How to remove parental controls on Xiaomi: from password reset to ADB-team

Introduction: Why Standard Shutdowns Don't Always Work

Parental controls on Xiaomi devices (including Redmi, POCO and Black Shark) are not just a content restriction feature, but a whole host of secure mechanisms integrated into the MIUI shell. Many users are faced with a situation where standard disconnection through settings is not possible: the system requires a password that is forgotten or does not respond to changes at all, the reasons can be different from a failure in the Family Link to blocking at the Mi Account level.

In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to remove parental control, from the simplest (reset via settings) to advanced (using ADB and engineering menus).

• 🔐 Forgot the password from parental control or Mi Account
• 📱 The device is locked after the update MIUI (for example, before the version 14/15)
• 👤 Parental control activated by the previous owner (when buying a used phone)
• 🚫 The function "Request password when changing settings" is included in Settings → Special opportunities

Important: some methods require superuser rights (root) or access to the developer mode. If you are not sure about your actions, it is better to contact the Xiaomi service center - improper manipulation can lead to complete loss of data or a "brick" of the device.

Method 1: Standard shutdown via MIUI settings

If you have access to the parental control password or Mi Account from which the feature was activated, try to disable restrictions in the standard way.This method works on most Xiaomi devices running MIUI 12-15 (including Redmi Note 10/11/12, POCO X3/X4/X5, Mi 11/12/13).

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Parental Controls.
2. Enter your password (if requested).
3. Go to the Restrictions Management section.
4. Click Disable Parental Controls and confirm the action.

If there is no "parental control" item on the menu, check:

• 🔍 Section Settings → Google → Parental Controls (if you use Google Family Link)
• 🔍 Settings → Accounts. → Mi Account → Family access
• 🔍 In the search for settings, enter "parent" - sometimes the item is hidden in non-obvious sections.

⚠️ Note: On some firmware (for example, MIUI Global Stable for the European region) Parental controls can be linked to a Google Account, in which case you can only disable it via families.google.com from your computer.

Method 2: Reset password through Mi Account (if linked account)

If parental controls are activated through Mi Account and the password is lost, you can restore access through the official Xiaomi service, which is suitable for devices where control is tied to the account, and not to the local password.

Step-by-step:

1. Go to account.xiaomi.com from your computer or other device.
2. Sign in with the same account that is used on the locked phone.
3. In the Security → Devices section, find your smartphone.
4. Click Remove the device (this will reset the parental control binding).
5. On the phone, reboot and check for restrictions in Settings → Applications.

If this method does not work, try:

• 📧 Restore the password from Mi Account through email/phone (button "Forgot your password?" on the site).
• 🔄 Untie your account through Settings → Accounts. → Mi Account → Delete your account (password entry required).
• 📞 Contact Xiaomi with proof of ownership of the device (checks, box).

Method 3: Use the Engineering Menu (#4636##)

On some Xiaomi devices (especially older versions of MIUI 9-11), parental controls can be bypassed through an engineering menu, which does not require root rights, but does not work on all firmware.

Instructions:

1. Open the Phone app and enter the combination: ##4636##.
2. In the menu that opens, select Phone Information (or Usage Statistics).
3. Scroll down and find Parental Controls or Restrictions.
4. Click Reset Settings or Disable.
5. Reset the device.

If the combination doesn’t work, try alternative codes:

• 📱 ##7780## - Reset settings (does not delete data, but can remove restrictions).
• 📱 ##3646633## — Engineering menu for MediaTek processors (works on Redmi) 9A/9C/10A).
• 📱 ##2664## - Sensor test (sometimes containing hidden settings).

⚠️ Note: Entering engineering codes on devices with MIUI 13+ This can cause you to reset your regional settings (e.g. from Global to China). → Additionally. → Backup.

Method 4: Bypass ADB (for advanced users)

If the standard methods do not help, and you have access to the developer mode and USB-You can try to disable parental control via Android Debug Bridge (ADB). This method is suitable for Xiaomi based on Android 10-14 and requires a computer with installed Mi drivers. PC Suite.

Step-by-step:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone. Press 7 times on MIUI Version. Return to Settings → Additional → Developer. Enable USB Debugging.

Connect the phone to your computer and confirm the debugging permission.

ADB Tools

Command line.

Terminal

adb shell


pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.guardprovider




pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.android.providers.settings




settings put global parental_controls_enabled 0

Reset the device.

If the restrictions remain after the reboot, try additional commands:

• 🖥️ adb shell am force-stop com.miui.guardprovider - forced stop of control service.
• 🖥️ adb shell pm clear com.miui.guardprovider – cleaning up application data.
• 🖥️ adb shell settings delete global parental_controls — removal of global settings.

⚠️ Note: pm uninstall commands remove system applications, which can lead to unstable operation MIUI. After you do it, check the health of Settings and Google Play. In extreme cases, you will need to reset to factory settings.

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If ADB does not recognize the device, install Xiaomi USB Driver drivers from the official website or use the Mi Flash Tool for forced installation.

Method 5: Hard Reset (complete reset)

If all the previous methods didn't work, the most radical way is to completely reset your device, which will remove all the data from your device, including parental controls, but also delete:

• 📸 Photos, videos and music (unless saved in the cloud).
• 📱 Contacts, SMS, call-in.
• 🎮 Installed applications and their data.
• 🔑 Passwords from Wi-Fi and accounts.

How to make a Hard Reset:

1. Turn off the device.
2. Press the Power button + Volume up at the same time (on some models – Volume down).
3. Wait for the Mi logo to appear and release the buttons – you will be in Recovery mode.
4. Use volume buttons for navigation and power button for selection.
5. Select Wipe Data → Wipe All Data (on some firmwares – Factory Reset).
6. Confirm the action and wait for the process to be completed.
7. Reboot the device (Reboot System).

Important: on devices with a locked bootloader, after a reset, you may need to re-authorize to Mi Account. If you do not remember your account information, the phone will turn into a “brick” (will not turn on without linking to the original account).

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Before Hard Reset, you must remove it. SIM-Card and memory card – they can be password protected after reset.

Alternative methods (if nothing helps)

If none of the above methods worked, consider the following options:

1. Update/Return firmware through Fastboot

On some devices, parental controls go off after flashing.

• 🖥️ Download the official firmware for your model from the Xiaomi Firmware website.
• 🖥️ Use the Mi Flash Tool to install via Fastboot mode.
• 🔄 Select the Clean All option (complete cleaning).

2. Contact the Xiaomi Service Center

If the device is warranty or you do not risk to carry out manipulations yourself, contact the official service. To confirm ownership you will need:

• 📄 Check or guarantee card.
• 📦 Original box with serial number.
• 🆔 Passport of the owner.

3. Use of third-party utilities (at your own risk)

There are programs like Mi Account Unlock Tool or Xiaomi Tool V2 that promise to reset parental controls.

• ⚠️ 90% of these utilities contain viruses or spyware.
• ⚠️ They can disrupt their work. DRM-Keys (for example, for Netflix) HD Widevine L1).
• ⚠️ The warranty on the device will be cancelled.

FAQ: Frequent questions about removing parental controls