How to restart Xiaomi smartphone without the power button: all ways from simple to complex

Broken power button on Xiaomi is a problem familiar to many smartphone owners of the brand. Especially unpleasant when the phone freezes and the physical button does not respond to presses. But do not rush to carry the device into service: in 80% of cases, you can reboot software, without disassembling the device.

In this article, we’ll look at all the reboot methods available, from basic (through menus and keyboard shortcuts) to advanced (using ADB and Mi Account). Each method has been tested on Redmi Note 10/11/12, POCO X3/X4 and Mi 11/12, but most of the instructions are universal for all Android devices with the MIUI shell. Importantly, some methods require pre-tuning – we’ll warn you about this in advance.

If your Xiaomi is completely discharged or does not respond even to charging, first check the FAQ section - there are solutions for dead devices.

1. Reboot via menu (if phone is on)

The most obvious, but often forgotten, way is to use the built-in MIUI features. It works if the smartphone screen is active and the system is not “deeply” getting stuck.

Open Settings → About Phone → Reboot. On some firmware, the path may be different:

• 📱 MIUI 12/13/14: Settings → Additionally. → Reboot and shutdown
• 🔄 Older versions: Hold the Volume button up + Turning it off (if it reacts a little bit)
• ⚡ Quick access: Swipe down the notification bar and tap the power icon (if any)

If the menu doesn’t open because of the freeze, try calling it through Google’s voice assistant:

1. Say “OK Google” or hold the Home button (if it’s touch-sensitive).
2. Say the command: "Reboot phone" or "Open reboot settings".

⚠️ Attention: On models POCO F3/F4 redmi K40/K50 The voice assistant is disabled by default. To activate it in advance, go to Settings. → Google → Google services → Voice search.

2. Keyboard combinations for forced reboot

If the power button is not working, but the touch screen and volume buttons are working, use hardware combinations. These methods work even on a locked screen:

• 🔁 Soft reboot: Keep Volume Up + Loudness down at the same time 10–15 On some models, Redmi. 9A/9C) This will trigger a recovery menu.
• ⚡ Hard Reset (if the phone is getting stuck): Press the Volume up + Power (even if the power button is broken, sometimes triggered by a strong press) Hold for 20-30 seconds until the Xiaomi logo appears.
• 📵 For older models (Redmi) 4/5, Mi A1/A2): Try Volume Down. + Meals for food 10 seconds.

Critical: On the POCO M3/M4 and Redmi Note 8/9, prolonged holding of the volume buttons can trigger Fastboot mode instead of rebooting, in which case release the keys immediately after vibration.

Make sure your phone is at least 10% charged | Turn off all cables (charging, headphones) | Remember key retention time (at least 10 seconds) | Prepare for a possible reset (if the Recovery menu appears)

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If the keyboard shortcuts don’t work, go to the next method – use ADB (Android Debug Bridge).

3.Reboot via ADB (for advanced users)

ADB is an Android debugging tool that allows you to control your smartphone from a computer, a method that requires pre-setting, but is reliable if the power button is completely out of order.

What you need:

• 💻 Computer with Windows/macOS/Linux and installed Xiaomi drivers.
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).
• ⚙️ Included debugging by USB on the phone (if it was not turned on before - the method is not suitable).

Instructions:

1. Download ADB Tools and unpack the archive.
2. Connect Xiaomi to your computer and open the command line in the folder with adb.exe.
3. Enter the commands in turn: adb devices (should appear serial number of your device) adb shell reboot (if you need to force reboot, use adb shell reboot -p)

⚠️ Attention: MIUI 14 switched-on MIUI Optimization command reboot may not work. In this case, use: adb shell "echo" 1 > /sys/power/state" But this method requires root rights!

Remote reboot via Mi Account (if synchronization is enabled)

If your Xiaomi has a Mi Account attached and sync enabled, you can try rebooting your device via a web interface, which only works when you have an active Internet connection on your phone (via mobile network or Wi-Fi).

Step-by-step:

1. Go to i.mi.com and log in.
2. Select your device in the list (if it is displayed there).
3. Press three points (⋮) Next to the smartphone name and select Find the device".
4. In the window that opens, click "Reboot" (the option is not available on all firmware).

Limitations of the method:

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If the Reboot option is inactive, try using the Call feature on i.mi.com first. Sometimes this wakes up the phone and allows you to reboot it remotely.

Rebooting through the charger (discharge-charge method)

If the smartphone doesn't respond to the taps completely, but it's charging, you can use a physical reset via power, and it works with built-in battery protection.

How to do this:

1. Connect Xiaomi to the charger (preferably the original 18W+).
2. Wait until the charge indicator appears on the screen (usually in 5-10 minutes).
3. As soon as the phone shows any reaction (vibration, screen lighting), immediately turn off the cable.
4. Connect the charging again – sometimes this will trigger an automatic reboot.

For non-removable models (Redmi Note 10 Pro, Mi 11 Ultra), this method works 60% of the time. On older devices (Redmi 4X, Mi A1) you can try to remove the battery (if the lid is removable), but this is risky without experience.

⚠️ Note: Do not use "discharge to zero" on phones with Li-Po batteries (POCO F3, Redmi K40) — It can damage the battery, and you just need to discharge it to 5 to 10 percent and then you need to plug the charger in.

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The discharge-charge method is the only way to “reanimate” Xiaomi that does not respond to buttons and is not determined by a computer via ADB.

6. Hardware reset via Test Point (extreme case)

If all the previous methods failed, then you have to reset the hardware through Test Point, which is a special pin on the motherboard, which requires disassembling the phone and is only suitable for advanced users.

How to find Test Point on popular models:

• 📍 Redmi Note 9/10/11: The contacts are located under the back cover, next to the battery connector (look for labels). TP or test).
• 📍 POCO X3/X4: Two contacts under the metal plate (need to gently press it with a mediator).
• 📍 Mi 11/12: The dot is near the camera (requires to remove the glass).

Instructions:

1. Turn off your phone (if it is still responding).
2. Remove the back cover (heating with a hair dryer or using a suction cup).
3. Find Test Point and close the contacts with tweezers or a screwdriver.
4. Connect the charger – the phone should go to Fastboot mode.
5. Next, run the phone through the Mi Flash Tool (instructions are on the official website).

⚠️ Warning: Test Point mis-circuiting could burn motherboard! on Redmi models K50 And the newer contacts are protected by film, so you need to prick it neatly with a needle without damaging the tracks.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi reboot without power button