How to unlock Xiaomi phone if you forget your digital password: all working methods

A forgotten password on a Xiaomi smartphone is a situation that one in five users encounter. It is especially unpleasant when the device stores important data, such as photos, contacts or work documents. Unlike a graphical key, a digital password is harder to find by brute force, and the system blocks attempts after 5-10 failures. But do not rush to carry the phone to the service center: in 80% of cases, you can unlock yourself, even without losing data.

In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to unblock Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO, from standard MIUI functions to technical methods using ADB and Fastboot. Special attention will be paid to data preservation: you will learn when information can be restored and when a reset is inevitable. All instructions are tested on models from 2020-2026 and correspond to the latest versions of MIUI 14/15.

1 Unblocking through Mi Account (the safest way)

If your Xiaomi account is tied to Mi Account, the system will offer to restore access through it after 5 failed attempts to enter a password.This method works on all devices with MIUI 12 and later, including Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 and Xiaomi 13.

To unlock the phone:

• 🔹 Enter the wrong password 5 times in a row. The button Forgot the password will appear on the screen?.
• 🔹 Click on it and select Restore via Mi Account.
• 🔹 Enter your username (email or phone number) and password from your Mi Account.
• 🔹 Confirm the action through SMS or email (if two-factor authentication is enabled).

✅ Pros of the method: does not require resetting, data remains intact, works without PC.

❌ Cons: If you don't remember the Mi Account, it's harder to restore access.

⚠️ Note: If you bought the phone with your hands, the previous owner may not have deleted his Mi Account.In this case, unlocking through the account is impossible - you will need a reset via Fastboot (see section 4).

2.Use of the “Find Device” function (Mi Cloud)

Another official way is to remotely unlock through the Mi Cloud service, which works even if the phone is not connected to the mobile network, but requires:

• 📶 Active Wi-Fi or mobile internet connection on a locked device.
• 🔒 A confirmed Mi Account with a confirmed email/phone number.
• 📍 Enable the function Find the device in the settings (usually activated by default).

Instructions:

1. Go to i.mi.com from a PC or other phone.
2. Sign in with the same Mi Account as on the locked device.
3. Select your Xiaomi (if multiple devices are tied) from the menu.
4. Press Find the device. → Unlock.
5. Confirm the action via SMS or email.

🔄 Important: Once unlocked, the phone will automatically reboot. If the device has been encrypted (in the security settings), you may need to enter the old password after restarting. ADB (section).

💡

If Find Device is disabled, try connecting your phone to charge and wait for a low charge notification to appear, sometimes in this mode you can swipe down the notification bar and turn on Wi-Fi to access the Mi Cloud.

3. Unlock via ADB (for users with USB debugging)

The method is suitable if the debugging mode on the phone is enabled USB (USB Debugging.This is rare, as the feature is usually disabled by default, but if you've previously connected the device to a PC for firmware or modifications, chances are there.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed Xiaomi drivers (you can download on the official website).
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).
• 🛠️ Utility. ADB (is part of Android SDK Platform-Tools).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your phone to your PC. On the locked screen, you'll see a request for debugging permission -- confirm it (if it doesn't, it won't work).
2. Open the command prompt (Win + R → enter cmd) and go to the folder with ADB:

cd C:\platform-tools

1. Run a command to check the connection:

adb devices

If the device appears in the list, enter:

adb shell rm /data/system/gesture.key


adb shell rm /data/system/password.key




adb reboot

After the reset, the password will be reset, but the data on the phone will remain. If the command does not work, try an alternative option:

adb shell am start -n com.android.settings/.ChooseLockGeneric

⚠️ Note: On some models (Xiaomi) 12T, Redmi K50) After this procedure, you may need to enter the old password when you first turn on. If this happens, use the method with Fastboot (section 4).

Install Xiaomi drivers on PC|Download Android SDK Platform-Tools|Enable debugging on USB on the phone (if possible)|Prepare original USB-cable-->

4. Hard reset via Fastboot (data loss)

If previous methods failed, you can completely reset your settings via Fastboot mode, which removes all data from your phone, including photos, apps and settings, but is guaranteed to unlock the device.

⚠️ Warning: On phones with a locked bootloader, a reset via Fastboot can result in a "brick" (complete inoperability:

• 🔧 Turn off the phone.
• 🔘 Press the power button. + Loudness down before the Fastboot logo appears.
• 🖥️ Connect to the PC and execute the command:

fastboot oem device-info

If the answer is Device unlocked: false, the bootloader is locked, in which case, after the reset, the phone will require data input from the previously associated Mi Account.

Instructions for discharge:

1. Put your phone in Fastboot mode (as described above).
2. Connect to the PC and do:

fastboot erase userdata


fastboot erase frp




fastboot reboot

📌 Result: The phone will reboot to "as after purchase" state. If the Mi Account was tied, after setting up, you will need to enter its data to activate it.

5. flashing through the Mi Flash Tool (advanced method)

If Fastboot resets fail because of a blocked bootloader or Mi Account request, the official Mi Flash Tool is completely reflashed, which is suitable for power users and requires:

• 🖥️ Windows PC 10/11.
• 🔌 Original. USB-cable.
• 📦 Fastboot firmware ROM For your model (download on the official website).
• 🔧 Unlocked bootloader (unless previously unlocked, it will take 7-15 days to get permission from Xiaomi).

Step-by-step:

1. Download and install the Mi Flash Tool.
2. Unpack the firmware archive in a folder without Cyrillic characters (e.g., C:\Xiaomi\proshivka).
3. Transfer the phone to Fastboot mode and connect to the PC.
4. In Mi Flash Tool, click Select, specify the path to the firmware folder.
5. Select Clean All mode and press Flash.

⏳ It takes 5-10 minutes, and when it's done, it automatically reboots, and all the data is deleted without any recovery.

💡

Flashing through the Mi Flash Tool is the only way to get around the Mi Account request after a reset on phones with a locked bootloader.However, this requires official bootloader unlocking through the Xiaomi website (the procedure takes up to 15 days).

6. Alternative methods (for older models)

Xiaomi phones until 2019 (e.g. Redmi 4X, Mi A1) sometimes run workarounds that are not relevant for new devices.

6.1 Call to a locked phone

📞 In some models, MIUI 9/10 You could take an incoming call, then you could open the settings through the call menu and turn off the password. Now this is blocked, but if you have old firmware, try it:

1. Call the locked phone from another device.
2. Accept the call, then click Add Call → Settings.
3. Go to Security → Lock the screen and change the password.

6.2 Emergency Call (Emergency Call)

⚠️ On Xiaomi MIUI 8-11 was a bug that lets you open the camera through the emergency screen and access the gallery and settings from there:

1. On the lock screen, press Emergency Call.
2. Enter any number (e.g. 112) and press the call button.
3. Immediately after that, swipe down the notification bar quickly and try to open Settings.

❌ Important: These methods do not work on phones with MIUI 12 and newer due to improved protection.Don't waste time if your device is released after 2020.

FAQ: Frequent questions about unlocking Xiaomi