Redmi and Poco smartphones often become the primary storehouse of personal information, photos and passwords. At some point, the owner may face the need to completely clean the device, which may involve selling the gadget, transferring it to another user, or fixing software errors that are not solved by a normal reboot.
The process of complete deletion, often called Hard Reset, returns the device to factory status. It is important to understand that once this procedure is completed, it will be impossible to restore files without professional equipment, so before starting any action, you need to critically assess the importance of stored information and make sure that you have up-to-date backups.
In this article, we will take a look at all the cleaning options available, from the standard settings menu to the Recovery Engineered Mode, and we will also cover the security issues of your Google account and Mi Account so that you do not encounter activation blocking after a reset.
Preparation of the device for complete reset
Before we start radical measures, we need to do a number of preparatory steps, which can lead to loss of access to accounts or inability to turn on the phone after cleaning, and the first step should always be to synchronize data with cloud services or create a local copy on the computer.
Be sure to extract SIM-MicroSD card and memory card, if installed.Resetting phone settings shouldn't affect external drives, but physical extraction ensures you don't accidentally format flash memory with photos and documents.
⚠️ Warning: The battery level before the procedure must be at least 50-60%. If the phone turns off during the erasure of system partitions, this can damage the bootloader and turn the device into a “brick".
Special attention should be paid to accounts. Android security has protection against theft. If you just reset without untidying your account, the new owner will not be able to activate the device without your password. FRP Lock (Factory Reset Protection).
- 🔒 Log out of all Google accounts in your device settings.
- ☁️ Untie your device from Mi Account via the cloud service menu.
- 💳 Remove physical memory cards and SIM-map.
- 🔋 Connect your smartphone to the charger or make sure the charge is high.
☑️ Checklist before reset
Method 1: Resetting through system settings
The easiest and most secure method available to every user is to use the built-in functionality of the operating system. This option is suitable if the phone turns on, the screen responds to touch, and you remember the unlock password. The interface may vary slightly depending on the version of the MIUI shell or HyperOS.
To start, open the main menu and find the Settings icon. Scroll down the list, where the "About Phone" or "Advanced Settings" item is usually located. In newer firmware versions, the feature you want is often hidden in the "Advanced" section.
You need to find a item called "Reset" or "Erase all data." The system will warn you of the consequences. If the device has a pin or a pattern lock, you need to enter it to confirm the operation. Once you press the confirmation button, a process will begin that will take from 5 to 15 minutes.
- 📱 Go to Settings. → The phone.
- 🗑️ Select "Resetting" or "Erase all data".
- 🔐 Enter the screen unlock password to confirm.
- ✅ Click "Reset Settings" and wait for the reboot.
Importantly, some firmware versions include the Erase internal storage option, which guarantees irreversible deletion of data by overwriting memory sectors, making file recovery impossible even for security agencies, and if you sell a phone, it's better to set the tick.
💡
If you plan to sell your phone, make sure to select the "Clear internal memory" option when reset, which will take longer, but ensures that your personal photos and correspondence are not restored.
Method 2: Hard Reset with Recovery Menu
If the device is stuck, does not respond to touch, or you forget the unlock password, you will have to use Recovery mode. This method works at the bootloader level and does not require access to the operating system. It is a deeper diagnostic and cleaning tool.
To enter this mode, you need to perform a special key combination on the phone that is turned off, usually by simultaneously pressing the volume button and the power button, and hold them until the Mi logo or menu in English/Chinese appears.
Navigation in the Recovery menu is done with volume buttons (up/down), and the power button selects the item. However, on many modern Xiaomi models, the menu is touch-sensitive, which makes it much easier to do. You need to select Wipe Data, then Wipe All Data and confirm the action.
⚠️ Note: When resetting via Recovery, the phone may require confirmation through your Mi Account if the Find Device function was active. Without entering the correct password from the cloud, Xiaomi will not be able to reset.
After successful execution of the Wipe All Data command, the system will prompt you to return to the main menu (Back to Main Menu) and select a reboot (Reboot -> Reboot to System), the first run after such a procedure will last longer than usual, as the system recreates the file structure.
What to do if the Recovery menu is in Chinese?
Remote cleaning through Google Find My Device
In situations where a phone is lost or stolen, physical access is not possible, and Google Find My Device is the tool that allows you to not only track geolocation, but also initiate remote data resets.
You'll need any other device with Internet access to do this, go to the service's official website and log in to the same Google account that was linked to the lost phone, and if the device is online and geolocated, you'll see it on the map.
In the list of available actions, select the option "Clean the device." The command will be sent to the smartphone. Once it connects to the network (even through the mobile Internet), a complete reset will occur. It is important to understand that after this operation, you will no longer be able to track the location of the phone.
- 🌐 Go to the site. android.com/find from a computer or other phone.
- 🔑 Sign in to your Google account.
- 📍 Select the lost device from the list.
- 🧹 Press the "Erase Device" button).
This method is only effective if the phone is on and has an active Internet connection, and if the device is turned off, the command will queue up and execute automatically the first time it appears on the network.
Cleaning through Mi Cloud (Remotely)
An alternative to Google’s services is Xiaomi’s own ecosystem.If the device has Mi Cloud enabled and Find Device feature, you can erase data via the i.mi.com web interface. This is especially true for users who have not linked a Google account or use Chinese versions of firmware.
The procedure is similar to Google's: log in to your account on the site, select the device from the menu and press the clean button. The advantage of the method is that it works even if the phone is in sleep mode, the command will be executed as soon as the device is connected to Xiaomi servers.
Remote cleaning through Mi Cloud often requires confirmation through the SMS-This is an additional layer of security that protects against malicious actors who gain access to your cloud.
Typical problems and their solution
Despite the simplicity of the procedure, users often face technical difficulties, and one of the most common problems is a cyclical bootloop after a reset, which can occur due to corrupt system files or conflicting software versions.
Another common situation is requiring a password from an account after a reset that the user has forgotten, in which case the only legal way to unlock the device is to restore access through a Google or Xiaomi site with a receipt of purchase.
Below is a table to help diagnose the main issues that arise when trying to erase a Xiaomi phone:
| Symptoms. | Possible cause | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Phone Requires Google Password After Reset | FRP protection activated | Enter the account information that was synchronized earlier |
| The reset is interrupted and the phone is restarted. | Low battery charge or memory damage | Charge your phone to 100% and try using Recovery |
| Recovery menu not opening | Wrong combination of buttons or timing | Try to pinch the buttons a little earlier or later, use them USB-cable |
| Phone hangs on Mi logo after reset | Damage to the system partition | Requires flashing through the computer (Mi Flash Tool) |
If neither method works and the phone continues to behave incorrectly, the problem may lie in the hardware, and damage to flash memory often manifests itself as this: the device cannot write new system files after cleaning the old ones.
💡
If the phone doesn't turn on after reset for more than 15-20 minutes, the operating system is likely to be damaged, in which case only a complete flashing of the device through the computer will help.