How to Reset Data to Xiaomi If You Forgot Your Password: The Complete 2026 Guide

A forgotten password on a Xiaomi smartphone is a situation that thousands of users face every day. Especially unpleasant when the phone stores important data, such as photos, correspondence or work documents. Fortunately, the manufacturer has provided several formal and informal ways to unlock without resorting to service centers. In this article, we will analyze all the current methods of password reset on Redmi, POCO and Mi devices, including models with MIUI 14/15 and older versions of firmware.

It's important to understand that some of these methods will lead to total data loss, so before you act, assess the risks. If you've synced your phone with your Mi Account, you're much more likely to reconnect without reset, but if you don't have a linked account or the Internet is off, there are few options left. Next, detailed instructions for each scenario, from the safest to the most radical.

1 Unlocking through Mi Account (official method)

The most reliable and recommended method for Xiaomi is to use a tied Mi Account, which works even if you forget your pattern lock or your computer. PIN-code, but requires access to email/The method is suitable for most models, including the Redmi Note. 12, POCO X5 mi 11.

To unlock the phone:

• 📱 Enter the wrong password 5 times in a row – the button Forgot the password will appear?.
• 🔑 Click on it and select Login via Mi Account.
• 📧 Enter your username (email or phone number) and password from your Xiaomi account.
• 🔓 Confirm the entrance through SMS or email (if two-factor authentication is enabled).

If you don't remember the Mi Account, try to restore access through the official website, and remember that once you log in, the phone will unlock, but all the data will remain in place - this is the only way to save the information.

⚠️ Warning: If the device has previously disabled Mi Account or reset to factory settings via Recovery, this method will not work.

2. Recovery Mode reset (without data loss?)

Many users mistakenly believe that resetting via Recovery always erases data.In fact, MIUI has a hidden unlock function without formatting - but it only works if two conditions are met:

• 🔄 The phone previously had Mi Account enabled.
• 📶 Device connected to the Internet (Wi-Fi or mobile network).

Instructions for Recovery 4.0+ models (e.g. Redmi 10, POCO F4):

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press Volume Up + Power before the Mi logo appears.
3. From the Recovery menu, select Wipe Data → Wipe All Data.
4. The system will prompt you to enter Mi Account data - specify them.
5. After checking, the phone will restart without losing data.

If this method does not work, then the conditions are not met - you will have to do a complete reset (see the next section).

3 Hard Reset – Complete cleaning

When other methods fail, the radical method is a complete factory reset, which will delete all data, including apps, photos and settings, but will return access to the phone, which works on all Xiaomi models, regardless of the version of MIUI.

Step-by-step:

1. Turn off the device.
2. Press Volume Up + Power for 10-15 seconds.
3. From the Recovery menu, select the language (usually English by default).
4. Go to Wipe Data → Wipe All Data.
5. Confirm the action with the Confirm button.
6. Once you have finished, select Reboot → Reboot to System.

The first download after the reset can take 5-10 minutes. If the phone requires you to enter your Mi Account data, but you do not remember it, you will have to use Fastboot (see the next section).

⚠️ Note: On some models (Redmi 9, POCO M3) Hard Reset may result in a "This device is locked" error, which means that the phone is tied to the Mi Account and will require official confirmation from Xiaomi to unlock it (the procedure can take up to 72 hours).

4. Unlock via Fastboot (for advanced users)

The method via Fastboot is suitable if:

• 🔧 You forgot your password and your Mi Account information.
• 📱 The phone is not unlocked through Recovery.
• 💻 You have a computer with drivers installed. ADB/Fastboot.

This method requires unlocking the bootloader, which on new Xiaomi models is only possible through official permission.

1. Connect your phone to your PC in Fastboot mode (clip Volume Down + Power).
2. Open the command line in the folder with ADB and perform: fastboot oem clean_all_lock For older models: fastboot flash userdata userdata.img
3. Reboot the device with command: fastboot reboot

If the bootloader is blocked, you will have to apply for unlocking through the official website. The process takes up to 3 days and requires a tied Mi Account.

💡

Before using Fastboot, check the phone model with the fastboot getvar product command. Some devices (like the Redmi Note 8 Pro) have unique commands to reset.

5. Use of service codes (for older models)

Xiaomi devices before 2018 (e.g. Redmi 4X, Mi 5) sometimes triggered password reset service codes, and today most of them are locked, but you can try:

Before entering the codes, make sure that SIM-The card is active -- some commands require a network. If the code doesn't work, the phone can automatically restart.

⚠️ Note: Entering service codes on new models (MIUI 12+) often leads to blocking IMEI or the "Invalid" error MMI use this method only if other options are not available.

6. Contact the Xiaomi Service Center

If independent attempts are unsuccessful, you can contact an authorized service center.

• 🔒 Phone locked after failed reset ("This device is locked").
• 📵 The device does not turn on or hangs on the Mi logo.
• 🔧 Refrigeration is required through EDL (emergency).

The cost of unlocking in official Xiaomi centers varies from 1,000 to 3,000 rubles, depending on the model and the complexity of the work. The average period is 1-3 days.

• 📄 Prepare a check or a warranty card (if the phone is guaranteed).
• 🔐 Make sure that the device has not enabled data encryption (this makes recovery difficult).
• 📱 Bring a box from your phone (to confirm the originality).

Unofficial services may offer unlocking cheaper, but the risk of damaging the device or losing data is higher.The official Xiaomi centers in Russia can be found on the support website.

💡

The official service is the only legal way to unlock a phone with a link to Mi Account if you do not remember the data from the account.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When trying to reset a password, users often make critical errors that can cause their phone to break down or data to be lost forever.

1. Interrupting the reset process: If you take out the battery or turn off power during Hard Reset, the phone can turn into a brick (will not turn on).
2. Using unofficial firmware: Installing custom firmware (e.g., via TWRP) on a locked phone often results in an “anti-rollback” error, after which the device does not boot.
3. Mistyping Fastboot commands: A typo in the command (for example, fastboot oem unlock instead of fastboot flashing unlock) can erase critical memory partitions.
4. Ignoring backup: Even if the phone is locked, data can be saved via Mi Cloud (if sync has been enabled).Many users forget to check this before resetting.

Critical information: On models with a MediaTek processor (e.g. Redmi 10A, POCO C31), an attempt to unlock through informal tools (such as the SP Flash Tool) can lead to hardware locking of the chip, in which case recovery is possible only through the service center using special equipment.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions