How to Reset Your Xiaomi Phone: All Ways to Hard Reset

Xiaomi’s current MIUI or HyperOS smartphones are complex computing systems that sometimes require radical intervention. Users often face situations where the device is not working properly, the pattern lock is forgotten, or the gadget needs to be handed over to a new owner.

The reset procedure removes all user data, including photos, contacts and installed applications, returning the software to the “out of the box” state. This action may seem intimidating to beginners, but with the right approach it is absolutely safe and often resuscitates a device that seemed to be faulty. It is important to understand the difference between simply deleting files and deep formatting partitions of the system.

In this guide, we will take a look at all the reset methods available, from standard menu settings to advanced tools for engineers, how to prepare your gadget to avoid losing important data, and what to do if the screen is locked or does not respond to touch.

Preparation of the device for the discharge procedure

Before you start the cleanup process, you need to perform a number of critical actions that are often ignored. The most common mistake is trying to reset settings without backing up, which leads to the irretrievable loss of family archives and work documents.

Special attention should be paid to security accounts. If the device activates Mi Account or Google FRP protection, after resetting the phone will require a password from these accounts, without this data, the device will become a “brick” that can not be activated again.

It is also recommended to remove the microSD card and SIM-Although modern versions of Android do not normally format an external drive when reset, there is a risk of accidental damage to the card file system. 50-60%, So that the device does not turn off at the most critical time.

⚠️ Warning: If you plan to sell the phone, be sure to log out of all apps and delete accounts manually before resetting to avoid blocking the activation for the new owner.

Method 1: Reset via the Settings Menu (Soft Reset)

The most gentle and simple method is available to each user through the operating system graphical interface. This option is suitable for regular situations when the screen is working properly and you have full access to the control menu. To move to the desired item, you need to follow the Settings path → About the phone → Reset.

The system will offer several cleaning options: you can choose to delete only user data or a complete reset, including cleaning the internal drive, the second option is deeper and is recommended in preparation for sale or serious cleaning of the system from software debris.

After selecting the option to erase all data, the system will require confirmation of the action by entering PIN-This is an additional measure of protection against accidental deletion of information by children or by unauthorized persons, the process takes from 2 to 10 minutes depending on the amount of memory filled.

It's important not to interrupt the process or press the control buttons during the progress bar, at which point the file system is reassembled, and any interference can damage the bootloader, and once completed, the phone will restart and start the initial setup, as when you first turn on.

Method 2: Hard Reset with Recovery Mode

If your smartphone is stuck, doesn't turn on to your desktop, or you've forgotten your lock password, Recovery comes to the rescue, a low-level environment that loads independently of the main operating system, and you can get into it with a combination of buttons: Press Volume Up + Power simultaneously on the device that is turned off.

Recovery can be touch-sensitive (in newer versions of MIUI) or button-based. You must select Wipe Data from the menu, then Wipe All Data. The system will alert you to loss of information and require confirmation, often requesting input of the number "OK" or the word "yes" to prevent random actions.

Once confirmed, the formatting process will begin, which is visually displayed as percent. Recovery Mode works even when the main partition file system is damaged, making this a universal rescue tool, but it won't help if the bootloader itself is damaged.

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If the touch screen in Recovery doesn’t work, try pressing quickly multiple times at different points or using volume buttons to navigate if the menu supports button control.

Method 3: Reset via Fastboot and ADB

For advanced users and specialists, there is a method of resetting through a computer using the ADB debugging bridge. This method requires preliminary preparation: Xiaomi USB Driver drivers and Platform-tools utility must be installed on the PC. The phone must be transferred to Fastboot mode, clamping Volume Down + Power.

Once you connect the device to your computer, open the command line in the ADB tool folder. A command is used to perform the reset, which compulsorily clears the userdata and cache partitions. This is especially useful when the Recovery menu is unavailable or corrupted.

adb reboot bootloader


fastboot erase userdata




fastboot erase cache




fastboot reboot

Using the command line gives you complete control over the process, allowing you to see the technical logs of the execution of operations. Errors in the syntax of commands can lead to incorrect operation, so it is important to carefully check the lines you enter.

⚠️ Note: The fastboot erase userdata command deletes data instantly and without recovery, bypassing standard interface warnings MIUI.

Resetting forgotten password and locks

A forgotten password situation is one of the most common reasons to ask for help: A standard Recovery reset will remove the password, but activate FRP (Factory Reset Protection) protection. This is Google's security mechanism that requires you to enter an account synchronized with your phone before the reset.

If the device was bought from hand and the previous owner did not untie his account, after resetting, you will encounter an activation screen that requires his password.

In some cases, a Mi Account reset helps, and if you have a device search enabled, you can remotely erase data from i.mi.com, which requires a password from the Mi Account that was linked to your smartphone, which is an official and secure way to unlock.

It is worth noting that there are service centers that can unblock hardware methods, but this often requires replacing the motherboard or complex reprogramming of memory chips, which is not economically feasible for older models.

Possible problems and solutions

After the reset procedure, users may encounter a number of specific problems: often the phone takes a long time to load (10-15 minutes), which is normal for the system to behave at the first initialization, and do not panic and try to restart the device at this point.

Sometimes you experience increased battery consumption and heat in the first hours of operation, the system indexes files and optimizes applications in the background, MIUI Optimization takes time to stabilize all services.

In rare cases, a cyclic bootloop can occur, and if the phone is constantly restarting and does not reach the desktop, the system partition may be damaged or the update interrupted, in which case only flashing the device through the computer using the Mi Flash Tool utility will help.

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A long first load and heating in the first 30 minutes after reset is a regular system operation, not a sign of a breakdown.

If the touch screen stopped responding after reset, check if there is a cheap protective film or glass installed that can interfere with the digitizer. SIM-memory-cards.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions