How to reset Xiaomi Redmi 4X to factory settings

Owners of budget smartphones often face the need to completely clean the memory of the device, especially if the device began to work slowly or were forgotten graphics keys. Xiaomi Redmi 4X, despite its age, is still actively used, and the procedure for resetting it has its own nuances that distinguish it from the newer models of the series Redmi Note or Redmi K. Understanding the correct algorithms of action will help to avoid blocking the Mi Account or losing important data.

There are two main ways to get your device back to its original state: through the standard operating system menu and through Recovery mode. The method depends on whether you have access to the smartphone desktop or the system is completely locked. In any case, a complete reset is a radical but effective solution to most software errors.

Before you start taking action, you need to understand the consequences of this procedure: all user files, contacts, photos and installed applications will be permanently deleted. Backing up data to an external medium or to the cloud is a mandatory stage of preparation, ignoring which will lead to loss of information.

Preparation of the device for complete reset

The first and most critical step is to ensure a stable power supply. The system partition formatting process can take 10 to 30 minutes, and a sudden power outage at this point can damage the bootloader. Make sure the battery is at least 60%, and ideally connect the smartphone to the original charger.

The second important aspect is the Mi Account, which is that modern versions of the MIUI have anti-theft protection, and if you drop your phone without untidying your account in advance, the next time you activate it, the device will require a password from your old account, and without it, the phone will become a brick for the average user.

It is also worth checking for a microSD card. Although a menu reset does not usually affect the external drive, in Recovery mode there is a risk of formatting all available space.

Method 1: Reset via the MIUI settings menu

The safest and easiest method is available if you can unlock the screen and get to the desktop.This option is preferred for those who sell the device or just want to clean it from the garbage accumulated over a long period of use. MIUI interface is quite intuitive, but requires careful choice of options.

To start, open the Settings app and look for the About Phone section. In some firmware versions, this may be called Advanced Settings depending on the regional version of the software, and you need to find the Reset or Erase All Data button.

• 📱 Click on the “Erase All Data” icon at the bottom of the screen.
• 🔒 The system will request confirmation of action, you may need to enter the password unlock the screen.
• 🔄 Once confirmed, the phone will restart and the cleaning process will begin, which will take a few minutes.

Importantly, using this method, the system will automatically try to log out of your Google and Mi Account if the device is connected to the Internet, which will save you from activation problems in the future. However, if the Internet is not available, the account data will remain in memory, which may require entering it after rebooting.

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If the phone is slow, try to simply clear the app cache in the Apps section before resetting – this sometimes solves the problem without losing data.

Method 2: Hard Reset with Recovery Mode

If your smartphone doesn't turn on, you're stuck on your logo, or you've forgotten your pattern lock, you'll have to use Recovery mode, which is a deeper level of interaction with the system that allows you to perform low-level operations like Wipe Data, and you'll have to log in with a combination of physical buttons.

To enter Recovery on Xiaomi Redmi 4X, you need to turn the device off completely. Then press the volume button and the power button at the same time. Hold them until the Mi logo appears, then the power button can be released, continuing to keep the volume. In a few seconds, a menu with an orange or black and orange interface will appear.

Navigation in this menu is done with volume buttons (up/down), and the choice of item is confirmed by the power button. You need to find the Wipe Data item. In some versions of Recovery, you may need to confirm with language (select English or Chinese if you know the language, but you better choose English for understanding the terms).

⚠️ Warning: In Recovery mode, the touch screen does not work, all actions are performed only with mechanical buttons on the body of the smartphone. Be careful not to choose Wipe All Data if you want to save the photo on internal memory (although in modern modern ones). MIUI wears off).

Once you have selected Wipe Data, the system can request confirmation by entering a special code or re-pressing the button. Wait for the Data wiped successfully message, then select Reboot -> Reboot to System. The first run after the reset will last longer than usual.

Delete Google and Mi Account

One of the most common problems after a reset is blocking activation, and the FRP (Factory Reset Protection) mechanism was introduced by Google to protect against theft, and if a Google account was added to a phone, it would require that the account be passwordd from that account after the reset.

The same is true of Xiaomi's ecosystem, where if Find Device is activated, Mi servers remember the serial number of the device. When connected to Wi-Fi after reset, the phone will contact the server and request authorization, ignoring this step will make it impossible to use the device.

To avoid blocking, before resetting through the settings menu, follow the following steps:

• 🔑 Go to Google Account Settings and click “Delete Account».
• ☁️ In the Mi Account settings, also exit the system.
• 📡 Turn off the Internet before performing Hard Reset via Recovery if you have not deleted your accounts.

There is a table of correspondence of actions and risks, which will help to orient the need to delete accounts:

Problem Solving: Bootloop and Errors After Resetting

Sometimes, after the reset procedure, the Xiaomi Redmi 4X smartphone can get into a so-called “bootloop” when the phone endlessly shows the logo and reboots again, this can be due to damage to system files or incompatibility of the installed version of MIUI.

In this situation, re-resetting through Recovery usually does not help. You need to perform a flashing of the device using a computer and the Mi Flash Tool utility. You will need to download the official firmware for your model (it is important not to confuse the global version with the Chinese one) and transfer the phone to Fastboot mode.

To enter Fastboot mode on the phone turned off, press the volume button and connect USB-The screen will show a picture of a hare repairing an android, which is a signal that the device is ready for forced firmware.

⚠️ Warning: Fastboot flashing with the "Clean All" option will completely delete all data and unlock the bootloader only if it has already been unlocked. If the bootloader is blocked, official tools may refuse to provide firmware.

Setting up the smartphone after returning to factory parameters

Once you successfully complete the reset and download the first one, you'll see a welcome screen, language selection and Wi-Fi connectivity are the first steps. If the phone requests a Google or Mi Account that was deleted in advance, just enter current data or create new ones.

If you've used Mi Cloud or Google Drive, contacts, notes and app lists can come back automatically, but heavy files like photos and videos are better downloaded manually so you don't overload your communication channel and memory.

It is recommended to check for system updates immediately. Go to Settings → About Phone → System Update. Installing the current security patch will close vulnerabilities that may have been present in the old firmware version and improve the stability of the Redmi 4X.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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The main purpose of the reset is not only to clean the site, but also to eliminate software conflicts, and if the problem persists after the reset, there is likely to be a hardware malfunction.