How to reboot Xiaomi if the screen is not working: proven methods

When Xiaomi’s display stops responding to touch or goes out completely, but the phone is still giving signs of life (vibration, notification sound), it often catches the user by surprise, at which point standard control methods become unavailable, and the need to urgently turn off or restart the device becomes critical, especially if the battery is discharged and the system is suspended.

There are several effective ways to solve this problem without using the touch layer, and forced reboots are possible through physical keyboard combinations, external peripherals, or special computer software tools, and understanding these techniques will allow you to restore the functionality of the gadget even in the most difficult conditions.

In this tutorial, we will discuss in detail the algorithms of actions for different crash scenarios, you will learn how to use Recovery mode, how to connect. USB-mouse and what commands to enter into ADB-console to safely terminate the system or restart it.

Using hardware buttons for forced restart

The most affordable and quickest method, which doesn't require any additional tools, is to use a physical power button. The Android operating system on Redmi and Poco smartphones has a forced kernel reboot function, which works even when the MIUI or HyperOS shell is completely got stuck and does not respond to touch.

To do this, you need to find an on button, which is usually on the right or left side of the case, and press it and hold it for a long time. A standard short press here won't help, because the system ignores the usual interrupts. You need to press the button literally "to win" which can take 10 to 20 seconds.

If the screen is even partially functional and visible, you might notice the action menu appearing, but our goal is to ignore it and wait for a hard reset, and when the device feels a long press, it will force the power out of the main circuits and start the bootloader again, and you will feel it by the characteristic vibration and the appearance of the brand logo.

⚠️ Warning: Don't release the power button immediately after the logo appears. Hold it still. 2-3 seconds to make sure that the reboot process is initiated finally, otherwise the phone may simply turn on the lock screen, which due to a breakage of the touch screen will be useless.

In some cases, if standard retention fails due to software driver failures, you can try a combined press. Press both the power button and the Volume Down button. This combination is often used to enter Fastboot mode, but on some versions of firmware with prolonged retention (more than 15 seconds), it also causes a power reset.

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If the power button is physically damaged or falls into a state, try rhythmically but strongly pressing it at different points to close the contact while holding the volume button.

The effectiveness of this method depends on the residual battery charge. If the battery is in deep discharge, the phone may not start even after reset. Make sure that the device is connected to the charger before you start manipulating to eliminate the battery dead factor.

Reboot with Recovery Menu mode

If the operating system doesn’t respond to buttons, but the phone itself is on, you can try to get into a special service menu – Recovery Mode. This is a recovery environment that boots separately from the main system and allows you to perform basic operations, such as resetting or restarting, using only physical volume buttons.

To get into this menu on the device that is turned off (or if you managed to turn it off by the previous method), press both the power button and the Volume Up button. Hold them until the Mi or Redmi logo appears, then release the power button, but continue holding the volume button. In a few seconds, the multi-point menu should appear on the screen.

The navigation on this menu is done by the volume buttons: the top one moves the cursor up, the bottom one moves the cursor down. The choice of item is confirmed by a short press of the power button. You need to find Reboot or Reboot to system. If you want to turn off the phone completely, choose Power off.

Recovery is especially important when the touchscreen is completely broken, but the matrix is intact and the image is visible. This allows you to visually monitor the process and make sure you choose the right item. If the screen is black, but the phone vibrates when you enter the menu, you can try to touch the power button 5-7 seconds after you enter, relying on the default cursor being on the first item.

⚠️ Warning: Be extremely careful with the Wipe Data item, which will result in the complete deletion of all user data, photos and contacts without the possibility of recovery.

It is worth noting that on some new HyperOS models, logging into Recovery may require a charger to be connected. If the menu doesn't appear, try plugging in the power cable before starting the button combination, a requirement introduced by the manufacturer to prevent accidental data dumping.

Use of the USB-mice OTG-cable

One of the most elegant and efficient ways to control a smartphone with a non-working touchscreen is to connect a normal computer mouse. Modern Xiaomi smartphones support USB OTG (On-The-Go) technology, which allows you to connect external peripherals directly through the charging port.

To implement this method, you will need a USB-to-Type-C adapter (or Micro-USB, depending on your phone’s model) and any wired adapter. USB-Wireless mice with their own mice. USB-adapter can also work, but wired more reliable in terms of compatibility and no power required.

Once you plug your mouse into your phone, a cursor will appear on the screen (if it's a little bit light), and even if the image is missing, you can blindly try to find the password or pattern lock area, and by moving your mouse, you can unlock the device, and then you can have full navigation.

• 🖱️ Connect. OTG-smartphone-carryer.
• 💻 Put it in. USB-mouse-jack.
• 🔓 Move your mouse to find the password field or the screen button».
• ⚙️ After unlocking, go to the settings and perform a regular reboot.

