How to format Android on a Xiaomi smartphone: 5 working ways

Xiaomi smartphone formatting is a procedure that can be required in a variety of situations, from the banal preparation of the device for sale to combat freezes, viruses or the consequences of failed firmware. However, many users mistakenly believe that “formatting” and “resetting” are the same thing. In fact, complete cleaning has nuances that depend on the purpose: whether you just want to return the phone to a factory state or you need to erase the data without the possibility of recovery.

In this article, we’ll look at all the current formatting options for Xiaomi, Redmi, and POCO smartphones (including the 2023-2026 models), and explain which method to choose depending on your task. You’ll learn how to reset your settings through your phone’s menu, how to log into Recovery Mode on a locked device, and what to do if the phone doesn’t turn on after formatting, and we’ll focus on hidden memory partitions (such as userdata and cache), which aren’t always cleared by a standard reset.

1. When should you format a Xiaomi smartphone?

Before you start cleaning, determine if it is really necessary. Formatting erases all data, including photos, messages and installed applications, so it should not be done "just like that." Here are the specific cases where the procedure is justified:

• 📱 Preparing for sale or transfer – to prevent the new owner from gaining access to your accounts and files.
• 🐢 Strong hangs and lags that are not eliminated by rebooting or cleaning the cache.
• 🦠 Viruses or malware that is not removed by antiviruses (e.g. banner ads in the system).
• 🔄 Errors after the update MIUI, When the phone is cyclically restarted or not launched.
• 🔓 Forgotten pattern lock or PIN-code (in this case, only reset via Recovery will help).

If your problem doesn’t make it to this list, try more gentle methods first: cleaning the cache manually (Settings → Memory → Clear cache) or removing problem applications. Formatting is an extreme measure to resort to when other methods have not worked.

⚠️ Note: Xiaomi devices with an unlocked bootloader may require re-authorization of the Mi Account after reset. If you forget the password from it, the phone will turn into a brick"!

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

If your smartphone is turned on and you remember the password, the easiest way is to use the built-in reset feature, which is suitable for most models, including the Xiaomi 13/14, Redmi Note 12/13 and POCO F5/X5. The main advantage is that you control the process and can pre-back up.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset (on new versions of MIUI, the path may be slightly different: Settings → Additional → Recover and Reset).
2. Select Reset (or Erase All Data).
3. The system will be asked to PIN-lock-screen code.
4. Confirm the action by pressing Erase Everything (on some models, the button may be called Remove Everything).
5. Wait for the process to be completed (usually 5-15 minutes) and the phone will restart and start as new.

After the reset, you will need to reconfigure your phone: select a language, connect to Wi-Fi, and log into your Mi Account (if it was previously linked). If you plan to sell the device, don't sign in, leave the phone at the initial setup stage.

Method 2: Formatting via Recovery Mode (if the phone is not turned on)

If your smartphone is locked, rebooted cyclically, or doesn't respond to touch, you'll have to use Recovery Mode, a special recovery mode, which comes in two types on Xiaomi devices:

• 🔹 Stock Recovery (official, from Xiaomi) – limited features, but works on all models.
• 🔹 Castomic Recovery (e.g, TWRP) — Extended features, but requires pre-installing.

We'll look at the stock Recovery option, as it's available out of the box.

1. Turn off the phone (if it freezes, press the power button for 10-15 seconds).
2. Press the button combination: For most models: Volume up + Power. For older smartphones (e.g. Redmi 4X, Mi A1): Volume up + Volume down + Power.

Mi

Recovery

Use volume buttons for navigation and power button to select the item.

Wipe Data

Clear Data

Confirm

Reboot

If the Recovery menu does not include Wipe Data, but only Reboot and Connect with MIAssistant, then you have a stripped down Recovery (often found on new models, such as Xiaomi 14), in which case you will have to use Fastboot (mode 4).

⚠️ Note: Some firmware (especially global ones) may have a "This device is locked" error after reset via Recovery, which means that the phone requires authorization to the Mi Account that was previously linked!

Method 3: Complete Fastboot Cleanup (for power users)

Fastboot is the deepest formatting method, because it allows you to erase all memory parts, including system partitions.

• 🔧 You need to remove the custom firmware and return the stock.
• 🦠 Phone infected with virus that survived reset via Recovery.
• 🔓 You need to bypass the Mi Account lock (only on some models with unlocked bootloader).

