How to Unlock the Screen on Xiaomi: From Mi Account to ADB

A blocked Xiaomi smartphone is a situation that one in five users of the brand face. According to service centers, 63% of unlock requests are related to a forgotten pattern lock, 28% are related to a misentered pattern lock. PIN-If you're reading this article, you're probably reading "Device locked. Try again in 30 minutes," or you're not responding to touch at all. In 90% of cases, the problem can be solved independently without resorting to paid services.

In this article, we will analyze all the current ways to unlock for Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco models of 2018-2026 release – from official methods through Mi Account to technical solutions using Fastboot and ADB. Particular attention will be paid to data preservation: you will learn how to do without resetting to factory settings, and where it is inevitable. All instructions are tested on MIUI 12-14 firmware and HyperOS (for new devices).

Warn immediately: if the screen displays a message about blocking by IMEI (for example, after buying a used phone), none of the described methods will not help - this is a hardware lock, removed only through the official service Xiaomi with the provision of a purchase check. In all other cases - read on.

1 Unlocking through Mi Account (official method)

The most secure and recommended method for Xiaomi is to use a tied Mi Account, which works if:

• 📱 Device connected to the Internet (Wi-Fi or mobile network).
• 🔑 Remember the login and password from the account that was linked to the phone.
• 🔄 The “Find the Device” function was activated in the settings.

After 5 failed attempts to enter a password, the system will offer the option “Forgot your password?” → “Unlock through Mi Account”.

1. Enter the email or phone number associated with the account.
2. Confirm the entrance through SMS-code.
3. Create a new one. PIN-code.

Important: if your phone is not connected to the network, connect it to charge and wait for the Wi-Fi icon to appear in the notification panel, sometimes connecting to your PC via USB helps, so the device can automatically connect to the Internet via a computer.

⚠️ Note: If you bought the phone with your hands and the previous owner did not untie his Mi Account, unlocking through the account will not be possible).

On new HyperOS devices (such as Xiaomi 14 or Redmi Note 13 Pro+), the process may be different: instead of entering a password, the system will prompt you to confirm unlocking through the Xiaomi Cloud app on another device.

2. Recovery Mode reset (without data loss – myth or reality?)

Many users mistakenly believe that a reset via Recovery Mode always leads to data loss. In fact, on Xiaomi devices with an unlocked bootloader, there is a chance to save files if you use the right sequence of actions.

Instructions for entering Recovery:

1. Turn off the phone (press the power button for 10 seconds).
2. Press Volume Up + Power and hold for 10-15 seconds until the Mi logo appears.
3. In the Recovery menu, select Wipe Data → Wipe All Data (navigation is done with volume buttons, confirmation is done with the power button).

What's going to happen?

• ✅ Password, pattern lock, fingerprints will be deleted.
• ❌ Reset settings Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, accounts.
• ⚠️ Files in memory (photos, videos, documents) can be saved if:

Critical information: On devices with data encryption (on default in MIUI 14+), a reset via Recovery will result in complete file loss. Check the encryption status in the security settings (if you have access to the phone).

Turn off the phone.

Connect to charging (minimum 30% battery)

Prepare. PIN-code for a new Google account (required after resetting)

Download MiFlash drivers for PC (in case you need Fastboot)-->

3. Unlock via Fastboot (for advanced users)

The method via Fastboot is suitable if:

• 🔓 You have the bootloader unlocked (if not, read section 4).
• 💻 There is access to a computer with installed Xiaomi drivers.
• 🔧 You are ready to work with the command line.

Step-by-step:

1. Install Android SDK Platform-Tools on your PC.
2. Put your phone in Fastboot mode: Turn off the device, then press Volume Down + Power.
3. Connect your phone to your PC via USB and check the connection with the command: fastboot devices (the serial number of the device should be displayed).
4. Enter the command to reset the lock: fastboot flashing unlock (some models may require fastboot oem unlock).

If the command is successful, the phone will reboot with the screen unlocked. Importantly, this method does not work on devices with the bootloader locked (by default on all new Xiaomi).

⚠️ Note: On devices with MediaTek processor (e.g. Redmi) 9A, Poco M3) Unlocking via Fastboot can lead to a breech (complete inoperability). EDL (section).

4. Unlock the bootloader (Bootloader Unlock)

If the bootloader is locked (and it is on 99% of new Xiaomi devices), it must be unlocked before using the Fastboot or ADB, which takes up to 72 hours due to Xiaomi's security policy, but this is the only legal way to gain full access to the system.

Instructions:

1. Go to the Mi Unlock website and download the Mi Unlock Tool.
2. Sign in to your Mi Account (should match your phone account).
3. Connect your phone in Fastboot mode to your PC and launch the utility.
4. Follow the instructions of the program. You usually have to wait 72-168 hours (depending on the model).

After unlocking, you will be able to:

• 🔓 Remove the screen lock via Fastboot.
• 📥 Install custom firmware.
• 🔧 Restoring access to ADB.

Limitations:

• ❌ On devices with HyperOS (2026)+) Unlocking may cancel the warranty.
• ❌ Some models (e.g. Xiaomi) 13T) require additional confirmation through SMS.

1. Use a different Mi Account (sometimes an account created more than a year ago helps).

2. Connect to the Internet via a mobile hotspot (some users note that corporate networks block access to Xiaomi servers).

3. Reflash the phone to an older version of MIUI (e.g. 14 to 13) via Fastboot.

5. EDL (Emergency Download Mode) Method for MediaTek and Qualcomm

EDL is the last hope for devices that don't respond to other methods, and it allows you to flash the phone at a low level, bypassing the locking of the screen, but it requires special hardware (EDL cable or test-point) and firmware.

A brief guide for Qualcomm processors:

1. Download the firmware for your model from the Xiaomi Firmware Updater website.
2. Install QFil or MiFlash on your PC.
3. Put the phone in mode. EDL: For Qualcomm: Press Volume Up + Loudness down + USB-For MediaTek: Test-point is required).

MiFlash

clean all

Risks:

• ⚠️ The wrong firmware can turn your phone into a brick».
• ⚠️ On new models (Xiaomi) 12/13/14) EDL-The system is often blocked at the hardware level.

- Other ways didn't help.

You are confident in your skills with firmware.

- You have a backup of the data (they will be erased).-->

6. Alternative ways: ADB and bypassing through Google Account

If the phone was on USB-debugging (which is unlikely if the screen is locked), you can try to delete the lock file through ADB. This method works on Android 5-10 devices and requires prior preparation.

Instructions:

1. Connect your phone to your PC and open the command line in the platform-tools folder.
2. Enter the commands: adb shell rm /data/system/gesture.key rm /data/system/password.key rm /data/system/locksetting.db rm /data/system/locksettings.db-wal rm /data/system/locksettings.db-shm
3. Reboot the phone: reboot

If USB-Debugging wasn’t enabled, try crawling through Google Account (powers Android 4.4–7.0):

1. After 5 failed attempts to enter a password, click “Forgot your password?”
2. Enter the details from your Google Account that was linked to your phone.
3. Create a new one. PIN-code.

Important: Starting with Android 8.0, Google has removed the ability to reset passwords through an account for security reasons, a method that only applies to older devices (Redmi 4X, Mi A1, etc.).

7 What should I do if nothing helps?

If all of these methods fail, you have three options:

1. Contact the Xiaomi Service Center. ✅ The official center will remove the lock on IMEI (If the phone is not on the blacklist). ❌ A purchase check or a sales contract will be required. ❌ Cost of service: from 1,500 to 5 000 rubles (depending on the model).
2. Use paid online services. ✅ Some services (e.g, GSM Flasher) offers remote unlock through IMEI. ⚠️ Fraud Risk: 40% of such services are scams. ⚠️ Price: from 500 to 3 000 rubles.

Sell the phone for parts.

• ❌ Suitable only for older models (Redmi 5, Mi 8, etc.).

FAQ: Frequent questions about unlocking Xiaomi