How to go into safe mode on the phone Xiaomi: 5 working ways

Safe Mode on Xiaomi smartphones is a diagnostic tool that helps identify causes of crashes when the phone starts to brake, spontaneously restart or issue errors. In this mode, the MIUI operating system starts with a minimum set of drivers and without third-party applications, which allows you to determine whether problems are caused by a software conflict or hardware malfunction.

If your Redmi, POCO, or Xiaomi 13/14 flagship model is not stable — for example, the message “App is stopped” constantly appears or the screen flickers — entering Safe Mode is the first step to solving the problem. However, many users do not know how to activate it, especially if the phone does not respond to touch. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to log into Safe Mode on Xiaomi in 2026, including methods for locked and brick devices.

What is a Safe Mode on Xiaomi and Why You Need It

Safe Mode is a special Android boot mode in which the system ignores all user applications and downloads only the basic components of MIUI.

• 🔍 Identify conflicting applications (for example, if the phone overheats only after installing a specific program).
• 🛠️ Remove malware that blocks access to settings.
• 📱 Diagnose hardware problems (if failures persist in Safe Mode, the fault is "iron»).
• 🔄 Prepare the device to reset if it does not respond to standard commands.

It is important to understand that in safe mode Xiaomi will be disabled:

• 🚫 All third-party apps (including Google Play, instant messengers, games).
• 🔕 Desktop widgets.
• 📶 Some communication functions (such as Wi-Fi Direct or Bluetooth) LE).

But the basic features -- calls, SMS, camera (in limited mode) and access to settings -- will still work, and if the problem disappears after you log in to Safe Mode, it's one of the apps you installed, and if it doesn't, you'll have to check the hardware or reflash the device.

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 10 Pro) POCO X3 Pro) when entering safe mode, touch input may be turned off. In this case, use hardware buttons (Volume) +/Volume -) for navigation on the menu.

Method 1: Enter through power and volume buttons (for working phones)

This is the most versatile method, which works on 90% of Xiaomi models, including Redmi 9/10/11, POCO F3/F4, Xiaomi 12/13/14 and older devices on MIUI 12-14.

Sequence of action:

1. Turn off the phone with a long press on the Power button (or through the Settings menu → About Phone → Turn off).
2. After completely turning off the screen, press and hold the Power button.
3. As soon as the MI or POCO logo appears on the screen, without releasing Power, press and hold the Volume – (Loudness decrease) button.
4. Hold both buttons until the bottom left corner of the screen says Safe mode (usually 5-10 seconds).

If done correctly, the phone will boot in Safe Mode, and you will see a gray “Safe Mode” at the bottom of the screen (on some firmware, in the corner).

Make sure that the bottom of the screen is marked "Safe Mode"|Check the absence of third-party apps in the menu|Try to start the camera (should work in limited mode)|Open the settings - they should be available-->

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI 14 and newer (e.g. Xiaomi) 13T Holding Volume: This can trigger the Fastboot menu. If it does, release the buttons and try again, clamping Volume - only after the logo appears.

Method 2: Activate via the reboot menu (for MIUI 12–14)

If your Xiaomi is still responsive to touch, but is unstable, you can enter Safe Mode via the standard reboot menu, which is suitable for models with MIUI 12 and later, including the POCO X5, Redmi K50 and Xiaomi 12 Lite.

Instructions:

1. Press and hold the Power button until the off menu appears.
2. Touch and hold your finger on the Turn Off option (or Reset if you have one).
3. In 2-3 seconds, a pop-up will appear asking you to go to Safe Mode. Press OK.
4. The phone will automatically reboot and log in to Safe Mode.

This method is convenient because it does not require remembering button combinations. However, some firmware (e.g. Xiaomi.eu) may not have the option.

Redmi (Series Note, A, 9/10/11)|POCO (F, X, M)|Xiaomi (digital series) 11/12/13/14)|Another brand-->

Method 3: Through ADB (for advanced users)

If the physical buttons on your Xiaomi don’t work (for example, after a drop or moisture), and the touch screen refuses to respond, you can activate Safe Mode via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires pre-configuring the debugging over USB, so it is only suitable for those who have already turned it on.

