What is the demo mode in the Xiaomi phone: the complete guide

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones sometimes face unusual behavior of the device: commercials appear on the screen, windows with specs periodically pop up, and standard settings are blocked or hidden. This is not a virus or a breakdown, but a special demo mode that is originally designed for display cases of electronics stores. Its main purpose is to attract the attention of customers and demonstrate the capabilities of the gadget in an automatic cycle.

Users who have bought or inherited a new device are often confused to find that their phone is living its life, can reboot, block access to certain functions, or force applications to run, and understanding the nature of this mode is the first step toward regaining full control of the MIUI or HyperOS operating system.

In this article, we will discuss in detail why engineers implemented this feature, how to distinguish the demo version of firmware from the regular one, and most importantly, how to safely and permanently deactivate intrusive notifications. Disabling demo mode requires entering special code or performing a sequence of actions, since simply restarting the device will not solve the problem. We will look at different methods for different versions of the shells.

Purpose and functionality of the demonstration mode

The demo mode, often referred to as Demo Mode, was designed exclusively for retailers. When you go to an electronics store, you're shown a working phone that should look as attractive as possible. A normal user interface with empty galleries and no contacts looks boring. So Xiaomi engineers developed a script that turns the phone into an interactive storefront.

In this state, the device is closed looped, it doesn't allow you to use the phone properly because it's supposed to show, not work. The main functions that are activated in this state are directed to visual demonstrations, for example, the screen can automatically change wallpaper, show a slideshow with high-resolution photos or run video reviews of the camera.

• 📢 Automatic playback of commercials about smartphone functions on a locked screen or in the form of pop-up windows.
• 🔒 Blocking desktop access or restricting access to system settings to prevent demonstration failure.
• 🔄 Periodic automatic data cleaning and factory reset to maintain the “cleanness” of the device in the store.

For the average user, having this software is a hindrance, it consumes battery resources, it takes up space in memory, and most annoyingly, it's constantly distracting with notifications. It's important to understand that it's not malware, but a legitimate piece of firmware, just activated at the wrong time, and sometimes this mode is activated by accident when you update or reset your settings if the system has the appropriate activation flag.

⚠️ Warning: Finding your phone in demo mode for a long time can lead to burnout OLED-screen due to static image and accelerated wear of the battery due to constant display operation at maximum brightness.

The main signs of activation of Demo Mode on Xiaomi

It's pretty easy to tell if your Xiaomi smartphone is on display, if you know the symptoms, and the behavior is very different from the standard one. The first thing that catches your eye is aggressive advertising, but not just in-app ads, but system videos that tell you the benefits of a processor, camera, or screen right when you're in use.

The second sign is the interface constraints, and you may find that you can't remove some of the system applications, or you may find that the About menu items are blocked, and often you see a specific text or a Demo logo on the lock screen that you can't remove with standard theme changes.

• 🎥 Constantly popping up windows with the suggestion “View the video about the possibilities” or “Learn about the new feature” AI".
• 🚫 Unable to install your apps from third-party sources or even from the Google Play Market without restrictions.
• ⚙️ Presence in the settings of the item "Demo Mode" or "Retail Mode", which cannot be disabled by a simple switch.

Also worth paying attention to when connecting to a computer: demo versions of firmware may have changed USB IDs or offer specific debugging modes. If you bought a phone with your hands and found these signs, chances are that the previous owner did not completely clean the device from store settings.

Why does the regime turn on itself?

The most common question users have is, "How did this turn on?" Most of the time, activation is due to residual files after buying a device that was previously in the storefront. Vendors do not always complete a factory reset with all partitions cleaned, limiting themselves to superficial deleting accounts.

Another reason is that you're doing things that are specific to the user, and some versions of MIUI have a hidden engineer menu, and if you get there by accident (often by repeatedly clicking on a kernel version or OS build), you can activate various test features, including a demo mode, which is not a bug, but a feature of accessing hidden debugging functions.

Sometimes custom firmware or failed firmware attempts are the cause. If enthusiasts install a global version on a Chinese device (or vice versa) using the wrong scripts, the system configuration files may have a ro.miui.retail.mode=1 flag written in the system's configuration files. This makes the system think it should work in store mode, even if the device is in the home.

Instructions: how to disable demo mode through settings

The easiest and safest way to get your phone back to normal is to try to disable the feature through the regular menu, which works if the mode has been activated software and you have access to basic settings, and the algorithm for actions can vary slightly depending on the version of Android and the shell.

First, you need to find a hidden menu. Go to the standard Phone app. Enter a special engineering code. On most Xiaomi devices, this is a combination of ##6484## or #8378#. If the test menu (CIT) opened after entering the code, look for Demo Mode or Retail Demo.

• 📱 Open the Security or Settings app and find the Advanced Settings section".
• 🔍 In the Settings Search, type the word “Demo” or “Retail” to find the hidden switch.
• 🔓 Enter the disable password if the system requires authorization (often standard codes like 1234 or 0000).

If you find a switch, just deactivate it. Then the phone can suggest a reboot. You can agree. If the switch is locked or the menu item is missing, you'll have to use the more advanced methods described below. Don't be afraid to experiment with the CIT menu, but don't reset the sensors there unnecessarily.

Removal via ADB and Engineering Menu

When standard methods are powerless, developer tools come to the rescue. Using USB debugging (ADB) allows commands to be sent directly to the operating system without the GUI, the most effective way for advanced users to remove demo packages of applications.

To start, activate Developer Mode. Go to Settings → About Phone and press 7 times on "MIUI Version." Then, in the "Additional" → "Development by USB" menu, turn on "Debugging by USB." Connect the phone to a computer that has ADB Driver and Platform Tools installed.

Open the command line on your PC and enter the following sequence of commands to remove demo packets:

adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.mishop.connectivity


adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.daemon




adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.android.dreams.basic

These commands remove the components that are responsible for the storefront mode for the current user. This does not require root rights. After completing the commands, be sure to restart the device. If you are not confident in yourself, you better use a full reset, but the method with ADB stores your personal data.

⚠️ Please be careful when putting commands into ADB. Removing system packages with incorrect names can lead to unstable system operation or loss of important features such as a theme store or gallery.

Complete reset and flashing of the device

The radical, but often the only working solution for locked devices is a full Hard Reset or flashing. If the demo mode is embedded deep into the system or the phone is a so-called Chinese with global firmware on the knee, only a clean installation of the software will solve the problem.

Recovery menu resets are done by the Volume Up + Power button combination when the phone is off. From the recovery menu, select "Wipe Data" → "Wipe All Data." This will delete all files, including the demo settings. However, in some cases (especially on newer models with Anti-rollback protection) confirmation is required through the Mi Account.

If this does not help, you will need to download the official firmware for your model (required with the correct region: Global for global versions, RU for Russia) and follow the instructions on the 4PDA forum or the official Xiaomi website.

| Disconnection method | Difficulty | Data retention | Efficiency |

| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |

| Through settings | Low | Yes | 40% |

| Engineering code | Average | Yes | 60% |

| ADB Team | High | Yes | 85% |

| Total reset (Wipe) | Average | No | 70% |

| Fastboot | Very high | No | 100% |

💡

When flashing, always choose the “Clean All” firmware type to completely remove traces of the previous configuration and demo mode.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

💡

Demo mode is a useful tool for sellers, but for the average user it is a source of problems that must be turned off for comfortable use of the smartphone.