Xiaomi phone is constantly rebooting: a step-by-step guide to elimination

The situation where your Xiaomi reboots endlessly is familiar to many users: the screen goes out, the Mi or Redmi logo appears, after which the cycle repeats again and again. This phenomenon is often called "bootloop" (cyclical reboot), at which point the device is impossible to use, and panic increases every minute, but in most cases the problem is solved by software methods or simple replacement of components.

The reasons for this behavior can be very different, from the banal sticking of the power button to a deep system failure after a failed update. It is important to understand that a cyclical reboot is a protective mechanism or a consequence of a critical error that the system cannot handle properly. Ignoring the problem can lead to complete data loss or motherboard failure.

In this article, we will take a look at the algorithm that will help you resuscitate your gadget, going from the simplest checks to the more complex firmware manipulations. Don't rush your phone to the service center, often the solution lies in a sequence of simple steps that you can do yourself.

Primary Diagnosis and Physical Factors

Before you go into settings or reflash the device, you need to rule out the trivial physical reasons. Often users forget that the smartphone is a complex electronic device, sensitive to external influences. First of all, assess the condition of the case: there are no signs of falling, moisture or severe overheating. If the phone is hot, let it cool completely, because thermal protection can block normal start.

The power button is the one that's most often the culprit, and mechanical wear, dirt, or just a tight case can cause the button to stick in the internal position, and the system perceives this as a continuous key retention, which causes constant reboots.

• 🔍 Remove the protective case and carefully examine the on button for sticking or displacement.
• 🔋 Turn off the charger and try to start the phone from the battery to exclude power surges in the network.
• ❄️ If the device is overheated, put it on a cool surface (not in the fridge!) and wait. 15-20 minute.

⚠️ Warning: If the phone has been in water, do not try to charge it or connect it to the computer. moisture inside the case can cause a short circuit, which will turn the software problem into an irreversible failure of the electronics.

Also check if another button is accidentally clamped, such as volume control. In some Xiaomi models, the button combination can put the device into recovery mode, which looks like a glitch. Carefully press all physical keys to make sure they are clear and return to their original position.

Problems with the power button and plumes

If external factors are excluded, it is likely that the power button mechanism is the problem. In budget models such as the Redmi Note series, the power button plume is often combined with the tail of the lower speaker or charging connector. Long-term use leads to oxidation of the contacts or rupture of the tracks inside the plume.

You can diagnose this by tapping your finger slightly on the back cover around the power button or gently pressing it. If at some point the phone stops rebooting and turns on, it means the problem is exactly in contact. The temporary solution may be to lock the button in a certain position, but it's just a crutch before the part is replaced.

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Try to move the switch with your finger carefully, without fanaticism, if the nature of the cyclic reboots changes or the phone hangs on the logo, the mechanical malfunction is confirmed.

In more complex cases, you need to disassemble the device, remove the back cover (or screen, depending on the model) and disconnect the power button plume from the motherboard. If after the plume is turned off, the phone stops trying to turn on (lies dead weight when charging), then it was in the button, which allows you to start the phone through the engineering menu or ADB, if you have the opportunity.

• 🔧 Carefully remove the back panel using a suction cup and mediator so as not to damage the body.
• 🔌 Disconnect the power button plume and check the device's response to connect the charging cable.
• 🧹 Clean the button contacts with alcohol and soft brush, removing oxides and dust.

Replacing the plume is a low-cost and fast procedure in the service center. However, if you decide to change the part yourself, be aware of the risks of damaging other plumes, such as the display plume or the main plume. Use only quality components, as cheap counterparts can fail again in a month.

Operating system failures and updates

If the hardware is OK, the main cause of the endless download is a software failure, which often happens after installing MIUI or HyperOS updates. The upgrade process may be interrupted due to battery discharge, unstable Internet or an error in the service pack itself, which led to damage to system files.

The Android operating system tries to load the necessary drivers and services, but it stumbles upon broken sectors or missing files, as a result, the kernel crashes, and the system initiates a reboot, sometimes the culprits are conflicting applications that have received superuser rights or embedded in the system partition.

It's important to distinguish between cycle types. If the phone has time to show the carrier logo or download animations, but then goes out, which often indicates a problem with a particular Google application or service, and if the cycle occurs before any image appears, the problem is deeper, at the bootloader or firmware level.

Using Recovery Mode for Resetting

The most affordable way to try to fix a software bug is to use the built-in Recovery mode, which allows you to perform operations on the device’s memory bypassing the main operating system, and to get into it, you need to turn off the phone (if possible) and pinch the button combination.

Usually, to log into Recovery on Xiaomi, you need to press the Volume Up and Power button. Hold them until the logo appears, then release power, continue to keep the volume. In the Recovery menu, the volume buttons (up/down) control the buttons, and the choice is confirmed by the power button.

Select Wipe Data, then Wipe All Data, and the system will alert you that all data will be deleted, which is a necessary step, because recovery from backup is impossible without a working system. Confirm action. The formatting process can take several minutes.

⚠️ Warning: Wipe All Data permanently deletes all photos, contacts and apps. If you haven't synced with Mi Cloud or Google, it won't be possible to recover data.

Once you have finished cleaning, select Reboot -> Reboot to System. The first boot after reset can last longer than usual (up to 5-7 minutes). If the phone successfully boots and suggests you choose the language, the problem is solved. If the cycle repeats, then the system damage is too deep or there is a hardware malfunction.

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Recovery resets help in 80% of software failures caused by failed updates or application conflicts, but requires a willingness to lose personal data.

Recovery via Fastboot and PC mode

If Recovery doesn't work or the phone doesn't go into this mode, Fastboot mode comes to the rescue, and it connects to your computer and allows you to do low-level operations. To enter, press the Volume Down button and the power button. The android bunny should appear on the screen and the words FASTBOOT should be written.

To work in this mode, you will need a computer with Windows OS, USB-The cable (preferably original) and the Mi Flash Tool utility. You also need to download the official firmware for your particular model. firmware is divided into two types: Recovery (for an update within the system) and Fastboot (for a full recovery, has an extension.tgz).

The firmware process is as follows:

1. Unpack the archive with firmware on the computer (the path should not contain Cyrillic).

2. Launch the Mi Flash Tool on behalf of the administrator.

3. Connect the phone in Fastboot mode.

4. Press the Refresh button so that the program sees the device.

5. Choose the path to the firmware folder.

6. At the bottom, select Clean all (full cleaning) or Clean all and lock (clean and lock bootloader).

7.Push Flash.

fastboot devices


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fastboot flash system system.img




fastboot reboot

Using the Clean all and lock command will return the phone to a store-like state by locking the bootloader, which is important for banking applications and some security features, but if you plan to install custom firmware in the future, you should simply choose Clean all.

• 💻 Make sure that drivers are installed on the computer ADB Fastboot (usually bundled with Mi Flash).
• 🔋 Charge your phone to minimum. 50-60% before starting the firmware to avoid disconnection at a critical moment.
• 🚫 Do not disconnect the cable or interrupt the firmware process until the progress bar reaches 100%.

Hardware malfunctions: battery and motherboard

When all software methods are exhausted and the phone continues to go into cycle, it remains to diagnose hardware. One of the common causes is battery degradation. If the battery can't produce the required starting current when the system is booted, the voltage drops and the phone turns off or restarts.

The only way to check the battery visually is to remove the back cover, and a swelling battery is not only a cause of failure, but also a fire element, and it needs to be replaced immediately, and the problem can be the oxidation of the battery contacts on the motherboard or in the connection plume.

A more serious problem is a motherboard malfunction, which can be a processor dump (often after falls), a power controller (PMIC) failure, or problems with eMMC/UFS memory. In such cases, the phone can warm up in a certain area even when the charge is switched off.

⚠️ Attention: Diagnostics of the motherboard requires special equipment (power supply, multimeter, microscope).Do not try to warm up the board with a hairdryer yourself without experience - you can finally kill the processor or tear off small components.

If the diagnosis shows problems with memory or processor, repairs are often not cost-effective, as the cost of work can approach the cost of a new device.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)