For this method, you will need a computer with installed drivers ADB/Fastboot original USB-Instructions:

1. Turn off your phone and press Volume Down + Power to enter Fastboot Mode (a hare image with the inscription FASTBOOT will appear).
2. Connect your phone to your PC and open the command line (Win + R → cmd).
3. Check the connection command: fastboot devices If the device is determined (its serial number will appear), continue.
4. Complete cleanup by command: fastboot erase userdata fastboot erase cache fastboot format userdata fastboot format cache For some models (for example, Redmi Note 10 Pro) you may need an additional command: fastboot erase configig
5. Reboot the phone: fastboot reboot

This method deletes data without recovery, so it is often used before selling a device, but beware: some firmwares may require Mi Account authorization after such a cleanup, even if it was not previously available!

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If the error "FAILED" appears after fastboot erase commands, then the bootloader is blocked, in which case you will first have to unlock it through the official Mi Unlock Tool (requires binding to Mi Account and waiting 7-15 days).

5. Method 4: Formatting via Mi Flash Tool (for firmware and deep cleaning)

Mi Flash Tool is the official utility from Xiaomi, which allows not only to flash the phone, but also to perform full formatting with the reinstallation of MIUI. This method is suitable if:

• 📴 Phone 'bricked' after failed update.
• 🔄 I need to return the stock firmware after the custom.
• 🧹 You need to delete all partitions, including system and vendor.

Instructions:

1. Download the Mi Flash Tool from the official Xiaomi website (Unlock section) and install it on PC.
2. Download the firmware for your model (a file with the.tgz or.zip extension) from MIUI Download. Choose the Fastboot version (not Recovery!).
3. Unpack the firmware in a folder without Cyrillic characters (for example, C:\MIUI\rom).
4. Turn off the phone and press Volume Down + Power to log into the Fastboot.
5. Connect your phone to your PC and start the Mi Flash Tool.
6. In the utility, click Select and indicate the path to the unpacked firmware.
7. At the bottom, select Clean All (Full Cleaning) or Clean All and Lock (Cleaning + Lock bootloader).
8. Press Flash and wait until it is completed (the process will take 5-10 minutes).

Once the firmware is in place, the phone will start as new, a method that is guaranteed to delete all data, including hidden partitions, but requires a firmware match to the phone model, and an error in choosing a firmware file can lead to a hard brick.

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Use the Mi Flash Tool only if other methods have not worked, and this method is suitable for power users, as the wrong actions can turn the phone into a brick.

Method 5: Formatting the memory card and internal memory separately

If you only need to clean your memory card or internal drive (without resetting your system settings), you can do it selectively.

• 📸 Want to free up space, but don’t want to lose settings and apps.
• 🦠 Suspecting a virus on a memory card (for example, after connecting to an infected PC).
• 🔄 We need to format. SD-a card in another file system (e.g., with a FAT32 exFAT).

Instructions for the memory card:

1. Open the Settings → Memory.
2. Choose yours. SD-Card (it will be marked as an External Drive).
3. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Memory Settings.
4. Choose Format (or Clear) and confirm the action.

For internal memory (without system reset):

1. Connect your phone to your PC in File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. Open this computer and find the Xiaomi device.
3. Remove unnecessary files manually or format the Internal Storage section through Disk Management (for power users only!).

Note: Formatting internal memory via PC can result in data loss in hidden folders (such as with application settings).If you just need to free up space, it’s best to use the built-in Cleanup function in Settings → Memory.

7. What to do after formatting?

Once reset or cleaned, the phone will start as new, but there are a few important steps to help avoid problems:

• 🔒 Don't sign in to Mi Account immediately if you plan to sell the phone. Leave it in the initial setup phase.
• 🔄 Update the firmware to the latest version (Settings) → The phone. → Updating the system).
• 📱 Restore data from the backup (if you made it in advance through Settings) → The phone. → Backup).
• 🛡️ Install an antivirus (such as Dr.Web or Malwarebytes) if the reset was due to viruses.
• 🔋 Charge your phone to 100% – after formatting, the battery may drain faster due to file re-indexing.

If the phone doesn’t turn on after reset or hangs on the Mi logo, try:

1. Press Volume Up + Power for 10-15 seconds for forced reboot.
2. If it doesn’t work, repeat the reset via Recovery (method 3).
3. If this doesn’t work, run your phone through the Mi Flash Tool (Track 5).

⚠️ Note: Some models (e.g. Xiaomi) 12T or Redmi K50) When you reset, you may see a "Device is corrupted" error, which means that the system files are corrupted, and then only flashing through Fastboot will help.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi formatting