How to restart Xiaomi without a screen: a step-by-step guide

When the screen of Xiaomi’s smartphone stops responding to touch or goes out completely, but the device continues to work, it is one of the most unpleasant for the user. At this point, the system can freeze, the application can stop responding, and the standard way to turn off through the menu becomes unavailable, in which case forced reboot becomes the only way to bring the gadget back to life without losing data.

Unlike many other manufacturers, Xiaomi engineers have provided multiple layers of hardware control to allow you to affect the system even when the touchscreen layer is not working. You do not need to be an electronics repair specialist to perform Hard Reset or a conventional reboot, if you know the correct sequence of actions with physical buttons.

In this article, we will discuss in detail all the existing ways to reanimate a device, from simple key combinations to advanced methods through a computer. It is important to understand that the technique may vary slightly depending on the version of the MIUI shell or HyperOS, as well as the model of your smartphone.

Using a physical power button for forced restart

The easiest and most affordable method that every user should try first is to hold the power button for a long time, and on most modern Redmi and Poco models, this mechanism works even when the software part of the interface is completely blocked.

You need to find the side power key and hold it with your finger. Don't release the button after 3-5 seconds when the shutdown menu appears. Continue holding it for 10-15 seconds, at which point the system ignores the standard application closure commands and enters the power controller hardware reset mode.

⚠️ Warning: If the screen is completely black and shows no signs of life, you may not see the vibration or logo right away. Keep the button pinched until you feel the characteristic vibration response or hear the sound of the on, even if the display remains dark.

In some cases, especially older models with non-removable batteries, a combination of buttons is required. Try to press the Volume Up button and the Power button at the same time. Hold them for about 15 seconds. This method often emulates battery extraction, leading to a complete de-energization of the motherboard and a subsequent cold start.

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If the phone is in a case, be sure to remove it before trying to reboot. Thick silicone bumpers can prevent full button pressing, causing the signal to not arrive on the board.

Once the device vibrates, release the buttons. The smartphone should start the boot procedure. If the screen is physically damaged (cracks, black spots), but the touchscreen is partially working, you can blindly try to swipe to unlock if you know where the password is.

Enter Recovery Mode to Reset Settings

If a normal reboot doesn’t work or the device goes into an endless bootloop, you need to use Recovery Mode. This is a special diagnostic interface that boots independently of the main Android operating system, and it is controlled exclusively by physical buttons.

To enter this mode on the device turned off (or after it is completely discharged and turned off), you need to press the Volume Up button and the Power button simultaneously. Hold them until the Mi or Redmi logo appears. Once the logo appears, the power button can be released, continuing to hold the volume key until the menu appears.

The Recovery menu doesn't have a touchscreen, so you can navigate with volume buttons (up/down) and you can confirm the choice with a short press of the power button. You need to find Wipe Data or Clear Data. Please note that this step will delete all user data.

Once you select Wipe Data, the system will ask for confirmation. Select Confirm or Wipe All Data. The reset process will take a few seconds or minutes. Once complete, select Reboot or Reboot to System to start the phone as normal.

⚠️ Warning: Before performing a reset via Recovery, make sure you remember the password from your Mi Account (FRP lock, and without a password, the phone will turn into a brick".

There is also a Fastboot mode, which is triggered by pressing the Volume Down and Power button. Although Fastboot itself is not designed for a normal reboot, connecting a USB cable in this mode sometimes causes the device to come out of the freeze and reboot, especially if the computer has a firmware open.

Reboot via computer and debugging via USB

If the screen of Xiaomi smartphone does not work, but the Android system itself is functioning (notification sounds are heard, charging is working), the most effective software method is to use debugging over USB.

To implement this method, your computer must have an ADB driver installed on it. If you previously included USB Debugging in the developer menu and gave permission to the computer, then you can control the phone via the command line.

Connect your smartphone to your PC through USB-Open the command line (CMD) PowerShell on your computer in the tool folder ADB. Enter the following command to check the connection:

adb devices

If a device with device status appears in the list, the connection is established. To perform a reboot, type in the command:

adb reboot

The smartphone will immediately go into reboot. If you want to enter Recovery mode software, use the command adb reboot recovery. This method is ideal, because it does not require pressing buttons on the phone itself and is safe for data.

It is important to note that if you are using a newer version of Android with enhanced security, the first time you connect the cable to the new computer, a debugging permission request may appear on the phone screen. Pressing “Allow” without a running screen will not be possible, so this method is only effective for previously configured devices.

Use of Mi PC Suite and third-party software

The official Mi PC Suite (or its international counterparts, such as Xiaomi ADB/Fastboot Tools) provides a graphical interface to control the device, and while the official version is limited, it can help determine whether a computer sees a phone and what condition it is in.

Third-party programs like Scrcpy allow you to stream the screen of your smartphone to your computer and control it with your mouse. However, Scrcpy also requires pre-debugging over USB. If the phone just freezes and does not respond, specialized repair software, such as the SP Flash Tool (for MediaTek processors) or Mi Flash, can initiate a reboot when you try to connect.

The algorithm for using Mi Flash is as follows:

• 📥 Download and install the Mi Flash utility on PC.
• 🔌 Connect the phone off by clamping the volume buttons (entry into the phone) Fastboot/Recovery).
• 💻 Press the “Refresh” button in the program to detect the device.
• 🔄 Sometimes the mere fact of connecting to firmware tools brings the phone out of a state of deep sleep or getting stuck.

There are also universal programs for managing Android, such as Vysor or TeamViewer QuickSupport, but their installation requires preliminary preparation, which is often impossible in a situation with a non-working screen. ADB-teams and official utilities.

⚠️ Warning: Don't try to use software to "hack" or bypass passwords in the hope of rebooting your phone. Most of these utilities are malicious. Use only proven tools from Xiaomi or open repositories. ADB.

Hardware discharge through battery discharge

In situations where buttons go down, combinations don't work, and the computer can't see the device because of damage to the USB controller, the only method left, albeit a long one, is complete discharge, based on the physics of lithium-polymer batteries.

Leave the phone on. If the screen is on or the phone is vibrating, try to maximize power consumption. Turn on the flashlight (if there is a physical button or voice assistant), start heavy processes (if the phone is responding), connect it to a weak power source or, conversely, leave it in the area with a bad signal so that the communication module is running at maximum power.

Once the battery drops to a critical level, the device will forcefully shut down. After that, leave it to lie down for a few more hours so that the residual current in the motherboard capacitors dissipates. Then put the phone on charge and try to turn on the power button.

This method does not guarantee the safety of data, since a sudden power outage can damage the file system, but it is often the only way out when the software methods are powerless.

Table of keyboard combinations for different models

Different Xiaomi models may have slight differences in how they react to button combinations, and below is a summary table to help you find the right method for your device.

As you can see from the table, Xiaomi’s management logic has remained the same for many years, making it easier to recover, as the usual combinations work on most devices.

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The versatility of Xiaomi’s button combinations allows the same reboot methods to be used on devices released in different years, making life much easier for users of the ecosystem.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)