover critical data.

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Tip: Take a screenshot of the app protection settings (where you can see that the account is tied) and send it to yourself on Telegram or email. This will be proof of the anchor if you forget the details.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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The only guaranteed way to remove protection without linking your account is a full reset, which deletes all data from the device.