How to completely reset the Xiaomi smartphone: 3 working ways + problem solving

Xiaomi’s factory reset is a procedure that can be required in a variety of situations, from preparing the phone for sale to fixing critical system failures. However, an improperly executed reset often leads to Mi Account locking, loss of important data or even “bricking” the device. In this article, we will analyze all the current ways of zeroing (including hidden MIUI functions), explain how to avoid typical errors, and give a checklist for a safe reset.

Xiaomi smartphones are very well integrated with the Mi Account ecosystem, which adds complexity to resetting. For example, after resetting via Recovery, the phone may require a username and password from the previous owner, even if you bought it with your hands. We will discuss in detail how to avoid this and what to do if the lock has already occurred. In this article, you will find a table of compatibility methods with different models (Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Mi 11, etc.) and instructions for devices with a locked bootloader.

1.Reset preparation: what to do before zeroing

Before you start resetting, make sure you follow all the critical steps.Neglecting preparation can result in the inability to unlock the phone after resetting or loss of access to tied accounts (such as Google Pay or Mi Cloud).

First, check the status of the Mi Account:

• 🔗 Make sure your phone is not tied to someone else’s account (go to Settings). → Xiaomi account and see email.If the device is bought with your hands, ask the seller to untie it before resetting.
• 🔐 If you have forgotten the password from your Mi Account, restore it in advance on account.xiaomi.com. After the reset, it will be more difficult to restore access.
• 📱 Remove all screen locks (PIN, pattern lock, print. Some models (Redmi Note 10 Pro, POCO F4) Requires you to enter a password even after resetting via Fastboot.

Second, save important data. Even if you plan to reset through the settings menu, there is a risk of file loss due to a failure.

• ☁️ Cloud services: Mi Cloud (up to 5 GB free), Google Drive or Yandex Disk for backup of contacts, photos and notes.
• 💻 Local Copy: Connect your phone to your PC via USB-cable and copy folders DCIM (Photos, Downloads (downloads) and MIUI (setup).
• 📱 Backup apps: Swift Backup (requires root) or Titanium Backup to save these applications.

Make sure your phone is at least 50% charged

Untie all bank cards in Google Pay/Mi Pay

Remove your phone from the list of trusted devices in Google and Xiaomi accounts

Download the latest firmware version (if you plan to reset via Fastboot)

Take screenshots of important settings (e.g. APN for mobile internet)

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Lockdown warning: If the phone was bought from hand and tied to someone else's Mi Account, a reset via Recovery or Fastboot will result in activation lock. The only way to unlock it is to contact the previous owner or provide a purchase check to Xiaomi's support team. In 2026, the company tightened its policy: without proof of purchase, unlocking is impossible.

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If you buy Xiaomi with your hands, be sure to ask the seller to make a reset with you and check for the lack of binding to Mi Account in the Settings → About Phone → Mi Account Status.

2. Method 1: Reset via the settings menu (the safest)

This method is suitable for working devices without serious malfunctions, and its advantage is to keep the ability to unlock through the Mi Account after a reset (if the phone is linked to your account), the instructions are relevant for MIUI 12/13/14 on Redmi, POCO and Mi models.

Step-by-step:

1. Open Settings (the gear icon on the main screen).
2. Go to the About Phone section. → Backup and reset.
3. Select Resetting (on some firmware, the item may be called Resetting all settings).
4. The system will tell you what to reset: 📱 Settings (required) 🔄 Applications and their data (if you need to delete all programs) 📂 Media files (if you want to erase photos and videos)

Delete everything

Wait for the reboot (it will take 5-15 minutes) and after turning on, the phone will suggest setting it up as new.

Features of the method:

• ✅ Does not require unlocking the loader.
• ✅ It can be unlocked via Mi Account (if your phone is linked to your account).
• ❌ It won’t help if the phone doesn’t turn on or hangs on the logo. MI.
• ❌ In some models (POCO X3 Pro, Redmi K40) You may need to enter a password from your Mi Account after a reset, even if your phone was linked to your account.

Method 2: Reset via Recovery Mode (for locked phones)

This method is used if the phone is not turned on, got stuck on the screensaver or locked with a pattern lock, but it has a serious drawback: once reset via Recovery, the phone is guaranteed to require data input from Mi Account, even if it was previously linked to your account, a theft protection measure introduced by Xiaomi in 2020.

Instructions for entering Recovery Mode and resetting:

1. Turn off the phone (press the power button for 10 seconds if it freezes).
2. Press the button combination: 🔧 For most models (Redmi Note 11, POCO X4, Mi 10T): Loudness up + Nutrition. 🔧 For older models (Redmi 5, Mi) A2): Loudness up + Loudness down + Nutrition.

Hold the buttons until the MI logo and Recovery menu appear.

Recovery

Wipe Data

Wipe All Data

Reboot

Important nuances:

• 🔒 If the phone was linked to Mi Account, a window will appear after the reset, requiring you to enter your username and password. Without this data, you can not unlock the phone (unless you know the workarounds for a particular model).
• 🔄 On some firmware (MIUI Global) the Wipe Data option may not be available. In this case, select Advanced → Wipe Dalvik Cache and then go back and select Wipe Cache Partition.
• ⚠️ Do not choose Wipe All Partitions – this will delete not only data, but also firmware, which will lead to “bricking” the phone.

Yes, I had to restore access to the account.

