How to Reset Xiaomi Redmi 5 to Factory Settings: The Complete Guide

Resetting the Xiaomi Redmi 5 to factory settings can be necessary in a variety of situations, from a banal sale of the device to critical failures. This procedure removes all user data, applications and returns the smartphone to the “out of the box” state. However, not everyone knows that there are three official ways to perform a reset – and each is suitable for specific scenarios.

In this article, we will discuss all methods in detail: through the settings menu, Recovery mode and Fastboot. We will pay special attention to the nuances that even experienced users often miss - for example, how to bypass the lock. MI-You will learn what data you can save before the procedure, and what data you can not restore before the procedure.

We warn you beforehand: resetting is not a panacea for all problems. If your Redmi 5 is slowing down due to a worn-out battery or a damaged motherboard, a software reboot will not help. But in 80% of cases (according to statistics from Xiaomi service centers), it is the reset that solves problems with freezes, application errors and “departures” of the system.

So let's get going. Choose the right way, depending on your situation, and follow the instructions Step-by-step.

1.Resetting preparation: what to do in advance

Before you reset Redmi 5, make sure to follow a few preparatory steps, which will save you from losing important data and unexpected problems like locking your device.

First and foremost, back up, even if you're planning a reset because of a phone sale, save your contacts, photos and documents to an external drive or to the cloud, and note that when you reset, you'll be deleted:

• 📱 All installed applications and their data (including saves in games)
• 📸 Photos, videos and music (if stored in phone memory)
• 📞 Contacts, SMS Call log (unless synced with Google or Mi Cloud)
• 🔑 Passwords from Wi-Fi and accounts (you will have to re-enter them)

Use the built-in MIUI tools to back up:

1. Go to Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Local Backup.
2. Select the data to save (we recommend to note all points).
3. Click Create a backup and wait until it is completed.

The copy file will be saved in the MIUI/backup/AllBackup folder on internal memory. Copy it to a computer or flash drive.

Two, check the binding. MI-If you forget the username/password from your Xiaomi account, the phone may be locked after reset (Find Device:

• 🔓 Make sure you remember the details to log in to your Mi Account.
• 📱 Untie your account in Settings → Xiaomi account → Get out (if you sell your phone).

⚠️ Note: If you bought Redmi 5 handheld and the previous owner did not untie his Mi Account, after resetting the phone will require the input of his data.In this case, contact the seller or contact Xiaomi support with proof of purchase.

Third, charge the battery. Make sure it's at least 50 percent, which is critical if it takes longer to reset because of slow memory or a lot of data.

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

This is a good way to do this if the phone turns on, you remember the unlock password, and the system works smoothly, and the main advantage is that it's simple and there's no risk of damaging the data.

Step instructions:

1. Open Settings (the gear icon on the main screen).
2. Go to the About Phone section (the lowest menu item).
3. Select Backup and Reset.
4. Slip on Settings Reset.
5. The system will tell you what to reset: 📱 Reset the settings (required) 🔄 Clean your internal memory (if you sell your phone)

Confirm the action by entering the password / pattern lock.

Drop it.

After the reboot, you will see the screen of the initial setting, as when you first turned on. If the phone requires Mi Account data, use your credentials (or those that were tied before the reset).

⚠️ Note: If Redmi 5 asks for a password that you didn’t set after reset, it means that the previous owner hasn’t untied his account, in which case only official unlocking through Xiaomi support will help (you will need a check or a sales contract).

Advantages of the method:

• ✅ Does not require computer or special knowledge.
• ✅ Minimum risk of error.
• ✅ Retains the possibility of rollback (if the reset is interrupted early).

Disadvantages:

• ❌ It will not help if the unlock password is forgotten.
• ❌ Does not work in critical system failures.

3. Method 2: Reset via Recovery (if the phone is not turned on)

If Redmi 5 is stuck on the logo, does not respond to touches or forgotten password, reset via Recovery mode will help. This is a built-in recovery menu that works even when the firmware is damaged.

How to log in to Recovery:

1. Turn off the phone (press the power button for 10 seconds if it freezes).
2. Press the Power button + Volume Up button at the same time.
3. Hold them for 10-15 seconds until the Mi logo and menu appear.

In the Recovery menu, the volume buttons (move) and the power button (select) are controlled.

1. Select Wipe Data (Data Deletion)
2. Confirm the selection by Wipe All Data.
3. Wait until the process is complete (the screen will display the inscription Data wipe complete).
4. Go back to the main menu and select Reboot → Reboot to System.

The phone will reboot and start setting up from scratch. If after reset there is a No command error or the Recovery menu does not open, this means that the firmware is damaged - you will need to flash through Fastboot (see the next section).

