How to unlock Xiaomi if you forgot the password from the lock screen

The situation where a smartphone owner suddenly discovers that he can’t access his device because of a forgotten password is one of the most stressful in the world of digital technology. Screen locking is designed to protect your personal data, but often becomes a barrier for the user, especially if from the moment of installation of the pattern lock or the user’s personal data. PIN-Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco devices face this problem regularly, since the shell is a very important part of the system. MIUI The new HyperOS has its own protection features.

There are several proven methods to restore access to the gadget, but none of them is universal for all cases. The choice of method depends on whether the Mi Account was tied, whether the debugging is enabled via USB, and the version of the operating system. In some cases, you can save photos and contacts, in others, you will need a full reset (Hard Reset), which is an extreme, but often the only measure.

Before you start taking action, you need to calm down and carefully analyze your capabilities. Don’t panic if the phone writes “too many attempts” or requires a code to unlock your Google account. Full resetting via Recovery Mode is the only guaranteed way to unblock modern versions of Android without losing data is almost impossible due to security policy. Next we will look at all the available options from the simplest to the most technically complex.

Using a Mi Account to Unblock

The most civilized and safe way to restore access is to use the “Forgot Password” feature, which is embedded in Xiaomi’s security system, which only works if the device has previously logged in to the Mi Account and activated the “Find Device” function. If these conditions are met, after five false attempts to enter a pattern lock or password, a countdown timer and a special button will appear on the lock screen.

Click on the Forgot Password link, which is usually located at the bottom of the screen, and the system will prompt you to enter the username and password from your Mi Account. Once you have successfully logged in, the phone will suggest you install a new way to protect or completely disable the lock screen, which allows you to save all user data, including photos, correspondence and installed applications.

However, if you don't remember the password from the Mi Account itself, things get complicated: You'll have to restore access to your account via a browser on your computer or other device using a linked phone number or email. Without access to your Mi Account, this method becomes useless and you'll have to move to more radical measures.

• 🔑 It is only suitable if the phone is logged in to the Mi Account.
• 📱 Requires an active Internet connection (Wi-Fi or mobile network).
• 💾 Allows you to save all personal data without losing information.
• ⏳ It doesn't work on all versions. MIUI, In the new firmware function may not be available.

⚠️ Note: If after entering the correct password from the Mi Account, the phone writes a network or server error, check the date and time settings. Incorrect time can block the connection to the authorization servers.

It's important to understand that this is a preventative measure, and if you've just bought a phone, make sure you create an account and link it to your device, which not only helps if you're locked, but also allows you to use cloud storage to back up your contacts and notes.

Resetting the lock through Google account

On older versions of Android (roughly before version 5.1-6.0), it was possible to unlock the device through a Google account, a mechanism similar to the Mi Account: after many failed attempts to enter the password, a button appeared "Forgot the pattern lock", and by clicking on it, the user could enter the username and password from the Google account, which was synchronized with the phone.

On modern Xiaomi smartphones running Android 10, 11, 12, 13 and later, this method hardly works. Google's security policy has been significantly strengthened, and the ability to reset the screen password through the account was eliminated. Now the Google account is more likely to confirm the rights of the owner after the reset (FRP locking, rather than restoring access to the system.

However, if you have an old budget Redmi or Xiaomi with an ancient firmware version, you should try this method. Type any wrong password 5 times, wait for the timer to appear and look for the restore button. If it is not there, then your version of the software does not support this feature, and it is not worth spending time.

And Google's Find Device service, which doesn't allow you to directly remove your password from your screen, but it allows you to remotely erase your device. If your phone is connected to the Internet, you can log into your Google account from your computer, select your device, and click "Clean" -- it will return your phone to factory settings by delocking it, but it will destroy all the files.

Hard Reset via Recovery Mode (Reset buttons)

The most common and effective method, which works on 99% of Xiaomi devices, is to perform a hard reset via the Recovery Recovery menu, which does not require the Internet, computer or knowledge of old passwords, but it permanently deletes all user information.

To enter Recovery mode on a smartphone that is off, you need to press a certain combination of buttons. On most Xiaomi and Redmi models, this is the simultaneous pressing of the Volume Up button and the Power button, you need to hold them until the Mi or Android logo appears, after which the power button can be released while keeping the volume.

Once you enter the Recovery menu (it can look like a list of items on a black background or a graphical menu with touchscreen support), the volume buttons (up/down) and the power button (select) are controlled. You need to find the Wipe Data or Clear Data item. In new versions of Recovery, first you select the Wipe All Data item, then Confirm confirmation and wait for the process to end.

Once the reset is complete, the phone will automatically restart. The first run can take up to 5-10 minutes. Be prepared for the system to ask you to enter a password from a Google account or Mi Account that was synced earlier. This is FRP protection, which can't be bypassed by a simple reset.

⚠️ Warning: If after a reset, the phone requires a password from an account you don't remember, it will be extremely difficult to unlock it. Make sure you know the details of the Google account synced to the device before performing Hard Reset.

Unlocking with Find Device (Xiaomi Cloud)

If the Internet was turned on on on the blocked smartphone and the Mi Account was activated, but the “Forgot Password” button does not appear on the screen, you can use the Xiaomi Cloud service. This method allows you to remotely control the device, including the data erasure function, which also removes the screen lock.

Go from your computer or other phone to the official i.mi.com website. Sign in using the same Mi Account that is linked to the locked device. From the menu, select Find Device. If the phone is online, you'll see it on the map.

In the list of available actions, select "Erase device". The system will warn that all data will be deleted. Confirm the action. The smartphone will receive a command, reset and reboot without a lock password. This method is convenient in that it does not require physical access to the buttons of the phone, if, for example, it lies somewhere far away but is on.

It’s important to note that after this procedure, the phone can still request confirmation from the owner via a Google account, a standard Android security procedure designed to protect the device from the actions of intruders who found or stole the phone.

Using ADB to remove lock files

For advanced users who had pre-debugging on the phone USB (USB Debugging, there is a method of unlocking without losing data through a computer, which does not work on all versions of Android and requires installing drivers and utilities. ADB PC-only.

The idea is to delete the system files that store the access keys through the command line, so you'll need to connect the phone to your computer with a cable, run the command line in the ADB folder, and type in special commands, and if debugging wasn't enabled before locking, this method, alas, won't work.

adb shell rm /data/system/gesture.key


adb shell rm /data/system/password.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 you have these commands, you need to reboot the phone, and in the ideal scenario, the lock will disappear and you will have access to the system with all the data stored, but on modern versions of MIUI and Android, this method is often blocked by security, and files may not be deleted without root permissions.

• 💻 It requires a computer and USB-cable.
• ⚙️ It is necessary that the debugging of the USB.
• 📉 Efficiency on new firmware (Android 11)+) zero-in.
• 🛠 Requires minimal command line skills.

⚠️ Attention: Do not try to enter commands ADB, If you are not sure what you are doing, the error of deleting system files can lead to unstable operating system or cyclical restart.

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If ADB doesn’t see the device, try installing Google USB Driver Universal Drivers or Xiaomi specific drivers from the official website.

Service centers and paid programs

If none of the above methods have helped, or if you are afraid to perform complex manipulations yourself, it remains to contact the professionals.The official service centers of Xiaomi can unlock the device, but only if you present documents confirming the purchase (check, boxes with IMEI), This is done to protect against stolen phones.

There are also many paid programs and services to unblock (for example, UnlockTool, ChiNook, etc.) that often require payment for a subscription or one-time service, such tools can bypass FRP protection or remove a password, but their use carries risks: you can “fly” into a virus, gain access to accounts by fraudsters or finally “brick” the device.

Using unofficial software is always a lottery, and if you value your phone as a device, it's better to pay for a professional repair or official reset than to risk a complete breakdown. In cases where the phone was bought with no documents, unlocking may not be possible at all.

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An official service center is the only legal way to unlock a phone without a check and paperwork if standard methods don't work, but it will require proof of ownership.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)