How to Reboot Xiaomi Phone if it’s Frozen and Reactive

When you need an emergency reboot of the Xiaomi smartphone

The situation is familiar to many: Xiaomi suddenly stops responding to touch, the screen freezes in one image, and the power and volume buttons do not work. The reasons for this behavior range from operating system overload (for example, due to simultaneously running heavy applications) to hardware failures after a fall or overheating. In 80% of cases, the problem is solved by simply restarting, but what to do if the phone is completely “silent”?

Emergency reboot (or hard reset) is a forced power outage that helps regain control of the smartphone. It is important to understand that this method does not remove data from internal memory, but can interrupt unsaved processes (for example, unfinished installation of an application or editing a document). In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to reboot for Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO, including models with a physical power button and touch keys.

Before you start to act, make sure the problem is not with a discharged battery.Plug your phone to the charger for 10-15 minutes - sometimes the screen doesn't turn on due to a critically low charge level (below 3%).If the charging indicator doesn't light up, go to the methods below.

Method 1: Classic button combination (works on 99% of models)

The most versatile method that is suitable for all Xiaomi smartphones released after 2016 (including Redmi Note 10/11/12, POCO X3/F4, Mi 11/12, etc.)

1. Press the power button and the volume button at the same time.
2. Hold them for at least 10-15 seconds (in some models, up to 20 seconds).
3. Release the buttons when the Xiaomi logo or vibration appears on the screen.

If the screen remains black, try again, increasing the retention time to 25 seconds. On models with touch buttons (for example, Mi Mix 2S), instead of using the physical volume key, use a virtual button on the screen (if it is displayed).

⚠️ Note: On certain devices (e.g, POCO F5) Long-term button retention can trigger Fastboot mode. If you see a robot on the screen that says Fastboot mode, release the buttons and try again, holding only power. + volume-reducing.

Method 2: Reboot through the Recovery Mode

If the standard combination doesn't work, try logging into the Recovery Mode menu, which is useful when the phone turns on but immediately hovers on the logo or works with constant lags.

1. Turn off the phone (if it is on, press the power + volume up for 20 seconds).
2. Press the power button and the volume button at the same time.
3. Release the buttons when the Mi logo and menu appear in English/Chinese.
4. Use volume buttons for navigation and select Reboot (or Chinese firmware).
5. Confirm the choice of the power button.

You can also do a Wipe Data reset on the Recovery menu, but it will delete all the data from the phone. Only resort to this if the reboot does not help, and the phone still does not work.

Method 3: Use ADB-Teams (for advanced users)

If the phone is connected to a computer and recognized as a device (e.g., Device Manager displays as Xiaomi Composite MDB Interface), you can try rebooting it via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires pre-configuring the USB debugging (if it was enabled before hanging).

Instructions for Windows:

1. Download and install Google’s Platform Tools.
2. Connect your phone to your PC through USB-cable.
3. Open the command line (Win + R → enter cmd).
4. Enter the command: adb devices If the device appears in the list, execute: adb reboot

If the adb reboot command doesn’t work, try the forced reboot via fastboot:

adb reboot bootloader


fastboot reboot

⚠️ Attention: Use ADB without experience, can cause data loss or firmware damage. Do not execute fastboot erase or fastboot flash commands without a clear understanding of their consequences!

Method 4: Battery Removal (Old Models Only)

On Xiaomi smartphones before 2018 (e.g. Redmi 4X, Redmi Note 4, Mi 5) it was possible to physically remove the battery to force the power out, but in modern models the battery is not removable, and trying to remove it will lead to loss of warranty and risk damage to the plumes.

If you have this old model, do this:

1. Turn off your phone (if possible).
2. Remove the back cover with a plastic shoulder blade or mediator.
3. Carefully dent the battery and disconnect the power plume (if any).
4. Wait 30 seconds and plug the battery back in.

For models with a non-removable battery (such as the Redmi Note 10 Pro), this method is not applicable. Instead, try holding the power button for 30 to 40 seconds - sometimes it helps to wake up the phone.

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If the phone doesn’t respond to the buttons but vibrates when you connect the charger, try leaving it on charge for 1-2 hours.

Method 5: Reboot via the service menu (for models with MIUI 12+)

On phones with MIUI 12 firmware and later (for example, Xiaomi 13, Redmi Note 12) there is a hidden service menu that allows you to restart the device even when the interface is partially frozen.

1. Type the code on your phone keyboard: ##4636##
2. In the menu that opens, select Usage statistics.
3. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Restart.

If the screen doesn’t respond to touch, but the phone is on, try connecting. USB-keyboard OTG-Adapter. Many Xiaomi models support keyboard control in the service menu (use Tab, Enter and Esc keys).

What do you do if nothing helps?

If none of the methods worked, the problem may be related to:

• 🔋 Hardware malfunction of the battery (swelling, short circuit).
• 🖥️ Damage to the motherboard (after falling or getting moisture).
• 🛠️ Firmware failure (for example, after a failed update).

In such cases:

1. Contact the Xiaomi Service Center (addresses can be found on the mi.com website).
2. If the phone is warranty, do not try to disassemble it yourself - this will void the warranty.
3. Test software (such as Mi Flash Tool) can be used for diagnosis, but this requires firmware skills.

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If the phone does not turn on after all the manipulations, but when connected to the PC, the device makes a connection sound – the problem is most likely in the display or plume, and not in the “brains” of the smartphone.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi reboot