When the Xiaomi Redmi 9 gets locked, it can come on suddenly and put the owner in a bewilderment, ranging from forgetting the graphic password to more serious problems with your Google or Mi Account. Owners of budget but powerful Redmi series devices often face the need for emergency access to data or complete cleaning of the device.
In this guide, we will go through all possible lock scenarios in detail and offer working solutions for each case. It is important to understand that the methods of access recovery vary depending on what type of protection was activated at the time of locking. Some methods require a computer and a USB cable, others can be implemented directly through the smartphone screen.
Before you start taking action, you need to clearly define the type of problem that has occurred. If the screen says "Device locked" and you want to enter your account password, that's one situation. PIN-code, the algorithm of actions will be different. It's critical to know if debugging mode has been turned on. USB before blocking, as this opens up additional opportunities for recovery.
Types of locks on Xiaomi Redmi 9
The first step is to get the right diagnosis. Android security, which is installed on the MIUI shell, will offer multiple layers of protection, each with its own unique features of removal, and understanding the difference between them will save you time and nerves.
The most common option is to lock the screen, which is the first line of defense that the user sets himself, PIN-Error in entering such data several times in a row temporarily limits attempts, but does not lock the device permanently.
A more serious obstacle is FRP (Factory Reset Protection), or reset protection, which links the device to a Google account. If you made a factory reset via Recovery but don't know the password from a synchronized Google account, the phone will turn into a brick at the initial setup stage.
- 🔒 Screen locking – standard password, pattern lock or fingerprint.
- 🔐 Mi Account Lock – Linking the device to the Xiaomi account with the activated function “Find the device".
- 🛡️ FRP Lock – Google protection that requires you to enter a password from the last synchronized account after a reset.
- 🚫 Sim-blocking – limiting network operation when entering incorrect PUK-code.
Special attention should be blocked through Mi Account. Unlike Google, Xiaomi has its own powerful protection. If the phone settings were enabled by the item "Find the device", then even after a full reset (Hard Reset), the device will require authorization to the owner's account. Without this data, it is impossible to unlock Redmi 9 standard methods.
⚠️ Warning: Attempts to repeatedly enter incorrect passwords may result in an increased lock time or complete data cleanup if the appropriate security feature has been enabled.
In some cases, users encounter software errors when the system perceives the correct data as incorrect, this can be due to corrupt system files or program conflict, in such situations, often only a complete reset helps, but it is guaranteed to delete all user data.
Reset screen lock via Recovery Mode
If you forget your password or pattern lock and you can't unlock your phone the standard way, the most effective way is to reset the recovery menu, a mode known as Recovery Mode that allows you to clean the user partition, removing the forgotten password.
To enter recovery mode on Xiaomi Redmi 9, you need to perform a certain sequence of actions with the buttons. It is important that the device must be completely turned off. If the phone responds to presses but does not let it on the desktop, force it to restart by holding the power button for 10-15 seconds.
After turning it off, press the Volume Up and Power button at the same time. Hold them until the Mi logo appears, after which the power button can be released while keeping the volume up. The menu with the Android logo and the words "No command" or a list of items in English and Chinese should appear on the screen.
☑️ Actions to enter Recovery
In the Recovery menu, the navigation is done with volume buttons, and the choice is confirmed by the power button. You need to find the Wipe Data item. In newer versions of MIUI, this item may be inside the submenu or require additional confirmation. Select the Wipe All Data option for full cleaning.
The reset process takes from seconds to minutes. Once it is complete, the phone will suggest returning to the main menu (Back to Main Menu) or immediately restart (Reboot). Select Reboot to System. The first boot process may take longer than usual, as the system recreates the necessary files.
⚠️ Warning: This method results in a complete loss of all data (photos, contacts, apps) stored in the phone’s internal memory. Make sure you have backups in advance if possible.
It is worth noting that on some global firmware versions with the latest Google security updates, resetting through Recovery may not help unless the bootloader was pre-unblocked.
Delete your Google account (FRP Bypass)
FRP (Factory Reset Protection) is designed to keep a stolen phone from being used after a reset. However, honest users often become hostages to the system by forgetting passwords from their accounts. Bypassing FRP on Redmi 9 is harder than just resetting a screen password and requires deeper system tampering.
One popular method is to exploit vulnerabilities in the initial setup interface, because Wi-Fi is necessary and the browser or app store may not be available, users are looking for ways to call system applications, often by quickly pressing certain key combinations or using accessibility.
Modern versions of Android based on MIUI 12 and higher often use the TalkBack activation method or the use of a special adapter cable (OTG), although on Redmi 9 with its USB-C port this does not always work consistently.
Consider the algorithm that often runs on Android 10-11 versions:
- On the welcome screen, tap 6-9 times quickly in a row to activate the special features menu.
- If the menu does not appear, try entering the dialing field code ##4636## (does not work on all firmware).
- Use Google voice input (if there is a microphone button) to say "Open Settings" or "Open Settings".
Once you've got the settings, you'll need to find the About Phone section and click on the build number several times to activate the developer mode. Then, in the Developer Menu, you'll need to enable USB debugging. Then connect the phone to your PC and use FRP reset tools like ADB commands or specialized utilities.
Delete your account via ADB (if you can access):
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.setupwizardThis command disables the setup wizard, allowing you to skip the authorization step, but on new Google security patches, this method can be closed, in which case only the flashing of the device remains.
Unlocking Mi Account and Finding Your Device
The Mi Account lock is one of the toughest. It activates when a user logs into their Xiaomi account and activates the Find Device feature. If you reset your phone via Recovery, when you turn on, it will require you to enter the username and password from Mi Account that was synchronized earlier.
The only legal and guaranteed way to remove this lock is to remember your account information. If you remember your login but have forgotten your password, go to the official i.mi.com website from your computer or other device and use the access recovery procedure.
If you lose access to your phone number, the recovery process becomes more complicated, and you will have to verify through Xiaomi’s support team, providing checks for the purchase of the device and a box with IMEI codes, without proof of ownership, you will not officially unlock your account.
| Unlocking method | Required data | Data security | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reset via Recovery | Access to buttons | No (all removed) | Low. |
| Recovery of Mi Account | Email/Telephone | No (reset required) | Medium |
| Service centre | Check, box, ID. | Depends on the method. | Tall. |
| Third-party software | PC, Cable, PO | No. | Tall. |
There are paid services and server methods to unlock Mi Account that offer remote de-association, which work by changing the status of the device on Xiaomi servers. IMEI your device to third parties, and there is no guarantee that the lock will not return after updating the firmware or re-resetting.
⚠️ Note: Xiaomi official support does not remove the Mi Account lock without proof of ownership of the device. All offers "unlock in 5 minutes" are third-party services and do not guarantee stable operation.
Use the services of Find My Device
If your phone is connected to the Internet (Wi-Fi or mobile), you can try remotely controlling it through search services. For Xiaomi devices, this is i.mi.com, for pure Android, it is google.com/android/find.
When you access the site from a computer and enter your account information associated with a blocked Redmi 9, you will see a list of devices. Choose the smartphone you want. If it is online, you will have the functions Sound, Disappear Mode and Clear Data.
The Wipe will remove the screen lock password along with all the information. It's the equivalent of resetting through Recovery, but performed remotely. Once cleaned, the phone will reboot and the screen lock will disappear. However, as mentioned earlier, this won't remove FRP or Mi Account protection if it was turned on.
In Disappearance mode, you can set a new password to lock the screen. This is useful if you want to save data but have forgotten the old pin. Type in a new code and it will replace the old one the next time you try to unlock, the propvided phone will have time to sync with the server.
Phone firmware via Fastboot
When software methods are powerless, it leaves behind “heavy artillery” – flashing the device in Fastboot mode, which allows you to replace the system partition of the phone with a clean, working version of the firmware, ignoring the installed locks (except for hardware and server bindings Mi Account).
For firmware, you will need a computer with Windows OS, USB-Good quality cable and firmware for your model (Redmi 9 has several modifications: lancelot, merlin and others, it is important not to confuse.
To enter Fastboot mode on the phone turned off, press the Volume Down button and connect the USB cable to your computer. The screen will show an image of a hare in a hat-eared android repairing, labeled FASTBOOT.
The firmware process is as follows:
- 📥 Download the firmware archive and unpack it into the root of the C disk (the path should not contain Cyrillic).
- 💻 Install the drivers. ADB Fastboot and the Mi Flash Tool.
- 🔌 Connect your phone in Fastboot mode to your PC.
- ⚙️ In Mi Flash, select the firmware folder and click on the “Flash All” button (for full cleaning) or “Flash All Clean” button (recommended).
It's important to understand the difference between firmware types. Recovery ROM (zip) is put through the update menu and does not remove account locks. Fastboot ROM (tgz) is put through a PC and allows you to completely reassemble the system. Fastboot ROM is the one you need for deep recovery.
During firmware, do not turn off the cable or turn off the computer. Interrupting the data record in the phone’s memory can damage the bootloader, after which the device will cease to respond to buttons and require repair in a service center with soldering of memory chips.