How to unlock Xiaomi if you forgot your password: full instructions

It's quite common for Xiaomi to stop letting its owner on the home screen, because it can be due to trivial forgetfulness, randomly entering incorrect combinations, or after a system update, at which point the device turns into a brick, access to contacts, photos and important applications is closed, which causes panic, but in most cases it's too early to panic, because the Android security system and the MIUI shell have several scenarios for restoring access.

Before we go into radical measures, it's important to understand what kind of lock is installed. It can be a pattern lock, a digital key. PIN-code, complex password or biometric lock (fingerprint, Face) ID), The security method and the operating system version will determine how you unlock it. Some methods save data, others require a complete reset.

In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to unlock Xiaomi if you do not remember the password.We will look at both the regular Mi-account recovery tools and more complex technical methods through Recovery Mode and ADB. It is important to understand that modern versions of MIUI (12, 13, 14) have enhanced protection, so old methods like entering code ##7780## may not work without prior preparation.

Recovery methods through Mi-account

The safest and easiest way for developers to use is to use a linked Mi Account. If the locked device was turned on the Internet (Wi-Fi or mobile data) and signed in to Xiaomi account, the system will offer to unlock the screen after several unsuccessful attempts to enter. Usually, the button "Forgot password" or "Forgot the pattern lock" appears after 5-10 incorrect inputs.

This method requires clicking on the link that appears, and then the phone will request the username and password from your Mi Account. The data entry must be accurate, take into account the character register. If the password from the account is also lost, it can be restored on any other device through the i.mi.com site, but the phone itself must have access to the network to synchronize new data.

This method does not work on all firmware versions. In the new security updates of Google and Xiaomi, the unlock function through the account may not be available in the interface if the device was not prepared in advance. However, it is worth checking this feature first, since it allows you to save all user data without having to reset.

⚠️ Note: If the phone was not connected to the Internet at the time of blocking, the method with a Mi-account will not work until the device is in the network coverage area.

The success of this method also depends on whether the Find Device service has been turned on, and if it is activated, unlocking is almost instantaneous, otherwise the system may require additional confirmation via SMS to the linked phone number.

Unlocking through Find Device

If direct access through the lock screen is not possible, you can use remote control. Find Device allows you to control your smartphone from a computer or other gadget, go to the official cloud.mi.com website and log in under the same Mi Account that is used on the locked phone.

Once you log in, select your device from the list, the control menu will have a "Block" or "Unlock" feature, and some versions of the interface will allow you to set a new password remotely to replace the old one, which is a viable way to do this if the phone's screen doesn't respond to touch or the sensor isn't working properly.

It's worth noting that to work this method, the phone needs to be turned on and connected to the Internet. If the device is turned off or in flight mode, the unlock command will be sent to the queue and executed as soon as the smartphone is online. Remote unlocking is often the only way to save the situation without losing files if the standard login doesn't work.

It also allows you to see the location of your device, play back sound, or erase data, and the last point is only a last resort if you can't get back access and your privacy is at risk.

Resetting with Recovery Mode (Hard Reset)

If you can't remember the password, and the account doesn't work, you have a radical method, which is a factory reset, called Hard Reset, which completely cleans the phone's internal memory by deleting all photos, contacts, apps and settings, and putting the device back out of the box.

To enter Recovery mode on Xiaomi, you need to do a sequence of things: first, you need to turn the phone off completely, then you need to hold the volume button and the power button at the same time, hold them until the Mi logo appears, and then you can release the power button while you keep the volume.

In the Recovery menu, you can control the volume buttons (up/down) and the power button (select). You need to find the Wipe Data item and select it. Then confirm the action by selecting Wipe All Data. After the process is completed, the phone will prompt to restart (Reboot -> Reboot to System).

Once you reboot, the phone will be clean. However, this is where FRP (Factory Reset Protection) comes in, and the system will ask you to enter a password from a Google account or Mi Account that was synced to the phone earlier, which is anti-theft protection, and it's extremely difficult to get around without the owner's data.

⚠️ Warning: Hard Reset will not delete data from memory card SD, But all the files in the internal storage will be permanently lost.

Use of debugging by USB and ADB

For advanced users who had pre-debugging enabled USB In the developer menu, there's a way to unlock it through the computer, USB-cable and installed toolkit Android Debug Bridge (ADB).

The idea is to send special commands from your computer to your phone that can delete files that store your screen lock data. This doesn't work on all versions of Android, because newer systems have limited access to system files, but it's worth a try. First, connect your phone to your PC and open the command line in your ADB folder.

adb shell rm /data/system/gesture.key


adb shell rm /data/system/locksettings.db




adb shell rm /data/system/locksettings.db-wal




adb shell rm /data/system/locksettings.db-shm

Once these commands are executed, the phone needs to be rebooted, and in the ideal scenario, the lock will disappear, or any password can be entered and accepted, but if the device has a complex password or biometrics, this method may not work without root rights.

It's important to understand that without debugging, this is useless. If the developer menu is hidden and debugging is turned off, you can't connect the phone to ADB in normal user mode.

The problem of activation and protection of FRP

After resetting, many users are confronted with an activation screen that requires you to enter a password from a Google or Mi Account. This is FRP (Factory Reset Protection) system, which is designed to prevent an attacker who stole a phone and dropped it from using it.

If you own a device but don't remember any account passwords, the situation gets complicated: Officially, you can only restore access through the Google account recovery procedure (via email or phone). For a Mi Account, there is also a recovery form on the site, but it takes time to check.

There are informal ways to bypass FRP, often called bypasses, which exploit security vulnerabilities in specific versions of Android, but these methods require you to find specific instructions for your version of MIUI and can be dangerous, as they often involve installing untested software.

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Keep your account details in a safe place: write down your Google and Mi Account login and password in a notebook, or use a password manager to avoid future FRP issues.

When buying a used Xiaomi phone, always check if it is reset to factory settings by the seller in your possession, and if it is not on someone else's accounts. Otherwise, you risk getting a device that can not be activated legally.

Prevention of blocking and safety advice

To avoid getting into trouble, you should follow simple digital hygiene rules: check regularly if you remember your passwords; periodically logging in to accounts on other devices helps your brain refresh information; and it is also useful to have a backup login method, such as a tied phone number.

Use biometrics (print or face) as the primary method, but remember that the system will still require a password after a reboot or after 72 hours.

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Regularly backing up data to the Mi Cloud or Google Drive cloud is the only guarantee that you won’t lose important files if you need to unlock it urgently.

Do not install dubious third-party screen locking apps, which can conflict with Xiaomi's system protections and lead to cyclical reboots or false locks.