Unlocking Mi Account on Xiaomi Redmi 5A: official and unofficial ways

A forgotten Mi Account password or a used Xiaomi Redmi 5A with a tied account is a situation that thousands of users face. The smartphone becomes a “brick”: you can’t log in, install apps or even reset through Recovery. The manufacturer has linked the lock to a hardware ID, so standard methods for restoring access (for example, via email) often do not work.

In this article, we have 5 proven ways to unlock Mi Account on Redmi 5A (codename riva), including official Xiaomi tools and workarounds for tech-savvy users.

• 🔓 How to restore access through the official Mi Account website (if you have access) email/phone)
• 📱 Unlocking methods through EDL-Mode and Fastboot (for advanced)
• ⚠️ Risks of using unofficial services and how to avoid them
• 🛠️ Step-by-step instructions with photos and videos for each method

Important: The unlock procedure may vary depending on the MIUI version (e.g. MIUI 9 vs MIUI 12) and the status of the device (new/b/y).If you bought the phone with your hands, try contacting the previous owner first - this will save time.

1. Official restoration of access through Mi Account

If you have access to an email or phone linked to your Mi Account, it will take no more than 10 minutes. Xiaomi provides a standard password reset procedure, but it only works if two conditions are met:

• 📧 Email or phone number has not changed since the last login on the device.
• 🔒 Two-factor authentication is not included on the account (2FA) tethered.

Instructions:

1. Go to the recovery page: account.xiaomi.com/pass/forgetPassword.
2. Enter the email or phone attached to your account. Press Send the code.
3. Check your email/SMS – enter the received code in the field on the site.
4. Create a new password (minimum 8 characters, with numbers and letters).
5. Connect Redmi 5A to Wi-Fi, enter new data in the lock window.

Challenges and solutions:

• 🚫 Code does not come: Check the Spam folder or try to resend the code through 5 if email/The phone has changed, this method will not work.
• 🔄 The site asks for an old password: So the account is secure 2FA. Try to restore access through an alternative form.

⚠️ Note: If the site requests restoration IMEI Devices or passport data – the account has been blocked for suspicious activity, in which case you will need to contact Xiaomi with evidence of ownership of the phone (check, box).

2 Unlocking via Fastboot Mode (without data loss)

If the official method doesn’t work and the phone is locked during the greeting stage (Hello!), you can try bypassing the lock via Fastboot.This method is suitable for Redmi 5A on MIUI 9-11 and requires:

• 💻 Computer with Windows/Linux and installed Xiaomi drivers.
• 🔌 Cable. USB (preferably original).
• 🛠️ Mi Flash Unlock (official) or Fastboot Tools.

Step-by-step:

Turn off the phone.|Hold the Loud down. + Food before the appearance of the hare in the hat|Connect to the PC|Install drivers (if Windows doesn’t find them automatically)-->

1. Download Mi Flash Unlock (the official tool from Xiaomi).
2. Start the utility, log in to your Mi Account (even if it is not tied to a locked phone).
3. Connect Redmi 5A in Fastboot mode. The utility should identify the device.
4. Press Unlock. It takes 1-3 minutes.

What to do if:

• 🚫 Utility doesn’t see phone: Check drivers (use Xiaomi Driver Installer) or try another USB-port.
• ⏳ The process is 99% dead: Turn off your phone, restart your PC and try again. If the error repeats, your account is blocked by Xiaomi's server.

💡

If Mi Flash Unlock gives you a “Couldn’t unlock” error, try using Fastboot Tools with the team.

fastboot oem unlock-go

3. Bypassing the lock through EDL-The mode (for experienced users)

Emergency Download Mode (EDL) is an emergency firmware mode that allows you to overwrite a partition with your account data, even on phones with a locked bootloader, but requires:

• 🔧 Rations of contacts or special cable EDL (for Redmi 5A — testpoint).
• 💾 Firmware MIUI For your model (download only from the official website).
• 🖥️ Mi Flash or QFil (for firmware via Qualcomm).

