How to Reset Your Password to Xiaomi If You Forgot: The Complete Guide

When you pick up your Xiaomi or Redmi and the lock screen doesn't let you go, it happens quite often, and it can happen after a long break in use, because of a system failure or trivial forgetfulness. Unfortunately, modern Android security standards are designed so that you can't just bypass the code without losing data.

In most cases, the only working solution is a full Hard Reset, which will bring the device back to factory status by removing all photos, contacts, and apps, but will allow you to access the system again. Below we will discuss in detail all the current methods that will help solve the problem.

Before you start to take action, you need to understand what kind of lock is installed. This could be a pattern lock, a digital key. PIN-A code, a complex password, or biometrics that have stopped working, and that's what your strategy for restoring access to your smartphone depends on.

Using a Mi Account to Unblock

The most civilized and safest way the manufacturer provides is to use a Mi Account, and if you have previously logged in and enabled Find Device, you have the chance to unlock the screen without losing data, although in the latest versions of MIUI and HyperOS, this option does not always work.

First, you need to enter the wrong password or pattern lock five times in a row, and then the lock screen should appear on the button "Forgot the password" or "Forgot the pattern lock", and click on it, the system will ask you to enter the username and password from your Mi Account.

⚠️ Note: If the button doesn't appear after five attempts, the remote unlock function wasn't activated in advance, and this method won't work.

Successful authorization will remove the lock, but it should be noted that to work this method, the phone must be connected to the Internet via Wi-Fi or a mobile network, if the device is in air mode or without a SIM card, the server will not be able to verify your data.

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If you have a two-sim phone, try removing one. SIM-card and leave only the one to which the account is registered, sometimes this helps to establish a connection with the authorization server.

Reset via Recovery (Hard Reset)

The most versatile method, which works on 99% of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices, is to enter recovery mode, which requires physical interaction with the housing buttons and leads to the complete deletion of user data.

First, turn off your smartphone completely. Then press the Volume Up and Power button at the same time. Hold them until the Mi logo appears, and then you can release the power button while you keep holding the volume key.

You will be taken to the main Recovery Mode menu, which is controlled by volume buttons (up/down), and the choice of item is confirmed by the power button. You need to select a language (usually English), then go to the Wipe Data menu and select Wipe All Data.

Once confirmed, the cleanup process will begin, and when it is completed, the system will offer a reboot, and the first launch after the reset can take up to 10 minutes, as Android optimizes applications.

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Hard Reset is the only guaranteed way to get back access to your phone if you don’t remember any passwords, but it requires a backup of your data.

Remotely Unlocking with Google Find My Device

An alternative that can work if the phone has a Google account activated and geolocation enabled. Google’s Find Device service allows you to control screen lock remotely through any browser.

Go from your computer or other phone to android.com/find. Log in to the same Google account that was used on the locked device. If the system sees your gadget online, you will see three options: Call, Lock and Clear.

The Erase Device option will perform a Hard Reset analog, but remotely. It will erase all data and reset the screen password. However, unlike Recovery, this method requires a stable Internet connection on the locked phone itself.

Bypassing protection through ADB (for advanced)

For users who have previously included USB Debugging in the developer menu, there is a technical way to reset a password through a computer, which does not delete data, but requires drivers and basic command line knowledge.

Connect your phone to your PC through USB-Open the command line on your computer in the folder with the installed ADB. Enter the adb shell command. If the connection is successful, enter a command to delete the file that stores the access keys: rm /data/system/gesture.key (for a pattern lock) or rm /data/system/password.key (password-wise).

adb shell


rm /data/system/gesture.key




reboot

Once you have completed the command, you need to restart the device, you can enter any password or draw any shape, and the system will let you through. However, on modern versions of Android 11/12/13/14, this method is often blocked by security.

⚠️ Attention: If debugging is on USB It was not enabled before locking, it won't work. Don't try to install third-party unlock programs from unverified sources - this is a risk of viruses.

What to do after reset: activation and accounts

After successfully resetting your settings, the phone will meet you with the initial settings screen, which will trigger FRP (Factory Reset Protection) protection, and require you to enter a password from a Google account that was synced to the device before the reset.

This is done to protect against theft: if the phone is stolen and resets, the owner can block it remotely and the thief can’t use it, so it’s critical to remember your Google account details.

If you recently changed your password, wait 24 hours before trying to log in on a reset device — a standard Google security requirement — and once you have successfully logged in, the phone will prompt you to recover data from the cloud.

Preventing blocking in the future

To prevent the situation “forgetting the password” from recurring or becoming fatal, you should set up several security settings in advance. First, always enable synchronization of contacts and photos with Google Photos and Mi Cloud.

Second, use biometrics (fingerprint or Face ID) as your primary way of unlocking, and keep your password in your mind as a backup, and it’s also helpful to write complex passwords to a secure location, such as a paper notebook or password manager on another device.

Check regularly to see if Find Device is activated, your main safety rope in the digital security world, and simply checking your settings will take a minute, but it can save you hours of hassle in the future.