Users of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones often face situations where they need to unlock the screen, which can be caused by a forgotten pattern lock, a system failure, or a simple desire to remove unnecessary steps when unlocking the device. Modern MIUI and HyperOS shells offer several layers of protection, and understanding their structure is critical to successfully solving the problem.
If you just forgot the code but remember the data from the Mi Account, the process of recovering access will take a few minutes. However, if the device is bought from hand and blocked by the previous owner, or if the password was set by a child, the situation requires deeper intervention in the system files. In any case, it is important to act consistently so that personal data is not lost forever.
In this guide, we’ll look at all the current ways to unseat protection, from standard shutdowns in the settings menu to hardcore resets through the Recovery engineering menu. We’ll also discuss the nuances of working with cloud locking, which often becomes an insurmountable obstacle for inexperienced users.
Standard disabling password through settings
The easiest and safest way to remove a password is to use a regular smartphone menu, which only works if you remember the current unlock code or pattern lock. Android security requires proof of identity before making changes to the lock screen settings.
To start, go to your device’s settings section. Find passwords and security (older versions of MIUI may simply call it “Block and Protect”) and display all active authentication methods: fingerprint, face, PIN or graphical pattern.
Click on the active lock type, such as the pattern lock, and the system will ask you to enter the current code, and after you enter successfully, the control menu will appear where you select the "Disable" option, which will completely remove the protection when you turn on the screen.
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Before disabling your password, make sure that the phone doesn’t have two-factor authorization set up for important banking apps, as they may require a screen lock to work.
It is worth noting that once the password is disabled, all biometric data (fingerprints and facial data) will be automatically deleted from the device’s memory for security reasons, and you will have to reconfigure it if you decide to return protection later.
Using a Mi Account to Reset Protection
If you've forgotten your password, but your smartphone is connected to the Internet, you can try the "Forgot Password" feature, which appears on the lock screen after several failed attempts to enter, and is directly linked to your Mi Account, which is the owner's primary ID.
When you click on the appropriate button, the system will redirect you to the authorization page or send you SMS-A successful authorization will allow you to reset the current access key and install a new one or remove it altogether.
- 🔑 Enter the wrong password 5 times until the waiting timer appears.
- 📱 Click on the “Forgot Password” or “Forgot the pattern lock” button in the bottom corner of the screen.
- 🌐 Enter the login and password from your Mi Account or code from SMS.
- 🔄 Create a new code or confirm the removal of protection.
It is important to understand that this method does not work on all firmware versions, and in the latest HyperOS updates and the latest MIUI 14, this button may be missing for reasons of increased security, in which case only a complete data reset remains.
Recovery Mode (Hard Reset)
When standard methods fail, the only option is to force the reset to factory settings, a process that completely clears the device’s internal memory by deleting all photos, contacts, and apps, but with them, the forgotten password disappears.
To enter recovery mode, turn off your smartphone. Then press the volume button and the power button at the same time. Hold them until the Mi or Redmi logo appears, then release the power button, while continuing to keep the volume.
In the menu that appears, you can navigate with volume buttons (up and down), and the choice is confirmed by the power button. You need to find the Wipe Data item and select Wipe All Data. The system will warn you about loss of information - confirm the action by selecting Confirm.
☑️ Preparation for Hard Reset
⚠️ Warning: Once reset, the phone will require you to enter a password from the Mi Account that was previously synced to the device. This is anti-theft protection, which can not be circumvented by a simple reset.
The formatting process can take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes depending on the amount of memory, and once completed, the phone will reboot and you will see the screen of the initial setup, as if you just bought the device in a store.
Delete passwords via computer and ADB
For advanced users, there is a method of deleting a file with keys through debugging by USB. This method only works if the phone has previously enabled the function. USB debugging (Debugging by debugging) USB) Without this permission, the computer won't have access to the system folders.
You'll need a PC, USB-cable and installed drivers ADB. Connect your smartphone to your computer and start the command line. If the connection is successful, input of the adb device command will show the serial number of your device.
adb shell rm /data/system/gesture.key
adb shell rm /data/system/password.keyThese commands delete files that store the hashes of the pattern lock and PIN code, and once executed, it is easy to restart the device, but if the phone has complex disk protection or encryption, the system can request a password immediately after the reboot, ignoring the deletion of files.
Why might the ADB method not work?
Also, newer versions of MIUI often block access to these partitions via ADB, so it should be considered more as an auxiliary option for older models or custom firmware.
Comparison of Unlocking Methods
The choice of how to remove a password depends on your specific situation: whether you remember the code, whether you have access to the account and whether you are willing to sacrifice data. Below is a table that will help determine the best solution.
| Method | Data retention | We need the Internet. | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Through settings | Yes. | No. | Low. |
| Mi Account. | Yes. | Yes. | Medium |
| Recovery (Dumping) | No. | No. | Low. |
| ADB team | Yes. | No. | Tall. |
As you can see from the table, a full reset via Recovery is the most reliable, but also the most painful method due to file loss. Data retention methods only work when certain circumstances, such as active debugging or knowing an old password, converge.
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If the data on the phone is critical and none of the soft methods does not help, it is better to contact a specialized service where you can try to save information when flashing.
Mi Cloud Lock and Google Account
After resetting, you may be faced with an activation screen where the device requires you to enter a password from an account that was previously synced: This is Google’s Find My Device protection and Xiaomi’s similar Mi Cloud system.
If you owned the phone, just enter your data, and if the device was bought by hand and the previous owner didn't untie it from his account, it's almost impossible to unlock it legally, and it's done specifically to make the stolen phones useless to attackers.
In some cases, it helps to contact official Xiaomi support with a check of purchase. By providing proof of ownership, you can ask employees to untie the device from someone else's cloud. Without a check, the chances of success are minimal.
⚠️ Note: Using third-party services to bypass Mi Cloud Lock (called Bypass) is often temporary.
Owners should always remember the importance of logging out before selling or transferring a device. Simply resetting is not enough – you need to pre-remove the device from the list of trusted in the web version of the Mi Cloud.