How to Reboot Xiaomi Phone: Everything from a Soft Reboot to Hard Reset

Xiaomi smartphones (including Redmi and POCO sub-brands) sometimes require a reboot — whether it’s a scheduled system upgrade, fixing minor glitches, or restoring performance after a major crash. However, not everyone knows that there are several types of reboots, each of which solves its own tasks: a conventional restart through the power menu, forced reboot when hanging, entering Fastboot mode, or even a complete reset to factory settings — all of these methods have their own nuances and consequences.

In this article, we’ll break down 5 workable reboots for any Xiaomi model, from the budget Redmi 9A to the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra. You’ll learn how to properly perform a soft and hard reboot, what to do if the phone doesn’t respond to buttons, and how to avoid data loss. And for power users, we’ve prepared a section with advanced commands through ADB and hidden menus of engineering mode.

1. Standard reboot via the power menu

The easiest and safest way is to reboot through the system menu, which is suitable for a scheduled restart when the phone is stable, but you need to update your settings or restart background processes, which does not affect user data and takes no more than 30 seconds.

To perform a standard reboot:

• 📱 Hold the power button (usually located on the right end of the case) for a period of time. 2-3 seconds.
• 🔄 On the screen will appear menu with options to Turn off, Reboot and Airplane Mode.
• 👆 Select Reboot and confirm the action (some models will require the input of a pattern lock).

If the power menu does not have a reboot option (as it happens on older versions of MIUI), select Turn Off, wait for the phone to turn off completely, and then hold the power button for 5-7 seconds to turn on.

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In the models with AMOLED-screens (for example, Xiaomi 13 Pro or Redmi) K60) After the reboot, the effect of a “burn” of the screen may appear for a short time - this is normal and disappears after a few minutes.

Forced reset when getting stuck

When a Xiaomi smartphone is completely frozen — does not respond to touch, does not turn off through the power menu or shows a black screen, a hard reboot is required. This method simulates battery extraction and forcibly interrupts all processes. Importantly, with frequent use of hard reboot, there is a risk of damage to the file system.

Instructions for forced restart:

1. 🔋 Hold the power button and volume button at the same time.
2. ⏱️ Keep them clamped at least. 10-15 In some models, it may take up to 20 seconds).
3. 📵 When the screen goes out, release the buttons and wait 5 seconds.
4. 🔄 Press the power button once to turn on the phone.

On newer models (e.g. POCO F5 or Redmi Note 12), the combination may differ:

• 🔄 Power button + Volume reduction (to enter Fastboot)
• 🔄 Power button + both volume buttons (for forced shutdown)

3.Reboot to Fastboot and Recovery Mode

If the phone turns on but is not running smoothly (e.g., constantly overheating or emitting application errors), it may be necessary to reboot to Recovery Mode or Fastboot. These modes are used to diagnose, reset settings or install custom firmware.

How to log in to Fastboot:

1. 🔌 Turn off the phone (use the method from the previous section when you freeze).
2. 🔄 Hold the power button and volume down button at the same time.
3. 🐰 Release the buttons when the Mi Bunny logo with the words Fastboot appears on the screen.

To enter Recovery Mode:

1. 🔌 Turn off the device.
2. 🔄 Hold the power button and the volume button.
3. 🛠️ Release buttons when menus with Reboot, Wipe Data, etc. appear.

4.Reboot through the engineering menu (for experienced)

The hidden engineering menu ##4636## allows you to reboot with additional options, such as resetting battery statistics or restarting the radio module, which is useful if the phone is not catching the network well or running fast.

Instructions:

1. 📞 Open the phone app and enter the combination: ##4636##.
2. 🔧 In the menu that appears, select Battery Information or Usage Statistics.
3. 🔄 Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Reboot.

Models with MIUI 13+ may require an alternative code:

• 📡 ##225## - Calibration information
• 🔋 ##36446337## - battery test

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The engineering menu contains critical system settings, so don't change the settings unless you're sure they're there, which can cause the phone to run in an unstable way.

5.Reboot with a full reset (Hard Reset)

Hard Reset is an extreme measure that returns the phone to factory settings by removing all data from internal memory (photos, apps, accounts).

• 🐢 The phone is very slow and does not help a normal restart.
• 🔒 You forgot your pattern lock or password.
• 🦠 The device is infected with a virus that is not removed by the antivirus
• 📱 Selling or transferring the phone to another user

How to perform Hard Reset:

1. 🔌 Turn off the phone.
2. 🔄 Press the power and volume button to enter Recovery.
3. 🗑️ In the Restore Menu, select Wipe Data → Wipe All Data.
4. ✅ Confirm the action (some models will require a password from the Mi-account).
5. 🔄 After cleaning, select Reboot. → Reboot to System.

⚠️ Note: On models with a locked loader (Xiaomi) 12T, Redmi Note 11 and later) after Hard Reset may require authorization through Mi Account. If you do not remember the account details, the phone will become a brick"!

Make a backup copy through Mi Cloud|Write it down. IMEI phone (on a box or under a battery)|Make sure you know the username/password from your Mi Account|Charge your phone at least 50 times%|Get out. SIM-card and memory card (optional)-->

6.Reboot through ADB (for developers)

If you have access to ADB (Android Debug Bridge, you can reboot remotely from your computer, and this method is useful if the touch screen doesn't work, but it's not. USB-debugging was included earlier.

Step-by-step:

1. 🖥️ Connect your phone to your PC through USB-cable.
2. 🐧 Open the terminal (or Command Prompt in Windows) and enter:

adb devices

If the device is determined, follow one of the commands:

• 🔄 Regular reboot: adb reboot
• 🛠️ Recovery: Adb Reboot Recovery
• 🚀 Reboot in Fastboot: Adb Reboot Bootloader

For forced shutdown (if the phone is getting stuck):

adb shell reboot -p

⚠️ Attention: Teams ADB They require super-user rights (root) for some operations. MIUI Without unlocking the bootloader, many functions will be limited.

Frequent mistakes and their solutions

Even if instructions are followed correctly, users often encounter problems, and here are the most common situations and ways to fix them:

If none of the methods worked and the phone still doesn’t turn on or loads with errors, this may indicate a hardware fault (damage to the motherboard, power controller or battery).

FAQ: Answers to popular questions