How to turn on Xiaomi smartphone if the power button does not work: from charging to disassembling

A broken power button on Xiaomi is one of the most frustrating breakdowns that can completely paralyze a smartphone. You can't turn it on, you can't turn it off, you can't even restart it if you freeze. But don't rush to bring your phone to the service center: 80 percent of the time, you can solve the problem yourself without having special skills.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways Xiaomi can power without a power button, from the simplest (connect to charging) to the most complex (disassembling and closing contacts). Each method is tested on Redmi Note 10/11/12, POCO X3/X4/X5, Mi 11/12 and other popular devices of the brand, you will learn what tools you need, what risks exist, and how to avoid errors when “resuscitating” the phone.

Important: If your Xiaomi is zero, use the charging methods first, the rest of the charging section won't work. And if the phone is stuck on the logo or went into a bootloop, read the separate section on emergency reboot.

1. Energizing through the charger (the easiest way)

If Xiaomi’s battery isn’t fully drained and the power button just isn’t responsive, try turning the phone on via charging.This method works on 90% of the brand’s current smartphones thanks to its automatic power-on feature when connected to power.

You'll need:

• 🔌 Original or quality charger (better with Quick Charge support)
• 📱 USB-cable (preferably the one that came with the set)
• ⏳ 10-15 minutes of time

Step-by-step:

1. Connect the charger to the socket.
2. Insert the cable into the Xiaomi connector (whether it is turned off or not).
3. Wait 5-10 minutes – the phone should automatically turn on (the MI logo or charging animation will appear on the screen).
4. If the screen is still black, try pressing the volume button for 10-15 seconds (sometimes this works as an alternative way to turn on).

⚠️ Warning: If after 20 minutes of charging the phone is not showing signs of life, do not continue - this may indicate a full discharge of the battery (you need to charge longer) or damage to the power controller (requires repair).

2. Emergency reboot via button combination

If the Xiaomi phone is frozen but the power button is not working, you can try to force it to restart using hardware buttons.This method will also help if the device is on, but the screen does not respond to touch.

Combinations of buttons for different situations:

If the combinations don’t work, try:

• 🔄 Connect the charger and simultaneously press the buttons.
• 🔊 Use headphones with buttons (sometimes they can emulate the power tap).
• 📱 Connect your phone to your PC and try to reboot through ADB (below).

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If the phone is turned on but the power button is still not working, activate the Double-Tap to Wake Up function in the screen settings. This will allow you to turn on/off the display without a physical button.

3. Including through ADB (for advanced users)

If your Xiaomi has previously enabled USB debugging, you can enable it via your computer using the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) tool, which is suitable if the phone is not fully discharged and is responsive to a PC connection.

What you need:

• 💻 Computer with Windows/macOS/Linux
• 📱 USB-cable (requiredly original!)
• 🛠️ Installed Xiaomi drivers and package ADB

Instructions:

1. Download and install Google’s Platform Tools (includes ADB).
2. Connect Xiaomi to your computer.
3. Open the command line (Win + R → enter cmd).
4. Enter the command to check the connection: adb devices If the phone is determined, you will see its serial number.
5. Execute the switch on command: adb shell input keyevent 26 (code 26 corresponds to the power button).

If the team doesn’t work, try an alternative:

adb shell am start -a android.intent.action.ACTION_POWER_CONNECTED

⚠️ Attention: If ADB not seeing the device, which means that the debugging USB It's been turned off or it's completely drained.

4. Close contacts (testpoints) without disassembling the body

If the power button on Xiaomi is physically broken (it doesn’t press, it falls off, it falls off), but you can still turn on the phone in other ways, try closing the button contacts without completely disassembling. This method requires accuracy, but does not need special tools.

You'll need:

• 🔧 Plastic blade or mediator
• 🧲 Magnet (optional, but will help)
• 🔦 Lighting lamp

How to close contacts:

1. Remove the back cover (if it is removable) or dent the plastic panel near the power button.
2. Find two metal pads under the button (usually vertical).
3. Carefully close them with a wire, paper clip or even a wet cotton swab (water conducts current).
4. Hold the circuit for 2-3 seconds – the phone should turn on.

⚠️ Warning: Do not use metal objects (knives, screwdrivers) to avoid damaging the board. If the phone does not respond after closing, there may be a problem in the button controller - soldering will be required.

5. Complete disassembly and soldering of the button (for experienced)

If all previous methods have failed, the last option is to take the phone apart and check the power button from the inside, an extreme measure that requires electronics and soldering iron skills.

What could be faulty:

• 🔘 The button itself (oxidation, mechanical damage)
• 🔌 The button plume (steps away or is torn)
• 🔋 Power controller on the motherboard

Step-by-step process:

1. Remove the back cover (heating with a hair dryer or using suction cups).
2. Turn off the battery (required!).
3. Find the power button plume (usually it goes from the side frame to the motherboard).
4. Check the integrity of the loop and contacts of the button with a multimeter.
5. If the button is faulty, replace it with a new one (you can buy it on AliExpress using a phone model).
6. If the problem is in the plume - re-drink it or replace it.

On Xiaomi models with a non-shatterable body (for example, Mi 11 Ultra, Redmi K50), disassembly requires professional tools and can damage the display or battery.

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If you are not sure about your soldering skills, don’t take risks – a mistake can short-circuit and cause your phone to break completely.

6. Alternative ways of inclusion (if nothing helps)

If the standard methods didn’t work, try these non-obvious options:

Method 1: Using wireless charging (for supported models)

Some Xiaomi (e.g. Mi 11/12, Redmi Note 11 Pro+) support wireless charging. Bring your phone to the charging station - sometimes this triggers the on-off process.

Method 2: Connect to a docking station or external monitor

If you have Xiaomi with USB-C Alt Mode support (like Black Shark or POCO F4), plug it into the monitor via an adapter.

Method 3: Heating the battery (extreme case)

If the phone is completely discharged and does not respond to charging, you can try to slightly heat the battery (for example, putting the phone on a warm battery. ⚠️ Don't overheat! Temperatures should not exceed 40.°C.

7. What to do after successful inclusion?

If you’ve managed to turn on Xiaomi without a power button, follow these steps to avoid repeated problems:

1. Activate software alternatives to the button:

• 📱 Enable Double Touch to Wake Up in Settings → Screen.
• 🔊 Set up a Voice Assistant (like Google Assistant) to turn your phone off with your voice.
• 🔄 Install the Button Mapper app to reassign other buttons (such as volume up) to power functions.

2. Check the status of the button:

• 🛠️ If the button fails or creaks, it must be cleaned (use alcohol and cotton swab).
• 🔧 If the button is not pressed at all, it will have to be replaced.

3. Create a backup copy of the data:

Since your phone can shut down again at any time, copy important files to your PC or cloud (Mi Cloud, Google Drive).

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If you plan to carry the phone to the service, pre-disable the protection of Mi Account (in the account settings), otherwise after repair, you may have problems unlocking.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi powering up without power button