Safe Mode on Xiaomi: How to Enable Redmi, POCO and Mi (all ways 2026)

Safe Mode on Xiaomi smartphones is a diagnostic tool that helps identify problems caused by third-party apps or conflicts in the system. When a device is unstable — for example, constantly restarting, slowing down or emitting errors — turning on this mode allows you to load MIUI with a minimum set of drivers and services, disabling all user programs. This makes it easier to find the cause of the failure: if the phone is working normally, one of the installed applications is to blame.

In this article, you will find the most current ways to activate Safe Mode for all modern Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO models (including devices on MIUI 14/15 and HyperOS). We will look at options for a working phone that hangs on the logo, as well as the nuances of exiting mode and diagnosing faults.

If your Xiaomi smartphone starts to behave strangely — spontaneously opens applications, issues error messages or overheats — do not rush to reset it to factory settings. In 80% of cases, the problem is solved through safe mode, the main thing is to turn it on correctly and correctly analyze the behavior of the device.

What is a Safe Mode on Xiaomi and Why You Need It

Safe Mode is a special Android boot mode in which the system starts with the minimum necessary set of components.

• 🔹 All third-party applications (including launchers, widgets and services) are disabled)
• 🔹 Only system processes and pre-installed programs from Xiaomi work
• 🔹 Blocked autoload and background activity of user utilities
• 🔹 Some functions are disabled MIUI (For example, themes and animations)

The main purpose of the mode is to diagnose software failures. If the phone in Safe Mode is stable, the problem lies in one of the installed applications. If lags and errors persist, the system itself (MIUI or HyperOS) is to blame, and you may need to flash or reset settings.

Typical situations where a safe regime is needed:

• 📱 Xiaomi’s smartphone is constantly restarted or turned off
• 🐢 Strong brakes and friezes when working with applications
• 🔋 Fast battery discharge for no apparent reason
• 🚨 The appearance of suspicious notifications or advertisements
• 🔒 Locking the screen with unexpected passwords or graphic keys

⚠️ Note: In Safe Mode, some Xiaomi features will not be available, such as Dual Apps, Child Mode or Game Turbo, and navigation gestures may not work if implemented through third-party launchers.

How to turn on safe mode on a working smartphone Xiaomi

If your Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO is on and responsive to clicks, use the standard way to activate Safe Mode via the off menu.This method works on all devices with MIUI 12 and later (including HyperOS).

Step-by-step:

1. Press and hold the Power button until the turn off menu appears.
2. In the window that appears, tap and hold your finger on the option to turn off (or Power off).
3. In 2-3 seconds, you'll be prompted to go to safe mode. Press OK.
4. Wait for the device to restart. In the lower left corner of the screen, the message "Safe Mode" will appear.

On some models (for example, Xiaomi 13 Pro or POCO F5), instead of holding the button, you may need to press it once, and then select Reboot in Safe Mode in the additional menu that appears.

☑️ Preparing to enable Safe Mode Close all applications Save important data Connect charging (if battery) < 20%)Make sure the Power button is working: 0 / 4

If the standard method didn’t work, try the alternative method through Recovery Mode.

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the power and volume buttons up simultaneously.
3. Hold them until the Mi logo appears (usually 5-10 seconds).
4. In the Recovery menu, select Reboot to Safe Mode (navigation is done with volume buttons, the choice is with the power button).

⚠️ Note: On bootloader devices, enabling Safe Mode via Recovery can cause resets. If you are not sure of the bootloader status, use only the former method.

How to get into Safe Mode if Xiaomi is not switched on or hangs

If the Xiaomi smartphone is stuck on the logo, reboots cyclically or does not respond to the power button, alternative methods of activating Safe Mode will be required. The main thing here is not to confuse Safe Mode with Fastboot or Recovery, since these states solve different problems.

Method 1: Forced reboot with button retention

This method works if the phone responds to physical buttons:

1. Press and hold the Power button for 10-15 seconds until the screen goes out.
2. Immediately after turning off, press and hold Volume down + Power.
3. Hold the buttons until the Mi logo appears, then let go of Power, but continue to keep Volume down.
4. When the Safe Mode sign appears on the screen, release all buttons.

Method 2: ADB (for advanced users)

If you have access to your computer and USB debugging is enabled, you can activate Safe Mode via the command line:

adb shell settings put global sys.boot_completed 0


adb shell am broadcast -a android.intent.action.BOOT_COMPLETED




adb reboot safe

Once these commands are executed, the phone will reboot to Safe Mode, a method that is suitable for devices with MIUI 13 and later, where standard button combinations may not work due to changes in the Android kernel.

Method 3: Using the Mi Flash Tool (extremely)

If the phone is stuck in a bootloop cycle and other methods don’t help, you can try flashing the device in EDL mode with the default Safe Mode enabled.

1. Download the Mi Flash Tool and firmware for your model.
2. Connect your phone to your PC in EDL mode (a special cable or testpoint is required).
3. In Mi Flash settings, select Clean all and lock.
4. In the file flash_all.bat add a parameter --safe-mode.
5. Run the firmware.

⚠️ Note: Firmware via the Mi Flash Tool will delete all data from the device and block the bootloader. Use this method only if other options are exhausted and you are ready for loss of information.

How to get out of Safe Mode on Xiaomi

Quitting Safe Mode is usually easy, but sometimes users find that the phone stays in that mode after the reboot. Let's look at all the scenarios.

Standard method:

Just restart the device:

1. Press and hold the power button.
2. In the menu, select Reboot (or Restart).
3. After restarting, the phone will return to normal.

If the phone does not leave Safe Mode after restarting:

This may be due to a down Volume button (the system thinks it's pinched).

• 🔄 Reboot the phone by holding Volume up + Power before vibration.
• 🔧 Check the buttons for mechanical damage or contamination.
• 📱 Remove recently installed applications that may have changed system settings.
• 🔄 Perform a reset of settings through Settings → The phone. → Resetting settings (data not deleted).

If nothing helps, you may have damaged the build.prop system file or crashed MIUI, in which case only flashing through Fastboot or Recovery will help.

💡Before leaving Safe Mode, take a screenshot of the list of installed applications (in Settings) → This will help the later to determine which one caused the failure.

Diagnosing problems in safe mode: what to do next

The first step is to turn on Safe Mode, and the main task is to identify the cause of the unstable operation of the phone, and here is the algorithm for how to proceed after successfully entering mode:

Step 1: Checking the stability of the system

• 📊 Test your phone for brakes, overheating, or spontaneous reboots.
• 🔋 Check the battery consumption in Settings → Battery.
• 📶 Check the network (Wi-Fi, mobile Internet).

If the problems in Safe Mode are gone, one of the user applications is to blame; if not, the problem is in the system or hardware.

Step 2: Finding a problem application

If the phone is stable, follow the following steps:

1. Get out of safe mode.
2. Remove applications installed in the last 1-2 weeks (especially optimizers, launchers, antiviruses).
3. Check your phone after you delete each application.
4. If the problem is gone, the culprit is found. If not, delete the apps in groups until you find the cause.

Step 3: Verification of system files

If the failures persist in Safe Mode, do:

• 🔍 System Integrity Checking through Settings → The phone. → Updating the system → Three points. → Verification of updates.
• 🔄 Resetting cache to Recovery (does not delete data, but clears temporary files).
• 📥 Fastboot flashing (if you have experience).

💡If the phone is perfectly functioning in safe mode and the problems come back after it is out, one of the user applications is to blame 99% of the time.

Frequent mistakes when working with safe mode on Xiaomi

Many users make common mistakes that can make problems worse or cause data loss, and the most common ones are:

Error 1: Removing System Applications in Safe Mode

Safe Mode displays all installed programs, including system ones. Deleting applications like Mi Security, Mi Account or Google Play Services can cause your phone to fail. System applications in MIUI are marked with a lock icon, and you can't delete them.

Mistake 2: Ignoring hardware problems

If the phone overheats, does not charge or does not respond to touches even in Safe Mode, the reason is most likely due to the hardware (battery, plume, motherboard).

Error 3: Interrupting the Reboot Process

If you force your phone to turn off while booting in Safe Mode (e.g., pulling out the battery or pinching the power button for 20+ seconds), it can damage system files, which can result in the phone not turning on at all.

Error 4: Using Safe Mode to unlock the pattern lock

The secure mode does not reset the pattern lock or PIN-If you forget your password, this method won't help. Unlocking will require a reset via Recovery (with loss of data) or using Mi Account.

⚠️ Note: On Xiaomi HyperOS devices (2026), enabling Safe Mode may temporarily disable some features such as Xiaomi Cloud or Mi Share.

Features of safe mode on different models Xiaomi

Depending on the Xiaomi model and the MIUI version, the process of enabling Safe Mode can have nuances.

MIUI 12-14 devices (2020-2023)

On these firmware versions, the safe mode is activated in the standard way, by holding the "Stop" button.

• 📱 On Xiaomi Mi. 10/11 Redmi Note 9/10 You may need to click Turn off twice to appear as a Safe Mode option.
• 🔧 In some models (for example, POCO X3) In Safe Mode, Always-on Display is disabled.
• 🔋 V MIUI 13 added protection against accidental inclusion of Safe Mode - now you need to confirm the action with a password.

HyperOS devices (2026)

In the new HyperOS shell (installed on Xiaomi 14, Redmi Note 13, etc.), the process has changed a little:

• 🔄 Instead of the Safe mode label, an icon appears in the corner of the screen. 🛡️.
• 📱 To exit the mode now requires a double reboot (the first is to go into normal mode, the second is a full load of the system).
• 🔧 In HyperOS, safe mode blocks the work of Xiaomi AI Assistant and Smart Hub.

3. Older models (MIUI 11 and below)

On devices like Xiaomi Mi 8 or Redmi 5, you may experience problems with:

• 🔄Safe Mode can be activated accidentally when the volume buttons are pressed during booting.
• 📱 Some firmware does not have visual confirmation of entry into mode (no inscription in the corner of the screen).
• 🔧 Sometimes you need to reset the cache through Recovery.

💡On HyperOS devices, turn off Smart Reboot in battery settings before you turn on Safe Mode. It may interfere with the correct entry into mode.

FAQ: Frequent questions about safe mode on Xiaomi