When Xiaomi’s smartphone stops responding to commands and refuses turn on, the screen remains black, the buttons do not make sounds, and the device turns into a useless piece of plastic and glass. However, in many cases, the system is not completely destroyed, but only went into a deep software failure, requiring a forced reboot or a complete reset.
Before you carry the gadget to the service center, you should try to revive it yourself using built-in recovery mechanisms. Hard Reset through a special Recovery menu is often the only salvation that allows you to delete damaged system files and bring the phone back to life. It is important to understand that this process will completely destroy your data, but return the device to work.
In this guide, we will take a look at all the available forced reset methods for Redmi and POCO models that have stopped turning on in the usual way, learn how to enter recovery mode, which buttons to combine and what to do if standard methods do not help regain control of the gadget.
Diagnostics: Why the phone is not responding
The first step is always to make an accurate diagnosis. If Xiaomi's screen doesn't light up, it doesn't always mean the motherboard dies. Often the problem lies in a dead SystemUI process or a critical error in the operating system kernel, in which cases the device may be in a "pseudo-off" state, consuming power but not displaying the image.
If you're connected to a computer or charger with an orange or white LED light, the battery is alive and the problem is software-based, and you might have had a logical failure after a failed update, memory overflow, or application conflict.
If the phone is heated in the processor area but the screen is black, there may be overheating or short circuiting, in which case the reset attempt can be dangerous, but if the device just "hangs" on the Mi or Redmi logo and goes out, the use of recovery modes is your main tool.
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If the phone gets hot, don't try to put it on a quick charge right away.Let it cool to room temperature to avoid damaging the power controller.
Check the integrity of the buttons, too. Mechanical sticking of the on or volume button can mimic a system malfunction. Press them with varying strengths and durations to make sure they have a clear tactile response.
Forced Reset Method: The First Step
Before we go to radical measures like Wipe Data, we have to try to do a normal reboot through hardware buttons, which is data-safe and helps in 30 percent of freezes, and it forcibly cuts off the CPU power and starts the bootloader again.
To do this, you'll need to press the power button and hold it for a long time. Unlike a normal unlock, it's a timeout of 10 to 20 seconds. If the phone vibrates and the logo appears, release the button, and the system tries to boot.
- 🔋 Connect the device to the original charger and cable.
- 👆 Press the Power button and hold for at least 15 seconds.
- 🔄 If there is no reaction, try to press the "Loudness up" and "Enable" buttons at the same time".
- ⏱️ Don’t let go of the buttons until you feel a vibration or see the logo.
If the screen catches fire, but the boot stops on the logo again, move to the next section. If the reaction is zero, check the cable and the power supply - perhaps the battery is completely discharged to zero, and the phone needs to lie on charging for 20-30 minutes before trying to turn on.
☑️ Diagnosis before reset
Enter Recovery Mode on Xiaomi
Recovery mode is a separate minimalist interface, stitched into the phone's memory regardless of the main Android or MIUI operating system. This is where the recovery tools are stored. To get there on a phone that is turned off, you need to use a special key combination at the time of switching on.
The login procedure requires accuracy and timing. First, make sure the phone is off (or fully discharged and connected to charging, but not on). Then you press the volume button and press the power button without letting it go. When the Mi logo appears, the power button can be released, but Volume up must be held until the menu appears.
Recovery on Xiaomi can look different, and in the older versions it's a text menu with English commands, controlled by volume buttons, in the newer versions it's a touchscreen graphical interface, and if you have a text menu, you move with volume buttons, and you choose with a power button.
⚠️ Warning: In the Recovery menu, the touchscreen may not work in the text version. Don't poke around the screen randomly, use physical buttons to avoid picking the wrong item.
If you saw the Fastboot logo instead of Recovery, you pressed the volume button. This is another mode used to flash through your computer. We don't need it to reset the settings inside the phone yet, so just restart the device by holding the power button down for 10 seconds.
Hard Reset with Recovery
Once you're in the Recovery menu, you'll see a list of options. Our goal is to find Wipe Data or Clear Data. In the MIUI Recovery GUI, you'll select "Wipe Data," then confirm "Wipe All Data" and wait until the process is complete, and that will delete all user files, passwords and settings.
In the text menu, navigation is more complicated. With volume buttons, go down to the Wipe & Reset bar, press the power to select. Then select Wipe All Data and confirm the action. The system will alert you to data loss — this is standard security procedure.
