Owners of the legendary Xiaomi Redmi 4X often face the need to clean up the system completely, whether it’s due to a sale of the device, critical errors in the MIUI interface, or a desire to start from scratch after a lot of firmware experiments.
Before you start taking action, you need to realize that the process is irreversible. All your personal files, including photos, contacts and messaging history, will be destroyed. Android will return to the state it was when you first turned on your smartphone in the factory.
There are several ways to do this: through the settings menu if the phone is turned on, or through Recovery mode if the system is not booting. In this article, we will discuss each method in detail, paying special attention to the nuances of working with the MIUI shell on the Redmi 4X device.
Preparation of the device before complete reset
The first and most important step is preparation, and ignoring this step can result in you losing access to your accounts or permanently losing important family photos, and make sure you have at least 50-60% battery life, as the process of formatting the data partition is energy-intensive and power interruption can damage the file system.
Be sure to check the Mi Account and Google Account binding. Modern versions of MIUI have anti-theft protection: if you drop your phone without untidying your accounts, the next activation will require a password from the previous owner, which can be a serious problem if you plan to sell the gadget.
- 📸 Back up photos and videos to your computer or cloud storage (Google Photos, Mi Cloud).
- 📞 Export contacts to SIM-Map or save them to your Google profile so they can automatically recover.
- 🔑 Remember the passwords from Mi Account and Google, as well as the key or PIN-screen-lock.
- 📱 Remove the microSD card if it is installed so that external files are not accidentally formatted.
⚠️ Note: If two-factor authentication is enabled on the device, make sure you have access to a phone number or backup code, as a sign-in confirmation may be required after the reset.
☑️ Checklist before reset
Method 1: Reset via the settings menu (standard method)
The easiest and most secure option is available if your Xiaomi Redmi 4X is functioning normally and you can get into the main menu.This method is preferred for most users, since the interface is completely Russified and clear.
In the settings menu, scroll down to Advanced Settings (in some versions of MIUI it may simply be called Additional). This is where the system management functions are hidden. Find Recovery and Reset and click on it. The system will alert you that all data will be deleted.
The screen will display a Reset button (or Clear all data) and then you will need to confirm the action by entering a pattern lock or digital password if installed, and the process will take a few minutes, after which the device will restart and the welcome screen will prompt you to select a language.
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If the phone is slow, try to simply clear the app cache in the Memory section before reset, this can temporarily speed up the work without losing data.
Method 2: Hard Reset with Recovery Mode
If the smartphone is not loading, getting stuck on the MI logo or you forgot the password to unlock the screen, you will have to use Recovery mode. To log in on the Redmi 4X turned off, you need to press the volume button and the power button at the same time. Hold them until the logo appears, then release.
In the Recovery menu, you can navigate with volume buttons (up/down), and the power button confirms the choice. You need to find Wipe Data or Clear Data. In the new versions of Recovery, you first select the language (English), then the Wipe All Data item.
Once confirmed, the formatting process will begin. Unlike resetting through settings, there is no option to selectively delete, this method completely ignores the screen lock, but does not remove the binding to the Mi Account without a password. Wait for the message of successful completion and select Reboot.
| Parameter | Reset via Settings | Hard Reset (Recovery) |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | Only with a working system | It works even when the loading fails. |
| Difficulty | Low (interface) | Medium (button navigation) |
| Deletion of data | Complete. | Complete. |
| Screen password circumvention | Impossible without knowing the password | Possible (data deleted) |
What happens if Recovery does not open?
Delete Google and Mi Account
Special attention should be paid to accounts. Android has a mechanism for FRP (Factory Reset Protection), if you reset your phone without first deleting your Google account in the settings, when you turn on it, it will require you to enter a password from the last synchronized mailbox.
Similar to the Xiaomi ecosystem, go to Settings → Mi Account. At the bottom of the screen will be the exit button. The system will require you to enter a password to confirm, only after successfully logging out of both accounts can you reset without the risk of getting a locked device.
If you buy a used Redmi 4X and see a request for the password of the previous owner, you can not return the settings yourself - this is protection against theft.
Possible problems and solutions
Unforeseen circumstances can occur during the reset process, such as the phone may freeze during the MI logo phase or reboot cyclically, often due to damage to system files or lack of space for temporary operation files.
If the phone doesn't turn on for more than 10-15 minutes after reset, try to perform a forced reboot by holding the power button for 15-20 seconds. In rare cases, you need to flash the device through your computer using the Mi Flash Tool utility.
Users also sometimes experience a “failure to restore factory settings” error, which may indicate a physical malfunction of the device’s flash memory, requiring a service center to replace components.
⚠️ Warning: Do not interrupt the reset process, even if it seems to be frozen. Interrupting the data record can lead to a complete failure of the smartphone (brick).
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Cyclical reboot after reset is most often solved by completely flashing through the computer, since a software failure could affect critical parts of the system.
Initial adjustment after reset
Once you've completed the procedure, you'll see a welcome screen. Select a language, connect to a Wi-Fi network. The system will offer to restore data from a backup if you've previously created it in the Google or Mi Cloud cloud.
It is recommended not to restore all applications at once “wholesale”, but to install them again from Google Play, which will avoid returning potentially damaged or conflicting cache files of old programs that could have caused problems before reset.
Set up your fingerprint and face to unlock, update apps through the store and check the basic features: calls, internet and cameras. Your Xiaomi Redmi 4X is ready for action again.