Owners of the legendary Xiaomi Mi5 often face the need to return the device to factory status, whether it’s due to a sale of the gadget, critical errors in the operating system, or simply a desire to start from scratch. Despite the age of the model, Hard Reset remains the most effective way to fix software failures that can not be fixed by a conventional reboot.
The reset procedure will completely delete all user data, including contacts, photos, messages and installed applications. Android based on the MIUI shell provides several built-in tools for performing this operation, each of which has its own characteristics. It is important to understand the difference between soft reset via menus and deep formatting through Recovery mode.
Before you start active action, you need to assess the current state of the battery. If the battery power is below 50%, the process can be interrupted, which will damage the system files, and you should also take care of backing up important information in advance, since it will be almost impossible to recover deleted files without a backup.
⚠️ Warning: Resetting your settings via the Recovery menu irreversibly deletes your data without being able to recover it with standard means. Make sure you have an up-to-date copy of your important files in the cloud or on your computer.
Preparing the device for resetting settings
The first step is to synchronize your data with your Google account or Mi Cloud, which will save your contacts, calendar and notes, which are often the most valuable part of your information.
The second critical step is delinking accounts: If the phone is activated with FRP (Factory Reset Protection), the device will require the username and password from the last Google account used after the reset, and a forgotten password can turn the phone into a brick for the average user.
- 📱 Check the battery charge: it should be at least 60-70%.
- ☁️ Synchronize contacts and photos with cloud storage.
- 🔐 Remember or write down passwords from Google and Mi Accounts.
- 💾 Transfer heavy files (video, archives) to a computer or memory card.
It is also recommended to remove SIM-microSD card and memory card before the procedure, although modern versions MIUI They usually ask for proof of erasure. SD-Maps, physical media extraction guarantees 100% security of your personal files and media content during formatting.
⚠️ Attention: Don't pull out SIM-If you're not planning to move it, do this before you turn off the reset device.
After completing all the preparatory steps, you can go directly to the choice of reset method. For the Xiaomi Mi5, three main methods are relevant, each of which we will discuss in detail.
Resetting settings through the smartphone menu
The easiest and safest way to bring the Xiaomi Mi5 back to factory settings is to use the system’s built-in menu, which is ideal if the phone turns on, the screen responds to touch, and you can freely navigate the MIUI interface.
To start, open the Settings app and scroll to the bottom of the list. You need to find Advanced Settings (some firmware versions may call it "Advanced"), and that's where the system management functions of the device are hidden.
In the menu that opens, select Recover and Reset. The system will alert you that all data will be deleted. Click on the Reset button at the bottom of the screen. At this point, you may need to enter a pattern lock or unlock password, if installed.
Path to the menu: Settings → Advanced Settings → Recovery and Reset → ResettingOnce confirmed, the phone will restart and begin the cleaning process, the Mi logo and progress indicator will appear on the screen, waiting time depends on the amount of data on the internal drive, but usually takes 5 to 15 minutes.
☑️ Preparation for reset via menu
It is important not to interrupt the process or press buttons during formatting. If the phone is stuck on the logo for more than 20 minutes, you may need to use the forced reboot method or switch to Recovery mode.
Hard Reset via Recovery Mode
If the operating system doesn't boot, the phone goes into an endless reboot cycle, or the screen doesn't respond to touch, the only way out is through Recovery mode, a low-level menu that allows you to control the system bypassing the main Android interface.
To get into the recovery menu on the Xiaomi Mi5, you need to turn the device off completely. Then press the Volume Up and Power button at the same time. Hold them until the Mi logo appears, then release the power button, continuing to hold the volume.
You'll see a menu with English text and a few items, and you'll be able to navigate with volume buttons (up/down), and you'll have to choose the power button. You'll need to select Wipe Data. In some versions of Recovery, you may need to select Wipe All Data for full formatting.
- 🔘 Turn off the smartphone completely.
- 🔊 Hold Volume Up + Power before vibration.
