Forgot the password from Xiaomi Redmi: the complete guide to unlock

When you pick up your smartphone and realize you can’t remember your pattern lock or digital code, it always takes you by surprise. Android’s security system, which is designed to protect your personal data from outsiders, becomes a major barrier to accessing information, especially for owners of Xiaomi and Redmi devices, where protection can be enhanced by linking to a Mi Account.

Fortunately, modern access recovery methods allow you to regain control of the gadget even in the most difficult cases. You do not need to carry the device to the service center and pay for expensive services of the wizards if you are ready for decisive action. In this article, we will discuss in detail all the known ways to unlock the Redmi Note or any other model if you forget the password, from simple methods to a complete reset.

You should be warned that some methods are guaranteed to result in complete deletion of all data, so if you have the opportunity to recall the code or find it in a notebook, take this opportunity right now, but if there is no alterative, then the instructions below will be your only way to restore the device to health.

⚠️ Note: Most of the methods described below, which involve a full Hard Reset, will lead to the permanent removal of all photos, contacts and applications from the internal memory of the phone.

Use the "Forgot Password" function through Mi Account

This is the most gentle way to unlock a Xiaomi device without losing data, but it only works if a number of conditions are met. First of all, the Internet must be turned on on on the locked phone, and the Mi Account must be logged in. If the lock screen offers to enter a pattern lock or pin code several times in a row, the system can offer the option of entering a password from the account.

To activate this method, you need to enter the wrong password or draw the wrong pattern lock five times in a row, and then the "Forgot the password" or "Forgot the pattern lock" button will appear on the screen, and click on it, you will go to the authorization window, where you will need to enter the username and password from your Mi ID, which will confirm that the device belongs to you.

In some versions of the shell MIUI You may need to connect to your Wi-Fi network directly on the lock screen. If you don't have internet, the system won't be able to verify your credentials on the server. SIM-The card is active or there is an access point nearby to which the phone has previously connected.

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If you have recently changed your Mi Account password, wait 24 hours before trying to unlock it, which is a security requirement for Android to prevent hacking.

Successful authorization will reset the current locking code and allow you to install a new one, but if the phone is not connected to the network or the account was not added to the security settings in advance, this method will not work, and you will have to move to more radical measures.

Resets via Recovery (Hard Reset) menu

If the softer methods don't work, the only way out is to force the resets to factory settings, a process called Hard Reset, and it's done through a special recovery menu known as Recovery Mode. It's important to understand that after this procedure, the phone will look like you just bought it in a store.

To enter recovery mode on Redmi and Xiaomi devices, you need to turn off the smartphone completely. Then you need to press the volume button and the power button at the same time. Hold them until the Mi logo appears, after which the power button can be released, continuing to hold the volume button until the main Recovery menu appears.

Navigation in this menu is done with volume buttons (up and down), and the choice of item is confirmed by the power button. You need to find the item "Wipe Data" or "Clear Data". In some versions of the menu can be in English, so focus on the location of the items.

☑️ Preparing for resetting through Recovery

Done: 0 / 5

Once you select a cleanup point, the system will request confirmation, because this is a critical operation. Select "Wipe All Data" and confirm the action. The process of formatting the internal memory will take from a few seconds to a couple of minutes, after which the phone will suggest restarting.

⚠️ Warning: After reset via Recovery, the phone may activate protection FRP (Factory Reset Protection, which will require you to enter a Google account that was synced to your device before being blocked.

Unlocking through Xiaomi’s Find Device service

Xiaomi provides users with a powerful cloud service called Find Device, similar to Google or Samsung. If the Internet was turned on on on a locked smartphone and the search function is activated, you can remotely erase data and remove the lock through the browser on your computer or other phone.

To do this, go to the official website of the Xiaomi cloud service and log in under the same Mi akka that was used on the locked device. In the list of your gadgets, select the smartphone you want. If it is online and displayed on the map, you will have access to the management functionality.

From the control menu, select the "Erase Device" option, which initiates a remote Hard Reset. The phone will receive a command, reboot and erase all user data, including the forgotten screen lock password, which is especially convenient because it does not require physical access to the buttons of the smartphone at the time of the operation.

Unlocking methodData retentionWe need the Internet.Difficulty
Mi Account (screen)Yes.Yes.Low.
Recovery ModeNo.No.Medium
Find Device (cloud)No.Yeah (on the phone)Low.
Service centreNo.No.Tall.
📊 Have you ever had a smartphone lock?
Yeah, I forgot my password.
No, I always remember the code.
Blocked with a virus-encryptor
I only use my fingerprint.

Unlocking the lock with Google Find My Device

An alternative way that works at the Android operating system level is Google’s Find Device service, which is effective if the phone is logged in to a Google account and geolocated, similar to Xiaomi’s cloud service, but using the search giant’s infrastructure.

Go from any other device to the Google Find My Device site and log in to the account that was used on the blocked Redmi. The system will try to locate the phone. If the device is found, select the Erase Device function from the menu on the right.

Once confirmed, the phone will be remotely reset.It's important to note that in newer versions of Android, this method also requires the subsequent entry of a password from a Google account when you first set up the phone after you reset. FRP lock.

If the phone is offline, the reset command will be sent in line and executed automatically as soon as the phone is online, so if you lose the phone, this method allows you not only to erase the data, but also potentially track the movement of the device.

What if the phone doesn’t see the network after the reset?
After Hard Reset, the phone can’t see SIM-map or network due to resetting APN. Go to Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Access points (APN) and click "Reset settings" or add your operator's settings manually, taking them on the official website of the provider.

Using ADB to remove lock files

For advanced users who previously included on their Xiaomi mode "Debugging by" USB", There's a way to unlock without losing data through a computer. MIUI and requires pre-installing drivers and utilities ADB (Android Debug Bridge on PC.

Connect the locked smartphone to the computer through USB-Open the command line or terminal on your computer in the folder with the installed ADB. Enter a command to check the connection:

adb devices

If a device with the status of "device" appears on the list, then the connection is established. Next, you need to enter a command to delete the system file that stores the pattern lock or password. The path to the file may vary depending on the version of Android, but the most commonly used is:

adb shell rm /data/system/gesture.key

Or, in the case of a digital password:

adb shell rm /data/system/password.key





Once you have completed the command, restart the phone. The lock should disappear and you can set a new access code, but if the USB debugging was not activated before locking, this method, alas, will not work.




⚠️ Attention: using ADB commands requires accuracy. Putting wrong commands into system partitions can cause the operation to malfunction.