When a Xiaomi smartphone stops responding to touch or forgets its lock password, it often causes a user to be confused.If the screen goes out and the device does not turn on in the usual way, standard methods through the menu become unavailable.
This process allows you to clear the internal memory of the device of all user data, including forgotten graphics keys and system errors. It is important to understand that this method will completely destroy all photos, contacts and applications, so you should use it only in extreme cases, and we will discuss in detail how to safely perform this procedure even on a completely turned off gadget.
Before you start to act, you need to make sure that the hardware is in good condition. If the phone does not respond to the charger connection and vibration, the problem may lie in the battery or motherboard, in which case the software reset will not help, and you will need to intervene service center.
Preparation of the device for forced discharge
The first step before you try to enter the recovery mode is to properly prepare the gadget. Even if the phone seems to be off, there may be background processes in its system that prevent the launch of special modes. You need to force the device to restart by holding the power button 10-15 seconds before the logo appears, and then turn it off again.
Disconnect your smartphone from the charger and USB-Some Redmi and Poco models can automatically go into charging or Fastboot mode when the cable is connected while the buttons are pressed, which will knock you off the correct algorithm of actions.
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If the battery is completely discharged, put the phone on charge for 15-20 minutes, even if the screen doesn't light up.Attempting to reset on a low charge can lead to a cyclical reboot.
It's also worth checking the integrity of the physical buttons. Mechanical jamming of the volume or power key will make it impossible to accurately hit the right time window to enter the recovery menu. If the buttons are stuck, carefully clean them of dust and dirt with compressed air.
Combinations of buttons for login to Recovery Mode
The main method of entering recovery mode on a switched off Xiaomi phone is based on the simultaneous pressing of two physical keys. The algorithm of actions is the same for most models, but requires a certain skill and reaction speed. You need to press the Volume Up and Power button at the same time.
Hold both buttons until the Mi logo or Main Menu appears on the screen. Once the logo appears, the power button can be released, continuing to hold the volume up for a couple of seconds. If you release the button too early, the phone will simply start as normal.
- 🔘 Hold the volume up. + Power on the device switched off.
- 🔘 Hold the buttons until the Mi logo appears.
- 🔘 Release power, but keep the volume until the menu appears.
- 🔘 If there was a menu with the logo Fastboot (hare in headphones), you made the wrong button.
☑️ Checking before entering Recovery
In some cases, especially on older models or specific firmware, the combination may be different. Rarely, but you need to press the volume button instead of zooming in. However, for 95% of modern Xiaomi devices, it is the Volume Up bundle that works.
Navigation in the recovery menu (Recovery)
Once you log in, you'll see a menu screen that's controlled by physical buttons rather than touchscreens, which is often confusing to beginners because the sensor doesn't work in this mode. Navigation through menu items is done by volume buttons: Volume Up raises the cursor up and Volume Down lowers.
The power button is used to confirm the selection. The Recovery menu usually has several sections, such as Reboot, Wipe Data, Connect with MIAssistant. You need the Wipe Data section. Beware: random selection of other items can lead to unpredictable results.
| Item | Function | Danger. |
|---|---|---|
| Reboot | A normal reboot. | Safe. |
| Wipe Data | Reset to factory settings | High (data deletion) |
| Connect with MIAssistant | Connecting to a PC for firmware | Medium |
| Safe Mode | Start with a minimum set of drivers | Safe. |
Why doesn't the touchscreen work in Recovery?
If you've chosen the wrong item by accident, don't panic. Just use the volume buttons to get back to the right one, and confirm the choice with the power button, and the key is not to confirm the action of Wipe Data until you're ready to lose information.
Process of data cleanup and system reset
Once you select Wipe Data, the system will ask for additional confirmation, because this is a critical operation, and you will see a warning on the screen that all data will be deleted, you will need to select Wipe All Data and confirm the action, which can take from a few seconds to a couple of minutes depending on the amount of memory.
During the reset, the Android logo or progress bar may be displayed on the screen. At this point, you can not remove the battery (if it is not removable) or interrupt the power of the device. Interrupting the recording of system files can damage memory partitions and turn the phone into a "brick".
⚠️ Attention! Once the reset is complete, the phone will automatically restart. The first launch after Hard Reset can last until 10-15 minutes as the system reconfigures the files and checks the integrity.
If you have Mi Account protection enabled on your device, you'll need to log in and log in to the account you previously linked to your phone after you boot it up, which is anti-theft, and you can't get around it by simply resetting it, and without that, you'll have to lock your phone.
Solving the problem: if Recovery doesn't start
There are times when the standard button combination doesn't produce the desired result. The phone can just turn on as normal or go into Fastboot mode. If you hit the Fastboot, press the power button for 10 seconds to exit it, and try again, changing the timing of the button presses.
Sometimes, the Recovery login is blocked by the developer settings or damage to the system partition. In this situation, connect the phone to a computer with the Mi Flash Tool installed and try to enter mode through a software request, but this requires the on-debugging over USB, which cannot be checked on the phone that is turned off.
- 🔄 Try to press the buttons behind 2-3 seconds before cable connection USB.
- 🔄 Make sure you use the original cable, some cheap counterparts don't transmit control signals.
- 🔄 If the phone is responding to vibration but the screen is black, it may be a problem in the display rather than the system.
Another combination is to plug the phone off to the charger, wait for the battery indicator to appear, and then try to press the buttons, which works on some models with a deeply drained battery.
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If none of the methods helps to log into Recovery, there is a high probability of hardware failure of the buttons or damage to the bootloader, which requires repair in the service.
Restoring access after resetting settings
Once the procedure is completed, the phone will appear as it left the factory, and you will need to reset the initial setting: select a language, connect to Wi-Fi, and log into your Google account. If the device was linked to Mi Account, the system will require authorization from the same account that was used before the reset.
This is a security issue known as FRP, which is designed to prevent an attacker from using a stolen phone simply by dumping it, so you always have to log out of your Google and Mi Account manually before selling a device.
⚠️ If you have forgotten the Mi Account password, you can only restore access through the official recovery procedure on i.mi.com, having a purchase check makes this process much easier.
Once you log in, data sync will start, and if you have backed up in the Xiaomi Cloud or Google Drive cloud, your contacts, notes, and some app settings will come back automatically, which underscores the importance of regular backup.