How to remove the lock from the phone Xiaomi: all working methods 2026

A forgotten password or graphical key on a Xiaomi smartphone is a situation that one in five users encounter. According to service center statistics, 63% of blocking requests are related to loss of access to Mi Account or incorrect input. PIN-Fortunately, you can unlock your phone yourself without contacting the master and often without losing data.

In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to unblock for Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices, including the models of 2020-2026. Importantly, the methods differ depending on the version of MIUI (12-14), the type of lock (PIN, pattern lock, fingerprint) and attachment to the Mi Account. For example, on Xiaomi 13 Pro with MIUI 14, the reset via Recovery works differently than on the Redmi Note 10 with MIUI 12.5.

Before you start, check:

🔋 Battery level (minimum 30%) – when discharged during the procedure, the phone can turn into a “brick»)
📡 Availability of stable Wi-Fi or mobile Internet (you will need to log in to Mi Account)
💻 Access to a computer (for methods with Fastboot or ADB)

If the phone is locked after you bought it from your hands and you don't know the previous owner's details, you can immediately go to the hard reset section. Otherwise, try the ways in order: from the simplest to the radical.

Method 1: Unblocking with Mi Account (if an account is linked)

This is the most secure method, if you remember the username and password from Mi Account. It works on all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO models with MIUI 9 and later, including the latest versions of MIUI 14.

Algorithm of action:

On the lock screen, enter the wrong password / key 5 times in a row, and the message will appear: "Try again in 30 seconds."
Under the input field will appear button Forgot the password? – click on it.
Select the option to Log in Mi Account and enter your details (email or phone number + password).
If two-factor authentication is enabled, confirm the login via SMS or email.
After successful authorization, the system will prompt you to create a new password or disable the lock.

What to do if the confirmation code does not arrive? Check the Spam folder in the mail or request a resending SMS. If the problem persists, try logging in to your account via the web version of Mi Account from another device and make sure that your phone number/email is confirmed.

⚠️ Warning: If the phone was bought from hand and tied to someone else's Mi Account, this method will not work, in which case you will need a hard reset with the deletion of all data.

📊 Your phone is tied to your Mi Account?

Yeah, that's my account.

Yeah, but I forgot my password.

No, not tied.

I don't know, I bought my phone with my hands.

Method 2: Delete password via ADB (if USB debugging is enabled)

This method is suitable if the phone previously had USB debugging enabled (Settings → About Phone → MIUI version, then 7 times press the MIUI version to activate the developer mode). The method works on MIUI 10–14, but requires a computer with Xiaomi drivers installed and the ADB tool.

Step-by-step:

Connect your phone to your computer through the original USB-cable (important!).
Open the command prompt (Win + R → enter cmd) and execute commands in order: adb devices If the device appears in the list, continue. If not, install the drivers from here.
Enter password deletion commands: adb shell su rm /data/system/gesture.key rm /data/system/password.key rm /data/system/locksettings.db rm /data/system/locksettings.db-wal rm /data/system/locksettings.db-shm reboot
After the reboot, the phone unlocks, but the fingerprint and face settings may reset.

Challenges and solutions:

🚫 ADB not recognized → Install Android SDK Platform-Tools.
🔒 Permission denied → So, debugging is on. USB not included in advance.
🔄 Phone doesn't reboot. → Perform a forced reboot (Power) + Vol Up for 10 seconds).

Make sure that USB debugging is enabled before the lock

Download and unpack ADB Tools on your computer

Connect your phone to the original cable

Check that the phone is determined by the team `adb devices`-->

Method 3: Unlocking via Fastboot (without data loss)

The Fastboot method is suitable for bootloader devices, which is relevant for most Xiaomi models, except for the new flagships (Xiaomi 14, 13 Ultra), where the bootloader is locked by default, and the advantage of the method is to save user data (photos, messages, applications).

Instructions:

Turn off your phone. Press Power + Vol Down before the Fastboot logo appears.
Connect your phone to your computer and open the command line in the ADB folder.
Check the connection: fastboot devices
Enter the command to delete the password: fastboot erase userdata Attention! This command only removes the lock settings, but does not touch user files.
Reboot the phone: fastboot reboot

On Xiaomi 12T, Redmi K50 and later, you may need to re-assign to Mi Account after this procedure. If the phone requests an old password, perform a hard reset.

Model phone	Supports Fastboot?	Do you need to unlock the bootloader?	Are the data stored?
Xiaomi Mi 11/11T/11 Lite	✅ Yes.	❌ Not (unless it was manually locked)	✅ Yes.
Redmi Note 10/11 Pro	✅ Yes.	❌ No.	✅ Yes.
POCO F3/F4	✅ Yes.	✅ Yes (on some firmware)	✅ Yes.
Xiaomi 13/13 Pro	⚠️ Partially.	✅ Yes.	❌ No (reset required)
Redmi 9A/9C	✅ Yes.	❌ No.	✅ Yes.

What is an unlocked bootloader?

The unlocked bootloader allows custom firmware installation and system files modification. On new Xiaomi models, it is blocked by default for security. Unlocking is officially possible through the Xiaomi website, but requires a wait of 7-15 days (depending on the model).

Method 4: Recovery Mode (with data loss)

If previous methods failed, it would be hard to reset through Recovery, which would delete all data on the phone, including photos, contacts and apps, but would unlock the device, and it works on all models, including the Xiaomi 14, Redmi Note 12 and POCO X5.

How to reset:

Turn off your phone. Press Power + Vol Up for 10-15 seconds until the Recovery menu appears.
Use volume buttons for navigation and Power to select. Choose a language (usually English or ).
Go to Wipe Data → Wipe All Data (some models call it Factory Reset).
Confirm the action and wait for the completion (it will take 2-5 minutes).
Select Reboot to System to restart.

Important: After the reset, the phone may require you to enter data from the Mi Account that was previously linked. If you do not remember the username / password, contact Xiaomi Support to restore access.

⚠️ Attention: On models with MIUI 13/14 and a Snapdragon chip 8 Gen 1/2 (for example, Xiaomi 12S Ultra, Redmi K60) After the reset, the protection may be activated. FRP (Factory Reset Protection: This will require input from the last synchronized Google account.

💡

Before resetting via Recovery, remove SIM-card and memory card (if any) this will speed up the process and reduce the risk of data corruption on external media.

Method 5: Hardware reset (if nothing helps)

If the phone doesn’t respond to buttons, doesn’t go to Recovery, or is locked after a failed firmware, then the hardware reset through Test Point is left, a method that requires disassembling the device and is only suitable for power users or service centers.

How it works:

🔧 On the motherboard of the phone there are special contacts (Test Point), the closure of which puts the device in mode. EDL (Emergency Download Mode).
💻 In this mode, you can flash a clean version through your computer and the Mi Flash Tool program. MIUI.
⚠️ Risks: Mistakes can put your phone out of action (damage the board or capacitive screen).

For which models is this method relevant?

📱 Xiaomi Mi 9/9T/10 — points are located under the battery.
📱 Redmi Note 8/9 Pro – contacts near the charging connector.
📱 POCO X3/F3 — Removal of the back cover is required.

If you are not sure about your skills, you should contact the service center. The cost of hardware reset in official Xiaomi centers is 1,500-3,000 rubles (2026).

💡

Hardware reset is a last resort, only use it if the phone is not fully responding or locked at the bootloader level (for example, after a failed firmware update).

What to do after unlocking?

After successfully removing the lock, follow a few important steps to avoid problems in the future:

Set up a new password:

🔐 Use a combination of letters, numbers and symbols (example: X!a0mi*2026).
📲 Enable biometric authorization (fingerprint or face scan) in Settings → Password and security.
📝 Write your password to a secure location (for example, in Google Keep or a notebook).

2. Mi Account binding:

📧 If the account was not tied – do it immediately in Settings → Mi Account.
🔑 Enable two-factor authentication (SMS + email).
📱 Add a backup phone number for recovery.

Data recovery:

☁️ If the cloud backup was enabled (Settings) → The phone. → Backup, restore data from Mi Cloud.
💾 For manual recovery, use programs like Dr.Fone or Tenorshare. 4uKey (cost-effectively).

Safety check:

🛡️ Install an antivirus (such as Avast) and scan the system.
🔄 Update. MIUI Up to the latest version in Settings → Updating the system.

Frequent questions and answers

❓ Phone locked after update MIUI. What do you do?

If the lock appeared after the update (for example, from MIUI 12 to MIUI 14), try: Wait 24 hours - sometimes the system unlocks automatically after synchronization with Xiaomi servers. Sign in via Mi Account (if the phone is connected to the Internet). Recovery (see Method 4). If nothing helps, contact Xiaomi with the phone model and firmware version.

❓ Can you unlock Xiaomi without losing data?

Yes, but only if: The phone is tied to Mi Account (see Method 1). USB debugging is enabled (see Method 2). The bootloader is unlocked (see Method 3). On newer models (Xiaomi 13/14, Redmi Note 12) it is almost impossible to unlock the phone without losing data - the manufacturer has tightened protection.

❓ Buy Xiaomi with your hands and it is blocked?

If the phone is tied to someone else's Mi Account, you have 3 options: Contact the seller and ask them to delete the device from their account (instructions here). Reset via Recovery (see Method 4), but after that the phone may require the details of the old account (FRP-Contact the service center with a check of purchase - they can help unlock the device officially (cost) ~2,000 rubles. Attention: Buying phones with a Mi Account tied is risky, and Xiaomi rules that the device remains in the ownership of the previous owner until he deletes it from his account.

❓ After unlocking, the phone asks for the old password?

This means that: The reset was incorrectly performed (e.g. via Fastboot without deleting locksettings.db files). FRP-lock (requires data input from the last Google or Mi Account). Solution: Repeat the hard reset via Recovery. If you ask for Mi Account data, restore access to the previous owner's account or contact Xiaomi. FRP-Use locking tools like this GSM Flasher (requires experience).

❓ How to avoid blocking in the future?

Follow these recommendations: 🔐 Use a password manager (such as Bitwarden) to store PIN-code. 📧 Link Mi Account and enable two-factor authentication. ☁️ Regularly back up your Settings → Backup. 📱 Enable Smart Lock (unlocking to a trusted location or device) in Settings → Password and security. 🔧 Don't turn off the debugging. USB, if you work with them often ADB.