What does “reboot” in Xiaomi: a complete guide to rebooting smartphones and smart devices

Have you ever encountered a situation where your Xiaomi smartphone starts to brake and instructions or forums advise you to reboot? or suddenly a notification appeared on the screen of the Mi TV smart TV to reboot after updating? The term "reboot" is often found in the context of Xiaomi equipment, but not all users understand exactly what it means and how to perform this procedure correctly.

In this article, we will take a closer look at what reboot is in the Xiaomi ecosystem, from Redmi and POCO smartphones to Mi Band smartwatches and Mi Router routers. You will learn how a conventional reboot differs from hard reboot, when to use it and when to avoid it, and how to perform the procedure correctly on different devices.

What is reboot: a simple explanation

The term reboot, in the context of Xiaomi technology, means software reboot of a device. This is the process by which the operating system (MIUI, Android TV or router firmware) is completely unloaded from memory and then restarted, with all temporary data (cache, background processes) reset, but user files and settings remain intact.

Simply put, reboot is the analog of turning off and on the device, but without physically turning off the power. For example, when you click “Reboot” in the menu of a Xiaomi smartphone, this is soft reboot. And if the device is “hang” and does not respond to commands, you may need hard reboot — forced reboot using hardware buttons.

• 🔄 Soft reboot is a standard reboot through a menu or command. It's secure, it stores all the data.
• 🔌 Hard reboot – Forced button reboot (e.g. Power) + Volume Up is used for freezes, but can lead to the loss of unsaved data.
• 🛠️ Recovery reboot - Recovery Mode - needed to reset settings or install firmware.

It’s important to understand that reboot is not the same as factory reset: When you reboot, your photos, apps, and accounts stay in place, whereas reset removes everything.

When to reboot on Xiaomi devices

Reboot is not a panacea, but in some cases it does help solve problems. Here are typical situations where reboot can be useful:

1. Slowing down the device: If Xiaomi’s smartphone starts to slow down, apps open for a long time or the system emits errors, the reboot will clear RAM and close the background processes that could have caused the lags.
2. Firmware update: Once you install a MIUI or Android TV update, the system often requires a reboot to make the changes effective, and ignoring this request can cause crashes.
3. Connection problems: If Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or mobile networks are unstable, reboot can sometimes help reset the network settings at the driver level.
4. UI freeze: If the screen doesn't respond to touch or the buttons don't work, a hard reboot may be the only way to bring the device back to life.

However, there are cases when reboot will not only not help, but also aggravate the problem:

⚠️ Warning: Do not restart your Xiaomi device during the update installation (when the progress bar is on the screen). Interrupting this process can lead to a blink (complete failure) of the device. If the update has “hang” longer than 30 minutes, wait for battery discharge or contact the service.

Also, don’t abuse reboots as a “cure for all diseases,” because if a smartphone constantly requires reboot, it could indicate more serious problems, from viruses to hardware malfunctions.

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If your Xiaomi smartphone is overheating and needs to be rebooted, check the list of running apps in Settings → Apps → Launched.

How to properly reboot the Xiaomi smartphone: step-by-step instructions

The reboot procedure depends on the device model and its condition. Let’s consider the main ways for Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones.

1. Standard Reboot (Soft Reboot)

The safest method to use in most cases is:

1. Press and hold the power button (usually located on the right).
2. In the menu that appears, select “Reboot” (or “Restart” in English firmware).
3. Confirm the action if necessary.

2. Forced reboot (Hard Reboot)

Used if the device is “hang” and does not respond to touch:

• 📱 For most models: Hold the power button + Increase volume for 10-15 seconds until the screen goes out and the Xiaomi logo appears.
• 🔋 If the battery is removable (old models): Remove the battery for 30 seconds, then insert back and turn on the device.

3.Reboot in Recovery Mode

Needed to reset settings or manually install firmware:

1. Turn off your smartphone.
2. Press Power + Volume Increase and hold until the Recovery menu appears.
3. Use volume buttons for navigation and power button for selection.

Save all open files and closed applications

Make sure the battery is at least 30% charged.

Turn off the device from charging (if connected)

Remember the button combination for your model-->

On some models (such as the POCO F3 or Xiaomi 12), the button combinations may differ. If the standard method did not work, check the instructions for your particular model.

Reboot on other Xiaomi devices: TVs, routers, smart watches

Reboot technology isn’t just for smartphones; let’s look at how to reboot other Xiaomi gadgets.

Smart TVs Mi TV

Rebooting your TV can help with Android TV interface freezes or app problems:

• 📺 Through the menu: Settings → The device → Reboot.
• 🔌 Forced: Turn off the TV for 30 seconds, then turn it on again.

Mi Router routers

Rebooting the router is useful for problems with the Internet or connection of devices:

• 🔄 Through the web interface: go to the control panel (192.168.31.1), select "Reboot" in the "System" section».
• 🔌 Hardware: Press and hold the Reset button (on the back) for 5-10 seconds.

Smart Watches Mi Band / Smart Band

Rebooting the fitness bracelet may be required if synchronization failures or display errors:

• ⌚ Through the Mi Fitness app: Device profile → Settings → Reboot.
• 🔄 Manual: Unplug the bracelet from the charger, then plug again and hold the touch button for 10 seconds.

For smart speakers Mi Smart Speaker and other Xiaomi equipment, the principle is similar: first try software reboot through settings, and if the device does not respond - forced (power out).

How reboot differs from factory reset and other types of reset

Many users confuse reboot with other reset procedures, and let's look at the key differences:

The critical difference is that reboot does not delete your data, whereas factory reset and hard reset erase everything without the possibility of recovery (unless there was a backup).

If you see the advice "do reboot" - it always means a normal reboot. If you recommend "reset" - specify which one is: factory settings or through Recovery.

Typical Reboot Errors and How to Avoid Them

Even a simple procedure like reboot can go wrong if you make mistakes, and here are the most common ones:

• ⚡ Reboot during the upgrade. As mentioned, interrupting the firmware installation can lead to a blink. Always wait until the process is complete.
• 🔋 Low battery power: If the battery is less than 20% depleted, a forced hard reboot can cause the device to shut down at a critical moment.
• 🔌 Frequent reboots: If you reboot your smartphone several times a day “for prevention,” it can shorten the life of flash memory.
• 🛠️ Use the wrong button combinations, for example, on some models. POCO power + Volume Down leads to Fastboot, not Recovery.

⚠️ Warning: On devices with an unlocked bootloader, frequent reboots in Fastboot Mode can cause Anti-Rollback protection to fail.

Another common mistake is ignoring error messages after reboot, where when you reboot, you see notifications like System Restored or Application Stopped, it signals deeper problems that require diagnosis.

How to Automate Reboot on Xiaomi

In some cases, it is useful to set up automatic device reboot, such as for Xiaomi-based servers or smart devices that need to work around the clock.

1. Task Planner in MIUI

On Xiaomi smartphones, you can schedule an automatic reboot using built-in tools:

1. Open the Security app (Security).
2. Go to “Optimization” → “Autocleaning”.
3. Turn on the “Automatic Reboot” option and set the time.

2. ADB commands for advanced users

If you have a loader unlocked and installed ADB-drivers, you can restart the device on command:

adb shell reboot

For forced reboot:

adb shell reboot -p

3. Automatic router reboot

In the firmware Mi Router has a built-in function of rebooting on schedule:

1. Go to the router's web interface (192.168.31.1).
2. Go to “Advanced Settings” → “System”.
3. Turn on Automatic Reboot and select days/time.

Automatic reboot is useful for preventing “hangs” of devices that are working 24/7 (for example, IP-However, do not abuse this feature on smartphones – frequent reboots can shorten the battery life.

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Automatic reboot is useful for servers and routers, but is not recommended for everyday use on smartphones because of the risk of premature battery wear.

FAQ: Frequent questions about reboot in Xiaomi