How to reset Xiaomi to factory settings via buttons: full instruction

Resetting a Xiaomi smartphone to factory settings through hardware buttons is the only way to bring the device back to life if it is locked, unresponsive to the screen, or getting stuck on the MI logo. This method, often called hard reset, works even when the firmware is damaged or the pattern lock is forgotten. Unlike software reset via menus, it does not require unlocking the screen or accessing settings.

The procedure is universal for most Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO models, but has nuances depending on the generation of the device. For example, on older devices (until 2018) used a combination with the Menu button, which is absent in modern smartphones. We will discuss in detail the current methods for devices on Qualcomm Snapdragon and MediaTek, and explain why sometimes the reset does not work the first time.

When do you need to reset through the buttons?

Hardware discharge is an extreme measure, which is resorted to in the following cases:

• 🔒 Forgotten pattern lock or PIN-Code: Device is locked and Find My Device is disabled.
• 🐢 Smartphone slows down or cyclically reboots – the system is damaged by viruses or an unsuccessful update.
• 📱 The screen does not respond to touch (but there is an image) – the sensor is out of order, but the buttons are working.
• 🚫 The device does not load beyond the logo MI — The so-called "brick" (soft brick).

It’s important to understand that hard reset erases everything from photos, contacts, messages, and installed apps. If your smartphone still responds to commands, try saving data first via Mi PC Suite or ADB. More on this in the backup section.

⚠️ Note: On devices with an unlocked bootloader, you may need to reauthorize your Mi Account after reset. If you don't remember the password, the smartphone will turn into a brick"!

Preparation for resetting: what to do in advance

Before you start the procedure, follow a few critical steps:

1. Extract. SIM-card and memory card – they won’t be affected, but sometimes interfere with the procedure (especially on the old Redmi Note) 3/4).

If you have access to your computer, we recommend you to download the official firmware for your model from en.miui.com in advance. This is useful if the device does not boot after reset (this happens when damaged boot or system partitions).

Resetting methods for different Xiaomi models

Button combinations depend on the processor and year of release of the device, and below is a universal algorithm that works on 90% of modern smartphones Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO (2018-2026).

Method 1: Standard Hard Reset (for most models)

1. Turn off the smartphone (if it freezes – press the power button for 10-15 seconds).
2. Press the Power button + Volume Up for Qualcomm Snapdragon devices. Power button + Volume Up + Volume Down for some MediaTek models (e.g. Redmi 9A, POCO M3).

10-20 seconds

Mi

Recovery Mode

If the screen is black or the words Fastboot Mode appear, you have held the buttons for too long. Repeat the attempt, reducing the time of pressing to 8-10 seconds.

Method 2: For older models (until 2018)

On devices like Xiaomi Mi 5, Redmi Note 3 or Mi Max, you may need a different combination:

1. Turn off the phone.


2. Hold:




- Power button.




- Volume Up (Volume Up)




- The "Menu" button (if there is a physical button)




3. Hold until the menu with the android robot appears.

If there is no Menu button, try the Power + Volume Up + Volume Down combination at the same time.

Table: Button combinations for popular models

If your model isn't in the table, try the Power + Volume Up universal combination. 90% of the time, it works.

Navigation in the Recovery Mode menu

After successfully logging into Recovery Mode, you will see a menu with several items: Volume Up/Down (move, Power) is controlled. On modern Xiaomi menus are usually in English, but on budget models (for example, Redmi 9A) can be in Chinese.

Main menu items:

• 🔄 Reboot – Reboot (does not reset data).
• 📱 Wipe Data / Clear Data – reset to factory settings (this is our option).
• 🔧 Wipe Cache – cache cleaning (sometimes helps with brakes without data loss).
• 📦 Apply update – installing firmware from a memory card (if there is a pre-downloaded file.zip).

We need Wipe Data (or something like that), and when you pick it up, you pick Yes or Confirm, it takes 30 seconds to 5 minutes, depending on the model, and when you do it, it automatically restarts.

⚠️ Note: Devices with unlocked bootloader after reset may be requested to log in to Mi Account. If you do not remember the password, the smartphone will be blocked! In this case, only the official service center Xiaomi with proof of purchase will help.

What to do if the reset does not work?

Sometimes hard reset doesn't work the first time, and here are the most common problems and solutions.

If none of the methods worked, the problem may be the damaged recovery section, which requires firmware via Fastboot using the Mi Flash Tool, and you can find instructions on this method in our separate article on Xiaomi firmware.

💡

If your smartphone doesn’t respond to buttons, but the screen is working, try plugging it into a 10- to 15-minute charge, sometimes a low battery charge blocks access to Recovery Mode.

Data recovery after resetting

Unfortunately, hard reset completely erases user data from internal memory, but there are ways to return some information if you backed up in advance:

• 📱 Mi Cloud – if sync was enabled, contacts, notes and photos can be restored through your Xiaomi account.
• 💾 Local backup – if you created a backup through Settings → System system → Backup, it can be restored after the first inclusion.
• 🖥️ Mi PC Suite is a PC program that can sometimes extract data even from a locked device (it doesn’t work on all models).
• 🛠️ Specialized utilities such as Dr.Fone or Tenorshare 4uKey, They are paid and do not guarantee 100% results.

If backups are not available, the chances of data recovery are minimal, and in this case, we recommend contacting a data recovery lab (for example, Hddbyd or Hetman Recovery), but this is expensive and not always effective for smartphones.

💡

The only reliable way to save data is to back up regularly through the Mi Cloud or manually copy files to a PC. After hard reset, data recovery is almost impossible.

Frequent questions about Xiaomi reset via buttons