How to unlock the Xiaomi bootloader on a brick: saving the “brick” smartphone

Your Xiaomi stopped turning on after a failed firmware, reset or experiment with TWRP? The screen remains black, and when connected to a PC, the device is identified as a Qualcomm HS-USB QDLoader 9008 or does not respond at all? These are classic symptoms of a “brick” – a condition where the smartphone turns into a useless “piece of brick” due to a damaged bootloader or firmware. In 90% of cases, such a device can be brought back to life, but this will require unlocking the bootloader even on a locked device.

Unlike a working smartphone, where you unlock through the Mi Unlock Tool with your account tied, the process is complicated on a brick. You can't just enter your username / password here, you have to use workarounds: EDL-In this article, we will discuss current methods for 2026 that work even on the new Redmi Note 13 models, POCO X6 And the Mi 14 with the loader locked. Important: some methods require soldering or specialized equipment - evaluate your strength in advance.

Why Xiaomi is turning into a brick and how it relates to the bootloader

Xiaomi's "brick" is caused by a conflict between the bootloader and the firmware, and here are three of the most common scenarios:

  • 🔄 Failed update through MIUI updater TWRP — For example, when a user tries to put custom firmware on a blocked bootloader.
  • 🔧 Mi Unlock Tool (interrupted process, incorrect version of the tool).
  • ⚡ Hardware failure during firmware (power outage, damage to flash memory).

In the first two cases, the bootloader remains functional, but blocks the system from starting because of a signature mismatch. In the third, the eMMC or UFS chip itself may be damaged, which requires repair at the iron level. To see what kind of case you have, check the reaction of the smartphone:

Symptoms.Probable causeCan I unlock the bootloader?
Black screen, but defined as QDLoader 9008 in Device ManagerEmergency Download Mode (EDL)Yes, via Mi Flash or EDL-cable
Vibrates when connected to charging, but does not turn onBoot or system partition damagedYeah, after unlocking the bootloader.
No buttons, no PC is detectedDamage to flash memory or power controllerNo, it needs repairs.
Hangs on the Mi or Fastboot logoFirmware and loader conflictYes, via fastboot or EDL.

If you get in the first two rows of the table, the chances of recovery are high, and the rule of thumb is not to try to stitch the device through standard tools (like Mi Flash clean all) until the bootloader is unlocked, which can lead to a complete loss of access to memory.

📊 Your Xiaomi has turned into a brick after
Failed firmware.
Unlock the loader
Updates through OTA
Other (specify in the comments)

Preparation for unlocking: what you need to work with the “brick”

Before you start recovery, assemble the necessary set of tools, without which the process of unlocking the bootloader on the locked device is simply impossible:

  • 💻 Computer on Windows 10/11 (Mi Flash and QFil are better suited to Windows than Windows Linux/macOS).
  • 🔌 Cable USB — preferably original from Xiaomi (cheap cables may not provide a stable connection to the Internet). EDL).
  • 🔧 Drivers: Qualcomm HS-USB QDLoader 9008, Mi Flash Drivers, ADB/Fastboot.
  • 📱 Firmware for your model (official Fastboot-ROM or custom supported) EDL).
  • 🔑 Mi Account that was linked to the device before bricking (if you plan to use the Mi Unlock Tool).

Pay special attention to drivers. EDL-The mode will need to disable the driver signature verification in Windows:

  1. Press Win + X → select Device Manager.
  2. Find the Qualcomm HS-USB QDLoader 9008 (may appear as unknown).
  3. Update the driver manually by specifying the folder with unpacked QFil drivers.

If the driver is not installed, use Zadig to force the libusb-win32 installation. Also check that the Driver Signature Enforcement function is disabled (via gpedit.msc or the command line with administrator rights).

☑️ Checklist before unlocking

Done: 0 / 5

Method 1: Unlocking through EDL-mode (for Qualcomm processors)

If your Xiaomi is defined as Qualcomm HS-USB QDLoader 9008, so it is in emergency mode EDL. This is the most reliable way to unlock a bootloader on a brick, but it only works on devices with Qualcomm processors (for example, the Redmi Note 12 Pro).+, POCO F5, For Mediatek, this method is not suitable - they need it. BROM-regime.

Algorithm of action:

  1. Download firmware in.mbn or.elf format for your model. The official firmware can be found on Xiaomi's website (choose the Fastboot version).
  2. Install the Mi Flash Tool (the latest version) and unpack the firmware into a folder without Cyrillic characters.

Mi Flash

Refresh

COM-port

Select firmware mode

    At this stage, problems may arise:

      If the Mi Unlock Tool refuses to unlock the device, try the workaround using the Fastboot Enhance utility or command line:

      fastboot oem unlock-go


fastboot flashing unlock

      These commands may work on some models (like the Redmi Note 10 Pro), but they don’t guarantee success on newer devices with enhanced protection.

      💡

      If you want to know if the Mi Unlock Tool is waiting 168 hours, but the device is already a “brick”, try to reset the timer through EDL-It's a patched firmware. It requires a modified firmware with a deleted file. persist.img.

      Method 3: Hardware unlocking (for power users)

      If the software doesn't work, the hardware is the way to connect to the test points on the board, which requires disassembling the device and minimal soldering skills, but it's the only one that saves you in cases like:

      • 🔒 The bootloader is locked at the eFuse level (hardware lock).
      • 🔌 The device is not defined in either Fastboot or Fastboot. EDL.
      • 📱 Model with Mediatek processor (e.g. Redmi) 10A, POCO C50).