How to completely reset Xiaomi if you forget your password: an expert guide

Xiaomi owner forgets the pattern lock, PIN-The current Android security system is designed so that after five to six failed attempts to enter the device is locked, offering to wait from 30 seconds to several hours. However, if you don’t remember the right combination, the wait can stretch indefinitely, turning the smartphone into a useless piece of plastic and glass.At this point, there is an urgent need to perform a complete reset to regain access to the gadget, even at the cost of losing data.

It is important to immediately realize that restoring access to a locked device without losing information is almost impossible on modern versions of MIUI and HyperOS. Disk-level data encryption makes the contents of the memory inaccessible without entering the authorization code. So the only working solution is the Hard Reset procedure, which will completely clean the internal memory of the phone, returning it to the state of “out of the box”. Below we will discuss in detail all available methods, from standard to advanced, that will help to revive your device.

Before you start taking action, you need to prepare your device and yourself mentally to delete all personal photos, contacts and applications. If your smartphone has been enabled sync with Mi Cloud or Google Photos, some of the data can be restored after you log in to your account. It is also critical to make sure that the battery is at least 50-60% charged so that the formatting process is not interrupted due to discharge, which can lead to serious errors in the file system.

There are several levels of locking, and understanding the differences will help you choose the right unlock method. Most often, users experience a screen lock, but sometimes forget the password from your Mi Account, which creates an additional barrier after a reset. In some cases, you need to completely flash the device through your computer if standard recovery methods do not work or the lock is caused by a system failure.

⚠️ Note: All of the methods described below result in the complete deletion of user data. If you have important information that cannot be recovered from the cloud, try to remember your password or use the Forgot Password feature through your Google account if it is available on your version of the system.

In this article, we will look at not only the classic Recovery menu reset, but also workarounds for models with different types of processors, and also touch on the topic of FRP (Factory Reset Protection), understanding these nuances will allow you to avoid a situation where the phone is formally unlocked, but requires you to enter a password from an account that has also been forgotten.

Preparation for the discharge procedure and diagnosis of blocking

Before you start manipulating buttons and menus, you need to make a thorough diagnosis of the device's status. A forgotten password is just the tip of the iceberg; it's important to understand whether the phone is tied to your Mi Account and whether Find Your Device is enabled. If these features are active, the phone will request the username and password from the account that was used on the device before, a security measure by Google and Xiaomi designed to protect the owner's data in the event of theft.

Make sure you have a stable internet connection on hand, preferably Wi-Fi, as after the reset, the system will need to contact the activation servers. You may also need a computer with the Mi Flash Tool or Mi Unlock software installed if a software reset is not possible. USB-cable, as poor-quality wires can interrupt data transmission at a critical moment.

Diagnostics like locking helps you choose a strategy. If you just forgot the pattern lock, but remember the password from the Mi Account, the process will go smoothly. If everything is forgotten, including accounts, the situation is complicated by the need to bypass FRP. In some older versions of firmware, there were vulnerabilities that allow you to bypass this protection, but in current builds of MIUI 14 and newer security is significantly enhanced.

It is also important to check whether the device is on the list of lost or stolen through the official Mi Cloud website. If the previous owner or you yourself blocked it remotely, resetting through the buttons will not remove this lock, in which case the only way out is to contact the service center with documents proving ownership.

Reset via Recovery (Hard Reset) menu

The most common and effective way to unlock Xiaomi with a forgotten password is to use a recovery mode known as Recovery Mode.This mode is built into every Android smartphone and allows you to perform low-level operations with the system, including formatting the data partition.

The login process can vary depending on the model and version of the operating system. Most modern models require you to turn off the smartphone completely, and then press the key combination. Usually this is a Volume Up button and a Power button. Hold them until the Mi logo appears, after which the power button can be released, continuing to keep the volume until the Recovery menu appears.

In the Recovery menu, you can use volume buttons (up and down) to navigate and power buttons to confirm your choice. You can find Wipe Data or Clear Data. After selecting this item, the system can offer several options, among which you can choose Wipe All Data. The confirmation of action usually requires the selection of a Confirm item or OK.

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On some Redmi and POCO models, the Recovery menu may be in English. If you see characters, be guided by the location of the buttons: Wipe Data is usually the second or third line at the top.

Once confirmed, the cleaning process will begin, which can take from a few seconds to a couple of minutes. The progress bar will be displayed on the screen. Upon completion of the operation, the system will notify you of a successful reset ("Data wiped successfully"). Next, select Reboot and then Reboot to System. The first activation after the reset will take longer than usual, as the system creates new configuration files.

It’s worth noting that on some devices with reset protection enabled, logging into the Recovery menu may also require you to enter a screen unlock password.This is a new security feature introduced in the latest versions of MIUI. If the phone requests a password when you log in to Recovery, this method will not work for you, and you will have to use software methods through your computer, which will be discussed below.

Using Mi Cloud for Remote Resetting

If your smartphone is connected to the Internet (mobile or Wi-Fi) and it has the Find Device feature enabled, you can reset remotely via the Mi Cloud service.This method is convenient because it does not require physical interaction with the phone buttons, which is especially true if the volume buttons are faulty or the screen does not respond to touch in certain areas.

To do this, you will need any other gadget (computer, tablet or phone of a friend) with Internet access. Go to the official i.mi.com website and log in to the same Mi Account that was used on the locked device. After logging into the cloud service interface, select the Find Device option from the menu.

From your device list, select a locked smartphone. The map will show its location (if geolocation is enabled), and the actions available at the bottom will appear. You are interested in the Wipe Data button. Pressing this button will send a command to the phone, and it will automatically start the process of a complete reset as soon as it receives a signal from the server.

The advantage of the Mi Cloud method is that it often allows you to bypass the password requirement when you log in to Recovery, since the command comes from an authorized server. However, if the phone is offline, the command will only be executed after it is connected to the network.

Fastboot and Mi Flash Tool

If standard methods don’t work, or the phone goes into a cyclic bootloop after trying to reset, there’s still “heavy artillery” — flashing through Fastboot mode. This method allows you to write a clean image of the operating system into the device’s memory, completely ignoring the current state of the system and locking.

The first step is to turn the smartphone into Fastboot mode. To do this, you need to connect the device to the computer by holding the Volume Down button. The Fastboot logo should appear on the screen with the image of a rabbit repairing an android. If the phone does not respond, try to press the power and volume button at the same time, and then release power, leaving the volume clamped.

Next, drivers must be installed on the computer ADB/Fastboot Download the official firmware for your model (Fastboot, with the extension.tgz) from miui.com or reliable resources like XiaomiFirmware. Unpack the archive in the root of the C disk so that the path does not contain Cyrillic and is short.

adb devices


fastboot devices

In the Mi Flash Tool, click the "Refresh" button to make sure your computer sees your phone. Choose the path to the firmware folder and click "Flash." Notice the three firmware modes at the bottom of the window: "clean all," "save user data" and "clean all and lock." To unlock when you forget your password, choose clean all. The locked bootloader mode can lead to an error if your Mi Account is not tied.

The firmware process takes 100 to 300 seconds. Once completed, the phone will automatically restart. The first turn on can last up to 10 minutes. It is important to understand that this method requires precise firmware selection: the global version (Global) will not stand on the Chinese version (CN) without an unlocked bootloader, and vice versa.

FRP (Google Account Verification)

Once you successfully reset, you might come across an activation screen where the system will require you to enter a password from a Google account that was synced to the device before the reset, which is FRP, a mechanism designed to prevent the thief who stole the phone from using it even after flashing it, and if you forget this password, the device will remain locked.

There are several ways to address this problem: the most legal and simple way to do this is to remember your password or to restore access to your Google account through your computer using the phone number or backup function, and if you can't restore your account, you can still use technical methods to bypass your account.

FRP bypassing methods depend on the Android version and the security patch. Older versions (Android 9-11) often used TalkBack or through special features settings to launch the browser and download the reset application. Newer versions (Android 12-14) have closed these vulnerabilities, and often require the use of special combine programs or paid unlock services.

⚠️ Note: Using third-party programs to bypass FRP Some “cracked” utilities contain viruses or miners. Use only proven tools from well-known developers (e.g. SamFw Tool, Xiaomi) ADB/Fastboot Tools and always check files with antivirus.

One of the universal, but not always working methods is to try to activate the phone without the need to use it. SIM-And you can use these cards, skip all the steps until you can start your browser or voice assistant, and sometimes you can get into the settings and reset the settings again, but with different parameters, which in rare cases removes the lock. However, you should not count on this - in 90% of cases, modern Xiaomi requires professional software.

Frequent problems and their solutions

Users often encounter various errors during the unlocking process, one of the most common is “Phone is locked” when trying to firmware through the Mi Flash Tool. This means that the device bootloader is locked. To firmware the global version in Chinese (or vice versa), the bootloader must be unlocked through an official application within 7 days (or 168 hours). If the bootloader is closed, you can only stitch the version of the region for which the device is intended.

Another problem is endless booting (Mi logo). This can happen if you interrupt the reset or firmware process. In this case, only reflashing through Fastboot with a choice of Clear All mode will help. If the phone is not detected by the computer in Fastboot mode, try replacing it. USB-cable or connect the device to another USB-port (preferably) USB 2.0, not 3.0).

Also, users often confuse the lock screen password with the Mi Account password. Remember, after a reset, the phone will ask for the password from the account it was registered to. If you enter the screen password, the system will not accept it. If you do not remember the password from the account, use the recovery form on account.xiaomi.com.

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The main rule of successful unlocking: accurate identification of the type of lock (screen, Mi Account, Google account) and compliance with the method of the Android version. Do not try to sew Chinese firmware on the global without unlocking the bootloader.

If nothing works and the phone is malfunctioning or not turning on, it may be that the problem is memory or other components of the board, and in such cases, and if you're afraid to brick the device, it's wise to go to an authorized service center, and specialists have access to boxed versions of the software and the hardware for the programmer, which allows you to reanimate even completely dead devices.