What is a Safe Mode on Xiaomi and Why You Need It
Safe Mode is a MIUI diagnostic mode in which a smartphone boots with a minimum set of system applications and drivers. All third-party programs, including launchers, widgets and services, are temporarily disabled, an approach that helps identify causes of failures when the phone is stuck on startup the logo, overheats for no reason or reboots itself.
On Xiaomi smartphones (including the Redmi, POCO, Black Shark series), safe mode works differently than on “pure” Android. For example, it retains access to basic MIUI functions – calls, SMS and settings, but blocks application autoloads and background processes. This is a key difference from Samsung or Google Pixel, where even the system launcher is disabled in Safe Mode.
When should you use this regimen?
- 🔍 Phone brakes after installing a new app
- 🔄 Screen flickering or artifacts appear
- 📱 The device does not respond to touch (touch screen glitch)
- 🔋 The battery is discharged for 2-3 hourly
- 🚨 There are pop-ups with ads outside the browser
Important: Safe Mode disables all root rights (if they have been obtained), and temporarily blocks Google Play Services from running in the background, which can affect account synchronization and notifications.
Method 1: Enable via the power button (for a working phone)
This is the easiest method that works on all Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI 12 and newer, including the Redmi Note 11, POCO X5 Pro and Xiaomi 13.
Instructions:
- Press and hold the power button (on/off) until the menu appears.
- In the window that appears, tap and hold the item “Switch off (or turn off power).”
- After 2-3 seconds, the offer to Go to Safe Mode will appear - confirm the choice.
- Wait for the reboot (can take up to 1-2 minutes).
How do you know if the mode is activated? In the lower left corner of the screen, a watermark will appear Safe Mode, and all widgets from the desktop will disappear, and the wallpaper will change to standard black.
Close all applications
Connect the charger (if charge < 20%)
Take a screenshot of the current settings (optional)
Remember your Wi-Fi password (re-entering may be required)
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⚠️ Note: If after switching to safe mode, the phone is stuck on the screensaver MIUI longer than 5 minutes, this indicates that the system files are damaged, in which case you will need to flash through the Fastboot.
Method 2: Activate through hardware buttons (if the phone is not turned on)
This method is useful if the smartphone is stuck on the logo, cyclically reboots or does not respond to the touch of the screen. Suitable for all Xiaomi models, including the old (Redmi 4X, Mi A1) and new (Xiaomi 14, POCO F5).
Step-by-step:
- Turn off the phone (if it is on, hold the power button for 10+ seconds).
- Press and hold the power button + volume down button at the same time.
- Keep them clamped until the MIUI logo appears (usually 5-10 seconds).
- Once the logo appears, release the power button, but continue holding the volume button.
- Hold the volume button until the boot is complete in Safe Mode (can take up to 30-40 seconds).
If the screen is black or the Fastboot menu appears, you have held the buttons too long. Repeat the process by reducing the retention time to 7-8 seconds.
| Xiaomi model | Button combination | Retention time |
|---|---|---|
| Redmi Note 10/11/12 | Food + Volume Down | 5-8 seconds |
| POCO X3/X4/X5 | Food + Volume Down | 7-10 seconds |
| Xiaomi 12/13/14 | Food + Volume up | 5 seconds |
| Black Shark 4/5 | Power + Volume down + Shark button | 10 seconds. |
What to do if the buttons don’t work?
Method 3: Through ADB (for advanced users)
The method is suitable if you have access to ADB (Android Debug Bridge) and USB debugging is enabled. This is the most reliable way, as it does not depend on the state of the screen or buttons.
What you need:
- 🖥️ Computer with Windows/Linux/macOS
- 📱 USB-cable (preferably original)
- 🛠️ Installed drivers Xiaomi and ADB tools
- 🔧 Included debugging by USB phone-on
Instructions:
- Connect your phone to your PC and open the command line (Win + R → cmd).
- Check the connection command: Adb devices should appear serial number of your device.
- Enter the command to reboot to Safe Mode: Adb shell cmd phone safe-mode or for older versions MIUI: adb shell am broadcast -a android.intent.action.BOOT_COMPLETED --ez safe_mode 1
- Wait for the automatic reboot.
⚠️ Note: If the phone does not appear after the adb device command, check: Is the cable connected to the port USB 2.0 (not 3.0) Whether Mi drivers are installed USB Driver Is Debugging Included in Settings → Additionally. → For developers
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If ADB doesn't recognize the device, try reinstalling the drivers via the Mi Flash Tool or using an alternative cable. Often the problem lies in unoriginal accessories.
How to get out of Safe Mode on Xiaomi
In most cases, the Safe Mode exit is automatically after a normal reboot, but sometimes the mode sticks and the phone continues to boot in diagnostic mode.
Method 1: Standard Resetting
- Press and hold the power button.
- Select Reboot (or Restart).
- Wait for the full load (can take up to 3 minutes).
Method 2: Forced shutdown (if the phone doesn't respond)
- Press the power button for 15-20 seconds until the screen goes out.
- Wait 30 seconds and turn the phone on again.
Method 3: Through Notification (for MIUI 13/14)
- Swipe down the notification panel.
- Find the notification Safe Mode is enabled.
- Slap it on and choose to exit.
Method 4: Reset the launcher settings (if the "slip" mode)
- Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Find the MIUI Launcher (or POCO Launcher).
- Select Warehouse. → Clear the data.
- Reboot the phone.
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If Safe Mode turns on on on its own after each reboot, it indicates damage to the /data system partition.The solution is factory reset or flash.
Frequent mistakes and their solutions
Even if you do the instructions right, you can have problems, and let's look at the typical scenarios and how to fix them.
| Problem. | Possible cause | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| The phone vibrates, but does not turn on | Battery discharged or firmware damaged | Charge for 15-20 minutes, then try again. If it doesn't work, run through the Fastboot. |
| Fastboot Menu Appears Instead of Safe Mode | The buttons have been held for too long. | Select Reboot → Normal Boot or repeat the process with less retention time. |
| The safe mode is activated on its own. | Files in /data or application conflict damaged | Do a reset or delete the last app installed. |
| The sensor is not working in safe mode. | Touch screen driver conflict | Connect. OTG-Mouse or perform reset through ADB. |
If none of the methods worked, check:
- 🔌 Battery charge (must be at least 30%)
- 🔧 Integrity of plumes (if the phone fell)
- 📱 Version MIUI (In beta versions, the safe mode may not work smoothly)
How to check the integrity of the firmware?
What to do if the safe regime does not help
If problems persist after diagnosis in Safe Mode, this indicates:
- 🔋 Hardware malfunctions (damage to the motherboard, battery)
- 📉 System errors (partition damage) /system or /vendor)
- 🦠 Malware that has been embedded in system files
Further action:
- Reset to factory settings: Go to Settings → About Phone → Reset. Select Delete All Data. Confirm Action (requires a password from your Mi Account).
- Fastboot Flash: Download the official firmware for your model from MIUI Download. Use the Mi Flash Tool to install.
Diagnostics at the service center
- If the reset didn’t help, the problem could be in the eMMC memory or power controller.
⚠️ Note: When resetting your phone with a bootloader, you will need to log in to Mi Account. If you forget your password, unlocking can take up to 72 hours!
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Before resetting, be sure to remove SIM-card and memory card: in rare cases, the process can damage data on external media.