- 📉 With the volume buttons, select Wipe Data.
- ⚡ With the power button confirm the choice and wait for the end.
Once the process is completed successfully, the screen will display a message "Data wiped successfully." Select Reboot to restart the phone as normal. The first start-up after the reset will take longer than usual, as the system will recreate the necessary configuration files.
What to do if the Recovery menu is in Chinese?
Recovery is a powerful tool that helps bring your device to life even in difficult situations, but it’s worth remembering that this method completely ignores file protection, so access to data will be lost forever.
Resetting a forgotten password or pattern lock
One of the common reasons for resorting to reset procedures is the forgotten password to unlock the screen. Unfortunately, the Xiaomi Mi5 with the modern version of Android does not allow you to simply bypass the protection without losing data for security reasons.
If you can’t log in to the settings menu because of locking, the only option is to use the Recovery mode described above.When you try to reset via the Recovery menu, the system can request confirmation via the Mi Account password if the Find Device function was active.
There is a myth that password reset is possible through a Google account.This worked on very old versions of Android (up to 5.0), but on Xiaomi Mi5 with current updates, this method will not work without access to the owner’s main account.
| Resetting method | Access to the OS is required | Data retention | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Through Settings. | Yeah (requires entrance) | No (removes everything) | Low. |
| Recovery Mode | No. | No (removes everything) | Medium |
| Mi Cloud (remotely) | No (we need the internet) | No (removes everything) | Medium |
If your phone is locked and requires a Google account after a reset (FRP), you will have to remember the account that was last synced to the device, and you cannot get around this protection in legal ways without your account data.
💡
If you have recently changed your Google account password, wait 24 hours before trying to enter new data on your phone.
Remote reset via Mi Cloud
Xiaomi’s Find Device feature allows you to reset your settings remotely, which is true in the event of a phone loss or if the device is stolen and you want to remotely destroy the data so that it does not fall into the wrong hands.
To implement this method, you need to have the Internet on Xiaomi Mi5 in advance and activate a Mi Account with permission for remote management. Go to the official i.mi.com website from a computer or other smartphone.
Sign in to your login and select the device from the list. In the control menu, click on the Wipe Data button. The command will be sent to the phone, and once it connects to the network, a complete reset will occur.
This method is also useful if the touch screen is partially not working and you can't reset through the menu, but the phone is connected to Wi-Fi. The remote command will do the same job as Hard Reset via the buttons.
- 🌐 Requires an active Internet connection on the phone.
- 🆔 You need an accurate login and password from Mi Account.
- 📍 The “Find the device” function should be enabled in the settings.
- 🔋 The phone must be charged or connected to the network.
It is worth noting that after a remote reset, the phone can lock and require a password from the Mi Account on the next turn on, a standard measure of protection against theft that cannot be circumvented without the owner’s data.
Possible problems and solutions
Unforeseen complications can occur when resetting your settings on the Xiaomi Mi5. One common problem is hanging on the Mi or Android logo. If it lasts more than 20 minutes, try a forced reboot by holding the power button down for 10-15 seconds.
Another situation is that the phone is reset, but after downloading it again requires a password that you forgot. This is the job of protecting FRP. In this case, the only legal way is to restore access to your Google account through a browser on another device.
Sometimes, after a reset, the sensor or communication module stops working, this may indicate a software firmware failure, in such cases, it is recommended not to limit yourself to a simple reset, but to perform a complete flashing of the device through the computer using the Mi Flash Tool utility.
⚠️ Note: Flashing through the Mi Flash Tool requires an unlocked bootloader. Mi5 This can be difficult due to the closure of the unlock program for older devices.
If the phone doesn't respond to the on and off buttons at all, it might be the hardware that's the problem, whether the battery is dead or the power controller is broken, and then the software reset methods won't help.
💡
If a standard reset does not help fix system errors, the cause may be damage to the system partition or a physical malfunction of the device's memory.