Once the progress lane reaches 100% and the words "Data wiped successfully" appear, you must return to the main menu. Select Reboot and then Reboot to System. The first activation after reset can take from 5 to 10 minutes, as the system recreates the file structure.
What to do if the Recovery menu is in Chinese?
It's important to keep the reset going. If the battery goes down at that point, the phone can turn into a brick. Make sure it's at least 40-50% charge before you start the operation. If the charge is lower, you'd better leave the phone in Recovery mode (the screen goes out to save) on recharging for 30-40 minutes.
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Hard Reset via Recovery is the only way to reset a password or pattern lock if the phone doesn’t turn on to the desktop.
Using Fastboot Mode for Flashing
If Recovery doesn't work or the reset menu isn't available, Fastboot mode remains.It's a low-level protocol that allows you to interact with the phone's memory partitions directly through the phone. USB-You'll need a PC, a cable, a computer to work with. USB Mi Flash Tool or Xiaomi ADB/Fastboot Tools.
To log into Fastboot on Xiaomi turned off, press the volume button ("Loudness down") and, holding it, connect it. USB-The screen should show a picture of a hare in an ooschank repairing a robot, and if you see this picture, the phone is ready to communicate with the PC.
You can run a clearing command on Fastboot. In Windows Command Prompt (cmd), after you install ADB drivers, it looks like fastboot erase userdata or fastboot wipe userdata. However, it is safer for the average user to use the Mi Flash graphics utility in Clear All mode.
| Mode of work | Button combination | What is used for | Risk of data loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recovery | Power + Volume Up | Reset settings, update with ZIP | Complete (when choosing Wipe) |
| Fastboot | Power + Volume Down | Flashing, deep cleaning. | Complete (under the Clean All team) |
| Safe Mode | Special menu when loading | Diagnostics of conflicts | No (data retained) |
| EDL Mode | Disassembly or special cable | Rebuilding the bricks | Full (account required) |
Using Fastboot requires ADB drivers on your computer. If your PC doesn't see your phone in this mode, install the official Xiaomi USB Driver drivers. Without them, the reset command won't be transmitted to the device.
EDL mode: the last chance for the bricks
When the phone does not respond to either Recovery or Fastboot, and the screen remains black even when connected to a PC (although a Qualcomm HS-USB QDLoader 9008) port may appear in the Device Manager, the device is in EDL (Emergency Download Mode) mode.
Getting into the EDL on modern Xiaomi without opening the case is difficult. Often you need to disassemble the phone and close the special contacts (Test Point) on the motherboard when connecting the cable. This is a task for experienced users, since there is a risk of damage (iron).
Mi Flash Tool is also used for firmware in EDL mode, but with an important limitation: from 2019, Xiaomi requires an authorized Mi Account to be firmware in this mode. The average user will have to contact a service center or search for paid remote reset services through an authorized partner account.
⚠️ Attention: Entering mode EDL Often blocked by antivirus protection MIUI. If you are not a professional, it is better not to try to disassemble the phone yourself, so as not to lose the warranty.
However, if your phone is identified as QDLoader, there is a chance. Try to find the official firmware for your model (Fastboot ROM) and start the firmware process in Mi Flash. If Xiaomi server misses the request (which happens on older models), the phone will be restored.
Possible problems and solutions
There may be errors in the recovery process, such as the phone can bootloop indefinitely even after a reset, which often indicates a system partition or a physical memory failure, in which case the reset won't help, you need a complete firmware reflash.
Another common problem is the Mi Account Lock requirement, which is anti-theft protection, and if you don't remember the password from the account that was linked to the phone, you can officially unlock it only through Xiaomi's support chat with a check of purchase.
If the phone turns on after reset, but quickly discharges or warms up, there may be a problem with the power controller or the battery itself.
- 🔒 Forgot your account password? Restore via i.mi.com from another device.
- 📉 Does the phone turn off by 20%? Requires battery calibration or replacement.
- 📱 Does the touchscreen work after reset? Check if the left touchscreen is installed).
- 🌐 No network after firmware? IMEI, Maybe the section's gone. EFS (I need a backup).
Remember that the EDL mode with code 9008 on new Xiaomi models (after 2019) requires paid authorization for firmware, which makes self-recovery of bricks almost impossible without contacting specialists.