A situation where the smartphone screen suddenly becomes inaccessible due to a forgotten PIN-A code or pattern lock that many Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco owners know is a natural reaction to panic in such moments, as hundreds of important contacts, work documents and personal photos are stored inside the device that are pathetic to lose. MIUI HyperOS is designed to protect the owner’s data as much as possible, so a standard reset via the Recovery menu always leads to complete deletion of information.
However, there are proven workarounds to restore access to the interface without using a hard Wipe Data reset. The effectiveness of each method depends on the version of the operating system, the model of your gadget and, critically, on pre-configured synchronization functions. In this article, we will discuss in detail all the current ways that will help you regain control of the device while maintaining the integrity of the file system.
Use the “Find Device” function from Google
The most reliable and official way to access a locked device is to use Google Find My Device, which only works if the problem device is logged in to a Google account, the Internet is turned on (Wi-Fi or mobile data) and geolocation is activated. If these conditions are met, you can remotely change the screen lock password without affecting the contents of the memory.
To start the procedure, you need to take any other computer or smartphone, go to the official website of the service and log in under the same Google account that is used on the blocked Xiaomi. After login, the system automatically determines the location of the device and offers several options, among which we are interested in the lock function. Changing the password through this service only works on devices with Android version below 10, on new versions the security system often requires re-authorization, which makes this method less effective for new models.
Select the “Secure Device” option and the system will prompt you to enter a new one. PIN-A code that replaces the current forgotten key, and once the action is confirmed, the new code will be sent to the device, and in a few minutes you can unlock the screen using the numbers you just set.
- 🔑 Make sure the internet is activated on the locked phone, otherwise the command won’t reach the device.
- 🌐 The service works through the browser of any device that has access to the Internet.
- 📱 The method is effective for older versions of Android, newer versions may require additional verification.
⚠️ Note: If the device is in flight mode or simply does not have a network connection, the remote command will not be executed until the connection is made.
Unlocking through Mi Account and Cloud Service
Xiaomi ecosystem owners have access to Google’s own Mi Cloud, and if you’ve previously registered a Mi Account on your device and enabled Find Device in your security settings, you have a great chance of regaining access, a method that often proves more effective for MIUI-enabled devices because it’s integrated deeper into the system than standard Google tools.
Go to i.mi.com and log in using your credentials. In the cloud interface, select Find your device. If your phone is online, you'll see it on the map and have access to control. The options available include locking or unlocking, depending on the current firmware version and security settings.
Sometimes the system allows you to simply reset the lock screen if you have a trusted device option enabled or if it has been a while since the last authorization, in other cases you will need to enter a new password, which will become a valid access key.
What if your Mi Account does not remember your password?
Safe Mode Method for Removing Third-Party Blockers
It's often not the system protection that blocks access to the phone, but a third-party application that you might have installed accidentally or for the sake of experimentation. PIN-The code ceases to be accepted by the system precisely because of the conflict of programs. Safe download mode (Safe Mode) allows you to run Xiaomi with disabled third-party applications, which makes it possible to remove the culprit of the problem.
To enter this mode, you usually need to press the power button, and when the turn off menu appears, press and hold the "Stop" option on the screen until the message appears about the transition to safe mode. On some Redmi and Poco models, the combination may be different: when you boot the device, when the Mi logo appears, you need to press the volume down button. In safe mode, all third-party applications will be hidden or marked with a special icon.
While in this mode, go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Find a suspicious app (often with a name associated with locking the screen, flashlight or cleaning memory) and delete it. Once you reboot in normal mode, the lock should disappear, and you can set a new password.
☑️ Actions in Safe Mode
Resetting settings via ADB (for advanced users)
For users who previously included debugging USB In the Developer menu, there's a technically sophisticated but effective way to reset a password file, and this requires a computer with a driver installed. ADB (Android Debug Bridge and USB-The method is to delete the system file that stores the hash amount of your password.
Connect your phone to your PC and open the command line in the folder with ADB. You will need to enter a special command that will force you to delete the gesture.key file (for the pattern lock) or password.key (for the digital key). PIN-After executing the command and restarting, the device will ask for any password or unlock automatically.
adb shell rm /data/system/gesture.key
adb shell rm /data/system/password.keyIt is worth noting that on modern versions of Android 11, 12, 13 and above, this method often does not work without root rights due to the enhanced protection of the /data/system partition. However, on devices with older versions of MIUI (based on Android 9-10), it still shows high efficiency.
| Method | Conditions required | Data retention | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Find My Device | Internet, Google account | Yes. | Low. |
| Mi Cloud | Internet, Mi Account | Yes. | Low. |
| Safe Mode | Third-party blocker | Yes. | Medium |
| ADB Command | USB debugging enabled | Yes. | Tall. |
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If the ADB team issues a Read-only file system error, your phone has a modern version of protection and this method will not work without root rights.
Specifics of unlocking Xiaomi with MediaTek processors
MediaTek chip-based devices (often found in Redmi budget models) have a unique vulnerability or feature that allows you to bypass locking through a special engineering menu. This method is known as BROM mode, or using utilities to interact with the bootloader. It requires you to connect the phone in an off state with the volume buttons pinched.
There are specialized software tools (both paid and free, such as MCT Bypass or analogues) that send a special signal through the USB port that disables password verification at the bootloader level, which allows you to log in or immediately into the settings where you can turn off screen protection.
However, this method carries certain risks: improper use of tools can lead to software failure, and the security patches MIUI 13/14 and HyperOS actively close this vulnerability, so on new devices, the method may not work.
⚠️ Note: Using third-party software to bypass security always carries the risk of infecting your computer or phone with viruses.
Why Hard Reset is a last resort
When all the gentle methods are exhausted, users often come to the idea of a complete reset (Hard Reset), which returns the phone to a factory state, removing absolutely all user data: photos, contacts, correspondence and installed applications. On modern Xiaomi smartphones, this procedure also activates FRP (Factory Reset Protection).
FRP requires you to enter a password from a Google account that was synced to the phone before the reset. This is done to protect against theft: if a thief steals the phone and dumps it, he can't use it without the owner's data. So if you decide to reset, make sure you remember the data from your Gmail.
The procedure is done via the Recovery menu: turn off the phone, then press the power and volume button at the same time. In the menu that appears, select Wipe Data, confirm the action and wait for the process to end. After that, the phone will turn on as new.
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Hard Reset is the only guaranteed way to get back access to your phone if all passwords are forgotten and sync is not configured, but the price of doing so is total data loss.