Yes, but the phone never got unlocked.

No, I always reset it through the settings menu.

No, I have a different brand of phone.

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⚠️ Warning: If you bought the phone with your hands and aren't sure if it's tied to the Mi Account, a reset via Recovery can make the device useless. → The phone. → Mi Account status. If it's someone else's email, ask the seller to delink.

Method 3: Reset via Fastboot (for power users)

Fastboot resetting is the most radical method used if:

• 🔧 The phone does not turn on or respond to buttons.
• 🔧 Recovery Mode is unavailable or damaged.
• 🔧 You need to reflash the device from scratch (for example, after a failed update).

This method requires an unlocked bootloader and installed ADB/Fastboot drivers on the PC. If the bootloader is locked, Fastboot reset is impossible without official unlocking (the procedure takes up to 360 hours of waiting on the Xiaomi website).

Step-by-step instructions for Windows:

1. Download and install Android SDK Platform-Tools (or MiFlash Unlock to unlock the bootloader).
2. Turn off the phone and put it in Fastboot mode: Press Volume Down + Power and hold for 10-15 seconds. The screen will show a hare in a hat-out (Fastboot logo).

USB-cable

cmd

platform-tools

fastboot devices

(Serial phone number should show. If not, check the drivers)

fastboot erase userdata

fastboot erase cache

fastboot reboot

The phone will reboot and offer to configure it as new.

Warnings:

• 🔒 If the bootloader is locked, fastboot erase commands will not work.You will need to unlock it first through the Mi Unlock Tool (the procedure takes up to 15 days of waiting).
• ⚠️ On some models (Redmi Note 9 Pro, POCO F3) Resetting via Fastboot can lead to loss IMEI. It can be restored only through an engineering menu or service center.
• 📡 If the phone does not catch the network after reset, check for files modemst1 and modemst2 file /vendor/rfs/msm/mpss (Root is required for verification).

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Fastboot reset is the only way to bring a phone with a damaged firmware back to life, but it requires an unlocked bootloader and knowledge of commands. If you're not sure what you're doing, you'd better go to a service center.

5. How to bypass the Mi Account lock after reset (legal ways)

If the phone requires a Mi Account entry after a reset, you have several options, from official to semi-legal.Important: Bypassing the lock without proof of purchase violates Xiaomi’s user agreement and can lead to an account being blocked.

Official means:

• 🏠 If the phone is purchased in the official Xiaomi store, present a warranty card - the lock will be removed in the service center.

Unofficial ways (at your own risk):

• 🔧 Use it. EDL-Emergency Download Mode for flashing your phone through the Mi Flash Tool. requires an authorized Xiaomi developer account and cable EDL (Not all models support this method).
• 📱 On some firmware (MIUI 12 and below) works bypassing through region change: On the lock screen, click Additional settings (or Emergency Call). Select Arabic or Hindi. Return to the lock screen and try to enter any password 5 times in a row - sometimes the Forgot password button appears?.

Redmi 9

Note 8 Pro

POCO X3

SP Flash Tool

XDA Developers

4PDA

⚠️ Attention: Using informal methods to bypass Mi Account locks can result in: Warranty loss (if the phone is still warranty), Mi Account lock for suspicious activity, phone picking up if the firmware error occurs, if the phone costs less than 10,000 ₽, It is often cheaper to buy a new one than to risk data and time to bypass a lock.

6. Frequent errors in resetting and how to avoid them

Even experienced users sometimes make mistakes that lead to data loss or phone lockdown, and here are the most common ones and ways to prevent them:

Specific errors for different models:

• 📱 Redmi Note 10/11: If you reset it, you can lose the sound through the Fastboot, so you can flash the original vendor through the Mi Flash Tool.
• 📱 POCO F3/F4: When you reset through Recovery, sometimes you get the bootloader unlocked.
• 📱 Mi 11 Lite: may not work after reset NFC. Solution - reset network settings in Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks.

7 What to do if the reset did not help (the phone still glips)

If after reset problems remain (the phone brakes, spontaneously reboots or does not turn on), the reasons may be as follows:

• 🔋 Battery malfunction: If the phone turns off at 30-40% charge or does not hold charge, the problem is the battery. ₽, for Mi, from 2,500 ₽).
• 🖥️ Damage to system files: If the reset didn’t help, try reflashing your phone via the Mi Flash Tool (instructions in the Fastboot section).
• 📡 Communications module problems: If mobile network or Wi-Fi is not working, check IMEI (dial *#06# if IMEI No – Reflashing of the modem partition is required.
• 🔥 CPU overheating: if the phone is heated and turned off, the thermal paste may have dried up.The solution is cleaning and replacing the thermal paste in the service center (from 1000) ₽).
• In conclusion, pay attention to the parameters of health (should be 2 - "good condition") and capacity (if less than 80% of the nominal value - the battery should be changed).
• Check the temperature of the processor: adb shell cat /sys/class/thermal/thermal_zone*/temp Normal temperature in simple - up to 40°C. If higher 60°C – Requires cleaning or replacement of the heat paste.

If self-diagnosis did not help, contact the service center. The average cost of diagnosis in official Xiaomi services is 500-1000 ₽. For models older than 3 years, repairs may not be cost-effective (for example, replacing the motherboard with a Redmi 8 is worth it). ~5 000 ₽, What is the price of a new phone).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions