How to Reset Xiaomi Phone Through the On and Volume buttons: Instructions for All Models

Forgot the pattern lock on Xiaomi? The phone is stuck on the logo and does not respond to touch? Or just want to return the smartphone to factory settings without access to the menu? In such cases, hard resetting through hardware buttons is the only solution. This method works on all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices, regardless of the version of MIUI or the state of the firmware.

Unlike software resets through settings, the hardware method doesn't require unlocking the screen or connecting to a computer. Just press the button combination right -- and in 5-10 minutes, your Xiaomi will be like new. But there's a nuance: wrong actions can lead to a device blinking (total inoperability) or loss of important data. In this article, proven instructions for all scenarios, including cases when the phone doesn't turn on at all.

When you need hardware reset via buttons

Hard reset is an extreme measure, which is resorted to in 5 main situations:

• 🔒 Forgot your password/pattern lock – your phone is locked and your Mi Account is not tied or you don’t remember the login details.
• 🔄 Logo getting stuck – the device is turned on but does not load beyond the screen labeled Redmi or MI (bottle-nosed).
• 🐢 Strong lags and brakes – the system is so slow that it is impossible to even open the settings for resetting.
• 📱 Black screen after update – firmware has gone off and the phone does not respond to charging or connecting to the PC.
• 🚫 Viral infection – if the smartphone is blocked by ransomware, and antivirus cannot be installed.

Important: Hardware reset removes all data from internal memory, including photos, contacts and installed applications. If the phone has any response to the connection to the computer, first try to save data through ADB or Fastboot mode.

⚠️ Note: On devices with an unlocked bootloader, you may need to re-unblock after reset. If you have not done this before, you should contact the service center - self-manipulation will lead to the blocking of your Mi Account.

Preparation for resetting: what to do in advance

Before you start resetting, follow these steps to avoid additional problems:

1. Check the battery power – the level should not be lower 30%. If the phone is discharged, connect it to the charger on 15-20 Resetting at low charge can be interrupted and turn the device into a brick".
2. Extract. SIM-This will protect them from random formatting. SD-The card is usually not affected, but there is a risk.
3. Prepare your Mi Account details — after resetting on some models, you will need to enter the username and password from the Mi Account that was tied to the phone, without which the device will remain locked.

If you drop your phone before selling, remember to log out of your Mi Account before the procedure begins. Otherwise, the new owner will not be able to activate the device. → Mi Account → Get out (if the phone is still working).

Step-by-step: how to reset Xiaomi through the buttons

The algorithm is the same for most Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO models, but there are small differences for old and new devices. Below is a universal method that works on 90% of the brand's smartphones.

Step 1: Entering Recovery Mode

To start the reset, you need to go to the Recovery Mode menu.

1. Turn off the phone. If it's getting stuck and it's not responding to the power button, press the power button on the phone. 10-15 seconds until the screen goes out.
2. Hold the combination: 🔘 Power button + 🔊 Volume up button (for most models after the 2018 year-end). 🔘 Power button + 🔊 Volume up button + 🔊 Volume down button (for older models, such as Redmi Note) 3/4).

Mi

Recovery

If nothing happens after 20 seconds of holding, release the buttons and try another combination. On some devices (such as the POCO F1), you may need to first press the volume button and then the power button.

Step 2: Navigate the Recovery Menu

In the Recovery menu, the touch screen does not work – the control is carried out by the volume and power buttons:

• 🔊 Volume buttons – moving to menu items (up/down).
• 🔘 Power button - selecting the item (analogue of pressing).

The menu can be in Chinese or English, and if you see the characters, look for the pictograms.

• 📱 The first item (usually with a phone icon) is Reboot (Reboot).
• 🗑️ The fourth or fifth item is Wipe Data or Clear Data).

On new devices (e.g. Xiaomi) 12/13, Redmi Note 11/12) The menu can look like something MIUI Recovery 4.0 And this is the way it's going to go: Wipe Data. → Wipe All Data.

Step 3: Starting the discharge

When you find a Wipe Data (or similar), select it with the power button. The system will request confirmation - again select Confirm or Yes.

The reset process will take from 30 seconds to 5 minutes, and the screen will display progress (download bands or percentages). Do not interrupt the procedure, this can damage the system files. When completed, you will see the words Data wipe complete or similar.

Once reset, the reboot will automatically start. If this does not happen, manually select Reboot or Reboot to System.

Features of reset on different models Xiaomi

While the general principle is the same, some devices have unique nuances, and the table below shows the differences for popular lines:

Devices with a locked bootloader (e.g. official firmware for Europe) may be prompted to enter Mi Account data after a reset, even if the account was not previously linked, due to Xiaomi's anti-theft policy. If you do not remember the username/password, you can restore access through account.xiaomi.com.

⚠️ Attention: On models POCO M3 redmi 9A/9C After reset, you may need to re-activate over the Internet. If Wi-Fi is not connected, use the mobile network (insert). SIM-post-reset).

What to do if the reset does not help

In 10 percent of cases, hardware resets don't solve the problem, and here are the possible causes and solutions:

• 🔋 The phone doesn't turn on after the reset, it may be damaged firmware. Try reflashing the device via Fastboot using Mi Flash Tool. new.c.mi.com/global/miuidownload/index.
• 🔒 Requires a password after reset, which means that the device has activated the protection of Mi Account. Enter the information of the associated account. If you do not remember the password, restore it through email or phone number.
• 🔄 Reset is interrupted by 50% - a memory problem of the device. Try repeating the procedure or running the phone through EDL-Mode (requires an authorized Xiaomi account).
• 📵 It doesn't respond to the buttons -- maybe the power or volume button is faulty. Connect the phone to charge for 30 minutes, then try again. If it doesn't work, you need repairs.

If none of the methods worked and the phone still doesn’t turn on or requires a non-existent password, contact Xiaomi Service Center. In some cases (for example, if the EFS partition is damaged), recovery is possible only with the help of special equipment.

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If after resetting the phone became slower to work, perform additional optimization: turn off animation in the developer settings (Settings → About Phone → MIUI version – tap 7 times, then return to Additional → For developers → Animation scale and set the value 0.5x).

How to avoid problems after resetting

After a successful reset, your Xiaomi will be like new, but to avoid repeated crashes, follow these guidelines:

1. Don't update your firmware right away -- let your phone run for 1-2 days on a clean system. Sometimes updates contain bugs that cause aagain to freeze.
2. Turn off automatic sync – once you log in to Mi Account, the phone can start to restore the old settings that caused the crash. Go to Settings → Accounts → Mi Account → Sync and disable unnecessary options.
3. Install only the necessary applications – each new software increases the load on the system. Use Settings → Applications → Application Management to track resource consumption.
4. Set up backup – enable automatic photo saving in Google Photos or Mi Cloud so that you do not lose data when you next reset.

If you dropped your phone before selling, remember:

• 📱 Log out of all accounts (Mi Account, Google, social networks).
• 🔄 Perform reset again through settings (Settings) → The phone. → Resetting settings) to delete the remaining data.
• 📋 Check it out. IMEI (type *#06# - it must match what is indicated on the box.

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If you sell a phone, be sure to untie it from your Mi Account via account.xiaomi.com under Device Management, otherwise the new owner will not be able to use the smartphone.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi resetting through buttons