How to remove This Device is Locked on Xiaomi: The Complete Guide

The mysterious message This Device Is Locked on the screen of a Xiaomi smartphone often takes the owner by surprise. Instead of the usual desktop, you see a lock warning that prevents you from fully using the device, which can occur after flashing, resetting to factory settings or when you try to activate the used phone.

The MIUI and HyperOS security system tightly ties your device to your Mi Account, a theft protection mechanism known as FRP, or Factory Reset Protection, which means that if you forget your account password or buy your phone from your hands, it treats your actions as an attempt to gain unauthorized access.

In this article, we will discuss in detail the causes of blocking and propose current methods for its elimination. You will learn how to legally untie the device, what tools exist for resetting protection and what to do is absolutely not worth it, so as not to turn a smartphone into a “brick”.

Reasons for the notification of blocking

The main reason for this Device Is Locked is to desynchronize data on Xiaomi servers and in the device memory. When you reset your device via Recovery, but do not log out beforehand, the phone requires proof of ownership when you activate it the next time.

The second common case is buying the device with hands. The previous owner could not untie the gadget from his Mi Cloud. Even after formatting, the phone's memory stores a unique anchor ID. Without entering the original username and password, access to the system will be limited.

The third reason is the firmware bugs, and if you're trying to install global firmware on a Chinese version of a smartphone (or vice versa) without first unlocking the Bootloader, the security system can lock the device, and you can lock it when you use modified versions of the software.

⚠️ Warning: If you bought a phone with your hands and it is locked, contact the seller. Without its data, unlocking may not be possible by legal methods, and the device will remain useless.

Legal way to unlock through Mi Account

The easiest and safest way to do this is to use the account holder's data, so if you have your phone and you've forgotten your password, don't panic, you'll need Internet access and a device to log in to your account.

Go to the official mi.com or i.mi.com website, enter the phone number or email used to register on the locked smartphone, and the system will suggest that you restore access via SMS or backup mail.

After restoring the password, follow the following steps:

• 📱 Enable blocked Xiaomi and connect to Wi-Fi.
• 🔐 Enter the reset password from Mi Account in the activation field.
• 🔄 Wait for the server to verify the data and successfully unlock.

If you sold your phone but forgot to delete your account, do the same remotely. Go to the cloud, select the device in the list, and click "Delete from your account." This will remove the FRP lock.

Difficult cases: Reset via Fastboot and Mi Flash

When standard methods don't help, users often turn to flashing through Fastboot mode.This method requires a PC, USB-However, it is worth remembering: if the bootloader is blocked, the official firmware will not stand up, and custom can cause a lock error.

To work, you will need an authorized Mi Account with developer rights (to unlock BL) or the use of specialized service accounts (which is a gray area).

1. Download the official firmware for your model in.tgz format.
2. Unpack the archive and open Mi Flash.
3. Transfer the phone to Fastboot mode (clamping Volume Down + Power).
4. Select the Clean All option to erase the anchor data.

It's important to understand the difference between bootloader statuses. If a Locked lock is on the Fastboot status bar, you can't flash anything but the original signature software. Any attempts to tamper with it will result in an error or an endless download cycle.

Use of ADB and Command Line

For advanced users, there is a method of removing lock files via USB debugging, which works if the phone is debugging mode, but it is locked by the activation screen, you will need the ADB Drivers package and a minimum set of tools.

Connect your smartphone to your computer. Open the command line in the ADB folder and type in a command to check the connection:

adb devices

If the device is displayed, you can try to delete the files responsible for Google and Xiaomi accounts.

adb shell rm /data/system/users/0/accounts.db


adb shell rm /data/system/users/0/accounts.db-journal

Once you have completed the commands, you need to restart the device, which in some versions of MIUI allows you to skip the welcome screen, but on newer versions of Android, FRP protection has become much stricter, and simply removing databases may not work.

💡

Use only verified ADB builds from official sources or GitHub repositories to avoid PC infection with viruses.

Comparison of Unlocking Methods

The choice of method depends on your situation, technical background and device status, and below is a table that helps you determine the best way to solve the problem.

As you can see from the table, the official Mi Account website remains the only guaranteed way that does not require deep technical knowledge and does not carry risks of system damage.

Typical errors and precautions

When trying to unblock a block, users often make mistakes that make things worse, most commonly downloading dubious unlockers from unverified sources, often containing malicious code or simply being fake.

Another mistake is the multiple misentry of a password, which Xiaomi’s security system can temporarily block the ability to enter data for 24 hours or more, in which case it is only necessary to wait.

It is also dangerous to interrupt the firmware process. If you have started updating with Mi Flash, do not turn off the cable or turn off the computer until the success message appears.

⚠️ Warning: Do not try to reflash the phone if the battery is under 50%.Sudden power outage while writing firmware is fatal to the device.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

💡

The best lock protection is to always log out of your Mi Cloud account before selling or resetting your phone.