How to make a hard reset on Xiaomi: 3 working methods + important nuances

Resetting your device to a factory reset on Xiaomi smartphones is a radical but sometimes necessary way to get it back on track. Whether you’ve experienced a freeze after updating your MIUI, forgotten your pattern lock, or your phone has started to “brake” for no apparent reason — a complete reset often solves the problem. However, the procedure has its pitfalls, from losing data to the risk of “bricking” the device when you do the wrong thing.

In this article, we will discuss all the current methods of hard reset for Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones (including models from 2023-2026), as well as how to prepare for the procedure to minimize risks. We will pay special attention to the nuances for devices with a blocked bootloader and understand why sometimes resetting through Recovery does not work. If you need to reset your settings on Xiaomi without losing data, go straight to the section on “soft” reset.

Preparation for hard reset: what to do before the reset

Before you start resetting, make sure you follow all the critical steps. The hard reset deletes ALL of the device's internal memory: photos, contacts, messages, installed apps, and even files in the Download folder.

• 📱 Create a backup through Settings → The phone. → Backup or manually copy important files to your PC. Cloud services (Mi Cloud, Google Drive) will only save some of the data (contacts, notes, some settings).
• 🔋 Charge the phone to at least 50%. Interrupting the reset process due to battery discharge can lead to software failures.
• 🔑 Make sure to remember your Mi Account details. After the reset, you will need to enter your username and password from Mi Account if the device binding was previously enabled.
• 📡 Turn off Google. FRP (Factory Reset Protection, if you plan to sell your phone, delete your main Google account in Settings → Accounts.

On bootloader devices, after a hard reset, you may need to re-unblock to install custom firmware. If you are not sure about the bootloader status, check it through the fastboot oem device-info command (for more information in the Fastboot section).

⚠️ Note: If the phone is locked with a pattern lock or password and Find Device (Mi Cloud) is disabled, a reset via Recovery may not work due to security FRP. This will require a method through Fastboot.

Method 1: Hard Resets via the settings menu (the safest)

This method is suitable if the phone turns on and you can unlock the screen. It is the simplest and least risky, because it does not affect the system partitions directly. MIUI 12-14 and HyperOS:

1. Open Settings (the gear icon on the main screen).
2. Go to About Phone (or About HyperOS Device)
3. Select Backup and Reset → Resetting.
4. Tap to erase all data (on some firmware, the item may be called Reset to factory settings).
5. Enter. PIN-lock screen code or password (if requested).
6. Confirm the action by clicking Reset or Remove Everything.

The phone will automatically restart and start the cleaning process. This can take 5 to 15 minutes -- don't interrupt it! -- when you're done, you'll see the screen of the initial setup, just like after you've bought it.

Make sure your phone is over 30% charged

Backup of important data

Remember the username/password from Mi Account

Disable Google FRP (if you plan to sell)

Check the stability of the Internet connection (for recovery after resetting)-->

⚠️ Note: On some models POCO (for example, POCO F5) After resetting through the menu, you may still be linked to your Mi Account, even if you've disabled it. This is a firmware bug, in which case you'll need to unlock it through Fastboot.

Method 2: Hard Recovery Mode (if the phone doesn't turn on)

If Xiaomi’s smartphone is stuck on the logo, reboots cyclically or doesn’t respond to touch, resetting through Recovery will help.This method works even on locked devices, but has limitations:

• 🔓 It won't work if the protection is on. FRP (You will need to enter your Mi Account data after resetting).
• 📱 On some models (for example, Redmi Note 12 Pro)+) Recovery can be blocked by the manufacturer.
• ⚙️ Does not clean the internal storage partition completely - residual data can be restored by special programs.

Step instructions:

1. Turn off the phone (press the power button for 10-15 seconds if it freezes).
2. Press the Power button + Volume up at the same time and hold for 10-15 seconds until the Mi logo appears.
3. Release the buttons when you see the Recovery menu (black screen with yellow text in English or Chinese).
4. Use the volume buttons for navigation and the power button to select the item. Select Wipe Data (or Clear Data on Chinese firmware).
5. Confirm the action by selecting Wipe All Data → Confirm.
6. Once you have finished, select Reboot → Reboot to System.

If the Recovery menu is in Chinese, focus on the location of the items:

Method 3: Hard Resets via Fastboot (for power users)

Fastboot reset is the most powerful, but also the most risky method, and it's used when:

• 🔒 Phone locked with password and Recovery not available.
• 📱 The device “bursts” after a failed update.
• ⚙️ You need to clear all partitions (including userdata and cache) completely).

This method will require a computer with ADB/Fastboot drivers installed and an unlocked bootloader (if you haven’t unlocked it before, you won’t be able to do it after resetting!).

Step-by-step:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Power button + Volume down for 10-15 seconds until the screen with the rabbit in the hat appears.
3. Connect your phone to your PC through USB-cable.
4. Open the command prompt (or Terminal on Mac/Linux) and type:

fastboot devices

If the device is determined (the serial number will appear), continue. If not, install the Mi Flash Tool drivers.

1. Perform a complete reset by command:

fastboot erase userdata


fastboot erase cache




fastboot reboot

For complete cleaning (including system partitions, power users only!):

fastboot erase system


fastboot erase boot




fastboot erase recovery




fastboot reboot

On devices with a locked bootloader, fastboot erase commands will not work – you will need to first unlock the bootloader through the official Mi Unlock Tool.

💡

If the phone doesn't turn on after reset via Fastboot, try flashing stock firmware through the Mi Flash Tool. Download the official ROM for your model from the Xiaomi Firmware website and select clean all mode in the program.

“Soft” reset: how to return factory settings without data loss

If your goal is to fix minor crashes (MIUI slows down, apps crash, battery goes down quickly), but you don't want to lose data, try a partial reset. It returns system settings to factory settings, but saves user files, apps and media.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset.
2. Select Reset (not to be confused with Erase all data!).
3. Check Reset network, sound and display settings (or similar).
4. Confirm the action.

The phone will reboot, and some of the settings (Wi-Fi, brightness, sound, wallpaper) will go back to normal, and applications and files will remain intact.

⚠️ Note: HyperOS firmware (for example, Xiaomi 14 or Redmi) K70) You may not have a soft reset option, in which case you can use Safe Mode to diagnose problems: press the power button. → Hold your finger on the switch off. → Select Reboot in Safe Mode.

Typical problems after a hard reset and how to solve them

Even after a successful reset, Xiaomi users often face unexpected challenges, and here are the most common ones and solutions:

If the phone started to run slower after the reset than before the procedure, it was probably not in the software, but in the hardware (wearing out memory, degraded battery), in which case only replacing components will help.

💡

After a hard reset, always update your firmware to the latest version via Settings → System Update. This will fix any bugs and improve compatibility with applications.

Alternative methods of discharge (for specific cases)

Sometimes the standard methods don't work. Let's look at some rare but useful options.

• 🔧 Reset via Mi Cloud: If the phone has Find Device enabled, you can remotely reset your settings via the web version of Mi Cloud, which is suitable if the phone is lost or stolen (but the data is lost).
• 📱 Dumping through ADB: If USB Debugging was enabled before locking, you can execute the command: adb shell recovery --wipe_data This simulates a reset via Recovery, but without physical access to the menu.
• 🔄 Test Point reset: The ultimate method for "brick" devices requires disassembling the phone and closing contacts on the board to force the transition to a "brick" device. EDL Mode. Used only in service centers!

POCO and some Redmi models (e.g. Redmi K60) support a hidden menu of engineering settings. To get there, type in the dialer:

##4636##

Then select Testing → Wipe Data. This method doesn’t work on all firmware and may not be available in the latest versions of MIUI.

Frequent questions about hard reset on Xiaomi