When the Xiaomi Redmi screen stops responding to touch, it is often taken by surprise. The device may be completely functional inside, but the glass wall between you and the system renders it useless. In such cases, the standard algorithm of actions through the menu becomes unavailable, and the user is faced with the dilemma: how to safely complete the gadget?
Fortunately, Android engineers and the developers of the MIUI shell have provided several workarounds to control the system without touchscreen, which range from simple combinations of physical buttons to using computer utilities for remote control, and it is important to act consistently so that the file system is not damaged.
In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to force the switch off and reboot of smartphones of the line Redmi and POCO. You will learn how to use physical buttons, connected peripherals and even voice commands when the screen has turned into a black rectangle.
Forced reboot method through physical buttons
The fastest and most affordable way to turn off or restart a smartphone with a broken touchscreen is to use hardware buttons. This method emulates battery extraction, which was the norm for older phones, but now requires long clamping. To activate the mode, you need to find a side power button and, depending on the model, a volume button.
In most modern Xiaomi models, you just need to press the power button for 10-15 seconds, the device vibrates, the screen goes out, and you completely reboot. If you need to turn the phone off rather than restart it, sometimes you need a combination of buttons, such as pressing the Power and Volume Up simultaneously before the logo appears.
⚠️ Warning: Long button clamping (over 20 seconds) on some Redmi models may trigger Fastboot or Recovery mode.If you see the logo of a hare repairing an android, just press the power button again for 10 seconds to exit.
There is a nuance that depends on the version of the MIUI firmware. In some cases, a long pressing of the power button causes the action menu (Stop, Reboot), but without a touchscreen, you can not select a point. However, if the system has retained voice control support or if the menu disappears through a timeout, the phone can go to standby or turn off automatically.
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If the phone freezes and doesn't respond to a short press, hold the power button until you feel a clear vibration, which is a signal that the hardware reset has been successful.
Use of the USB-mouse-wise OTG-adapter
One of the most elegant ways to get around a non-working sensor is to plug in a regular computer mouse. Xiaomi smartphones support the technology OTG (On-the-Go, which allows you to connect externally USB-The mouse cursor will appear on the screen, replacing your finger, and you can safely navigate through the menu.
To implement this method, you'll need a USB Type-C to USB-A adapter (or Micro-USB if you have a very old Redmi model), plug the adapter into the charging port and a wired USB mouse, and you'll have a handcursor on the screen, and if the screen is even partially working and visible, you'll easily find a switch off.
- 🖱️ Prepare. OTG-adapter compatible with your smartphone connector.
- 🔌 Connect the adapter to the charging port of the phone.
- 💻 Insert a regular computer mouse into the adapter.
- 👆 Use the left mouse button to simulate touch, the right to return back.
If the touchscreen is completely black and the image is not there, this method will not help visually, but it can work blindly if you know the approximate location of the elements. However, most often this method is used when the image is present and the touch is not working. After connecting the mouse, go to Settings or press the power button (now you can click "Switch off" on the screen with the cursor).
☑️ Preparation for connecting the mouse
Remote management via ADB and computer
For advanced users who previously had USB debugging enabled, the ideal option would be to use the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) console, which allows you to send system commands from your computer directly to the smartphone operating system, ignoring the state of the touchscreen.
First, you need to install Xiaomi drivers and the SDK Platform-Tools platform on your PC. Connect your phone with a cable to your computer. If debugging is allowed, you can send a command to shut down. Open the command line in the ADB folder and type in the following instructions:
adb shell reboot -pThis command reboot -p causes the device to restart and immediately shut down (power off). If the first command does not work, try an alternative option that emulates a long press of the power button programmatically:
adb shell input keyevent 26⚠️ Attention: Method C ADB Only if the “Debugging by” function was activated earlier in the “Developers” menu USB». If you didn’t turn it on beforehand, your computer won’t be able to communicate with your phone.
The advantage of this method is that it's absolutely accurate, you don't risk damaging the buttons with physical impact, and the command is executed instantly, and you can also try to get the phone out of its hover state through ADB if the standard restart doesn't help.
Where to find ADB for Android?
Specificity of models with non-removable battery
Owners of the modern Redmi Note and flagship series often question the safety of hard methods, since the battery cannot be removed. It is important to understand that in modern lithium polymer batteries there is no “physical” break of the chain with buttons.
Unlike older phones, where battery pulling was a panacea, here we rely on software interrupt. The button combinations on non-removable models (e.g. Redmi Note 10, Xiaomi 12) work identically. The only difference is that after turning off the phone will not turn on itself until you press the power button again.
| Model Xiaomi/Redmi | Combination to turn off | Retention time | The result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redmi Note 8/9/10 | Power (long) | 10-15 sec. | Reboot. |
| Xiaomi Mi 9/10/11 | Power + Vol Up | 10 seconds. | Shutdown/Recovery |
| POCO X3/N3 | Power (long) | 15 seconds | Forced restart |
| Redmi 9/9A | Power (long) | 10 seconds. | Reboot. |
If neither of these combinations works, maybe the problem is deeper, like a hardware failure of the controller or a total discharge, so leave your phone charging for 30-40 minutes, even if the screen doesn't light up. Sometimes, the accumulation of minimal charge allows the system to respond to the buttons again.
Voice control and assistants
Don’t discount the Google Assistant or XiaoAI. If your phone is set up to respond to voice commands (the “Ok Google” feature), you can try to turn the device off with your voice. This doesn’t work on all firmware versions, but it’s not a torture to try.
Say loudly, "Ok Google" or "Hey Google." If the assistant is activated, say "Switch off the phone" or "Turn off my phone." The system may request confirmation, but in some scenarios (especially when access mode is on), the command is executed immediately. You can also try to say "Reset the phone."
This method is heavily dependent on privacy settings and the version of MIUI. In newer versions of shells, direct voice shutdown is often blocked for security reasons so that an attacker cannot turn off a stolen phone. However, the reboot or turn off menu feature may remain available.
- 🎤 Make sure the microphone is not closed and clean.
- 🗣️ Say the command loud and clear: OK Google, turn off your phone».
- ⏳ Wait for the system to react (vibration or sound signal).
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Voice control is the most unreliable method in a critical situation, but it is the only possible method if the buttons are physically broken or crash.
What to do if nothing helps
There are times when the phone is in a brick state: buttons don't respond, OTG isn't detected, ADB is silent, which may indicate a deep freeze of the power controller or a hardware failure of the display plume that closes the circuit, in which case you just have to wait for the battery to run out.
Leave the phone alone for a few hours or even a day. When the charge drops to a critical minimum, the device will turn off itself. Then put it on charge. Sometimes after a full discharge-charge cycle, the system resets the errors and the touchscreen starts working again, if only to turn the phone on.
⚠️ Warning: Do not attempt to disassemble the phone or unplug the battery plume yourself if you have no experience.You could damage the plumes or cause a short circuit, resulting in expensive repairs.
If after full discharge and charging the sensor problem persists, but the phone turns on (sounds are heard, vibration is working), then the problem is in the display module, in which case you can use the mouse method to save data (if the screen shows anything) or contact the service center for a temporary replacement of the screen.