How to reset Xiaomi to factory settings via buttons if you forgot your password: full instruction 2026

Forgot the password from Xiaomi and can not unlock the phone? Don’t despair – resetting to factory settings through hardware buttons will help you return access to the device even without knowing PIN-This method, often called hard reset, works on all Xiaomi, Redmi and other smartphones. POCO, regardless of the model and version MIUI.

The main advantage of a hardware reset is that it doesn't require access to the system, you don't need a Mi Account or a Google password, but it's important to understand that once you reset, all the data on your phone (photos, contacts, messages) will be permanently deleted, and if your device has been synced to Mi Cloud or Google, some of the information can be restored later.

In this article, we will discuss in detail how to reset buttons on different models, what to do if the phone does not respond to commands, and how to avoid typical errors. The instructions are relevant for the Redmi Note 11/12/13, POCO X4/X5/X6, Mi 11/12/13 and other devices based on MIUI 12-14.

Why can’t you reset Xiaomi through the settings?

If you've tried to reset your phone through Settings → About Phone → Reset, but the system requires you to enter a password, that's okay. Xiaomi blocks access to factory settings without authorization to protect user data from unauthorized access. In such cases, the only reliable way is to reset hardware through Recovery mode.

Other reasons why a standard reset may not work:

• 🔒 Phone locked after several failed password attempts (Mi Account protection activated).
• 📱 The device hung on the logo. MI It is loaded in an infinite loop (bootloop).
• 🚫 The phone has a custom firmware that blocks access to standard Recovery.
• 🔋 The battery is discharged below 5% - in this case, the discharge can be interrupted.

Hardware resets bypass all these limitations, as it starts at the bootloader level before the operating system starts, but there are also disadvantages: for example, after the procedure, you may need to re-assign your Mi Account account if the device protection function was previously activated.

Preparation for resetting: what to do in advance

Before you start resetting, follow a few important steps to avoid problems:

1. Charge the phone to at least 30%. If the battery runs out during the procedure, the device can turn into a brick.
2. Extract. SIM-card and memory card (if installed) that will protect the data on them from random formatting.
3. If the reset takes a long time, the phone must not turn off.
4. Find out your Xiaomi model. Some devices (like the POCO F3 or Redmi K40) have features of logging into Recovery.

If the phone was enabled sync with Mi Cloud, after reset, you can restore:

• 📞 Contacts (if they were saved in the Mi Account).
• 📷 Photo and video (if the option "Multimedia Backup" was activated").
• 📝 Notes and recordings from the Mi Notes app.

But data from apps (like WhatsApp or Telegram), local files and settings will be lost forever. If your phone still reacts to your PC connection, try copying important files via MTP.

💡

If the phone is not detected by the computer, try connecting it in Fastboot mode (keep Volume down + Power when connecting via USB). In this mode, some programs (for example, Mi Flash Tool) will be able to read the data.

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

Recovery Mode reset procedure is the same for most Xiaomi models, but there may be slight differences in menu item names.

1. Turn off your phone (if it's on). Hold the Power button for 10-15 seconds.
2. Press the button combination to enter Recovery: For most models: Volume up + Power. For POCO F1/F2/F3, Redmi K20/K30/K40: Volume up + Volume down + Power.

Hold the buttons until the Mi logo or Recovery menu appears.

Choose a language

Nutrition

Find the "Wipe Data" item.

Wipe & Reset

Confirm the reset

Wipe All Data

Reboot the phone.

Reboot → Reboot to System

If after the reboot the phone requires you to enter a password from Mi Account, then the device has been activated the protection of the Xiaomi account. In this case, additional unlocking will be required (read more about this in the next section).

Battery charge >30%|Extracted. SIM and SD-map|Charger prepared|Refined model of the phone|Synchronization with Mi Cloud is confirmed-->

What to do if you need a Mi Account after resetting?

If after a hardware reset, the phone requests a username and password from Mi Account, it means that the device has activated the "Mi Cloud Lock" function, which links the phone to a Xiaomi account, and you can not use the device without authorization, this is a security measure that protects against theft.

Options for solving the problem:

• 🔑 Enter your account information. If you remember your login (email or phone number) and password, log in.
• 📧 Restore Mi Account. If you forgot your password, go to account.xiaomi.com and use the Restore feature.
• 📄 Contact Xiaomi. If the phone was officially purchased, provide a check or warranty card - customer service can help unblock the lock.
• ⚠️ Use informal methods (at your own risk), such as firmware through Fastboot with Mi Account Lock disabled.

⚠️ Note: If the phone was bought with hands and the previous owner did not untie his Mi Account, it is legally impossible to unlock the device".

On some models (such as the Redmi Note 8 Pro or POCO X3 NFC), after 3-5 failed attempts to enter a password from Mi Account, the phone is locked for 72 hours, in which case you only have to wait or try to unlock through the Mi Unlock Tool (but this requires permission from Xiaomi).

Features of reset on different models Xiaomi

While the general principle of resetting through Recovery Mode is the same, some Xiaomi models have nuances.

If your model isn't listed in the table, try the standard combination of Volume Up + Power. 90% of the time it works. If your phone doesn't respond, check:

• 🔋 Is the charge level sufficient (minimum 10-15%).
• 🔄 Do you hold the buttons correctly (sometimes you need to hold 15-20 seconds).
• 🛠️ Is the power button damaged (try to connect the charging and try again).

Frequent Mistakes When Resetting Xiaomi and How to Avoid Them

Even when following instructions, users often make mistakes that can cause a phone to fail, and here are the most common ones and ways to prevent them:

1. Interrupt the reset process: If you take out the battery or turn off power during Wipe Data, the phone may stop turning on. Always wait for the procedure to be completed (the screen will show the words Data wipe complete).
2. Use the wrong button combination. Some models (e.g. POCO F3) require three buttons to be held instead of two to enter Recovery.
3. Ignoring Mi Account warnings, if your phone has an account link, resetting won't delete it, and you'll need authorization after rebooting.
4. Attempt to reset on a discharged phone, if the charge is below 10%, the process may interrupt. Charge the device to at least 30%.
5. Select the wrong menu item. Don't confuse Wipe Data with Wipe Cache. The second option won't delete the password.

Critical error: If the phone is stuck on the MI logo for more than 10 minutes after the reset, it means that the system files are damaged, in which case only the firmware through Fastboot or Mi Flash Tool will help.

⚠️ Note: Phones with an unlocked bootloader (bootloader) after reset may lose communication with networks (IMEI To avoid this, save a backup copy of the nvram partition before reset (for example, through TWRP).

If the phone is unstable after reset (it spontaneously restarts, slows down), perform another procedure - cleaning the cache (Wipe Cache Partition in the Recovery menu).

Alternative ways to unlock Xiaomi without resetting

If you don’t want to lose data or resetting through buttons didn’t help, try alternative unlock methods.

• 🔐 You remember the password from Mi Account, but not from the lock screen.
• 📱 The phone connects to the PC and is defined as a device MTP.
• 🔧 You have access to the Fastboot or ADB.

Here are a few working ways:

1. Unlocking with Mi Account (Find Device): Go to i.mi.com. log in with your account. Select a locked phone and use the Unlock Device option (if available).

ADB

adb shell rm /data/system/gesture.key


adb shell rm /data/system/password.key




adb reboot

After resetting, the password will be reset.

Fastboot

• Download the official firmware for your model from the MIUI Downloads website.
• Unpack the archive and run your phone through the Mi Flash Tool.