The situation when your faithful smartphone suddenly stops responding to touch, the screen freezes dead, and the system begins to reboot chaotically, is familiar to many owners of Xiaomi equipment. This can happen at the most inopportune moment: during an important call, in the middle of a game or when trying to take an urgent photo. Panic at this moment is not worth it, since most software failures of MIUI and Android are remediable without contacting the service center.
The main reason the device starts to “glut” is because of overflow of system memory, conflict of recently installed applications or a failed update of the operating system. Sometimes the culprit is physical damage, but often a competent software resuscitation is enough. In this article, we will discuss in detail the algorithms of actions from a simple reboot to a complete reset to bring the gadget back to life.
Before we start to take radical measures, we need to assess the scale of the problem, and if the phone is just slow, that's one thing, but if it doesn't respond to any commands, that's critically important, and understanding the type of malfunction will help you choose the right recovery method without the risk of losing important contacts and photos.
Primary diagnosis and forced reset
When Xiaomi’s screen is frozen on the logo or black background, and the volume buttons do not change volume, a standard shutdown becomes impossible, in which case you need to perform a so-called Hard Reset, which breaks the power supply to the processor at the hardware level, forcing the system to start again.
To do this, most Redmi and Poco models require you to press the power button and hold it for 10 to 20 seconds. If that doesn't work, try the combination: press the Volume Up button and the Power button simultaneously, hold it until the vibration or the Mi logo appears.
It's important to understand that forced reboot doesn't delete your data, unlike full reset, and it's a safe method to use in any major freeze, and if you're running a stable system after you've turned it on, there may have been a single failure. system_server.
☑️ Primary resuscitation algorithm
Resolving memory and cache problems
One of the most common reasons why the phone slows down is partition overflow /data or inflating the cache of system applications. When the free space runs out, the Android operating system cannot create the temporary files necessary for the background processes to work, which leads to interface lags.
Cleaning up should start by removing unused apps and heavy files. Go to Settings → Storage and analyze what takes up the most space. Often the garbage is files in the Download folder or the cache of messengers like Telegram and WhatsApp, which can grow to tens of gigabytes.
Also worth paying attention to work in the background: a large number of active applications drains RAM, causing the processor to constantly switch between tasks, close all unnecessary tabs in the multitasking menu and remove widgets from the desktop that constantly update content.
⚠️ Warning: Don't use third-party memory cleaners from Play Market.built-in optimizer MIUI It works more efficiently, and aggressive third-party applications can load the system and cause conflicts.
What's Dalvik Cache?
Analysis of installed applications and safe mode
If a smartphone starts to glitches immediately after installing a program, it is likely that it causes conflict. Malware or just a poorly optimized application can create endless cycles of processes, loading the CPU 100% even in simple.
To diagnose, you need to run the device in Safe Mode, which is only the Xiaomi system applications that are downloaded, and all third-party software is blocked, and if the phone is perfectly smooth in Safe Mode, then the problem is exactly in one of the apps you install.
To enter Safe Mode on MIUI, you usually need to press the off button on the screen and then hold your finger on the "Off" (or "Reset") button for a long time until the prompt to switch to Safe Mode appears. Some models require you to press the volume button when you turn on.
- 📱 Check the list of recently installed apps and remove suspicious ones.
- 🔋 Pay attention to apps that consume a lot of battery in the background.
- 🛡️ Remove antiviruses and boosters if they are installed in parallel with the system.
Resetting to factory settings (Hard Reset)
If software cleaning methods fail, the most radical but effective way is to completely reset to factory settings, which completely erases the /data partition, returning the phone to the "out of the box" state, guaranteed to eliminate software bugs, viruses and setting conflicts.
Before you start, make sure to back up your important data. Reset will destroy everything: contacts, photos, correspondence and installed applications, sync your data with your Google or Mi Cloud account, or copy files to your computer.
