How to Reset Xiaomi Settings via Fastboot: A Complete Guide with Commands and Error Solutions

Resetting Xiaomi’s smartphone settings via Fastboot mode is a radical but effective way to bring the device back to factory status when standard methods through the Settings → Reset menu don’t work, an approach required for critical firmware failures, viral attacks, a forgotten pattern lock, or after failed experiments with custom ROMs. Unlike Recovery Mode, Fastboot allows you to control the device directly through the computer, which gives more control but also increases risks.

In this article, you will find relevant commands for MiFlash. 2026 The year that runs on models from Redmi Note 10 Xiaomi 14 Ultra, as well as solutions to common errors such as anti-rollback or flash_write_protect. We will understand when you need an unlocked bootloader, and when you can do without it, and why some devices (for example, the device is not available, POCO F5) If your phone is stuck on the Mi logo, doesn't respond to buttons or gives you an error MIUI Version Cannot Be Installed On This Device.

What is Fastboot and when to reset it

Fastboot is a low-level protocol for interacting with the Android bootloader. Unlike Recovery Mode, where the reset is done via a GUI, all commands are sent from the computer via ADB or MiFlash Tool.

• 🔧 Hardware failure: the phone does not load beyond the Xiaomi logo or reboots cyclically (bootloop).
• 🔒 Forgotten password: screen locking is not removed even through Find My Device.
• 📱 Failed Update: After Firmware Through OTA or TWRP the device became a brick".

But Fastboot is not a cure-all, for example, if the problem is a physical memory chip failure (emmc corrupt error), resetting won't help, it will need repairs.

• ⚠️ Deletes all data, including photos in internal memory (SD-card unaffected).
• ⚠️ It may require unlocking the bootloader (on new Xiaomi models it is mandatory).
• ⚠️ It doesn’t always work on devices with a locked anti-rollback).

Preparation for resetting: what to do before the start

Before you transfer your phone to Fastboot, follow the mandatory steps. Neglecting them can lead to a brick (completely inoperable) device.

⚠️ Attention: On Xiaomi models 12T, Redmi K50 And a new Fastboot reset without the bootloader unlocking will cause the Flash not allowed in locked state error to be made!

Preparation checklist:

Pay special attention to the choice of firmware. Only stable official firmware (not beta!) marked Fastboot in the file title is suitable for resetting.

• 🌍 Official Xiaomi website (Download section) → Select device).
• 📦 Xiaomi Firmware Updater (alternative archive with verified builds).

Do not use firmware from the 4PDA or XDA forums unless you are sure of their origin – they may contain modified bootloaders that will lock the device permanently.

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If your Xiaomi model is released after 2022, download the firmware with the.tgz extension, not.zip – the new versions of MiFlash do not support the old formats.

Step-by-step: how to reset Xiaomi via Fastboot

The reset procedure consists of 5 steps. Follow them strictly in order - skipping a step can lead to errors like invalid sparse file format at header.

Step 1: Transfer your phone to Fastboot mode

If the device is switched on:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the buttons Volume down + Power for 10-15 seconds until the hare appears in the hat-eared (Fastboot logo).

If the phone does not respond to the buttons:

1. Connect it to the PC via USB.
2. Enter in the command line (Win + R → cmd): adb reboot bootloader

Step 2: Checking the connection

Open Device Manager on PC and make sure that the Ports (COM and LPT) section includes a Qualcomm HS-USB QDLoader 9008 or Android Bootloader Interface. If Unknown Device is hanging instead, install the drivers manually:

• 🖥️ Download Google. USB Driver.
• 🔧 In Device Manager, right-click on an unknown device → Update the driver → Perform a search on this computer.

Step 3: Start MiFlash and Select Firmware

Unpack the downloaded firmware (.tgz or.zip) into a folder without Cyrillic characters (e.g., C:\Xiaomi\ROM).

1. Open the MiFlash Tool (launch on behalf of the administrator!).
2. Click Select and point the way to the firmware folder.
3. At the bottom, select Clean All (Full Reset) or Clean All and Lock (Reset + Lock bootloader).

Step 4: Flash firmware

Click Refresh in MiFlash – your phone should appear in the list of devices (for example, COM4). Then click Flash. It takes 5-15 minutes. Don't turn it off. USB-Do not interrupt the process even if the progress bar is 99%!

The successful completion looks like this:

Flash Done. Total Time: 540s


Operation Success!

Step 5: First start after reset

After restarting, the phone will turn on in the initial setting mode.

1. Select the language and region (Russia or Europe is recommended for Global ROM).
2. Connect to Wi-Fi (required! otherwise Google services will not be activated).
3. Skip the Mi Account link (unless you plan to use the cloud).

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If the phone is stuck on the logo again after reset, repeat the procedure, but select clean all and lock mode in MiFlash - this often solves problems with the bootloader on new models.

Unlock the bootloader: when it is needed and how to make it

Starting with the Xiaomi Mi 10 (2020) and all POCO models after the POCO X3 NFC, a Fastboot reset requires an unlocked bootloader. If you're trying to flash a device with a locked bootloader, MiFlash will give an error:

flash_write_protect: Device is locked. Please unlock first.

Official unlocking takes 7 days to wait (from the moment you link your Mi Account to your device).

1. Link your Mi Account: go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Link your device.

⚠️ On the models of Redmi Note 12 and newer Xiaomi introduced an additional check — binding IMEI If you drop your phone without unlocking it, it's impossible to retrieve it!

Solving errors when resetting via Fastboot

Even with the correct instructions, Xiaomi can produce errors, and below are the most common ways to correct them.

If MiFlash can't see the device:

1. Try another one. USB-cable (preferably original from the set).
2. Connect your phone to a USB 2.0 port (Blue USB 3.0 ports often don’t work).
3. Disable driver signatures in Windows: bcdedit/set nointegritychecks on bcdedit/set testsigning on (after PC reboot).

Resetting without a computer: alternative methods

If you don't have access to a PC, try resetting Xiaomi through Recovery Mode or Find My Device, which are less reliable, but sometimes work.

Method 1: Recovery Mode (for unlocked devices)

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press Volume Up + Power before the Recovery menu appears.
3. Select Wipe Data → Wipe All Data (control – volume buttons for navigation, power for selection).

Method 2: Find My Device (if you have a Google account attached)

1. Go to the Find My Device page.
2. Select your device and click Delete Data.
3. Confirm the action (you will need a password from your Google account).

⚠️ Note: On Xiaomi models with MIUI 14+ Reset via Find My Device may not work if the Remote Management option is disabled in the settings (Settings) → Google → Security).

Frequent Questions (FAQ)