How to Turn Off Xiaomi’s Broken Screen Phone: The Complete Guide

When the screen of Xiaomi smartphone is broken and touchscreen stops responding to touch, often puts the user at a loss. It would seem that the simplest action - to turn off the device - becomes a difficult task, especially if the power button is also damaged or blocked programmatically. Forced shutdown is necessary not only to save charge, but also to prevent overheating or freezing of the system.

In this article, we will discuss proven methods that will allow you to complete the device even with a completely non-working display. You will learn about software solutions, the use of external accessories and hardware methods that are guaranteed to help turn off the gadget.

Many users panic when they see a black screen or chaotic phantom presses, but MIUI and Android have multiple levels of control available even when the interface is damaged, and the key is to act consistently and not use excessive physical force on the body.

Using a button combination to reboot

The most obvious and often ignored way is to hold physical buttons for a long time. Xiaomi and Redmi have a forced reboot feature that works at the level of a low-level power controller, and you need to find the on button and one of the volume buttons.

Press both Power and Volume+ (or Volume-, depending on the model) and hold them for 10 to 15 seconds. The screen may go out, the vibration will stop, and the device will turn off. If the screen is at least partially responsive, you can see the Recovery menu, where you can select Power off using the volume buttons.

⚠️ Note: Do not keep the buttons pinched for more than 30 seconds unnecessarily, as this can lead to a transition to Fastboot mode, which can be difficult for a beginner to exit without a PC.

This method is effective when the system is still partially responsive to hardware interrupts, but if the touchscreen or display controller shorts, the software shutdown may not work and deeper intervention may be required.

Connection USB-mouse-wise OTG

If the touchscreen doesn’t work, but the display image is present, the ideal solution is to use an OTG adapter. Xiaomi smartphones support the connection of peripherals, which allows you to control the interface using a conventional computer mouse. You will need a USB Type-C to USB-A or Micro-USB to USB-A adapter.

Connect your mouse to the smartphone charging connector. A cursor should appear on the screen that allows you to move freely through the menu. Hover your cursor over the notification curtain, lower it and tap the shutdown icon. This is the most reliable software method if the display space is at least partially readable.

• 🖱️ Prepare the adapter. OTG, The corresponding connector of your smartphone (Type-C or Micro-USB).
• 🔌 Connect the adapter to the phone and then insert a wired USB-mouse.
• ⚙️ Wait for the cursor to appear and use the left mouse button to emulate the touch.
• 🔋 Turn off the mouse after the device is turned off so as not to drain the battery.

It’s important to note that some budget models may not power external devices or require feature inclusion in settings that you can’t get to with a broken screen.However, 90% of the time Xiaomi recognizes the mouse automatically.

Shutting down through Recovery mode

Recovery mode is a diagnostic environment that boots independently of the main operating system, and can be accessed even with a completely black screen using only physical buttons, which is ideal when the system is getting stuck and the touch screen is unresponsive.

To enter the recovery menu, turn off the phone (if it is still on, wait for the discharge or use the method of clamping the buttons until vibration). Then press the Volume+ button and connect the charger cable to the computer or adapter. The Mi logo will appear on the screen, and then the Recovery menu.

This menu is controlled by volume buttons (up/down) and the choice is confirmed by the power button.

• ⬆️⬇️ Select Power off with volume buttons (usually at the bottom or top of the list).
• ✅ Press the power button to confirm the selection.
• 🔄 The device will safely complete the work.

⚠️ Warning: Be careful not to choose Wipe Data or Connect with MIAssistant if your goal is to simply turn off your phone, as this may result in data deletion.

Hardware discharge through battery discharge

In cases where the screen is shattered, the touchscreen is chaotic (phantom presses) and the buttons are not responsive, the easiest, albeit long, way is to wait for a full discharge. This is a passive method that guarantees shutdown, since the lithium-ion battery cannot operate at zero charge.

To speed up the process, you can leave the flashlight on (if it caught fire on itself) or leave the phone in a bad signal zone where it will constantly search for the network. Some users recommend putting the phone on wireless charging (if there is support), but without connecting to the network to start the reverse current, but this does not work on all models.

Once the phone turns off, don't rush to charge it, give the battery a 10-15-minute rest, which will help avoid the cyclical on-off that can occur at critically low charge levels.

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To make the phone discharge faster, turn on it (if possible) maximum brightness of the screen and run a heavy app or game, if phonetic presses allow you to do this.

This method does not require any tools, but it is not suitable if the phone needs to be turned off urgently, for example, due to heavy heat or smoke.

Using ADB to Remotely Shut Down

For advanced users who previously had debugging enabled USB (USB Debugging is a powerful tool for Android Debug Bridge (ADB). This method allows you to send system commands from your computer directly to the shell of the smartphone.

You'll need a PC, USB-Xiaomi cable and drivers installed. Connect your phone to your computer. If debugging is allowed and your computer is authorized, open the command line on your PC and type the next command:

adb shell reboot -p

The reboot-p command sends a signal to completely shut down the power of the device, and if the first command fails, you can try an alternative syntax:

adb shell svc power shutdown

This is the most professional and data-safe method, because it simulates the normal shutdown of the operating system, but without debugging it is useless.

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ADB is the only way to turn off the phone software if both the screen and buttons are broken, but only if the USB debugging is previously enabled.

Comparison of methods and effectiveness table

The choice of method depends on the specific situation: what is damaged, whether there are tools at hand and how urgently you need to turn off the device. Below is a comparison table that will help you navigate.

As you can see from the table, having an OTG adapter is often a salvation, allowing you to fully control the smartphone. If both the buttons and the charging port are damaged, you can only wait for the discharge or carry the device to the service for hardware disconnection of the battery.

Remember that regularly backing up your Mi Cloud or Google Drive will minimize the consequences of any breakdown. In the event of a complete failure of the touchscreen and buttons, the only safe alternative to shutting down is waiting for discharge, since opening the case without skills can damage the plumes.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)