A forgotten password on a Xiaomi smartphone is a situation that one in five users encounter at least once in their lives. According to statistics from service centers, 38% of screen lock requests are related to loss. PIN-Fortunately, the manufacturer has provided several ways to restore access, but not all of them are safe for your data. In this article, we will break down 5 proven unlocking methods, including official tools from Xiaomi and alternative solutions for emergencies.
It's important to understand that current models (Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Mi 13 and later) use hardware encryption, which means that forced resets via Recovery or Fastboot lead to a complete cleanup of internal memory in 90% of cases. However, there are ways to circumvent this limitation, which we'll talk about too. If you have Find My Device enabled on your device, the chances of saving data are much higher.
1.Official method: Unblocking through your Mi Account
The most reliable and recommended method by the manufacturer is the use of a tied Mi Account, which works on all devices running MIUI 12 and later, including the latest models of Redmi and POCO. The main condition is that the phone must be connected to the Internet (via Wi-Fi or mobile network).
Instructions:
- 🔄 On the lock screen, click Forgot Password? (or Forgot Password? on English firmware).
- 📧 Enter the email or phone number associated with your Mi Account.
- 🔑 Confirm your identity through SMS-code.
- 📱 Create a new lock password.
If the password button is missing, it means that the device has disabled the Find My Device function or it is running on an outdated version of MIUI (below 10).
⚠️ Note: After 5 failed attempts to enter a password, Xiaomi blocks the ability to unlock through the account for 24 hours.If you see a message "Too many attempts", wait for the specified time or use alternative methods.
2. Unlocking through Find My Device (remote) If you have activated Xiaomi's Find My Device service in advance, you can unlock your phone remotely via a web browser. This method works even if the device is not connected to the Internet at the time of locking - the unlock command will be executed when you first connect to the network. Step-by-step instruction: Go to i.mi.com and log in to your Mi Account account. From the list of devices, select the locked smartphone. Press Unlock device. Confirm action via SMS or Unlock device. This method will be activated by the plane for the last 24 hours, if the device is notified. 💡Before using Find My Device, make sure that the device is on data transfer. If the phone is discharged, connect it to charging - the function will work automatically when it reaches 5% charge.
3. Reset via Recovery Mode (full cleaning)
When the official methods don't work, you have to resort to hard reset through the recovery mode, which removes all data from the device, including photos, messages and installed applications, and only use it if other options are exhausted.
How to log in to Recovery Mode:
- 🔋 Turn off the phone (press the power button for 10 seconds).
- 🔄 Press the combination Volume up + Eating and holding on 10-15 seconds.
- 📱 After the Mi logo appears, release the buttons – you will see the recovery menu.
Further action:
- Select Wipe Data (use volume buttons for navigation).
- Confirm your choice of Wipe All Data.
- Wait for the process to be completed (it will take 2-5 minutes).
- Restart the device via Reboot System.
⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI 13+ And hardware encryption (all models after 2021) resetting through Recovery results in complete data loss without recovery.
☑️ Preparing for resetting through Recovery
4 Unlocking via Fastboot and Mi Flash Tool
For power users, there is a method of unlocking through Fastboot mode using the official Mi Flash Tool utility. USB-cable, but allows you to bypass the lock without losing data on some models.
Conditions required:
- 🖥️ Computer with installed Xiaomi drivers (you can download on the official website).
- 🔌 Original. USB-cable (do not use cheap analogues - they can cause connection errors).
- 📄 Firmware for your model (download only from official sources!).
Step-by-step:
1. Turn off the phone and press <Loudness down + Power> to log into the Fastboot.
2. Connect the device to the PC.
3. Run the Mi Flash Tool and select the downloaded firmware.
4. Press "Refresh" - the program must determine the device.
5. Select "Clean all and lock" or "Clean all" (complete cleanup).
6.Push "Flash" and wait for completion (10-15 minutes).Importantly, this method does not work on all models: devices with a locked bootloader (Redmi Note 11, POCO F4 and later) will need to pre-unlock Bootloader through the official Xiaomi website, which takes up to 7 days.
What if the Mi Flash Tool can’t see the device?
5. Alternative methods for advanced users
If the standard methods don’t work, you can try bypassing the lock via an engineering menu or ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires technical skills and is only suitable for devices with USB debugging enabled.
Method 1: Through ADB (if debugging was enabled)
adb shell
rm /data/system/gesture.key
rm /data/system/password.key
rebootThis command deletes files with passwords, but only works if USB debugging has been activated in the developer settings.
Method 2: Engineering menu (for older models)
- 📞 Type on the keyboard ##3646633##.
- 🔧 Go to Connectivity → USB Port Settings.
- 🔄 Select Manufacture mode and connect your phone to your PC.
- 🖱️ Use the Mi. PC Suite for password reset.
⚠️ Note: Use of engineering menus on new models (MIUI 14+) may result in loss IMEI This method is recommended only for devices older than 2019 (Redmi Note 7, Mi 9 and similar).
6. Contact the Xiaomi Service Center
If self-unlocking attempts fail, the most reliable solution is to go to an authorized service center, and Xiaomi has official partners in most major cities, where specialists can unlock the device with data storage (if there is evidence of ownership).
What will be required:
- 📄 Passport or other identity document.
- 📋 Check or box from the device (if saved).
- 🔑 Account information associated with Mi Account (email/phone).
The cost of the service varies from 500 to 2000 rubles depending on the model and the complexity of the lock, in some cases, the service center may offer free unlocking if the device is warranted.
| Unlocking method | Data retention | Difficulty | Implementation time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Through the Mi Account. | ✅ Yes. | ⭐ | 2-5 minutes |
| Find My Device | ✅ Yes. | ⭐ | 5-10 minutes |
| Recovery Mode | ❌ No. | ⭐⭐ | 5 minutes. |
| Mi Flash Tool | ⚠️ Partially. | ⭐⭐⭐ | 15-30 minute |
| Service centre | ✅ Yes. | ⭐⭐ | 1-3 days |
💡
The safest ways are through Mi Account and Find My Device, which save data and don't require technical skills, and Recovery or Fastboot resets should only be used in extreme cases.