How to Reboot Xiaomi if the Screen Is Not Working: The Complete Guide

When the display of Xiaomi smartphone stops responding to touch or completely goes out, and the device continues to work, is one of the most stressful for the owner. At this point, the gadget turns into a “brick”, access to which is almost impossible, and the user faces a critical task: how to save data or just make the device turn on again. Forced reboot becomes the only way out when software failures block the normal operation of the touchscreen, but the system is still functioning.

Unfortunately, the standard method of long-pressed power often proves useless if the touch layer is physically damaged or got stuck. In such cases, you need to resort to more complex but effective methods that allow you to bypass a broken interface. Android, being an open system, provides several levels of access to control the device, even when the visual interface is not available.

In this article, we will go into detail about all the possible ways to reanimate your Xiaomi smartphone, from simple hardware buttons to the use of computer gates. It is important to understand that each method has its own limitations and risks, so you need to act consistently. If you have the ability to see an image but the touchscreen does not work, the solution is much easier to find than with a fully black screen.

Hardware reset and button combinations

The first and most affordable method to use when you freeze a system is to use physical buttons on the device body. Unlike software reboots through menus, hardware resets are low-level and often ignore the hung interface processes. For most Redmi and Poco models, there is a standard combination that simulates battery extraction.

You need to hold the power button and hold it for 10-15 seconds. If the screen is black and the phone is not vibrating, try the Volume Down + Power combination. Hold both buttons simultaneously until the Mi logo or vibration appears. This method is effective for software freezes, but powerless if the power controller or the screen itself is damaged.

⚠️ Note: Do not use the battery extraction method if your smartphone model has a non-removable battery.Attempting to open the back cover may damage the plumes or bloat the battery.

There are also specific combinations to enter special modes that can help with diagnosis, such as holding Volume Up + Power, you will be taken to the Recovery menu, where the control is done by volume buttons, and the choice is confirmed by the power button, which allows you to restart the system even if the touchscreen is completely dead.

Using Recovery Mode to Reboot

Recovery is a separate partition in the smartphone’s memory that runs independently of the main operating system, and you can even get in with a completely broken touchscreen, as navigation is done by physical volume buttons, which is the perfect way to run Wipe & Reset or just a Reboot command when the screen is not responding.

To enter this mode, turn off the device (if possible) or wait for the battery to discharge, then press the "Loudness up" and "Power" buttons at the same time. Once the logo appears, release the power, but keep the volume until a menu with several lines in English or Chinese appears. If the menu is in Chinese, don't panic: usually the second line on top is a switch to English.

Navigation in the menu is done by the up/down buttons, and the choice of item is confirmed by a short press of the power button. You need to find Reboot and select Reboot to System. This will perform a regular reboot, which can eliminate the temporary failure of the display driver.

Importantly, in Recovery mode, the touchscreen usually doesn't work at all. All control is tied to the mechanics. If after selecting Reboot, the phone freezes again on the logo or the screen remains black, the problem may be deeper than just a software failure.

Connection USB-mouse-wise OTG

If your Xiaomi display shows an image but the touchscreen doesn't respond, the most effective solution is to use an external peripheral. USB OTG (On-The-Go) technology allows you to connect conventional computer devices like a mouse or keyboard to your smartphone, which turns the phone into a PC-like device, allowing you to control your cursor.

To do this, you’ll need a USB Type-C to USB-A or Micro-USB to USB-A adapter (depending on your phone’s connector) and a regular wired USB mouse. Once connected, the cursor will appear on the screen, and you’ll be able to unlock the phone, enter a pin code and back up the data or reboot through the menu.

• 🖱️ Connect the adapter. OTG smartphone-charging connector.
• 💻 Put it in. USB-Mouse to the free port of the adapter.
• 🖥️ Wait for the cursor to appear on the screen (sometimes you need to press the button on the mouse).
• 🔄 Use the cursor to navigate and perform a reboot.

Unfortunately, if the screen is completely black and doesn't show signs of life, this method won't help you see what's going on. However, if the phone makes sounds when you connect the mouse or vibrates, then the system is working, and you can try to "touch" the area of the screen where the off button should be, using the cursor as a pointer.

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Use a wireless mouse with USB-If you don't have a wired receiver, the receiver adapter takes up less space and is easier to connect through the adapter. OTG low visibility.

Reboot via computer and ADB

For advanced users who previously had the USB Debugging option enabled, the ADB (Android Debug Bridge) tool will be the rescue tool, which allows you to send commands directly to the Android system from your computer, ignoring the state of the touchscreen, which is the most powerful software control tool.

First, you need to install Xiaomi drivers and the SDK Platform-Tools platform on your PC. Once you connect your phone with a cable to your computer, open the command line in the tool folder. If the device is authorized (the screen should have always ticked), you can execute a reboot command.

adb devices


adb reboot

Adb reboot sends a signal to the system to restart immediately. If the phone is in Fastboot mode, use fastboot reboot. This is especially useful when the system boots up to a certain point and freezes, preventing you from entering the interface.

⚠️ Attention: Method ADB It only works if the phone has been activated before. USB» And the computer was authorized. On new devices without that setup, it won't work.

Rescue data before resetting

Before you decide on radical measures, such as a full reset, you need to try to save important photos and contacts. If the screen is even partially working or visible, using the cloud services Mi Cloud or Google Photos can be automated. Turn on Wi-Fi and leave the phone on charge, hoping for synchronization.

If the touchscreen does not work, but the image is, the method with the USB-You can manually back up the periphery, and you can also try to connect the phone to your PC in file transfer mode (MTP). Sometimes Windows can recognize internal memory even without unlocking if the default Charging mode was previously set.

• ☁️ Check the sync status in your Google account through your browser on PC.
• 📂 Try copying the folders. DCIM and Pictures through Windows Explorer.
• 🔌 Use it. OTG-cable for connecting a flash drive and copying files.

If the screen is black and the touchscreen is down, the chances of saving data are minimal without changing the display. However, if the phone makes notification sounds, there is a chance that only the matrix works and the touch layer is intact. In this case, a blind connection to a trusted computer can allow you to copy data if you are in Charge Only mode, but unlocking the phone without a screen is almost impossible.

When you need a replacement display or board

If none of the software methods worked, and the phone either doesn't turn on or doesn't respond to commands, the problem is the hardware. The most common reason is that the display plume is moving away from the motherboard after a fall, and in this case, rebooting won't help, physical intervention is required.

Sometimes the problem is not the screen itself, but the power controller or the device's flooding. If the phone is warming up in the area of the camera or the bottom of the case, but the screen is black, this may indicate a short circuit. In such cases, frequent attempts to turn on can only make the situation worse, damaging the motherboard completely.

The smartest solution for a physical breakdown is to temporarily replace the screen on the service or buy a used data extraction module. Specialists can connect a knowingly serviceable display to your board so that you can unlock the device, make a backup and only then start repairing or selling.

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If the phone vibrates and makes sounds, but the screen is black – in 90% of cases the problem is physical damage to the matrix or plume, the software reset here is powerless.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)