How to restart Xiaomi smartphone without a lock button: all working methods

Broken power button on Xiaomi — the problem faced by owners of smartphones Redmi, POCO and Mi line after 1-2 years of use. Mechanical buttons wear out from frequent pressing, moisture or falls, and their replacement in the service center costs 1,500-3000 rubles. But what if the phone is frozen, does not respond to touch, and lock button does not work? In this article — 5 proven ways to reboot without physical on / off, including hidden MIUI functions and tools for PC.

Importantly, the methods are different for devices with unlocked bootloader and locked (by default on most Xiaomi).We will indicate which options will work in each case. Also note that forced reboot via ADB or Fastboot can interrupt background processes such as updating the system. If the phone is just “suspended”, first try soft methods (sections 1-3), and then “hard” (sections 4-5).

If the touch screen is touch-responsive and the lock button is not working, use the standard MIUI menu.This method works on all Xiaomi models, including the Redmi Note 10/11/12, POCO F3/F4/F5 and Mi 11/12/13.

Instructions:

📱 Open Settings (cog icon on the main screen).
🔍 Scroll down and select About Phone (or Device Information on newer versions) MIUI).
🔄 Slip on the button Reboot (in some firmware it is hidden behind the item Update system).
✅ Confirm the action by pressing OK in the dialog window.

If the Reboot option is not in the About Phone menu, try an alternative path:

Press and hold the volume button + volume button simultaneously for 5-7 seconds. On some models (POCO X3/X4, Redmi 9/10) this triggers the reboot menu.
If a menu with options “Switch off/Reboot/Restore mode” appears, select the desired item using volume keys and confirm by clicking on the touch button “Home”** (if any) or double tap on the screen.

💡

On Xiaomi with MIUI 14+, you can add a reboot widget to the home screen: pinch the empty space → Widgets → find Power Management and drag it to the screen.

2.Use of gestures and voice assistant

MIUI offers several alternative ways to manage power without physical buttons, and if you have activated the functions in advance, you can use them even when the screen is hung.

2.1 Triple Tap (Triple Tap) gesture

Triple Touch allows you to open a special feature menu where you have a reboot option, and to make it work, you had to turn it on beforehand:

🔧 Go to Settings. → Special facilities → Usability → Triple Tap.
🔘 Activate the switch and select the action of the Special Opportunities menu.
👆 Now triple tapping the screen (quickly tap your finger three times) will open a panel where you can select Reboot.

2.2. Google Assistant or XiaoAI

If you have a voice assistant on your phone, try giving a command:

🎤 Say: OK, Google, restart your phone (for Google Assistant).
🤖 Or: (for XiaoAI on Chinese firmware).

⚠️ Limitation: Voice commands only work if the phone is not fully got stuck and connected to the Internet (for Google Assistant.

📊 What kind of smartphone you Xiaomi?

Redmi (Note, K-series)

POCO (F, X, M-series)

Mi (11, 12, 13)

Black Shark

Other

Forced reboot through the charger

If the phone is completely frozen (no touch response, the screen is black or “frozen” on the MI logo), and the lock button does not work, try the charging method. It works on 70% of Xiaomi, Released models after 2018.

Instructions:

🔌 Connect your phone to the original charger (preferably with a cable from the kit).
⏳ Wait. 1–2 On some models, Redmi Note. 8/9, POCO X3) When connecting the power, an automatic reboot is triggered.
🔄 If the screen is still black, press the volume button and hold it for 10 to 15 seconds, and on some devices, this causes a forced reboot.

⚠️ Note: This method may not work if:

🔋 The battery is completely discharged (you need to wait 5-10 minutes on charging).
🔌 Uses a non-original charger (needs a cable with Quick Charge support).
📱 The phone is in Fastboot or Recovery mode (other methods are required).

Original Xiaomi| Type-C/USB-C Cable without damage | Battery Charge > 5% |Tap screen response check-->

4.Reboot via ADB (for advanced users)

If the phone is debugging on USB (USB Debugging, it can be restarted using a computer and tool ADB (Android Debug Bridge.This method is suitable for devices with unlocked bootloader and drivers installed.

Step-by-step:

💻 Download and install Google’s Platform Tools (includes) ADB and Fastboot).
📱 Connect your phone to your PC through USB-cable (use the port) USB 3.0 for stability).
🖱️ Open the command line (Win) + R → Type in cmd and execute commands:

adb devices

(Your device should be displayed. If the list is empty, check the drivers or allow debugging on your phone.)

adb shell reboot

(This team gently restarts the phone.)

adb shell reboot recovery

(Reboot to Recovery Mode – if you need to reset your settings.)