Step-by-step algorithm:

1. Turn off the phone. Disassemble the back cover (on the Redmi 5A it is removable, but be careful with the plumes!).
2. Find Test Point (two metal dots next to the battery) and lock them with tweezers. USB-plug-in.
3. Install the Qualcomm HS-USB QDLoader 9008 driver (download here).
4. Start Mi Flash, select firmware in.tgz format and press Flash.

⚠️ Attention: Firmware through EDL It dumps all the data, including photos and messages. If there were important files on the phone, try extracting them first. TWRP (Also, after firmware, you may need to re-activate the device through Mi Account.

Use of informal services: risks and alternatives

There are hundreds of offers online to unlock Mi Account in 5 minutes, from scripts to remote services, most of which are either fraudulent or exploit vulnerabilities that Xiaomi has already closed.

• 💰 Paid services: Price ranges from 500 to 3000 rubles. Often after payment you will be sent instructions that can be found for free (for example, firmware through the service). EDL).
• 🔓 «Miracle programs: Utilities like Mi Account Unlock Tool or Bypass Mi Cloud can contain viruses or require root access, which is dangerous for the system.
• 📱 Remote unlocking: Services that offer to unlock your phone IMEI, Often, they simply change the device ID, which leads to problems with Google updates and services.

Safe alternatives:

• 🛠️ Contact the service center Xiaomi: If you have a check or a box from the phone, unlocking will cost 1000-1500 rubles (official price).
• 🤝 Community assistance: In forums 4PDA or XDA Developers have themes with current unlocking methods (e.g., through ADB for some versions MIUI).

💡

No informal service guarantees 100% results. If the phone is bought by hand, the best option is to contact the previous owner and ask them to remove the device from their Mi Account via i.mi.com.

5. Unlock via reset to factory settings (if Recovery is available)

On some versions of MIUI (e.g. MIUI 9 Global), you can bypass the Mi Account lock through hard reset, but only if:

• 📱 The device does not include the function “Find Device” (phone search).

Instructions:

1. Turn off Redmi 5A.
2. Press Volume Up + Power for 10-15 seconds until the Mi Recovery logo appears.
3. Select a language (if you have a choice), then go to Wipe Data → Wipe All Data.
4. Confirm reset. Once the phone is restarted, it should start without asking for Mi Account.

Why this method doesn’t always work:

• On MIUI 10+, resetting via Recovery does not remove the account binding.
• If the Find Device function was previously activated, after the reset, the phone will require you to enter Mi Account data.

⚠️ Warning: Recovery removes all data, including photos, contacts and messages. If your phone had important files, try connecting it to your PC in Fastboot mode first and retrieve the data via Fastboot. ADB (if debugging is permitted USB).

6.Alternative methods: from ADB to firmware replacement

If the standard methods don't work, there are more complex options, which require technical skills, but sometimes they are the only solution.

Method 1: Delete your account via ADB (for MIUI 8-9)

If the phone is enabled debugging over USB and there is access to ADB, you can manually delete the account file:

adb shell


su




rm /data/system/mi_account.xml




reboot

Once rebooted, the phone doesn't have to ask for Mi Account data, but: newer versions of MIUI have this file protected, and you can't delete it without root rights.

Method 2: Custom Recovery (TWRP) firmware

Installing TWRP allows you to bypass the lock, but requires:

• Unlocked bootloader (via Mi Unlock Tool)
• The TWRP version for Redmi 5A is available at twrp.me.

After installation of TWRP:

1. Load into Recovery (Loudness up + Nutrition).
2. Go to Advanced → File Manager.
3. Delete the files: /data/system/mi_account.xml /data/system/users/0/accounts.db
4. Reboot the phone.

Method 3: Replacement of memory chip (extreme case)

If all software methods are exhausted, the hardware solution is to replace the eMMC chip (memory), which is expensive (3,000-5,00 rubles), and risky, but guaranteed to delete all data, including locking, only suitable for phones with physical damage to the board.

FAQ: Frequent questions about unlocking Mi Account on Redmi 5A