How to reset Xiaomi Redmi 4A to factory settings: a complete guide with photos

Xiaomi Redmi 4A is one of the most popular budget smartphones of the brand, released in 2016. Despite its age, the device is still actively used due to its reliability and the ability to install custom firmware. However, over time, any gadget begins to slow down, glitch or require a complete reinstallation of the system, in such cases, resetting to factory settings becomes the only effective solution.

In this article, you will find three proven ways to perform hard reset on Redmi 4A: through the settings menu, with Recovery mode and with Mi Flash Tool (for advanced users). We will detail each method, point out possible errors and give recommendations for saving important data. If your smartphone freezes, does not turn on or needs to be unlocked after a failed update, this guide will help bring it back to life.

Before you start, consider that the reset deletes all user data, including photos, contacts, messages and installed applications. So be sure to back up - how to do this, read the next section.

Preparation for resetting: data backup

Even if your Redmi 4A is not working properly, there is still a chance to save important information.

• 📱 Contact and SMS: sync with your Google account (check Settings) → Accounts. → Google → Synchronization? The alternative is exporting through apps like Super Backup.
• 📷 Photos and videos: copy to your computer USB-You can either upload it to the cloud (Google Photos, Mi Cloud). SD-The map – it can also be formatted!
• 🔑 Passwords and settings: Use Xiaomi Cloud to save notes, calendar entries and browser data. Google Smart Lock is good for passwords.
• 🎮 Game progress: link your game accounts to Google Play Games or social networks. Without this, you will lose your game saves.

If the smartphone does not respond to touch, but turns on, try connecting it to the PC in MTP mode.

1. Connect Redmi 4A to your computer via USB.
2. Swipe down the notification bar and select File Transfer.
3. Copy the data manually to the hard drive.

⚠️ Note: If you have used encrypted storage (optional in Settings) → Security, once reset, you can't decrypt the data!

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

This is the easiest and safest method to use when the smartphone is switched on and responsive to commands.The instructions are relevant to MIUI of any version, including the latest firmware for the Redmi 4A.

Step-by-step procedure:

1. Open Settings (the gear icon on the main screen).
2. Go to the Additional Settings section (in older versions of MIUI – Recover and Reset).
3. Select Restore and Reset → Reset settings.
4. Click Delete all data and confirm the action by entering a pattern lock or password (if installed).
5. Wait for the reboot (it will take 3-5 minutes).

Once completed, Redmi 4A will launch with factory settings, just like after purchase, and you will only have to go through the initial setup (language selection, Wi-Fi connection, etc.).

Is the smartphone loaded at least 50%|Screen password is turned off (if you forgot)|Are your contacts synchronized with Google?|Are the photos copied on PC?-->

⚠️ Note: If after reset, the smartphone requires you to enter an old Mi Account (even if you do not remember it), this means that Mi Account was previously activated with a link to the device.

Method 2: Hard reset with Recovery Mode

This method is useful if Redmi 4A:

• 🔄 It is stuck on the Mi logo and does not load.
• 🔳 Does not respond to touch (broken touchscreen).
• 🔒 Blocked after a failed update.

To enter Recovery mode:

1. Turn off your smartphone (press the power button for 10 seconds).
2. Press the Power button + Volume up at the same time and hold for 10-15 seconds until the Mi logo appears.
3. Release the buttons and you will see the Recovery menu (in English or Chinese).

Follow the instructions:

1. Use Volume Down for navigation and Volume Up for selection.
2. Select Wipe Data → Wipe All Data (in some versions – Wipe & Reset).
3. Confirm the action (Confirm).
4. After cleaning, go back to the main menu and select Reboot → Reboot to System.

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

Method 3: Reset via Mi Flash Tool (for power users)

This method requires a computer and is suitable in extreme cases:

• 🔧 The smartphone does not turn on at all (black screen, no reaction to buttons).
• 🔄 The firmware is damaged (for example, after an unsuccessful update via the TWRP).
• 🔒 The device is locked by Mi Account and you don’t remember login details.

Importantly, this method completely reinstalls the firmware, even deleting system files, and only use it if the first two methods fail.

What you need:

• 💻 Windows computer (7/10/11).
• 🔌 Original. USB-cable (preferably from the set).
• 📥 Fastboot firmware ROM for Redmi 4A (download from the official website).
• 🛠 The Mi Flash Tool (download here).

Step-by-step:

1. Install the Mi Flash Tool and drivers for Xiaomi (company with the program).
2. Unpack the downloaded firmware in a folder without Cyrillic characters (for example, C:\redmi4a_fastboot).
3. Turn off your smartphone and put it in Fastboot mode: Press Volume Down + Power for 10 seconds. Connect to your PC - a hare in a hat-eared hat (Fastboot logo) will appear on the screen.

Mi Flash Tool

Select

Refresh

COM-port

Clean All

Flash

Wait for the finish (5-10 minutes). The smartphone will reboot automatically.

⚠️ Warning: If the Mi Flash Tool gives you a "Couldn't flash" error, check: Is the smartphone connected to the back USB-port (front PC may be power-strapped); antiviruses disabled (they can block drivers); firmware version is the same as model (Redmi) 4A rolex-encoded).

💡

If you've had your smartphone hang on the logo for more than 10 minutes after you've been firmwareed, don't panic. Turn it off, press Power + Volume up for 20 seconds, then re-energize. Often, cold rebuke helps.

Frequent mistakes and their solutions

Even if you follow the instructions, you can have problems, and let's look at the typical situations and how to fix them:

If none of the methods helped, perhaps the problem in the hardware (for example, damaged motherboard or memory).In this case, we recommend to contact the service center. For Xiaomi Redmi 4A repair is inexpensive - the cost of diagnosis starts from 500 rubles.

💡

For Redmi 4A, Xiaomi’s official warranty is 12 months from the date of purchase, but many service centers take repairs after the end of the warranty.

How to recover data after resetting

If you back up, it's not hard to recover the data.

• 📱 Contact and SMS: Sign in to your Google account - the data is synced automatically. SMS use the app SMS Backup & Restore.
• 📷 Photos and videos: copy files back from your computer or download from the cloud (Google Photos, Mi Cloud).
• 🎮 Apps: reinstall them from Google Play.Most games will keep progressing if you used account binding.

If there is no backup, try data recovery programs such as:

• Dr.Fone (paid but with trial period)
• EaseUS MobiSaver (free version with limitations)
• DiskDigger (works without root rights, but less efficiently)

Important: Don’t write new files to your smartphone before recovery, which reduces your chances of success. Connect Redmi 4A to your PC and scan your memory with one of the programs.

⚠️ Attention: Recovery programs don't guarantee 100% results, and the longer it takes to reset, the less likely it is to return deleted files, especially in photos in format. HEIC (They recover worse than they do. JPEG).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions