How to Clean Xiaomi Before Selling: Step-by-step

Selling a Xiaomi smartphone requires careful preparation — it’s not enough to simply erase photos or delete apps. The device is left with personal data, accounts, browser history and even traces of payments that can become a vulnerability to the new owner. According to statistics, more than 60% of users do not perform a full reset before selling, risking leakage of confidential information.

This article will help avoid the typical mistakes, from deleting Mi Account to formatting internal memory. 10 Xiaomi 14 Ultra, and how to check that the phone is really "clean" before transferring to the buyer. MIUI 14/15 — New versions of the OS have additional data protection mechanisms.

1.Dumping Preparation: What to Do Before Cleaning

Before you start resetting, follow the mandatory preparatory steps to prevent the loss of important data and simplify the recovery process on the new device.

First, back up through Settings → About Phone → Backup & Reset → Local Backup. In MIUI, you can choose which data to save: contacts, messages, notes or system settings. The alternative is cloud backup in Mi Cloud, but note that it requires a tied Mi Account.

• 📱 Export contacts to.vcf via Contacts (Contact Management menu»).
• 📸 Save photos and videos to your PC or cloud (Google Photos, Mi Cloud). DCIM/Thumbs — There may be stored miniatures of deleted photos.
• 🔑 Copy passwords from Settings → Passwords and security → Password storage (if you used the built-in manager).
• 🎮 Move game saves through your Google Play Games or Mi Game Center accounts.

Second, disconnect the device from the services:

• 🔗 Delete your Google account in Settings → Accounts. → Google (important for bypassing) FRP-lock-up!).
• 🔐 Deactivate Mi Account in Settings → Xiaomi account → If the phone is tied to the account, the new owner won't be able to activate it.
• 💳 Remove Bank Cards from Google Pay, Mi Pay and Other Payment Systems.

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If you sell Xiaomi with an NFC chip (like the Redmi Note 12 Pro+), check if there is any data about transport cards or electronic keys left in the Mi Wallet app.

2. Ways Xiaomi resets to factory settings

MIUI has three official reset methods, each suitable for different situations, depending on the condition of the phone (if it works, remember the password) and the model.

Method 1. Reset via the settings menu (the simplest):

1. Open Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset.
2. Select Resetting → Erase all data.
3. Enter a password (if required) and confirm the action.

It takes 5-15 minutes, and the phone will reboot and suggest that you set it up as new.

Method 2: Recovery Mode (if the phone is not switched on or locked):

1. Turn off the device.
2. Press Volume Up + Power before the Mi logo appears.
3. In the Recovery menu, select Wipe Data → Wipe All Data (manage volume buttons, confirm – power button).

⚠️ Note: On some models (e.g, POCO F5) After resetting via Recovery, you may need to enter the data of the previous Mi Account. If you did not untie the account in advance, the phone will become a brick».

Method 3: Reset via Fastboot (for advanced users):

fastboot erase userdata


fastboot erase cache




fastboot reboot

This method removes all data at the partition level, but requires an unlocked bootloader and a PC with ADB/Fastboot drivers installed.

3.Deleting Mi Account: Why it's critical

The attached Mi Account blocks the activation of the phone after the reset — the new owner can't use the device until he enters your login and password — it's anti-theft protection, but it's also a problem when you sell it. In MIUI 14/15, the deletion procedure has changed: it's not enough to just log out.

To completely unplug the account:

1. Go to Settings → Xiaomi account.
2. Click on the avatar → Account Management → Exit.
3. Enter the password and confirm the exit.
4. Important! After you exit, go back to Settings → Xiaomi Account and make sure that the Login button is displayed instead of your profile.

If the phone is already dropped and the account is not untied:

• 🔓 Try to restore access to Mi Account through the official website and remove the device from the list of attached gadgets.
• 📧 Contact Xiaomi Support (prepare a purchase check or box with a box of your own). IMEI). They can remove the binding manually.

4. Cleaning internal memory: formatting vs file deletion

Resetting to factory settings doesn't always completely clear the internal memory.

• 🗑️ Residual files in folders Android/data and Android/obb (cache of games and applications).
• 🔍 Hidden data from system applications (e.g. Mi Browser or Mi Video).
• 📱 Fragments of updates in the folder Downloaded_rom.

To guarantee you'll erase everything:

1. After reset, connect your phone to your PC and format internal memory through Settings → Storage → Cleanup → Format.
2. Use the SD Maid utility (requires root rights) for deep cleaning.
3. For models with UFS 3.1/4.0 (e.g. Xiaomi 13T), run the command in ADB: adb shell sm erase-force userdata

⚠️ Note: Formatting internal memory on some devices (Redmi) 9A, POCO M3) This can lead to a "Storage damaged" error, in which case only flashing through Fastboot will help.

5. Checking the phone before transferring to the buyer

After all the manipulations, make sure the phone is truly clean.

Also check:

• 📡 Network operation: insert SIM-map and make sure there is a signal (sometimes after resetting the settings are lost) IMS).
• 🔋 Charging: Connect the charger – the phone must correctly determine the type of charging (Fast, Superfast, etc.).
• 🎵 Speakers and microphone: record a voice message and play it.

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If the phone asks you to enter a password from your old Wi-Fi after a reset, it's okay to just connect to another network, but if you want data from Mi Account or Google, then the reset is incorrect.

6. Additional security measures

Even after a complete reset, residual data can be recovered using specialized software (for example, Dr.Fone or EaseUS MobiSaver) to minimize the risks:

Encryption of data before resetting:

1. Activate encryption in Settings → Security → Phone Encryption.
2. Set a complex password (at least 8 characters with numbers and special signs).
3. Perform a reset – now it will be almost impossible to recover the data.

Fastboot flashing (for paranoid people):

• 🔧 Download the official firmware for your model from the Xiaomi Firmware website.
• 🖥️ Use the Mi Flash Tool for clean installation with full formatting (clean all).

⚠️ Warning: Firmware will void warranty if the phone is not officially unlocked. Also on some models (Xiaomi) 12S Ultra) after flashing can fly the camera calibration - it will have to be restored in the service center.

7. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

According to the company, 90% of the problems with Xiaomi sales are due to five common mistakes:

1. Not deleted by Mi Account → The phone is locked after being reset. ⚠️ Attention: Forums often advise you to “reset” your account by changing your region in your settings. MIUI 12, but newer versions result in permanent locking IMEI.
2. Remained files in internal memory → new photos of the owner can be mixed with old thumbnails.
3. Not untied Google Account → FRP-blocking works, requiring the entry of a login / password.
4. The sensors are not checked. → The customer can return the phone if the gyroscope is not working. NFC.
5. Not reset eSIM settings → Some models (Xiaomi 13 Lite) have a virtual operator attached to them.

To avoid these problems, use the training checklist:

FAQ: Answers to popular questions