How to turn off the engineering menu on Xiaomi: 5 proven ways

The engineering menu on Xiaomi smartphones is a powerful tool for diagnosing and fine-tuning the device, but its accidental activation can lead to unstable system operation or even loss of warranty. If you find unfamiliar menu items with technical parameters on your Redmi, POCO or Mi (for example, MTK Engineer Mode or Qualcomm Service Menu), it is important to properly deactivate it - a simple click "Back" will not work here.

In this article, we will discuss 5 official and informal ways to turn off the engineering menu, including ADB reset, hidden codes and factory settings. We will focus on models on MediaTek and Qualcomm Snapdragon processors, because the algorithms for them are different, and you will learn which settings should never be changed in the engineering menu, so as not to turn the phone into a brick.

What is the engineering menu on Xiaomi and why it should be turned off

The Engineering Menu (or Engineer Mode) is a hidden partition of MIUI firmware designed to test hardware components such as screen, battery, communication modules and sensors, and is activated through special codes (e.g. #4636## or #36446337#) or third-party applications like the MTK Engineering Mode.

The main risks of the included engineering menu:

• 🔋 Accelerated battery discharge: background diagnostic processes consume up to 15% charge per hour.
• 📡 Network malfunction: changing modem parameters can cause signal loss 4G/5G.
• 🔒 Lockdown IMEI: On some models, the Redmi Note 10 Pro, POCO X3 Pro) incorrect settings result in loss of network identifier.
• ⚠️ Loss of warranty: Xiaomi service centers consider interference in the engineering menu a violation of the user agreement.

According to service centers, up to 30 percent of MIUI “faults” are related to changes to the engineering menu, such as Redmi 9A users often complaining about missing audio after editing the audio chip settings.

Method 1: Standard output via USSD code

The easiest method is to use reverse deactivation code, which works on 80% of Xiaomi models (except for custom firmware).

Instructions:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Enter ##36446337## (for MediaTek) or #4636## (for Qualcomm).
3. In the menu that appears, select Exit or Close Engineer Mode.
4. Restart the device (Power → Reboot).

If the code doesn’t work, try alternatives:

• 📱 For POCO F3/F4: ##6484##
• 📱 For the Redmi Note 11/12: ##3644638##
• 📱 For older models (Mi 8, Mi 9): #4634##

Important: On devices with MIUI 14 or later, the codes may be blocked by the security policy, in which case move on to the next method.

Method 2: Disconnect via ADB (for advanced users)

If standard codes don’t work, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a PC debugging tool that works for all Xiaomi models, but requires USB debugging enabled.

Step-by-step:

1. Download and install Google’s Platform Tools.
2. Activate Debugging by USB in the developer settings (Settings → About Phone → MIUI version – press 7 times, then return to Additional → For Developers).
3. Connect your phone to your PC and type in the command line: adb shell am broadcast -a android.intent.action.CLOSE_SYSTEM_DIALOGS
4. If the engineering menu is left, follow: adb shell settings put global hidden_api_policy 0
5. Reset the device.

For models on MediaTek (Redmi 10A, POCO M4 Pro) you may need an additional command:

adb shell am start -n com.mediatek.engineermode/.EngineerMode

Then manually select Exit from the menu.

⚠️ Note: Do not use the adb shell su commands or try to obtain root rights through the ADB. On Xiaomi, this will lead to the activation of Anti-Rollback and a possible device brilliance.

Method 3: Resetting settings to factory

If the engineering menu is not disabled through codes or ADB, there is a hard reset, which will remove all the data from the device, but is guaranteed to return the system to its original state.

How to reset:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Choose to erase all data.
3. Enter the password from the Mi Account (if linked).
4. Confirm the action.

For devices with locked screen:

• 🔄 Turn off the phone.
• 🔄 Squeeze the power. + Loudness up before the appearance of the Mi logo.
• 🔄 In the Recovery menu, select Wipe Data → Wipe All Data.

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI 13+ After reset, you may need to re-assign your Mi Account. If you forget your password, use account.xiaomi.com to recover your account.

Method 4: Remove via Safe Mode

If the engineering menu is created by a third-party application (such as MTK Engineer or Shortcut Master), it can be removed in Safe Mode, a mode where all user programs are disabled.

How to start Safe Mode:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Power button before the Mi logo appears.
3. Once the logo appears, hold Volume down until you see the Safe Mode label at the bottom of the screen.

In safe mode:

• 📱 Go to Settings. → Annexes.
• 📱 Find applications with Engineer names, MTK qualcomm.
• 📱 Click Remove (if the button is inactive, reset the settings as in Method 3).

Once removed, restart the device in normal mode. If the engineering menu is gone, the problem was with third-party software.

💡

To avoid accidentally activating the engineering menu, add USSD codes (###...) to the blacklist through the Call Blocker app (available from the Mi App Store).

Method 5: Contact Xiaomi Service Center

If none of these methods work, there's an official service, and that's for:

• 🔧 Devices with damaged firmware after changes in the engineering menu.
• 🔧 Models with a locked loader (Redmi Note 9 Pro, POCO X3 NFC).
• 🔧 Phones where the engineering menu has been activated after an unofficial update.

How to prepare for a visit to the service:

1. Make a backup of the data through Settings → Additional → Backup.
2. Make sure there are no root rights on the phone (check through the Root Checker app).
3. Bring a box and a check (if the device is warranty).

The cost of diagnostics in official Xiaomi services is 500-1500 rubles, and flashing - from 2000 rubles. On warranty devices, the service is free, if the problem is not caused by user actions.

💡

If the engineering menu appeared after the MIUI update, report it to the service - it may be a firmware bug, and repairs will be carried out under warranty.

What not to do in the engineering menu Xiaomi

Even if you plan to use the engineering menu for diagnosis, avoid changes in the following sections:

For example, users of the Redmi Note 8 Pro often experience the “silent microphone effect” after editing parameters in Audio → Mic.

Also avoid sections:

• 🚫 Factory Reset – can lead to loss IMEI.
• 🚫 NV Rebuild – resets network settings to factory.
• 🚫 Fastboot Mode – Accidental tap will put the phone in firmware mode.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi's engineering menu