There are two ways to do the reset: one is through the settings menu if the phone has any response to touch, and the other is through Recovery mode, which is triggered by the keyboard combination when the device is off, which is true if the system does not boot to the desktop.
⚠️ Before resetting, make sure the battery is charged at least 50-60%. Interrupting the process of writing system files due to discharge can cause the phone to turn into a “brick” and require flashing through the computer.
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Hard Reset is a last resort, and if the problem is solved by cleaning the cache or removing the application, it is better not to resort to complete data erasure.
Use of Recovery Mode and Fastboot
Recovery mode is a minimalist operating system built into the phone's memory, which allows you to control the device at a low level: erase data, update firmware or restart. If MIUI does not start, Recovery is often the only way to save the gadget.
To enter Recovery on a phone that is turned off, press the Volume Up and Power button at the same time. Hold until the Mi logo appears, then release the power, but keep the volume. In the menu that appears, the navigation is done with volume buttons, and the choice is made with the power button (or a touch if the screen reacts).
From the Recovery menu, select Wipe Data, then Wipe All Data, and confirm the action. Once the process is complete, select Reboot. The phone will restart longer than usual, as the system is first set up.
If the phone is stuck on the logo or goes into a cyclic reboot, sometimes it helps to clear the cache through Recovery without completely deleting the data. Select Wipe Cache (if available in your version of Recovery) or just try Reboot.
Table of codes and combinations for diagnosis
For deep diagnostics, Xiaomi engineers have provided special engineering menus and combinations that allow you to check the state of the hardware and run component tests, these tools are useful to understand whether the problem is software or hardware.
Below is a table of key combinations and codes that will help diagnose a faulty device. Enter codes through the standard dialing interface if the screen reacts.
| Action/Code | Description of function | The result |
|---|---|---|
| Volume + + Nutrition | Entrance to Recovery Mode | Reset and update menu |
| Loudness - + Nutrition | Entrance to Fastboot Mode | Firmware mode via PC |
| ##64663## | CIT Menu (Engineering Menu) | Test of all sensors and modules |
| ##4636## | Test menu | Info on battery and network |
| Loudness - + Nutrition (10 seconds) | Forced reset | Analogue of battery pulling |
| Vol + + Power | Launch of the recovery regime | The Mi logo will appear, then the menu. |
| Vol - + Power | Starting the loader mode | Image of a hare repairing an android |
| ##64663## | The Hardware Test (CIT) | List of components for verification |
| ##4636## | Phone information | Usage statistics and network |
| Long-term clamping | Hard Reset (forced) | Vibration and restart |
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If the phone enters Fastboot mode on its own, it may have stuck a volume button or damaged a button plume. Try gently tapping the edge of the case near the buttons.
Hardware reasons and when to go to the service
Software isn't always the cause of the bugs. If the phone continues to behave inappropriately after being completely reset and flashed, it's too late to sin on Android, and often the problem lies in the physical condition of the device.
One of the common problems with Xiaomi's budget and mid-range models is the CPU or memory dump due to overheating or falling.Symptoms: the phone turns on, shows the logo, but then goes out, reboots or hangs on a black screen.There may also be no network or Wi-Fi.
Another common cause is battery degradation, where if the battery can't deliver the required current at peak load times, the processor resets the frequencies or the phone shuts down, and you can check the wear through an engineering menu or an application like AccuBattery.
- 🔥 Overheating of the body in the upper part (processor zone) indicates problems with thermopaste or "iron».
- 📉 Fast discharge and sudden shutdowns indicate battery death.
- 📡 Absence of a signal at full scale - a sign of an antenna module or (motherboard).
⚠️ Attention: If the phone falls into the water, even if it turns on after that, do not charge it or try to dry it with a hair dryer. The moisture inside causes contact corrosion, and the current supply can finish the device completely.
In the case of hardware malfunctions, self-repair is possible only with experience and tools. In most cases, soldering (rebolling) or replacement of modules is required. If the device is warranty, carry it to an authorized center without opening the case, so as not to lose the right to free maintenance.