Safe Mode on Xiaomi: How to turn it on and why it is necessary

Safe Mode on Xiaomi smartphones is a diagnostic tool that allows you to boot a device with a minimum set of system applications and drivers, which helps to identify problems caused by third-party programs, viruses or software conflicts. For example, if you have a Redmi or POCO Begin to slow down, spontaneously restart or issue errors – safe mode will help determine whether the program you installed or system failure is to blame.

Unlike the standard mode, where all applications and services are downloaded, in safe mode:

• 📱 All user applications (social networks, instant messengers, games, etc.)
• 🔄 Autoboot of third-party services
• 🎛️ Non-critical system processes (e.g. optimizers or widgets)

This makes it ideal for system stability testing and troubleshooting without the risk of third-party intervention, but it is important to understand that some features (such as Google Play Services or Mi Account) may not work properly or be limited.

Why do you need a safe mode on Xiaomi?

The main purpose of activating Safe Mode is diagnostics, and if a problem disappears in this mode, the source of the problem lies in one of the installed applications (MIUI), firmware.

Typical situations where safe mode can help:

• 🐢 Smartphone slows down or “lags” after installing a new application.
• 🔄 Constant reboots or departures to bootloop (cyclical boot).
• 📵 Problems with sensor, keys or display (flickering, artifacts).
• 🔋 Battery discharge without apparent cause.
• 🚨 Suspicion of a virus or malware.

In addition, Safe Mode is the only way to remove some “harmful” applications that block access to settings or require administrator rights, for example, if a virus masquerades as a system process, it may not be possible to remove it in normal mode.

⚠️ Warning: In Safe Mode, all desktop widgets are turned off.If you use a third-party launcher (for example, Nova Launcher or Nova Launcher). POCO Launcher, it will be replaced by the standard MIUI Launcher.

How to boot Xiaomi in Safe Mode: a universal way

This method works for most Xiaomi, Redmi and other models. POCO (including the Redmi Note 10/11/12, POCO X3/X4/X5, Mi 11/12/13 etc.) if the device is activated and reacts to pressing. MIUI 12/13/14.

Sequence of action:

1. Press and hold the power button until the turn off menu appears.
2. In the window that appears, press and hold your finger on the “Switch off” (or “Switch off power”) option.
3. In 2-3 seconds, you'll be prompted to go to Safe Mode. Confirm your choice by pressing OK.
4. The device will reboot, and in the lower left corner of the screen will appear the inscription “Safe Mode”** (or “Safe Mode” on English firmware).

Make sure the battery is at least 30 times charged%|Close all active applications|Turn off Bluetooth and Wi-Fi (if not needed for diagnostics)|Take a screenshot of the current settings (optional)

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If the switch-off menu does not appear (for example, due to a failure in the MIUI), Try an alternative method:

1. Turn off the phone with a long press on Power.
2. After completely shutting down, press and hold the Power. + Volume up at the same time.
3. When the Xiaomi logo appears, release the buttons. The device should boot in Safe Mode.

⚠️ Note: On some models (e.g, POCO F3/F4) power + Volume Up can call the Fastboot menu.If it happened, just restart the phone and try again.

How to get out of Safe Mode on Xiaomi

To return to normal boot, it is enough to restart the device:

• 🔄 Press and hold the Power button, then select Reboot»**.
• 🔋 If the button doesn’t respond, press the Power for 10-15 seconds before forced shutdown, then turn the phone on again.

99% of the time, that's enough, but if the phone is stuck in safe mode and doesn't leave after you restart, the reasons may be:

If the problem persists, try resetting through Recovery:

1. Turn off the phone.


2.Put Power + Volume up before the Mi logo appears.




3. From the Recovery menu, select "Wipe & Reset" → "Reset to Factory."




4. Confirm the reset (the data will be deleted!).

Yes, after the update.|Yes, because of the virus.|Yeah, after the fall/blow.|No, never.|I don't know what it is.

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Safe mode on the suspended or non-functioning Xiaomi

If the smartphone doesn’t respond to taps, freezes on the logo or reboots cyclically, the standard way to turn on Safe Mode will not work, in which case forced booting through hardware buttons will help.

Instructions for "dead" devices:

1. Turn off the phone (if it's on, press the Power to 20).+ seconds).
2. Press and hold the Power. + Loudness down at the same time.
3. When the Xiaomi logo appears, let go of Power, but keep Volume down until the download starts.
4. If you see the screen saying “Safe Mode” you did the right thing.

On some models (e.g. Redmi) 9/10 or POCO M3) You may need another combination:

• 🔘 Power + Loudness up + Loudness down (hold 10 seconds).
• 🔘 Power (short press) → Loudness up (hold until vibration).

If the phone loads into Fastboot instead of Safe Mode, it means you've held the buttons for too long.Just reboot the device and try again with less pressing time.

What can and cannot be done in a safe environment

Safe Mode is not available in all functions MIUI. Here are the key limitations and opportunities:

An important caveat: Safe mode disabled all superuser rights (root), even if they were activated earlier, which means that applications like Magisk or the Internet. TWRP will not work.

💡

If you need to test the camera in safe mode, use Xiaomi's standard Camera app. Third-party cameras (such as GCam) may not start.

Also, in Safe Mode, it is impossible to:

• 🔒 Change system fonts or animations.
• 📡 Connect to some corporate Wi-Fi networks (due to certificate limitations).
• 🎮 Use a gamepad or other peripheral devices (drivers disabled).

How to remove a virus or problem app in Safe Mode

If your Xiaomi is infected with a virus or one of the apps is crashing, Safe Mode is the best way to remove them.

1. Download your phone to Safe Mode (see section above).
2. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
3. In the top corner, press three dots (⋮) Select “Show system processes»**.
4. Find a suspicious app (often masquerading as com.android.* or system.update).
5. Click on “Delete” or “Disable” (if the delete button is inactive).
6. If the application requires administrator rights, first uninstall them in Settings. → Security → Device administrators.

Typical signs of viral applications:

• 📛 Incomprehensible names in Chinese or with random characters (e.g., or xYz123).
• 📊 High traffic or battery consumption in Settings → Battery.
• 🔗 Permanent redirects in the browser to suspicious sites.

If deleting doesn’t help, try resetting your network settings:

→ SIM-maps and mobile networks → Network reset

💡

Viruses are often disguised as system updates or optimizers. Never install APK-Files from unverified sources, even if they promise to “accelerate” your Xiaomi.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When working with safe mode, users often make mistakes that can make the problem worse, and here are the most common ones:

1. Ignoring backup: Before resetting or deleting applications, copy important data (photos, contacts) to your computer or cloud.
2. Trying to flash the phone in Safe Mode. TWRP or Fastboot in this mode can lead to a brick (breakdown of the device).
3. Using unofficial tools: Programs like KingRoot or iRoot don't work in safe mode and can damage the system.
4. Disabling system applications: Deactivating Miui Daemon or Security Center can cause a cyclical reboot.

Another common problem is that the phone doesn't leave Safe Mode after it's restarted.

• 🔋 Battery discharge (charge the device to 50% and reboot).
• 🔧 A damaged cache (Wipe Cache Partition in Recovery).
• 🛠️ Incorrectly installed Magisk (if you have root, reinstall modules).

If the problem returned after leaving Safe Mode, it means that the source of the problem has not been fixed.

• 🔍 Check your phone for viruses with Malwarebytes or Dr.Web.
• 📉 Remove the last installed applications.
• 🔄 Perform reset to factory settings (pre-save data!).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions