How to turn on Safe Mode on Xiaomi: instructions for all models

Safe Mode on Xiaomi smartphones is a diagnostic tool that launches a system with a minimum set of drivers and third-party apps disabled. It helps to identify causes of failures when a device brakes, overheats or suddenly reboots. For example, if a new application starts to “glut”, booting in Safe Mode will check whether this is due to software or hardware problems.

Unlike standard reboots, entering Safe Mode on Redmi, POCO or Mi requires specific actions – their algorithm depends on the version of MIUI and the device model. In this article, we will discuss all working methods, including button combinations for switched-off devices, and explain how to exit the mode correctly and what to do if the smartphone is stuck in it.

Why you need a safe mode on Xiaomi

Safe Mode's primary goal is to isolate problematic software, and when a smartphone is unstable, it's hard to tell if it's firmware, virus, or application conflict.

• 📱 All user applications (only system applications remain)
• 🔌 Widgets and background processes of third-party programs
• 🎛️ Some system settings (for example, auto-run applications)

This allows:

• 🔍 Identify the application causing the failures (if the problem disappears in Safe Mode - the software is to blame)
• 🛠️ Remove malware that blocks access to settings
• 🔄 Reset to factory settings if standard method is not available
• 📡 Check the performance of hardware components (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, camera)

For example, if the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 is constantly restarting and Safe Mode is stable, the problem is exactly in one of the installed applications. If the failures persist, this may indicate damage to the firmware or hardware (for example, battery capacity or eMMC memory).

3 Ways to Boot Xiaomi in Safe Mode

The method of activating Safe Mode depends on the state of the device: it is on or off, as well as on the version of MIUI. Below are all the current methods tested on models from Redmi 9A to Xiaomi 14 Ultra.

Method 1: Through the off menu (for phones on)

The most common method that works on MIUI 12-14 is:

1. Press the power button on the sidebar.
2. In the menu that appears, click and hold your finger on the Options to Turn Off (or Reboot on some models).
3. After 2-3 seconds, the offer to Go to Safe Mode will appear - confirm the choice.

The phone will reboot and the bottom left corner of the screen will read “Safe Mode” if this item is missing, then your firmware is using an alternative method (see Method 2).

Make sure that the battery is > 20%

Close all applications

Turn off Bluetooth and Wi-Fi (optional)

Make a backup copy of important data-->

Method 2: button combination when turned on (for switched off phones)

If the smartphone does not respond to touch or “hang”, use the hardware buttons:

1. Turn off the device (clip Power + Volume Up for 10 seconds if it doesn't respond).
2. Press the Power button and hold it until the Mi logo appears.
3. As soon as the logo appears, release Power and immediately press Volume Down.
4. Hold the volume down until the boot is complete (Safe Mode will appear on the screen).

⚠️ Note: On some models (e.g, POCO F5) Instead of turning down the volume, you'll need to hold down the volume, and if the first one didn't work, try the alternative combination.

Method 3: Through ADB (for advanced users)

If standard methods do not work (for example, due to a damaged screen), you can activate Safe Mode via ADB (Android Debug Bridge).

1. Connect your smartphone to your PC via USB and enable debugging over USB in the developer settings.
2. Open the command line on PC and type: adb shell settings put global force_safemode 1
3. Reboot the device with the command: adb reboot

Once downloaded in Safe Mode, disable the mode by the same command, replacing 1 by 0. This method is suitable for Xiaomi on Android 10+, but requires ADB pre-configuration.

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If ADB Does not recognize the device, check the drivers and try another USB-Windows sometimes helps install drivers manually through Device Manager.

How to get out of Safe Mode on Xiaomi

In most cases, the exit from Safe Mode is automatic after a normal reboot. However, if the smartphone is stuck in this mode, try the following steps:

1. Standard Reboot: Press the Power button → select Reboot.
2. Forced reset: Press Power + Volume up for 15-20 seconds until the screen goes out.
3. Through notification: On some versions of MIUI, a button appears in the notification curtain to turn off Safe Mode.
4. Resetting: If nothing helps, reset to factory settings via Settings → About Phone → Reset settings (data will be deleted!).

⚠️ Note: If after the reboot the smartphone is loaded again in Safe Mode, this may indicate that the device is not fully loaded:

• 🔋 Damaged Volume Down button (the device mistakenly “thinks” it is clamped down).
• 🛠️ Failure in section /data (help with resetting).
• 🦠 Virus that modifies system files (Safe Mode antivirus checks required).

What to do if Safe Mode is not enabled

If none of these methods worked, the problem may be:

For example, on Xiaomi Mi A3 (with pure Android), Safe Mode is enabled by holding the Power + Volume Down button when booting, while on Redmi Note 11 with MIUI 13 only the method works through the off menu. If you use custom firmware (for example, Pixel Experience), the algorithm may differ - check it on the developer forum.

Frequent User Errors

Many people can't activate Safe Mode because of commonplace errors.-5 Failures and How to Avoid Them:

1. Incorrect button sequence. For example, on the POCO X3 Pro, you need to release Power first and then pinch Volume, not the other way around.
2. The Mi logo should be fully on the screen before you start holding Volume.
3. Use the wrong volume button. Some models only use Magnification, others only Cut.
4. Forgetting to disable USB Debugging. If Safe Mode was previously enabled via ADB, it can activate spontaneously when connected to a PC.
5. Notifications are ignored. MIUI 14 may have a confirmation request after you exit Safe Mode, and you must accept it.

On models with a Snapdragon processor (such as the Xiaomi 12T), the button combination may differ from devices on MediaTek (Redmi 10C).

Safe Mode vs Recovery Mode: What's the Difference

Many people confuse Safe Mode and Recovery Mode, although they are completely different modes:

For example, if you need to remove a virus that blocks access to settings, use Safe Mode. If you need to reflash your phone after a failed update, you need Recovery Mode. Xiaomi with an unlocked bootloader in Recovery also has Fastboot for low-level operations.

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Safe Mode doesn't delete data, and Recovery Mode can erase it when reset.Always back up before using Recovery!

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions