How to unlock someone else’s (or your) smartphone Xiaomi with a password: 7 proven ways

Forgot the password from Xiaomi or bought a used smartphone with a locked screen? The situation is familiar to many: the device requires entering a pattern lock, PIN-code or password, and you don't know the combination. (Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Mi 11 and versions MIUI (13, 14 or HyperOS) unlock methods are different – some require a Mi Account, others work via Fastboot or Recovery.

It is important to understand that unlocking someone else’s phone without the owner’s consent may violate the law, and this article is intended to restore access to your own device or smartphone purchased with proof of purchase.If you try to hack someone else’s Xiaomi, it is illegal and criminally liable under Art. 272 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Illegal access to computer information”).

We'll look at 7 working methods, from official (through Find My Device) to technical (using ADB and SP Flash Tool) some ways will save data, others will lead to a complete reset. Choose the right one based on your situation.

1 Unblocking through Mi Account (official method)

The most legal and secure method is to use a Xiaomi account that works if the phone is synced to Mi Cloud and has access to the mail or phone number to which the account is linked.

How it works:

1. After 5 unsuccessful attempts to enter the password, the button “Forgot the password?” will appear.
2. Click on it and select "Login via Mi Account".
3. Enter your username (email or phone) and password from your Xiaomi account.
4. Confirm the entry via SMS or email.

If you don't have a password button, try entering any password 5 times in a row until the system offers a recovery option. On some models (Redmi 9A, POCO M3), this method only works when you connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi or a mobile network.

⚠️ Note: If the previous owner has not untied his Mi Account, you will not be able to use this method. in this case, you will need to reset via Fastboot (see section 4).

Advantages of the method:

• 🔄 All data on the phone is saved (photos, messages, applications).
• 🔒 Does not require technical skills.
• ⚡ It works on all Xiaomi models with MIUI 12 and newer.

Limitations:

• 🚫 It won’t work if your Mi Account isn’t tied or your phone isn’t connected to the network.
• 🔐 Some of the firmware (e.g. Global) ROM) You may need to confirm that through SMS.

💡

If you are buying a used Xiaomi, always ask the previous owner to untie the Mi Account in the settings (Settings → Xiaomi Account → Sign out).

2.Use Find My Device (Google)

If you have a Google account and internet access enabled on your phone, you can try unlocking your device through Find My Device, a method that is suitable for Android 8.0 and later smartphones (including Xiaomi with MIUI 10+).

Instructions:

1. Go to Find My Device from a computer or other phone.
2. Log in to the same Google account that was on the blocked Xiaomi.
3. Select your device in the list (if it is displayed).
4. Click Lock and enter a new temporary password.
5. Confirm the action – the phone will appear field to enter a new password.

After unlocking, we recommend you immediately delete the old password in the security settings (Settings → Password and Security → Screen Lock).

⚠️ Note: If Xiaomi has enabled Factory Reset Protection, FRP), After resetting via Find My Device, you will need to enter a login and password from the previous Google account.+.

When the method fails:

• 🌐 Phone not connected to the Internet (wi-fi and mobile data are disabled).
• 🔄 The device has disabled geolocation or the function "Find the device".
• 📱 The smartphone is dead or off.

Make sure your phone is connected to Wi-Fi or mobile network | Battery charge greater than 20% | Know the username and password from the Google account that was on your phone | Check if geolocation is enabled on the device-->

3. Reset password via Recovery Mode (with loss of data)

If previous methods didn’t work, you’ll have to resort to a hard reset via Recovery Mode, which will delete all data on your phone, including photos, messages and apps, but unlock the device.

How to Sign In to Recovery on Xiaomi:

1. Turn off the phone (press the power button for 10 seconds).
2. Press the Power button + Volume up at the same time and hold for 10-15 seconds until the Mi logo appears.
3. Release the buttons and you will see the Recovery menu (may be in Chinese or English).

Further action:

• Use volume buttons for navigation and power button for selection.
• Select "Wipe Data" (or "on Chinese firmware").
• Confirm the reset by selecting "Wipe All Data".
• Once completed, select “Reboot” to reboot.

On newer models (Xiaomi 13, Redmi Note 12 Pro+), the Recovery menu can be hidden behind additional authentication, and if the system requests a password, this method will not work, and you will have to use Fastboot (see next section).

⚠️ Note: On some firmware (China) ROM) After reset via Recovery, the phone may require you to enter a password from your Mi Account. This is due to the Mi Account Lock function, which is activated when reset.

Models on which resetting through Recovery works without problems:

4. Unlock via Fastboot (for advanced users)

If Recovery Mode is locked with a password, you'll still have a version of Fastboot, which is a firmware and recovery mode, USB-cable and installed drivers Xiaomi.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows/Linux/Mac.
• 🔌 Original. USB-cable (better from the set).
• 📥 Mi Flash Tool or Fastboot Scripts.
• 🔧 Xiaomi Drivers (you can download from the official website).

Step-by-step:

1. Turn off your phone and press the Power button + Volume down to log into the Fastboot.
2. Connect the phone to the computer.
3. Download the Mi Unlock Tool and launch it.
4. Sign in to your Mi Account (if your phone is linked to another account, this will not work).
5. Follow the instructions of the program to unlock the bootloader (Bootloader).
6. Once unlocked, run your phone through the Mi Flash Tool with the "Clean All" option.

On models with a Qualcomm processor (e.g. POCO F3, Redmi K40), you can use the EDL Mode utility to bypass locking, but this requires special cable and knowledge of QFil commands.

⚠️ Warning: Unlocking the bootloader resets the phone to factory settings and erases all data.In addition, on some models (Xiaomi 12, Black Shark 5) after unlocking, Anti-Rollback protection can work, which will block the firmware of older versions. MIUI.

Alternative method for models with a MediaTek processor:

• 🔧 Use it. SP Flash Tool with scatter.txt file.
• 📁 Download stock firmware for your model from the Xiaomi Firmware Updater website.
• ⚡ Choose in SP Flash Tool option "Format All" + Download".

💡

Unlocking through Fastboot is the most reliable way, but requires technical skills. If you are not sure about your actions, you should contact the Xiaomi service center.

5. bypassing the pattern lock through ADB (without loss of data)

If the phone is debugging on USB (USB Debugging, you can try to delete the file with the pattern lock through ADB. This method only works if you have previously activated the developer mode.

What needs to be done:

1. Connect your phone to your computer via USB.
2. Open the command prompt (CMD) and type in: adb shell rm /data/system/gesture.key rm /data/system/locksettings.db rm /data/system/locksettings.db-wal rm /data/system/locksettings.db-shm reboot
3. After rebooting, the pattern lock will be reset.

If the team doesn’t work, try an alternative:

adb shell


su




rm /data/system/locksettings.db*




reboot

Limitations of the method:

• 🔌 Pre-included debugging is required. USB.
• 🔐 It does not work on newer versions of Android (11).+) due to changes in the security system.
• 📱 On some models (Xiaomi 13 Pro, Redmi) K60) The gesture.key file can be stored elsewhere.

⚠️ Note: If you do not remember whether the debugging included USB, This method won't work. Trying to connect through ADB without prior configuration will result in an error "unauthorized".

6 Unlocking through Xiaomi Service Center

If all self-unblocking attempts fail, the most reliable (but also the longest) way is to contact the official Xiaomi service center.

What will be required for the application:

• 📄 Check or contract of sale (if the phone used).
• 🆔 Passport of the owner.
• 📱 The device itself with a battery charge of at least 30%.

Cost and timing:

Xiaomi’s official service centers in Russia can be found on the website mi.com. Before visiting, check by phone whether they are engaged in unlocking accounts - some centers refuse such orders.

7. Alternative methods (at your own risk)

If none of the official methods helped, you can find "grey" methods of unlocking, such as:

• 🔓 Use of plugins for SP Flash Tool (e.g. Mi Account Remove Tool).
• 📱 Firmware through EDL Mode (emergency loading mode).
• 💻 Using exploits to bypass lockdowns (e.g. DirtyCOW for older versions of Android).

Risks of alternative methods:

• 🚨 The ability to turn your phone into a “brick” (inoperable device).
• 🔐 Violation of warranty (if the phone is on warranty).
• 📵 Loss of loss IMEI Serial number (on some models).
• 💰 The need to purchase paid instruments (for example, DC Phoenix or UFi Box).

If you do decide to use alternative methods, follow the instructions from trusted forums, such as:

• XDA Developers (Section of Xiaomi)
• 4PDA (unlock themes)
• MIUI SU (Russian-speaking community)

⚠️ Note: Most of the "free" software to unlock Xiaomi on the Internet contain viruses or spyware!

FAQ: Frequent questions about unlocking Xiaomi