This method not only allows you to reboot your phone, but also save important data by copying it to the cloud or to an external drive if you plug in a flash drive instead of a mouse. However, if the screen is completely black and you can't see where you're moving the cursor, the method becomes less efficient, requiring a good memory of the location of the interface elements.

It's important to consider power consumption. Connecting the periphery consumes battery power. If the phone is already barely holding charge, connecting the mouse can speed up the discharge, in which case you'd better put the device on charge first, and then plug the manipulator in.

Reboot via computer and debugging by ADB

For advanced users who previously had the function “Debugging by” enabled USB» (USB Debugging, opens the most powerful software management method. Android Debug Bridge Toolkit (ADB) allows you to send commands directly to the operating system from the computer, bypassing a broken interface.

The first step is to install drivers for your device and ADB platform tools on your PC. Once you connect your phone with a cable to your computer, open the command prompt (Terminal in macOS/Linux or CMD/PowerShell in Windows) in the tool folder. You need to make sure that the computer sees the device by executing the command adb devices.

If a device with device status appears on the list, the connection is established. To perform a reboot, you just need to enter the adb reboot command. If you want to turn off, you use the adb reboot -p command or the adb shell reboot -p. This will instantly send a signal to the kernel of the system to terminate the operation.

adb devices


// Connection check




adb reboot




// Reboot command




adb shell reboot -p




// Shutdown command

The tricky part of this method is that when you first connect to a new computer, the phone usually asks for debugging confirmation on the screen, and if the screen doesn't work, you can't confirm access, but if you've previously connected that PC and checked the "Always Allow" box, the command will work instantly.

There are also graphical shells for ADB, such as Minimal ADB and Fastboot or tools from Xiaomi ADB/Fastboot Tools, which can simplify the process for those who are afraid of the command line.

Remote management via Mi Cloud and Find Device

If your phone is connected to the Internet (Wi-Fi or mobile network) and your Mi Account is activated, you can try to control your device remotely via Find Device, a service originally designed to search for lost phones, but with functionality to block and delete data, and in some cases, to send an audio signal.

Go from any other device (computer, tablet, other phone) to i.mi.com and log in to your account. Select the problem device in the interface. Unfortunately, there may not be a direct Reset button, but you can use the Sound feature to make sure the phone responds to commands.

A more effective way to use the cloud is to use the Device Lock feature, which means that if you remotely lock your phone and then unblock it, in some firmware versions, it can trigger a service reconnection or even a service restart, but this is not a good way to fully reboot it.

However, if your goal is to save data, Mi Cloud allows you to sync contacts, messages and notes. Go to the appropriate sections of the site and click Sync. This will make the phone more active with the network and can help to “stir up” the hanging processes, although it does not guarantee a full restart.

⚠️ Note: The Erase Data feature in the Mi Cloud will completely reset your phone to factory settings, only use it if your phone is lost or data is not important and you need to unlock your device at all costs.

This method requires a stable connection. If the phone is in a bad reception zone or the Wi-Fi router is overloaded, commands from the server may not reach the destination. Check the status of the device on the site: if it is displayed as "Offline", remote control is impossible.

What to do if the screen is completely black (blind dial method)

The hardest scenario is when the display doesn't light at all, but the phone, judging by the sound of charging or vibration, works, and then you have to rely on the interface and the tactile memory, and if you know the approximate location of the elements, you can try to do blind input.

For example, if the screen goes out during a conversation or an app, try briefly pressing the power button to try to wake up the screen (even if it is black, the system may react). Then quickly swipe from top to bottom to open the notification curtain, and again from bottom to top to close it - sometimes this drops a graphical bug.

If the phone is unlocked (no password or fingerprint), you can try pressing the volume button combination. On many Xiaomi smartphones, double pressing the volume button triggers the camera, and triple pressing the screenshot. The sound of the camera shutter or the characteristic click of a screenshot will tell you that the touch layer or buttons work even if there is no picture.

• 🔋 Connect the charger and listen to the sound of the connection.
• 🔊 Press volume buttons to check the speaker response.
• 📸 Try triple pressing the volume down button (screenshot).
• 🔦 Turn on the flashlight with a combination of buttons (if configured).

There is also a method of "heating": If the phone is getting stuck due to static electricity or a temporary controller failure, sometimes it helps to carefully (and very carefully!) warm the back cover with a hairdryer at a minimum temperature for 10-15 seconds. This can restore contact of the plume if the problem is in it, but this method is risky and requires extreme caution.

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If the screen is black, but the phone vibrates when it rings, the problem is probably in the matrix or the plume of the display, not in the brains of the phone, in which case the data is intact and can be saved by connecting the mouse.

In the extreme case, if nothing works, you have to wait until the battery is fully discharged. Leave the phone with the screen on (even if it is black) for a day. When the charge drops to a critical level, the system will forcefully shut down. Then put it on charge and try to turn it on in the usual way.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)