How to Reset Your Password on Xiaomi Phone If You Forgot

The situation when the owner of Xiaomi can not get into the menu of the smartphone because of the forgotten PIN-It's a common occurrence of code or a pattern lock, and human memory is not perfect, and complex combinations of symbols to protect data sometimes become a barrier to the device owner. If you are faced with this problem, you should not panic, as there are several proven methods of restoring access.

Before we take action, we need to understand that most password resets on modern versions of MIUI and HyperOS involve the complete deletion of user data, a security measure implemented by manufacturers to protect sensitive information in the event of a gadget being stolen, so if you do not have an up-to-date backup, photos and contacts can be lost irretrievably.

In this article, we will take a look at all the available algorithms, from using the Mi Cloud service to hardware reset via the Recovery menu. We will also look at the nuances of working with a Mi Account and explain why you can not do without it in some cases.

Using Mi Cloud to Remotely Unlock

The most civilized and easy way to get back to the device is to use a cloud service from the manufacturer. If your smartphone has logged in to your Mi Account and enabled the Find Device feature, you can remove the screen lock remotely through any other gadget with Internet access. This method does not require connecting the phone to your computer.

First, you need to go to the official website of the cloud service from a computer or other smartphone, enter your credentials that were used on the locked device. After successful authorization, the system will suggest selecting a device from the list of associated gadgets. If the smartphone is displayed online, then the connection with the server is established correctly.

In the device management menu, find the Unlock or Clear Device function. Pressing this button initiates a command to reset the screen lock password. It is important to understand that in some versions of the firmware, this action will also lead to complete deletion of data, but it is guaranteed to remove the login lock.

• 📱 Make sure that the Internet is turned on on on the blocked phone (Wi-Fi or mobile data).
• 🔐 You should remember the username and password from your Mi Account.
• 🌐 The “Find Device” function must be activated in the security settings.

It's worth noting that the effectiveness of this method depends on the security settings that were set earlier, and if the smartphone was bought with your hands and the previous owner did not untie it from your account, you will face a block of activation, in which case you will need to prove ownership of the device in the service center.

Resets via Recovery (Hard Reset) menu

If cloud-based methods are not available, the most effective solution is forced factory reset via Recovery Mode, which works even if the touch screen is partially unresponsive or the system is frozen. Hard Reset completely cleans the internal drive, returning the software to its original state.

To enter recovery mode, you need to turn off your smartphone completely. Then you need to press the combination of the buttons: usually this is a volume button and a power button. Hold them simultaneously until the Mi or Redmi logo appears, then release the power button, continuing to keep the volume. A menu with several items in English or Chinese will appear on the screen.

Navigation in this menu is done by volume buttons (up and down), and the choice of item is made by the power button. You need to find the Wipe Data line or Clear Data. In some versions of the menu may be in Chinese, then look for the characters corresponding to cleaning (usually the second item on top).

⚠️ Warning: After performing the Hard Reset procedure, the phone will require you to enter a password from a Google account or Mi Account that was synced to the device before the reset (FRP), which cannot be bypassed by simple reflashing without special tools.

The cleaning process can take anywhere from a few seconds to a couple of minutes, depending on the amount of memory you have filled. Don't interrupt the power at that point. Once completed, a successful reset message will appear on the screen, and the phone will prompt you to select a language and start setting up the system as a new device.

Unlocking through Find Device and Google

An alternative for older versions of Android or specific configurations might be to use Google services. While this method is less common on today’s Xiaomi with activated Mi Cloud protection, it is useful to know about it. Google’s Find My Device service allows you to control a locked gadget if it has geolocation and Internet enabled.

Go to the Google Device Management page from any browser. Select your smartphone from the list. If the device is available, you will see the "Clean the Device" option. This command is similar to Hard Reset and will delete all data along with the screen lock password. However, unlike the Mi Cloud, there is no feature to simply "unlock" without losing data on new versions of the OS.

There is also a method using the ADB command line, but it requires that the phone pre-debug USB. If you did not activate this feature in the Developer Menu before blocking, this method is not suitable for you. For those who have debugging enabled, the command adb shell rm /data/system/gesture.key (or password.key) allows you to delete the file with the lock key.

Features of unlocking different models Xiaomi and Redmi

Xiaomi’s smartphone lineup is extensive and includes the Redmi and POCO brands. While the software shell is uniform, there may be nuances in button combinations or security behavior. For example, some models with side-finger fingerprint scanners have the on button and scanner combined, sometimes requiring more precise tapping to log into Recovery.

The flagship Mi series models (now Xiaomi) often have stricter security policies. On devices with the latest generation of Snapdragon processors, the bootloader can be locked, making it impossible to use custom password resets without unlocking the bootloader through the official Mi Unlock website. This takes 7 to 168 hours of latency.

Redmi and POCO can respond to password resets through Safe Mode, although newer versions of MIUI have closed the loophole, but trying to get into Safe Mode (clamping the volume down button when booting) can help if a third-party app rather than the system pin is causing the lock.

• 📱 On models without a physical home button, only volume and power buttons are used.
• ⏱️ Waiting for the bootloader to unlock can last up to 7 days.
• 🔒 New versions of HyperOS have increased protection, making resetting without an account almost impossible.

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If the standard button combination doesn’t work, try connecting your phone to your computer via a computer. USB-And then you can just press the buttons, and on some models, this changes the priority of the download and allows you to get into the menu.

Mi Account problems after reset (FRP Lock)

Once you successfully execute Hard Reset, you may encounter an activation screen that requires you to enter a password from a Google account or a Mi Account, which is FRP (Factory Reset Protection) protection, designed to prevent an attacker who stole a phone and dropped it from using it. For the owner, this means that without knowledge of credentials, the phone becomes a brick.

If you remember your login and you forgot your password, use the Google or Mi restore procedure. You'll need access to the email or phone number associated with your account. The recovery process may take time, but it's the only legal way to bring your device back to life.

⚠️ Attention: Attempts to circumvent FRP Untested software from the Internet often causes viruses to be installed or the phone's software to be completely broken. Official service centers can only remove the lock if they have a check and a box.

If the device was bought by a used user and the previous owner didn't untie the account, you'd have to look for the seller's contacts, and without his help, you wouldn't be able to legally unlock the phone, which underscores the importance of checking the cleanliness of accounts when buying equipment from hand.

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Availability of a purchase check or box with IM-code - your main trump card for official unlocking in the service center, if you do not remember the account data.

Prevention: How to avoid problems in the future

To avoid getting caught by a forgotten password, a number of steps are recommended in advance. Regular backups to the cloud will allow you to restore contacts, photos and settings even after a complete reset. MIUI offers flexible auto-save settings that are worth taking advantage of.

Write down yours. PIN-A code or pattern lock in a safe place, such as a paper notebook or a password manager on a computer. Biometrics (fingerprint, face) are convenient, but the digital code must be remembered or recorded, because after a reboot, the phone always requires it.

It is also useful to configure alternative unlocking methods if the OS version provides such an option, such as using a smartwatch to automatically unlock or trusted places, but you should not rely on them alone - the main password should be known to you.