⚠️ Note: If the phone is not detected in ADB, but reacts to the connection (sound / vibration), try:

🔄 Reconnect the cable by changing the port USB.
🔧 Enable File Transfer (MTP) notice-curtain.
📱 On the phone in the Settings menu → For developers to select a configuration USB default → File transfer.

What if the ADB can’t see the device?

If the adb device team returns a blank list, check: 1. Is USB debugging enabled (Settings → Phone → MIUI Version (7 times) → Developers → USB debugging) 2. Are Xiaomi drivers installed (download from the official website or via Mi PC Suite). 3. Is the original cable used (cheap cables often don’t transmit data). 4. Try rebooting your PC and phone (if the screen reacts).

5. Hardware reboot via Fastboot or EDL

If the phone doesn't respond to any commands and the lock button is broken, you can reset hardware via Fastboot or EDL (Emergency Download Mode) modes, which require a PC and special tools.

5.1.Reboot via Fastboot

Suitable for devices with unlocked bootloader:

📱 Turn off the phone (if the screen is running, hold the volume button up). + volume button down 10 seconds).
🔌 Connect the phone to the PC, holding the volume down button (should appear screen with a hare in a hat-earchman – Fastboot mode).
💻 In the command line, execute:

fastboot devices

fastboot reboot

EDL mode (for critical cases)

If the phone doesn’t load even in Fastboot, transfer it to EDL:

📱 Turn off the device (if necessary, wait for full discharge).
🔧 Close the Test Point contacts on the motherboard (requires disassembly of the phone).For most Xiaomi, these are two contacts next to the battery, tagged with the battery. EDL.
🔌 Connect. USB-The phone will be called Qualcomm. HS-USB QDLoader 9008.
💻 Use the Mi Flash Tool for firmware or recovery.

Warning: EDL mode resets all data on the phone and requires an authorized Xiaomi account to unlock the bootloader.Do not use it unless absolutely necessary!

Method	PC required	It works on a locked loader.	Data resetting	Difficulty
Settings menu	❌ No.	✅ Yes.	❌ No.	⭐
Gestures/voice assistant	❌ No.	✅ Yes.	❌ No.	⭐⭐
Charger	❌ No.	✅ Yes.	❌ No.	⭐⭐
ADB	✅ Yes.	⚠️ Only with the unlocked loader	❌ No.	⭐⭐⭐
Fastboot/EDL	✅ Yes.	❌ No (needs an unlocked bootloader)	⚠️ Possible.	⭐⭐⭐⭐

6. What should I do if nothing helps?

If none of the methods worked, hardware malfunctions are likely:

🔋 Battery problems: bloating or deep discharge (replacement needed).
📱 Damage to the motherboard: after falling or getting moisture.
🔌 Power controller malfunction: phone doesn’t even turn on from charging.

In such cases:

🛠️ Contact Xiaomi Service Center (the warranty is valid if the phone is not disassembled).
🔄 If the phone does not turn on at all, the masters can offer flashing through the ISP (Direct memory connection – this saves data in 80% of cases.

💡

Before visiting the service center, be sure to back up your data via Mi Cloud or Google Account if the phone responds to commands in any way.

FAQ: Frequent questions

❓ Can you reboot Xiaomi without a power button if the screen is not working?

If the screen is completely black and does not respond to touch, only hardware methods remain: Connect to charge (sometimes automatic reboot works); use ADB or Fastboot (if USB debugging was previously enabled); disassemble the phone and close the contacts Test Point to go to EDL. Without a charging and PC response, the phone most likely needs repair.

❓ Why After Rebooting Through ADB phone PIN-code?

This is normal Android security behavior. ADB Fastboot may require you to enter a pattern lock/PIN-If you forget your password, you'll have to reset it through Recovery!).

❓ How to Reboot Xiaomi in Recovery Mode Without a Power Button?

Ways: Through ADB: Adb reboot recovery. via Fastboot: fastboot reboot recovery (you need to hold the volume button up when connecting to a PC). If the phone turns on but the lock button doesn't work: use the volume button combination up + Connecting charging (on some models).

❓ Will these methods work for POCO F5 or Redmi Note 12?

Yes, all of the described methods are relevant for the POCO F5, Redmi Note 12 and other modern Xiaomi models based on MIUI 13/14. Exception: On POCO F5, the triple-touch gesture can be disabled by default (must be activated manually). On the Redmi Note 12 with MIUI 14, the reboot menu can be in Settings → Additional → Reboot.

❓ Can I turn on my phone without a power button if it is completely off?

If the battery is low to 0% or the phone is software-operated, it is almost impossible to turn it on without a power button. The only options are: Connect to charge and wait 10-15 minutes (sometimes auto-activates); Disassemble the phone and close the contacts of the power button on the board (requires soldering skills); Use Test Point to go to EDL and firmware (reset all data); Otherwise, you will need to repair the button.