How to quickly remove all data from your Xiaomi phone: the complete guide

Users often experience situations where a complete cleanup of internal storage is required, such as selling the device, handing it over to relatives, or having to fix software bugs accumulated during active use. Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi, and POCO devices often wonder how to make this process as fast and secure as possible to eliminate the possibility of recovering personal information.

The MIUI and HyperOS shell reset procedure is designed to protect user data, but requires a clear algorithm of actions. Incorrect preparation or interruption of the process can lead to the device locking Mi Account or loss of important contacts. In this article, we will discuss in detail all the steps from creating a backup to the final activation of a clean smartphone.

There are several methods of deleting information: a standard reset via the settings menu, using an engineering menu or a recap, the choice of the particular method depends on whether the phone has access to the system or is locked, and for most users, a software reset that takes only a few minutes will be the optimal solution.

Preparation of the device for complete reset

Before you start the mechanism of data destruction, it is critical to perform a number of preparatory actions. Ignoring this stage often leads to users losing access to their photos, correspondence and passwords from banking applications irrevocably. Backup is not just a recommendation, but a mandatory step.

First and foremost, you need to synchronize important data with cloud services, and Xiaomi’s ecosystem uses Mi Cloud, as well as third-party solutions like Google Photos and Google Drive, and make sure that contacts, calendars and notes are successfully uploaded to the server by checking for them through the web interface from your computer.

⚠️ Note: Deletion of data through resetting permanently destroys information in internal memory. File recovery after that is possible only with the help of professional equipment and does not guarantee the result.

If you plan to sell a phone, be sure to remove your Google and Mi Account account from your settings before resetting, which will prevent theft protection (FRP) from activating, which can lock the phone to a new owner by requiring the previous owner to enter the password.

Don't forget to check the battery. The process of formatting and reinstalling system files can take from 5 to 15 minutes. If the phone turns off at the time of writing system partitions, this can damage the bootloader. It is recommended to have a charge of at least 50% or connect the device to the network.

Standard reset via system settings

The safest and easiest way to delete all the data is to use the built-in functionality of the operating system, which is suitable for situations where the phone is turned on, the screen responds to touch, and you have access to the menu. The algorithm for actions may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI or HyperOS.

To start, open the Settings app and scroll down to the bottom. You're interested in the About Phone (or Device) section. In some firmware versions, the reset button is placed in the main settings menu in the "Additional" category. Look for the item called "Settings Reset" or "Factory Reset."

After you go to the reset menu, the system will offer two options: Reset (without deleting files) and Clear Everything (full reset). You need a second option. The system will warn you that all data will be deleted, including photos, music and installed applications. Confirm the action by entering a graphical key or a screen unlock password.

The process takes time for the Xiaomi logo or download animation to be displayed on the screen, which is strictly forbidden to interrupt, and once completed, the phone will restart and launch as a new device, meeting you with the language selection screen.

Reset via Recovery Mode (Recovery Mode)

If the smartphone system is damaged, the device freezes on the logo or does not respond to touching the screen, Recovery mode is used.

In the Recovery menu, you can control volume (up/down) and power button (select). The default language is often Chinese, but in newer versions you can choose English. You need to find Wipe Data.

Within this box, select Wipe All Data. The system will request confirmation, often requiring you to select Confirm multiple times. This is random press protection. Once confirmed, the formatting process will begin, the progress of which will be displayed as a percentage.

Once the cleanup is completed, select Reboot -> Reboot to System. The first run after the reset can take longer than usual, sometimes up to 10 minutes, as the system reconfigures the files.

Delete data through the Find Device service

In situations where the phone is lost or stolen, physical access to it is impossible, in which case the only way to delete data is to remote Find Device command center from Xiaomi, which is effective only if the device was previously linked to the Mi Account and connected to the Internet (Wi-Fi or mobile network).

You need to go to the official website of the service from any other device (computer or phone) and log in under the same account that was used on the lost smartphone.

The device management menu will have a Wipe Data option, which when you send this command, your phone, if it's online, will immediately start the process of completely resetting, all files will be deleted, and geolocation will stop updating.

⚠️ Warning: Remote reset does not always guarantee complete data destruction if the device was not encrypted.However, for modern versions of Android, encryption is enabled by default, which makes the data unreadable without an unlock key.

It's important to understand that after this procedure, you can't track the location of the phone, and this is designed to protect your personal information, not search, and if the phone is turned off, the command will be automatically executed the moment it first connects to the network.

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If your phone is lost, immediately change the passwords of all important accounts (banks, social networks), even if you sent a command to reset, which will block access to the attackers if they have time to extract the data before formatting.

Features of resetting when blocked account

One of the most common problems after buying a used phone or resetting a forgotten device is FRP (Factory Reset Protection), a security mechanism by Google and Xiaomi that requires you to enter a password from an account synced to the device before resetting.

If you reset your phone through Recovery, but you didn't log out before, the first time you set it up, you'll need to enter a password, you won't be able to use your phone without it, and it's done to protect you from theft, because if you steal your phone and dump it, you won't be able to use it.

If you forget your password, you will have to use the procedure of access restoration through the site Google or Mi Account. You can not bypass this protection by legal methods, any instructions for “unlocking” often lead to sites with malware.

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Never buy a used Xiaomi phone if the seller can’t unlock it in front of you or claims to “just flash it” or is likely stolen or found.

For owners selling their devices, the rule is one: always make a full reset via settings (Settings). → The phone. → Resetting by deleting accounts first, and this method alone guarantees that the blockings will be removed. FRP.

What to do after deleting data

Once the formatting process is complete and the phone greets you with the language selection screen, you can consider the task accomplished. If the device is intended for a new owner, no further action is needed.

If you've been cleaning your phone for yourself to fix bugs or viruses, you're going to have to start setting up your phone, and when you connect to Wi-Fi, you might want to restore data from a Google backup or Mi Cloud, and be careful, you can restore the old backup and you can get back the bugs or debris you wanted to get rid of.

It is recommended to configure the phone as new, installing only the necessary applications, this will ensure maximum performance and stability of the system, check the main functions: camera, speaker, sensor and communication modules.

In conclusion, it is worth noting that regular cleaning of cache and removal of unused applications help to avoid the need for a complete reset in the future.However, if you decide to sell a gadget, the methods described above ensure that your personal data does not fall into the wrong hands.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)