Administrator rights (or root rights) on Xiaomi smartphones give users enhanced system management capabilities, but at the same time pose threats to the security and stability of the device. If you previously activated these rights to install custom firmware, remove system applications or fine-tune MIUI, but now want to return the phone to normal state – this guide will help you do this without the risk of “bricking” the gadget.
Disabling superuser rights may be necessary before selling a phone, to restore warranty, fix bugs after failed modifications, or simply to improve security. In this article, we will discuss 5 working methods – from standard MIUI tools to manual removal via ADB, and explain what consequences await after root deactivation and how to avoid them.
⚠️ Critical Warning: Some methods require an unlocked bootloader.If you have never officially unlocked it through the Mi Unlock Tool, methods with firmware or fastboot will not be available. Check the status of the bootloader with the command fastboot oem device-info – the line Device unlocked: true will confirm unlocking.
1. Disable Administrator Rights through MIUI Settings
The easiest and safest way is to use the built-in MIUI tools. It is suitable if the rights were obtained through the official Security application without third-party utilities like Magisk or SuperSU.
Open Settings → Password and Security → Privileges. Here you will see the Administrator Rights section (or Root Access depending on the version of MIUI). Tap it and select the option "Disable." The system will request confirmation, after the reboot, the rights will be deactivated.
- ✅ Pros: Does not require a PC, saves user data.
- ⚠️ Cons: Works only for "clean" root without modifications boot.img.
- 🔄 Alternative: If no clause is available, the rights were obtained through Magisk (see Section 3).
💡
If the root phone stopped seeing SIM-maps, perform network reset in Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Network resets. This is due to a change in the permissions to the communication module.
2.Magisk removal (for custom root users)
Magisk is the most popular root rights tool on Xiaomi, as it allows you to hide root status from apps (such as banking or gaming) to completely remove Magisk and return the phone to stock status:
- Open the Magisk Manager app (if it is hidden, find it through a search system).
- Go to the "Settings" section (cog in the upper right corner).
- Select "Complete Uninstall" ("Complete Uninstall").
- Confirm the action and wait for the reboot.
If Magisk Manager was removed, but root remained active:
- 📱 Download the official Magisk Uninstaller (file) uninstall.zip).
- 🔄 Reboot the phone to TWRP Recovery (hold on to food) + Volume up when switched on).
- 📁 Select "Install" → point the way uninstall.zip → swipe for confirmation.
Download the original firmware for your model | Backup in TWRP| Check battery power (minimum 50%) | Turn off data encryption (if used)
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⚠️ Note: After removing Magisk, some modules (e.g, ViPER4Android or EdXposed) will stop working. They need to be removed separately through TWRP manually /data/adb/modules.
3. reset to factory settings (Hard Reset)
If previous methods didn't work or you don't remember how you got root, a full reset can help, but it removes all the data from internal memory, including photos, messages and installed applications.
Instructions for MIUI 12-14:
- Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
- Select "Erase all data."
- Enter the password (if installed) and confirm the action.
- After the reboot, the phone will be like after the purchase - without root and custom modifications.
| Resetting method | Removing root? | Saving data? | Does it require unlocking? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Through MIUI settings | ✅ Yes. | ❌ No. | ❌ No. |
| TWRP (format data) | ✅ Yes. | ❌ No. | ✅ Yes. |
| Fastboot (miui_clean_all) | ✅ Yes. | ❌ No. | ✅ Yes. |
| Partial reset (without format data) | ❌ No. | ⚠️ Partially. | ❌ No. |
🔹 Important: If you have installed a custom recavator (TWRP), drop-off MIUI It may not remove the root completely:
1. Download to TWRP (Nutrition + Volume Up).
2. Select Wipe → Format Data → enter “yes”.
3.Reboot.Through MIUI |TWRP |Through Fastboot |Never reset |Another way-->
4. Firmware of the original software through Fastboot
This is the most reliable way to get the phone back to full stock, but it requires an unlocked bootloader and PC. Suitable for the Redmi Note 10/11/12, POCO X3/X4, Mi 11/12 and others with fastboot support.
Step-by-step:
- Download the official firmware for your model (choose the version of "Fastboot").
- Unpack the archive in a folder on a PC (for example, C:\miui_fastboot).
- Connect your phone to your PC in fastboot mode (hold Power + Volume down when turned on).
- Launch the file. flash_all.bat (for Windows or flash_all.sh (for Linux/Mac).
- Wait for the process to be completed (5-10 minutes) and the phone will reboot automatically.
⚠️ Note: If the firmware is interrupted, the phone may stop turning on ("brick"). Use only original cables and stable PC power (the laptop must be connected to the outlet).
What to do if the firmware is 99% frozen?
5. Manual removal via ADB (for power users)
If the root was obtained through modification boot.img (So, for example, with Magisk or SuperSU, but you can't flash the phone completely, you can try to delete the rights manually. ADB and unlocked loader.
Instructions:
- Install ADB and Fastboot on PC.
- Connect your phone in USB debugging mode (turn on Settings → About Phone → MIUI version → 7 times tap on version → return to Settings → Additional → For developers → Debugging on USB).
- Open the command line in the adb folder and do:
adb shell
su
mount -o rw,remount /system
rm /system/bin/su
rm /system/xbin/su
rm /system/xbin/daemonsu
rm /system/app/Superuser.apk
mount -o ro,remount /system
exit
exitAfter the reboot, administrator rights will be deleted, but some system changes (such as modified files in /system) may remain.
💡
Manual removal via ADB does not guarantee a complete return to the drain state. Use the firmware via fastboot for guaranteed results.
What to do after shutting down root?
Once the phone is back to normal, perform several checks to make sure there are no traces of modifications:
- 🔍 Root Checker from Google Play: If it shows "Root access: Not available" - the rights are disabled successfully.
- 📱 System Application Test: Run Mi Security Scan (Security section) If there are no warnings about modified files, it's okay.
- 🔄 Update MIUI: Go to Settings. → The phone. → Update the system and install the latest firmware, which will replace the possible modified system files.
If you have turned off root before selling your phone:
- ✅ Complete the reset (see Section 3).
- ✅ Delete your Mi Account in Settings → Accounts. → Mi Account → Delete the account.
- ✅ Check the status of the bootloader with the fastboot oem device-info command – if it is unlocked, the new owner can easily get root again.