Reset Xiaomi Redmi 3S to factory settings: 3 ways with instructions

Resetting the Xiaomi Redmi 3S smartphone to factory settings is a radical but sometimes necessary step.It helps solve performance issues, remove viruses, prepare the device for sale or fix bugs after a failed upgrade.However, an incorrect reset can lead to data loss, locking the Mi Account account or even “bricking” the phone. This article provides step-by-step instructions for all reset methods, including hidden nuances for Redmi 3S (codename land).

The Redmi 3S (and its Redmi 3S Prime) came out in 2016 with a Snapdragon 430 processor and a MIUI 7/8 on board. Today, many users face slowdowns due to outdated software or crowded memory. Reset on this device has a feature: if Mi Account was previously activated, a hard reset will require login/password input — even if the phone is not tied to the account now.

Before you start, answer two questions:

1. Do I need to save data (photos, contacts, messages)?
2. Do you remember the data from the Mi Account if it was tied?

The choice of the method of discharge and preparation depends on the answers.

1.Resetting preparation: what to do in advance

Unprepared resets can cause you to lose important data or lock your phone. On Redmi 3S, it is especially critical to save:

• 📱 Contacts – export to a Google account or to SIM-map (Contact menu) → Management → Imports/exports).
• 📷 Photos and videos - transfer to PC via USB-Cable or upload to the cloud (Google Photos, Mi Cloud).
• 🔑 App data – check which programs have backups (for example, WhatsApp saves chats to Google Drive).
• 📋 Wi-Fi settings – take a picture of the list of networks with passwords (Settings) → Wi-Fi → Save networks).

If the phone is slow and does not react to touch, connect it to your PC in MTP mode (for file transfer) and copy the data manually. On Redmi 3S, this may require you to enable USB debugging in the developer menu (Settings → About Phone → MIUI version – tap 7 times, then return to Additional → For developers).

⚠️ Note: If the phone is enabled with the function Protection of the device (in MIUI 8 and older), after reset, you will need to enter the password from the last Google account. 3S will not be possible!

Also check:

• 🔋 Battery charge at least 50%. Reset at low charge can be interrupted.
• 📶 Stable Wi-Fi connection (if you plan to reset via menu).
• 🔐 Turn off the Find Device setting in Mi Account if it is active (Settings) → Mi Account → Find the device).

2. Method 1: Reset via the settings menu (soft reset)

The safest method is if the phone turns on and responds to commands, suitable for eliminating software glitches without losing data on the memory card (if it is not encrypted).

Instructions:

1. Open the settings (cog icon on the desktop).
2. Go to Additional → Recovery and Reset.
3. Select Reset (in some versions of MIUI – Reset all settings).
4. Read the warning and click Reset your phone settings.
5. When you request, enter a pattern lock or PIN-code (if installed).
6. Confirm the action with the Remove Everything button.

It takes 3-5 minutes. The phone will reboot and launch with a welcome screen, like after the purchase. If after the reset, you have a request to enter Mi Account, use the data from the last associated account.

Backed up the data |

Disabled Find the Device in Mi Account|

Battery charge > 50%|

I remember the password from Mi Account (if I was tied) |

Out. SIM and SD-map (optional)-->

⚠️ Attention: On Redmi 3S s MIUI 7/8 After reset, Russian may disappear from the list. To return it, connect to Wi-Fi and select Select Language. → System Language → Russian by hand.

Method 2: Recovery (hard reset)

This method is needed if:

• The phone does not turn on or hovers on the Mi logo.
• Forgot the pattern lock/password.
• The settings menu is not available due to failures.

The Redmi 3S uses a standard recovery from Xiaomi (not to be confused with custom TWRP).

1. Turn off the phone (press the power button for 10 seconds if it freezes).
2. Press Volume Up + Power at the same time and hold for 5-7 seconds until the Mi logo appears.
3. Release the buttons and you will see the Recovery menu (in English or Chinese).
4. Use volume buttons for navigation and power button for selection.
5. Select Wipe Data → Wipe All Data (in some versions – Wipe & Reset).
6. Confirm the action (Confirm).
7. Once you have finished, select Reboot → Reboot to System.

If the menu is in Chinese, focus on the location of the items:

• 📛 First item – Wipe Data (data cleanup).
• 🔄 The last item is Reboot (reboot).

Method 3: Reset via Fastboot (for power users)

This method requires a computer and is used if:

• 🔧 Phone does not respond to buttons (not included in Recovery).
• 📥 You need to reflash the device after a failed update.
• 🔒 Reset Mi Account protection (only for unlocked bootloader!).