⚠️ Note: In some versions MIUI The Wipe Data item may be called Factory Reset. If there is no English in the Recovery menu, try selecting a item with characters that contain "" characters (this is the Chinese equivalent of "reset to factory").

Frequent errors when resetting via Recovery:

Method 3: Reset via Fastboot (for power users)

The Fastboot method is the most radical and requires a computer, and it's used if:

• 🔧 Phone is not included in Recovery.
• 📱 Firmware damaged (cyclic reboot, loading errors).
• 🔒 You need to bypass the Mi Account lock (only for unlocked bootloader).

Important: This method requires an unlocked bootloader. If you have not unlocked it before, it will not be possible to do this after reset without official permission from Xiaomi (the process takes up to 30 days).

Instructions:

1. Download and install ADB and Fastboot Tools on PC.
2. Download the official firmware for Redmi 5 (e.g., from Xiaomi Firmware Updater) and unpack the archive in a folder from fastboot.
3. Turn off your phone and press the Power button + Volume Down to enter the Fastboot (the image of a hare in a hat-eared will appear).
4. Connect your phone to your PC via USB.
5. Open the command line in the folder with fastboot and execute commands in order: fastboot devices (should display your phone serial number) fastboot flash all (this will delete all data and reflash the phone)
6. Wait until it's finished (it takes 5-15 minutes). The phone will reboot automatically.

Once reset via Fastboot, the phone will be completely clean, including removing all memory partitions.This method also resets the firmware region to a standard one (for example, from Chinese to global), which can lead to the loss of support for some 4G frequencies.

⚠️ Note: If you use unofficial firmware (like LineageOS), after resetting via Fastboot, the phone may stop booting. TWRP.

Advantages of the method:

• ✅ It works even with a completely "killed" firmware.
• ✅ Allows you to change the region or version MIUI.

Disadvantages:

• ❌ Requires PC and technical knowledge.
• ❌ Risk of "bricking" with errors in commands.
• ❌ An unlocked bootloader is required.

💡

If the fastboot flash all command is followed by a FAILED error (remote:'Flashing is not allowed'), then you have the bootloader blocked. Unlock it through the official Xiaomi website (en.miui.com/unlock).

5.How to bypass the Mi Account lock after a reset

One of the most common problems after a Redmi 5 dump is a Mi Account request, which was previously tied to a phone, which is anti-theft protection, but it often interferes with legitimate owners, and we'll figure out how to deal with this situation.

If you have forgotten your account details:

• 🔑 Try to restore your password through account.xiaomi.com (you need access to an email or phone associated with your account).
• 📧 Check emails from Xiaomi – there may be information about the tied device.

If the phone is purchased from hand and the previous owner has not untied the account:

1. Contact the seller and ask them to untie the device via Settings → Mi Account → Find Device.
2. If you cannot contact us, collect proof of purchase (check, contract, correspondence) and contact Xiaomi via the form mi.com/support.
3. In extreme cases, you can try to bypass the lock via Fastboot, but this requires an unlocked bootloader and does not guarantee success on new versions of MIUI.

Ways to get around that don’t work (don’t waste time!):

• ❌ Flip-through TWRP without removing persist and frp partitions.
• ❌ Using "magic" commands ADB (For example, adb shell am start -n com.xiaomi.cloud – they are blocked by Xiaomi servers).
• ❌ Reset via the engineering menu (#3646633##) – it does not delete the account’s binding.

The only legal way to unlock is to formally request proof of ownership support, and all other methods either fail or violate Xiaomi’s user agreement.

💡

If you buy a Redmi 5 handheld, be sure to check if the Mi Account is untied before payment. ask the seller to do a reset with you and check that the phone does not require input of other people's data after the reboot.

6. Frequent errors and their solutions

Even if you do the right thing, resetting can go wrong, and we've collected some of the most common mistakes and ways to fix them.

Mistake: Can't mount /data or E:format_volume failed

• 🔧 Reason: The partition file system is damaged /data.
• 🛠 Solution: In the Recovery menu, select Wipe Data → Format Data (this will delete everything, including internal memory) If it doesn't work, run your phone through Fastboot.

Mistake: Phone hangs on MI logo after reset

• 🔧 Cause: Damaged loader or incompatible firmware.
• 🛠 Solution: Try to go to Recovery and repeat the reset. If it doesn't work, run your phone through Fastboot with the official firmware.

Error: After reset, there is no net (no catch) SIM-map)

• 🔧 Reason: The settings are down IMEI Or a firmware for another region.
• 🛠 Solution: Check it out IMEI If it is not available, restore it through Engineer Mode (requires root).

Error: Not enough space to reset

• 🔧 Cause: Internal memory is filled or partition is damaged /cache.
• 🛠 Solution: From the Recovery menu, select Wipe Cache Partition, then reset again.