How to reboot Xiaomi if the power button doesn’t work: 5 proven ways

A broken power button on Xiaomi is one of the most frustrating breakdowns that can completely paralyze a smartphone. You can't turn the device on, reboot it, or even turn it off if it freezes. But don't rush to bring the phone to the service center: 80 percent of the time, you can solve the problem yourself using software or hardware workarounds.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways Xiaomi can reboot (including Redmi, POCO, and Black Shark) without a power button, from standard MIUI features to advanced methods using ADB and Fastboot. You’ll also learn how to temporarily replace the Power button software and what to do if the smartphone is completely discharged or locked.

Important: The methods vary depending on the state of the device (on/off, discharged, locked) and the firmware version. We will look at options for all scenarios.

1. Reboot methods if Xiaomi is enabled (but the Power button doesn’t work)

If the smartphone screen is active but the power button is not responsive to taps, you have several ways to reboot the device without physically hitting the key.

The easiest method is to use the software reboot via the MIUI menu.

1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
2. Tap 7 times on the MIUI version to activate the developer mode (if not already activated).
3. Return to the main settings menu and select Additional → For developers.
4. Find the Reboot option and confirm the action.

If the developer menu is already activated, you can use quick commands:

• 📱 Through the notification bar: swipe down from the top edge of the screen, find the icon ⚙️ Settings → Reboot (not available on all models).
• 🔄 Voice Assistant: Say “OK Google, reboot the device” (requires voice control settings).
• 🖱️ Through USB-mouse: plug in OTG-cable and mouse – in some firmware cursors you can click on the virtual reboot button in the off menu.

⚠️ Note: If after the reboot the Power button did not work, do not try to disassemble the phone yourself - this can lead to loss of warranty.

2. Hardware reboot: button combinations for forced shutdown

If the smartphone is stuck or the screen is not responsive to touch, you can try to perform a forced reset using combinations of physical buttons, which works even with a completely broken Power button, but requires a serviceable volume button.

Instructions for most Xiaomi models (including Redmi and POCO):

1. Press the Volume Up button (+) and the Volume Down button (−) simultaneously.
2. Hold them for 10-15 seconds until the screen goes out and the phone vibrates (reset signal).
3. If there is no reaction, try adding a connected one. USB-cable (no need to charge, but the cable must be inserted).

Some models (such as the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra or Black Shark 5) may require a different combination:

• 🔋 Loudness (+) + USB-cable - hold 20 seconds.
• 🔄 Loudness (−) + USB-cable + camera (if there is a physical button) – rare, but works on older models.

On models with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor (for example, Xiaomi 13 Pro), a forced reboot can only work when connected to a charger with a power of 18 watts.

Make sure the volume buttons are working |

Connect. USB-cable (if possible)|

Put your phone on a flat surface |

Do not interrupt the buttons before the time.-->

3. Reboot via Recovery Mode (if the phone is turned off or got stuck)

If the smartphone is turned off and does not respond to charging, you can try to enter Recovery Mode and initialize the reboot from there, which is suitable for devices with a dead battery or a completely dead screen.

Step-by-step:

1. Connect the phone to the charger (preferably the original one).
2. Press the Volume Up button (+) and the Volume Down button (−) simultaneously.
3. Without releasing the volume buttons, connect USB-cable to the phone (if not already connected).
4. Hold on until the Mi logo or Recovery menu appears.
5. From the Recovery menu, select Reboot → Reboot to System (manage volume buttons, confirm – power button, but if it doesn’t work, see next item).

If the Power button doesn’t work in Recovery:

• 🔌 Connect your phone to your PC and use it ADB (see section 4).
• 🔄 On some firmware, the Recovery menu supports touch input - try tapping on the screen.

⚠️ Note: Log in to Recovery on a locked bootloader may result in a data reset. If the warning "This device is locked" appears on the screen, do not continue - contact the service.

4.Reboot via ADB (for advanced users)

If you have access to your computer and USB debugging enabled, you can reboot Xiaomi using the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) tool, which works even when the Power button is completely broken, but requires pre-setting.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB Tools.
• 🔌 Original. USB-cable (preferably from the set).
• 📱 Included debugging by USB (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (7 taps) → For developers → Debugging by USB).

Instructions:

1. Connect the phone to the PC.
2. Open the command line (Win + R → cmd) and type: adb devices If the device appears in the list, go further. If not, check the drivers or cable.
3. Run the reboot command: adb reboot For forced reboot (if the phone is getting stuck): adb shell reboot -p

If USB debugging wasn’t enabled in advance, but the phone is enabled, you can try activating it via a hidden menu:

1. Type the code on your phone keyboard: ##284##.
2. In the menu that appears, select USB Debugging and activate it.

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If ADB Can't see the device, try to reconnect the cable to another USB-port (preferably 3.0) or use the original Xiaomi cable.Cheap cables often don't support data transfer.

5. Alternative methods: charging, battery and service functions

If none of these methods work, less obvious, but sometimes effective, methods remain, and are suitable for cases where the phone is discharged, unresponsive to buttons or locked.

Method 1: “Hard” resetting by battery removal

On older Xiaomi models (until 2018), the battery was removable, and removing it for 30 seconds reset everything.

• 🔋 Connect your phone to charge and leave it for 1-2 hours (even if the indicator doesn’t burn).
• 🔄 After that, try the button combination for forced reboot (see Section 2).

Method 2: Use of the service menu

Some Xiaomi models have hidden engineering codes to reboot:

• 📞 Dial in the dialer: ##4636## → select the Battery. → Reboot.
• 🔧 Type: ##7780## (soft reset, does not delete data).

Method 3: Contact Xiaomi Service

If the phone doesn’t respond to any manipulations, it’s possible that the problem isn’t the button, but rather:

• 🔋 Faulty battery (swelling, short circuit).
• 🔌 Damaged Power button plume.
• 🖥️ Firmware failure (reflashing through Fastboot is required).

⚠️ Note: If the warranty is still valid, do not try to disassemble it yourself. In Xiaomi service centers, the Power button is replaced free of charge during the first year of operation (provided there is no mechanical damage).

6 How to temporarily replace the Power button software

If the power button is broken, but the phone is working, you can configure the software alternative using MIUI apps or features.This will avoid constant reboots through Recovery or ADB.

Method 1: Virtual Power button in the notification panel

1. Install Power Menu or GravityBox (root required).
2. Activate the option to Add the reboot button to the curtain.
3. Now you can restart the phone with one tap on the icon in the notification panel.

Method 2: Voice control

Set up Google Assistant or Yandex’s Alice to manage power:

• 🎤 Open the Settings. → Voice assistant → Teams.
• Add a voice command to “Switch off the phone” or “Reboot the device.”
• Link the command to the Reboot action (via Tasker or MacroDroid).

Method 3: Gestures or Volume buttons

On some MIUI firmware, you can reassign volume buttons:

1. Activate the developer mode (7 taps according to the MIUI version).
2. Go to For Developers → Reassignment of buttons.
3. Set a long press on Volume (−) as Reboot.

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If the Power button is broken but the phone is turned on, set up a software alternative (a virtual button or voice control) right away, which will save you from having to use Recovery or ADB in the future.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the power button on Xiaomi