You'll need:

• 💻 Windows computer.
• 🔌 Cable USB (preferably original).
• 🛠 Mi Flash Tool (download from the official website).
• 📄 Firmware for Redmi 3S (Choose a version land_global_images).

Step-by-step:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press Volume Down + Power to enter Fastboot mode (a rabbit in a hat-eared image will appear).
3. Connect the phone to the PC.
4. Unpack the firmware archive in a folder without Cyrillic (for example, C:\rom\land).
5. Open the Mi Flash Tool, press Select and point the path to the firmware folder.
6. Press Refresh – the program must identify the device.
7. Select Clean All mode and press Flash.
8. Wait for the end (5-10 minutes). The phone will reboot automatically.

1. Download Mi Phone Manager and install it.

2. or download Qualcomm drivers for Snapdragon 430 (Redmi 3S chipset).

3.In Windows Device Manager, check that the phone is identified as Qualcomm HS-USB QDLoader 9008-->

⚠️ Note: Fastboot removes all data without recovery, including the contents of internal memory. If your phone had important files, try extracting them first. ADB (when debugging is enabled) or a service center.

5.What to do after resetting: setup and recovery

After a successful reset, Redmi 3S will launch with a welcome screen. Follow the instructions of the customizer, but consider a few nuances:

🔹 Data recovery:

• 📱 Contacts – if they were synced with Google, log in to your account and wait for automatic recovery.
• 📷 Photos/video – copy back from PC or cloud.
• 🎮 Apps – Reinstall from Google Play or Mi App Store.

🔹 Optimizing productivity:

• 🚀 Turn off animation: Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (Tap 7 times for Developer Mode, then for Developers → Scale of animation (off.).
• 🗑 Clean the cache regularly: Safety → Cleanup.
• 🔄 Update. MIUI Up to the latest available version for Redmi 3S (through settings → Updating the system).

🔹 Post-discharge problems and their solutions:

💡

After reset, Redmi 3S may run slower than after purchase, due to outdated firmware. To return performance, install custom software (like LineageOS) or roll back to MIUI 9, which is optimized for weak devices.

6. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

Even experienced users make mistakes when resetting Redmi 3S. Here are the most common:

🔴 "Phone asks for old password after reset":

This is FRP (Factory Reset Protection) protection from Google.

• Enter the data from the last Google account that was on the phone.
• If you don’t remember, try resetting your password through the recovery page.
• You can use the Mi Account Unlock Tool to bypass FRP on Redmi 3S, but this requires an unlocked bootloader.

🔴 "The reset is interrupted, the phone is now offline":

Causes and solutions:

• 🔋 Battery is dead – connect to charging for 30 minutes, then reset.
• 📵 Firmware is damaged - run your phone through Fastboot (see Method 3).
• 🔧 Failure in Recovery – Try logging into Fastboot (Loudness Down) + Food) and sniff out the official firmware.

🔴 "No after the dump. IMEI net":

On Redmi 3S, this is a common problem due to damage to the NVRAM partition.

1. Restore. IMEI via Engineer Mode: 1. Enter the dialer: ##3646633## 2. Go to Connectivity → CDS Information → Radio Information 3. In the field AT+ enter: AT +EGMR=1,7,"IMEI_1" (first SIM) AT +EGMR=1,10,"IMEI_2" (second SIM) 4. Reboot the phone.
2. If the method does not work, then swipe your phone through the SP Flash Tool with a tick on NVRAM.

7. Alternatives to resetting: when can you do without it

Before you drop the Redmi 3S to factory settings, try less radical methods:

🔧 Clearing the cache:

Delete temporary files without losing data:

1. Go to Settings → Memory → Cleanup.
2. Choose Clear Cache (not to be confused with Clear All Data!).
3. Reboot the phone.

🛠 Removing unnecessary applications:

Many lags are caused by background processes.

• 📱 Settings → Annexes → All applications – remove unused ones.
• 🔄 Settings → Battery → Battery usage – find programs that consume a lot of resources.
• 🚫 Turn off auto-start for unnecessary applications (Settings) → Permits → Auto-start).

🔄 Retraction of updates:

If the problems started after the MIUI update, go back to the previous version:

1. Download the necessary firmware with Xiaomi Firmware Updater.
2. Rename the file to update.zip and place it in the root of the phone’s memory.
3. Go to Recovery and select Install update.zip.

📉 Optimization MIUI:

On Redmi 3S with 2GB of RAM, every megabyte counts.

• 🌐 Auto-Update Apps in Google Play.
• 📊 Statistics collection (Settings) → Additionally. → Confidentiality → Sending statistics).
• 🎨 Animation and transitions (Developer Mode).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions