The situation when a Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO smartphone stops responding to commands, freezes on the logo or goes into an endless reboot is familiar to many users. This state is often called a “brick”, although in most cases the device remains alive and requires only competent intervention in the software part. Xiaomi recovery is a process that scares beginners, but with the right approach and adherence to the sequence of actions it is quite solvable at home.
Before you start to act, you need to diagnose the current state of the gadget. Understanding where the boot is going to fail will determine the method of resuscitation. There are different levels of access to the system, from the standard Recovery menu to the low-level Fastboot mode. The success of the operation depends on whether the device responds to button presses and whether the computer sees the connected device.
In this article, we will look at all the current ways to bring a smartphone back to life, from simply resetting your settings to completely flashing through your computer. It is important to understand that interfering with system files carries risks, so it is worthwhile to study each step carefully. If you want to return to work your device, be patient, serviceable. USB-cable and follow the instructions.
Diagnostics of the condition: Recovery and Fastboot
The first step in Xiaomi’s recovery process is to determine the available boot modes, which is what tools we need, and most often, the smartphone responds to keyboard combinations even when the screen is completely black or the system does not load beyond the logo.
Recovery mode is a minimalist operating system built into the phone's memory, which allows you to reset data, clear the cache and install updates. To enter this mode, you need to turn off the device and press the volume button along with the power button. Hold them until the Mi logo appears.
Fastboot (or Download Mode) is used for low-level partition firmware, which usually shows a bunny fixing an android, or simply saying FASTBOOT. Enter by pressing the volume down button and power button, and if the phone responds to these modes, the chances of recovery are close to 100%.
If the device is not showing signs of life, does not vibrate or respond to charging, the problem can be hardware. However, before you bring the phone to the service, try to wake up the battery by leaving it on charge for several hours, or use the method of “push” with current (requires caution).
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Use the original. USB-cable and connect the phone directly to the motherboard port (back of the system unit), avoiding USB-hubs and front panels of the case.
Resetting through Recovery: The standard method
If the smartphone is included in the recovery menu, the easiest and safest way to fix a software failure is to reset user data (Wipe Data).This method is effective when the system is damaged due to an application conflict or an update error, but the bootloader is not critically blocked.
In the Recovery menu, the navigation is done with volume buttons (up/down), and the choice is confirmed by the power button. In the new versions of MIUI and HyperOS, the interface can be touch-sensitive, which makes it easier to process. You need to find Wipe Data or Clear Data.
- 📱 Select Wipe All Data for a complete cleanup.
- 🔄 Confirm the action by selecting Confirm.
- ⏳ Wait for the process to be completed, which will take a few minutes.
- 🔄 Select Reboot to restart the system.
It's important to understand that Wipe Data completely deletes all photos, contacts and applications. If you didn't have a backup in the Mi Cloud or on your computer, it won't be possible to return data. This method won't help if the boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot boot
☑️ Reset algorithm
Once the phone is rebooted, it will start as new, requiring initial setup. If the cyclic bootloop has stopped, Xiaomi's recovery has been successful. Otherwise, when the phone gets stuck on the logo again, a deeper intervention using the computer will be required.
Preparation for firmware: drivers and software
For deep recovery, when a simple reset doesn't work, you'll need a Windows computer. The key here is to install the drivers correctly. Without them, the PC won't be able to "see" the phone in firmware mode, and all the further action will be useless.
You'll need the Mi Flash Tool, the official software from Xiaomi developers for Fastboot, and you'll need to download the firmware itself. There are two types of firmware: Recovery (update) and Fastboot (full). To recover, we need the Fastboot version, which has the.tgz extension, not.zip.
| Component | Appointment | Where to find it. |
|---|---|---|
| Mi Flash Tool | Firmware of the device | Official website or xiaomiui.net |
| ADB Drivers | Communication with PC (Recovery) | SDK Platform Tools |
| Qualcomm Drivers | Communication with PC (EDL Mode) | As part of Mi Flash or separately |
| Fastboot ROM | Image of the system | miui.com or xiaomifirmwareupdater |
Pay special attention to Qualcomm drivers if your phone is “brickled” seriously. Sometimes Windows automatically can not find the right driver for the mode. EDL (Emergency Download Mode. Device Manager will display QHSUSB_BULK You need to manually specify the path to the drivers using "Update driver».
Where to look for a firmware for your model?
Recovery via Fastboot and Mi Flash
This is the main method of resuscitation when the system is not booting, it allows you to overwrite all system partitions clean, before you start, make sure that the battery is at least 50%, although when you connect to a PC, the phone usually charges even when it is turned off.
Unpack the firmware archive (.tgz) in the root of the C disk so that the path is short, for example: C:\rom\. Long Cyrillic paths can cause firmware error. Launch the Mi Flash Tool on behalf of the administrator. Connect the phone in Fastboot mode (clamping Vol- and Power) to your computer.
In the program, click the Refresh button. If the drivers are installed correctly, the device with its ID will appear in the list. Select the firmware file by clicking Select. In the lower corner, select the firmware mode: clean all (complete cleaning, recommended) or save user data (attempting to save data, may not work in case of serious errors).
⚠️ Attention: Do not turn off the cable USB And don't turn your phone off during the firmware process, and interrupting the write to the system or boot partition is guaranteed to turn the phone into a brick, which can only be restored through a paid service account.
Press the Flash button. The process will take from 200 before 600 The status will show progress. Once successful, the phone will automatically restart. The first boot after the firmware can last until the end of the day. 10-15 It’s normal, it’s a system optimization.
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Successful firmware through Fastboot is only possible with the bootloader unlocked. If the bootloader is locked, the method will not work.
EDL mode: rescue with a blocked bootloader
If the bootloader is locked, the standard method through Fastboot will not allow you to write new firmware, in which case, as well as damage to the partitions responsible for the boot, the EDL mode (Emergency Download Mode) is used.
For the entrance EDL Most modern Xiaomi models require disassembly of the case and closure of test points on the board (Test Point method). There are also special adapter cables. HS-USB QDLoader 9008.
The firmware process is similar in this mode: it uses the same Mi Flash Tool and the same Fastboot firmware. However, there is an important limitation: Only authorized service centers can officially stitch through EDL. For the average user, the firmware can be interrupted with an authorization error.
- 🔌 Take your phone apart and find test points (scheme for your model).
- ⚡ Close the dots and plug in. USB (Or use a special cable).
- 💻 Make sure that the device manager has a port. COM.
- 🚀 Start the firmware in the Mi Flash Tool.
There are workarounds to authorization (using script patchers or paid remote firmware services), but they require deep knowledge. If you are not confident in your abilities, at the EDL stage, it is better to contact specialists so as not to damage the hardware.
Frequent mistakes and their solution
In the recovery process, users often encounter common errors, and understanding the causes of these errors helps to quickly find a solution, such as Missmatching image and device error, which means that you are trying to flash firmware from another model, which is a critical error that can bring the device down.
Can not find MD5 or path problems are often solved by moving the firmware folder closer to the root of the disk and renaming the folder to the Latin folder without spaces, and running the program on behalf of the administrator and disabling the antivirus, which can block file writing, also helps.
⚠️ Note: Never use a firmware marked CN (China on global versions of devices (Global) without first unlocking the bootloader and understanding the risks (CN -> Global requires complete data cleanup (Clean All).
If your phone goes into a bootloop after you run it, try resetting it again with Recovery (Wipe Data). Sometimes the remnants of old files conflict with the new system. If that doesn't work, it may be the memory or other components of the board that are not working.