How to get out of Main Menu on Xiaomi Redmi 8A: 5 working methods

The Xiaomi Redmi 8A Engineering Menu (known as Main Menu or MTK Engineer Mode) is a powerful tool for diagnosing and fine-tuning a smartphone, but inexperienced users often face the problem of how to get out of it? The situation is complicated by the fact that standard Back or Home buttons in this mode may not work, and accidental presses threaten to crash the system. This article will help you figure out how to safely leave Main Menu without losing data or resetting the phone to factory settings.

The Redmi 8A (codenamed olivelite) runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 439 processor, but the engineering menu is implemented through a MIUI shell that can conflict with low-level settings. It's important to understand that exit methods depend on how you got to Main Menu -- through code, button combinations, or third-party software. We'll look at all scenarios, including emergency ones, when the phone stops responding to touch.

1. Standard output: button combination

The easiest way is to use hardware buttons. On Redmi 8A, you can usually leave Main Menu by:

  • 🔄 At the same time, press the power button. + Increase volume by 5-7 seconds until the screen goes out.The phone will restart in normal mode.
  • 📱 If the screen reacts to touch, try pressing Menu (three dots in the upper right corner) → Exit or Back.
  • 🔙 On some versions MIUI The long-term press on the Back button (10)+ seconds).

⚠️ Warning: If after the reboot the phone is stuck on the logo MI, This means that the critical parameters have been changed in Main Menu (for example, Band Mode in Connectivity section.

Whether this method will work depends on the firmware version. On the Redmi 8A with MIUI 12+, the hardware buttons are locked in the engineering menu, so an alternative approach may be needed.

📊 How do you usually get into the engineering menu?
Through code ##4636##
Button combination
Third-party software (MTK Engineer)
Accidentally pressed in the settings

2. Exit through the settings of the engineering menu

If the screen responds to touch but the Exit button is missing, try:

  1. Find Reboot or Restart (usually in General) in the top menu.
  2. Select Normal Boot, which will restart your phone in normal mode.
  3. If you don’t have one, go to Hardware Testing → Auto Test → Exit.

Main Menu on Redmi 8A has two access levels:

  • 🔧 Basic mode (available via code ##4636##) – output is done by the Back button.
  • 🔬 Extended regime (through MTK Engineer Mode – Requires rebooting or resetting.

☑️ Check before leaving Main Menu

Done: 0 / 4

3. Forced reset (Hard Reset)

If the phone doesn't respond to touch and buttons, you have to reset. On the Redmi 8A, it's like this:

  1. Press the Power Button + Volume Down for 10-15 seconds until the screen goes out.
  2. After vibration release the buttons - the phone will restart.

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware MIUI This combination triggers Fastboot Mode, if you see a rabbit on the screen wearing a hat with the inscription FASTBOOT, So you have to:

  • 🔌 Connect the phone to charging.
  • 🖱️ Wait for automatic reboot (up to 2 minutes).
  • 📵 If it doesn’t work, press the power button for 20 seconds.

On the Redmi. 8A firmware MIUI 11.0.5 Forced reboot may reset network settings (APN). After turning on, check the mobile Internet in Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks.

Output methodWorks onRisks.Implementation time
Button combinationMIUI 10–14Low (network resetting possible)5-10 seconds
Exit item in the menuAny versionAbsent.2-3 seconds
Forced resetAll the firmware.APN reset, possible loss of unsaved data15-30 seconds
ADB-teamMIUI with debugging over USBRequires PC and skills1-2 minutes

4.Exit through ADB (for advanced users)

If you have access to your computer and USB Debugging is enabled, you can log out of Main Menu via the ADB command:

adb shell am force-stop com.mediatek.engineermode


adb shell input keyevent 4 # Emulation of back button pressing

Step-by-step:

  1. Connect Redmi 8A to your PC via USB.
  2. Open the command line (Win + R → enter cmd).
  3. Enter the commands up in turn.

⚠️ Attention: If debugging is USB It wasn't enabled in advance, it won't work. Also, don't use the adb reboot bootloader commands, it'll move the phone to Fastboot, which will make it harder to get out.

What if the ADB can’t see the device?
Make sure you have Qualcomm drivers installed for Redmi 8A (You can download it from Xiaomi. Try another one. USB-Include in the developer settings the item "Allow debugging by USB (factory-unlock OEM)".

5. Reset to factory settings (last chance)

If all the methods fail, you can reset completely. On Redmi 8A, you can do this through Recovery Mode:

  1. Turn off the phone (squeeze the power for 10 seconds).
  2. Press Power + Volume Up until the MI logo appears.
  3. From the Recovery menu, select Wipe Data → Wipe All Data.
  4. Confirm the action and wait for the reboot.

🔹 What happens after the dump:

  • 📱 All data (photos, contacts, applications) will be deleted.
  • 🔄 The phone will return to the "out of the box" state".
  • 🔒 Repeated authorization in Mi Account will be required.

💡

Remove before resetting SIM-card and memory card – this will speed up the process and reduce the risk of file damage.

6 How to Avoid Getting into Main Menu in the Future

To avoid being on the engineering menu again:

  • 🚫 Do not enter unknown codes in the phone keyboard (e.g. ##3646633## or ##4636##).
  • 🔒 Disable access to MTK Engineer Mode through Settings → Annexes → Application management → Three points. → Special access → Applications for the engineering menu.
  • 🛡️ Set a password for Developer Settings (included in Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI — press 7 times).

If you need to use Main Menu regularly (for example, to test the network), create a shortcut on the desktop through the Activity Launcher app (available on Google Play), which will allow you to quickly open only the desired partitions, bypassing dangerous settings.

💡

On the Redmi 8A with MIUI 12+, the engineering menu blocks hardware buttons – use the software output via Exit or ADB.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Main Menu on Redmi 8A

Can I leave Main Menu without rebooting?
Yes, if the screen is touch-responsive. Find three dots (Menu) → Exit in the upper right corner. Some firmware has a swipe down from the top edge of the screen (call the notification panel) → the Back button.
The phone got stuck after leaving Main Menu.
Connect the Redmi 8A to charge and wait 10-15 minutes, sometimes the system recovers on its own. If it doesn't work, force the reboot. If it doesn't turn on, you'll need to flash it over the Fastboot.
I changed the settings in Main Menu, and now there's no network.
Go to Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Access points (APN) and press Reset to default values. If that doesn't work, reset the network: Settings → System system → Resetting settings → Resetting Wi-Fi, Mobile Network and Bluetooth.
Can I change the main menu?
Yes, but only if you know which settings have been changed, for example, to restore the settings of the communication module: Return to Main Menu (code ##4636##). Go to Phone Information. Press Run Ping Test → Restore Default. For other sections (for example, Hardware Testing), you can not roll back - you will need to reset the phone.
Main Menu opens on its own. Is it a virus?
Probably not. The reason might be: 🔧 Damaged software (try to update) MIUI through settings → The phone. → Updating the system). 🔄 Application conflict (remove recently installed programs). 📱 Hardware malfunction (e.g., sticking the Volume Up button). For diagnosis, check the error log: Settings → The phone. → Error report.