What you need:

• 🖥️ A computer with installed Xiaomi drivers and ADB (You can download from the official Android website).
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).
• ⚙️ Included debugging by USB in the phone settings (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times to unlock the developer menu, then Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB).

Instructions:

1. Connect the phone to the PC via USB.


2. Open the command prompt (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) in the folder with ADB.




3. Enter the command:




adb devices




(The name of your device should appear).




4. Run the command to reboot in Safe Mode:




adb shell reboot safe




5. the phone will automatically restart in safe mode.

If the adb shell reboot safe command doesn’t work, try the alternative:

adb shell su -c "setprop persist.sys.safemode 1"


adb reboot

⚠️ Attention: Use ADB It requires a superuser's permission to root on some firmware, and if the command returns a permission denied error, your device is not rooted, and this method will not work.

Method 4: For locked phones (if you don't know the pattern lock)

If you have forgotten your password or pattern lock and your Xiaomi phone is locked, logging into Safe Mode can only help you bypass locking in one case – if you previously enabled your Mi Account account and your phone is connected to the Internet.

How to proceed:

1. Turn off the phone with a long press on Power + Volume + (if it does not respond to a standard shutdown).
2. Press Power and as soon as the MI logo appears, hold Volume to enter Safe Mode.
3. After downloading, try unlocking the screen through your Mi Account account (if you have mobile internet or Wi-Fi).
4. If unlocking fails, go to Settings → Password and Security and reset the pattern lock (confirmation via SMS or email will be required).

Important: This method does not work on data encryption devices (on MIUI 12+ by default).If the phone requires you to enter a password after you log in to Safe Mode and you do not remember it, then only a full reset via Fastboot (with loss of data) will remain.

💡

If your phone is locked and not included in Safe Mode, try plugging it into a 10- to 15-minute charger, sometimes a battery that is dead blocks access to diagnostic modes.

Method 5: Forced Entry through Recovery (for Bricks)

If your Xiaomi has turned into a brick (it doesn’t turn on, it’s stuck on the logo or it’s constantly rebooting), you can try entering Safe Mode via Recovery Mode, which is suitable for devices with damaged firmware but a workloader.

Instructions:

1. Turn off the phone (if it doesn’t respond, press down Power + Volume + for 15-20 seconds).
2. Press and hold Power + Volume + until the Fastboot menu (Android robot with an open belly) appears.
3. With the help of volume buttons, select Recovery Mode and confirm the choice with the Power button.
4. From the Recovery menu, select Reboot to Safe Mode (if you don’t have that option, try Apply update from ADB, then connect your phone to your PC and follow the adb shell reboot safe command).

If the Recovery menu is in English or Chinese, focus on the icons:

• 🔄 Reboot - reboot.
• 📱 Reboot to Safe Mode – Safe Mode.
• 🔧 Wipe Data – Resetting (only applicable if other methods fail).

⚠️ Note: If you do not have Safe Mode option in the Recovery menu, do not choose Wipe Data unless absolutely necessary - this will lead to complete data loss (photos, contacts, messages).

How to get out of Safe Mode on Xiaomi

To get back to normal, you just need to restart your phone, but sometimes Safe Mode can get stuck, for example, if you interrupt the upgrade process or have a firmware failure, in which case, try the following methods:

• 🔄 Standard Reboot: Press the Power button, select Reboot.
• 🔋 Forced reboot: Squeeze Power + Loudness + 10-15 seconds until the phone turns off and starts loading again.
• 📱 Through Settings: Go to Settings → The phone. → Reboot.
• 💻 Through ADB: Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command: Adb shell reboot normal.

If the safe mode is activated spontaneously at each boot, this may indicate:

• 🛠️ Damage to system files (reflashing required).
• 🔋 Loudness button malfunction (the phone thinks it is clamped).
• 📲 Conflict with custom recaveri (for example, TWRP).

💡

If the phone is constantly loading into Safe Mode, check the physical condition of the volume buttons, often because they stick or oxidize after moisture hits.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When trying to get into safe mode, Xiaomi users often face typical problems, and here are the most common ones and ways to solve them:

If none of these methods worked, you may have kernel-level security turned off on your device (which happens on some custom firmware), in which case you just have to scroll your phone through Fastboot or go to a service center.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions