How to remove a pattern lock from Xiaomi if you forget: the full guide 2026

The forgotten pattern lock on Xiaomi’s smartphone is a situation that one in five users face. According to service center statistics, 18% of device locks are due to the loss of the unlock pattern. Fortunately, the manufacturer has envisaged several official and alternative ways to restore access, from using a Mi Account account to hardware methods through Fastboot.

In this article, we will discuss all the current unlock methods for Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices, including models with MIUI 14/15 and earlier. Particular attention will be paid to the ways that allow you to save user data (photos, contacts, messages) – this is not possible in all cases, but the chances are there.

1 Unlocking through Mi Account (official method)

The easiest and most secure method is to use a tied Mi Account, which works on all Xiaomi devices with MIUI 8 and newer if:

• 📱 The phone is connected to the Internet (Wi-Fi or mobile network)
• 🔑 You have access to email/phone-linked
• 🔄 Find Device (Find Device) has been activated

Instructions:

1. On the lock screen, tap Forgot your password? (bottom of the screen).
2. Select Sign in via Mi Account.
3. Enter your email/phone and password from your account.
4. Confirm the entry via SMS or email code.
5. Create a new pattern lock or PIN-code.

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If the “Forgot Password?” button doesn’t appear, try connecting your phone to charge and try again after 5 minutes – sometimes the system requires confirmation of device activity.

Limitations of the method:

• ❌ It doesn't work without the Internet.
• ❌ Requires pre-account binding
• ❌ In some models (POCO F1, Mi A1) Additional confirmation may be required through SMS

2. Reset via Find Device (remote unlock)

If the phone is connected to the Internet, but there is no recovery button on the lock screen, you can use the web version of Find Device, which will result in a complete data reset, but unlock the device remotely.

Step-by-step:

1. Go to i.mi.com from a computer or other device.
2. Sign in with the same account as on a locked phone.
3. In the menu, select the locked device.
4. Click Delete Data (Erase Device)
5. Confirm the action through SMS-code.

It takes 5-15 minutes to reboot, and when you reboot, you unlock the phone, but all the data (including photos and apps) is deleted, and you can only restore it from a backup if it was created earlier.

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI 12.5+ Remote reset can be blocked if the phone has not connected to the network for more than 72 hours, in which case you will need physical access to the device.

3. Unlock through Recovery Mode (without data loss)

The method is suitable for Xiaomi devices with unlocked bootloader. If you previously activated OEM Unlock in the developer settings, the chances of successfully unlocking without a data reset are ~60%.

Instructions:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press Volume Up + Power before the Mi logo appears.
3. From the Recovery menu, select Connect with MiAssistant (use volume buttons for navigation).
4. Connect your phone to your PC via USB.
5. Download and install MiAssistant on your computer.
6. Follow the instructions of the program to unlock.

If you don’t have the option to connect with MiAssistant, try an alternative route:

1. In Recovery, select "Wipe Data" → "Wipe All Data" (This will lead to FOREVER RESURVEY!)


2.After reset, the phone will be unlocked, but all data will be deleted.

4.Use of ADB (for advanced users)

The Android Debug Bridge (ADB) method works if the phone has previously been debugged via USB and has access to a computer with Xiaomi drivers installed, which allows you to delete the key file without resetting data, but requires technical skills.

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your phone to your PC via USB.
2. Open the command prompt (cmd) in the folder with ADB.
3. Enter the commands in order: adb shell su rm /data/system/gesture.key rm /data/system/locksettings.db rm /data/system/locksettings.db-wal rm /data/system/locksettings.db-shm reboot
4. After rebooting, the pattern lock will be reset.

Important nuances:

• 🔧 Root rights are required (most Xiaomi stock firmwares do not have them)
• 🖥️ Xiaomi drivers should be installed on the PC USB Drivers
• ⚠️ Not working. MIUI 13+ with Mi Cloud protection enabled

Install ADB and Fastboot on PC|Download Xiaomi USB Drivers|Enable debugging on USB on the phone (if you had access)|Prepare original USB-cable-->

5. Unlock via Fastboot (reset to factory)

If other methods fail, you can still reset your device via Fastboot mode, which is guaranteed to unlock your phone but deletes all data, and is suitable for all Xiaomi models, including the Redmi Note 10/11, POCO X3/X4, Mi 11/12.

Instructions:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press Volume Down + Power before the Fastboot logo appears.
3. Connect the device to the PC.
4. Download the Mi Flash Tool.
5. Download the firmware for your model from the Xiaomi Firmware Updater website.
6. In the Mi Flash Tool, select Clean All mode and flash the device.

It takes 10 to 20 minutes, and when you reboot, it's like new, without a pattern lock, but without your data.

⚠️ Note: On devices with a locked bootloader, you will need to unlock it through the official Xiaomi Unlock Tool before you run the firmware.This can take up to 72 hours due to manufacturer restrictions.

6. Alternative methods (for specific cases)

If the standard methods didn't work, you can try the less common ones, and their effectiveness depends on the phone model and the MIUI version.

For the Safe Mode method:

1. Press the power + volume down until the menu appears.
2. Hold power off until a request to switch to Safe Mode appears.
3. In Safe Mode, remove the application that installed the pattern lock (if known).

7.Prevention: How to avoid blocking in the future

To avoid the problem of a forgotten pattern lock again, follow these guidelines:

• 🔐 Use it. PIN-code instead of a pattern lock – it is easier to recover through Mi Account.
• 📱 Attach Mi Account and activate Find Device in Settings (Settings) → Mi Account → Find Device).
• 🔄 Regularly back up through Settings → Additionally. → Backup.
• 📝 Write the key in a secure location (e.g., Google Password Manager).

It’s also helpful to enable Smart Lock (Settings → Screen Lock → Smart Lock) so that the phone unlocks automatically in trusted places (such as at home or work).

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The most reliable way to avoid data loss when blocked is to link Mi Account and backup regularly, and even if you forget the pattern lock, it takes no more than 5 minutes to restore access.

FAQ: Frequent questions about unlocking Xiaomi