If you've been using Xiaomi for a long time, you've probably encountered a mysterious symbol, the hare in the uschanka. This cute but strange logo suddenly appears on the screens of the brand's smartphones, TVs or routers, often in the most unexpected places: from the recovery menu to hidden settings. What does it mean? Why the hare, and even in the winter hat? And most importantly, where to look for it in your device?
In fact, the "hare in the Ushanka" is not just a designer's fad, but part of Xiaomi's corporate identity for technical modes. It signals that you've entered the "advanced user" zone, where you can update your firmware manually, unlock the bootloader or even "brick" the device if you act carelessly. In this article, we will analyze all official and undocumented cases of the appearance of the hare, explain its symbolism and show how to safely interact with the functions it "guards."
The origin of the symbol: why a hare and not a dragon?
The logo with a hare in a Ushanka appeared in the Xiaomi ecosystem not by chance. According to the official version, it refers to Chinese culture, where the hare (, tù) symbolizes speed, agility and luck - qualities that the brand wanted to associate with its devices. Ushanka adds a "Russian accent": it is a tribute to international audiences, especially users from the CIS countries, where Xiaomi equipment is very popular.
Interestingly, the symbol was originally intended to be used only for Mi Recovery, a recovery mode on smartphones, but over time, the hare migrated to other products:
- 📱 Smartphones (Mi/A1/POCO/Redmi): Appears in Fastboot and Recovery Mode.
- 📺 Televisions (Mi) TV): Signals for updates through the USB.
- 📡 Routers (Mi Router): displayed when reset to factory settings.
- ⚙️ Smart devices (Mi Home): sometimes pops up in the hardware logs.
Lei Jun, the founder of Xiaomi, jokingly called the hare a “geek mascot” in an interview, emphasizing that the symbol is for those who are willing to “dig deeper” than standard features, and Ushanka, he said, reminds that in the winter (in difficult situations) the device will not fail.
Where to look for a hare: all the places where the symbol appears
If you want to find a hare in the uhanka on your Xiaomi device, check the following modes and menus. Note: some of them require special actions to activate!
| The device | Regime/menu | How do you get there? | What can I do? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smartphone (Mi/Redmi/POCO) | Fastboot Mode | Press Power + Volume down when the phone is off | Swipe custom software, unlock the loader |
| Smartphone | Recovery Mode | Clutch Power + Volume Up | Reset settings, install updates with SD-map |
| Mi TV | Update mode | Connect USB with firmware, pinch Menu + Volume down on the remote | Manually update the software, restore the TV after a failure |
| Mi Router | Emergency mode | Press the Reset button for 10+ seconds | Reset settings, flash alternative software |
On some devices, the hare appears in hidden developer menus, for example, on smartphones with MIUI, if:
- Activate Developer Mode (7 times click on MIUI Version in Settings).
- Go to Settings → Additional → For developers.
- Find the Mi Unlock Status item – there is sometimes a hare displayed.
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If the bunny on the screen blinks or twitches, it is a sign that the device is waiting for commands via ADB or Fastboot.
What to do if you see a rabbit: safe actions
The appearance of a hare in the Ushanka is a signal that you are in technical mode, where careless actions can lead to data loss or even device failure.
- 🔄 Update the firmware through an official file (e.g..zip for Recovery).
- 🔓 Unlock the bootloader (only if you understand the consequences!).
- 📱 Reset to factory settings (data will be deleted!).
- 🛠️ Checking the status of the device (for example, a memory test in Fastboot).
Here's what you can't do:
⚠️ Never pick items like Wipe All Data or Format Data unless you're 100% sure you need them. TV A faulty reset could result in the loss of license keys for Netflix or Disney.+!
If the hare appeared on its own (for example, after a failure), try:
- Remove and re-insert the battery (if removable).
- Press the power button for 20+ seconds for forced reboot.
- Connect the device to your PC and use the Mi Flash Tool to recover.
☑️ What to check before actions in the mode of the hare
Hidden functions associated with the hare
The hare in Ushanka not only protects the technical modes, but also masks some of the hidden features of Xiaomi devices.
- 🔍 Diagnostic mode on smartphones: type in dial ##4636### to see advanced information about the network and battery.
- 🎮 Secret Games at Mi TV: In update mode, press on the Menu remote + Back up. + Up - opens a game in the style of Flappy Bird with a hare in the title role.
- 📡 Hidden Wi-Fi settings on routers: if in reset mode to pinch WPS 5 seconds, opens a menu with expanded channel settings.
Some MIUI firmware also shows up in the system logs to see them:
- Connect your smartphone to your PC.
- Enable USB debugging in the developer settings.
- Enter in the command line: adb logcat | grep "rabbit"
If the logs have lines with miui.rabbit, then the device has recently used one of the technical modes.
How to turn on the mode of the “Hare” on the Mi Band
Myths and misconceptions about the hare in the Ushanka
There's a lot of rumors going around this symbol, and we're going to look at the most popular ones.
⚠️ Attention! One of the most dangerous myths is that the hare will unlock all the functions of the device, which actually just signals increased rights, but for real unlocking (for example, the bootloader) you need additional actions, including confirming the Mi Account.
| Myth | Reality. |
|---|---|
| The hare appears only on Chinese firmware | No, it is also available on global versions of MIUI/HyperOS, but it may look different (for example, without the Ushanka). |
| If you see a rabbit, the device is hacked. | No, it’s a standard element of Xiaomi’s interface for technical modes. |
| The hare can be removed through settings | No, it's hard-coded in the firmware, and you can only remove it by reflashing the device. |
Another common misconception is that the hare slows down the device, and in fact, the symbol has no effect on performance: it just shows up on the screen in certain modes, and if the smartphone or TV started to slow down after the hare appeared, the most likely problem is incorrect firmware or damaged memory sections.
How to remove a hare from the screen: the exit from technical modes
If a hare in a uhanka appears on the screen and doesn't disappear, it means the device is stuck in one of the technical modes.
- 📱 On your smartphone: For Fastboot: select Reboot with volume buttons and confirm with power button. For Recovery: select Reboot system now.
- 📺 On Mi. TV: Turn it off. USB-I want you to hold the power on the remote for 10 seconds.
- 📡 On the router: Turn off power for 30 seconds, then turn on again.
If the device does not respond to the buttons, try the forced reboot:
- For smartphones: Press Power + Volume up + Volume down for 15-20 seconds.
- For Mi TV: Remove the plug from the socket, wait 1 minute, turn it on again.
⚠️ Attention! If the hare reappears after the reboot, it is a sign of a damaged firmware, in which case you will need to reflash the device through the Mi Flash Tool (for smartphones) or Mi Mi. TV Assistant (for televisions).
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If the hare appears every time you turn it on, it's not a feature, it's a bug, it's probably a boot or recovery partition that's damaged, solution: full flashing.