How to safely exit Recovery Menu on Xiaomi smartphones: 5 proven ways

The Recovery Menu smartphone Xiaomi is a situation that one in five users face after a failed update, reset or experiment with firmware. A screen that says Reboot system now, Wipe data and other items in English or Chinese causes panic, especially if the device does not respond to standard actions.

In this article, we will look at all possible exit scenarios from Recovery Mode on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices, from basic methods to advanced solutions for bricks. We will focus on data preservation, as many users lose photos, contacts and files due to improper actions, and you will learn why the phone fixes on returning to Recovery after a reboot and how to fix it without visiting the service center.

What is Recovery Menu on Xiaomi and why does the phone get it?

Recovery Mode is a service menu built into the firmware of Android devices, designed to diagnose, reset, install updates and restore the system. Xiaomi smartphones use two versions of Recovery:

• 📱 Stock Recovery - standard menu from the manufacturer with limited functionality (installation of official firmware, reset to factory settings).
• 🔧 Custom Recovery (TWRP, OrangeFox) - modified versions with advanced features (backup, root rights, installation of custom firmware).

Reasons for getting into Recovery Menu:

• ⚡ Failed software update – interrupted firmware download through OTA Or Mi Flash Tool.
• 🔄 Hard Reset – Forced Reboot via Power + Volume Up or Adb Reboot Recovery.
• 🐞 Failures in the system - damage to the partition /system, Magisk module conflicts.
• 🔌 Battery problems – abrupt power outage during critical operations.

It is important to distinguish between a normal hit in Recovery (for example, after a reset command) and a looped state where the phone constantly returns to this menu after a reboot.

Method 1: Standard output via Reboot system now

If your Xiaomi got into Recovery Menu by accident (for example, after pressing a button combination) and the system is not damaged, the easiest way to get the device back to working condition is to use the built-in reboot option.

Instructions:

1. With Volume Up/Down, select Reboot system now.
2. Confirm the choice of the power button (Power).
3. Wait for the reboot (can take up to 5 minutes).

If the phone is returned to Recovery, it means that:

• 🚨 The system is damaged and cannot boot.
• 🔄 The device has custom Recovery installed (TWRP), which blocks the standard loading.
• 🔋 Battery discharged below critical level (less than 5%).

💡

If the volume buttons don’t respond, try connecting the device to charge for 10-15 minutes – sometimes this helps to “wake up” the hardware controls.

Method 2: Forced reboot via button combination

When the touch screen is down or the Recovery menu is down, you can try hardware reboots, which works 70 percent of the time unless the problem is firmware damage.

For most Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO models (2018 and later) use:

1. Press the power button for 10-15 seconds.


2. If it doesn't work, press the Power + Volume Up for 20 seconds.




For older models (Redmi 4X, Mi A1) - Power + Volume Down.

After a forced reboot, three scenarios are possible:

Make sure the battery is at least 10 times charged%|

Turn off all cables (USB, headphones) |

Press the buttons with effort but no fanaticism |

If it doesn’t work, try another combination.-->

Method 3: Recovery via Wipe Data (Resetting)

If the phone is fixated on returning to Recovery, and the standard reboot doesn't work, the next step is to reset to factory settings via Wipe Data, which will delete all user data but return the device to working condition.

The following steps are taken for Stock Recovery:

1. From the Recovery menu, select Wipe Data (or Wipe & Reset on new models).
2. Confirm the action (usually you need to choose Yes or Confirm).
3. After reset, select Reboot system now.

For TWRP Recovery, the process is slightly different:

1. Select "Wipe" → "Advanced Wipe."


2.Tick tick:




- Dalvik / ART Cache




- System




- Data




Internal Storage (optional if you need full formatting)




3. Swipe for confirmation.




4.Reboot.

⚠️ Note: On some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 10 Pro), a Wipe Data reset may result in a bootloader lock if previously unlocked OEM Unlock. In this case, you will need to re-unlock through the Mi Unlock Tool.

If the phone is still returned to Recovery after reset, it means that the problem lies deeper - perhaps the boot partition is damaged or critical firmware files are missing, in which case only firmware reflashing (see method 5) will help.

Method 4: Install firmware via ADB Sideload (without data loss)

When the phone is loaded into Recovery, but standard methods don’t work, you can try updating the firmware without completely resetting through ADB Sideload mode.

• 📥 You have the official firmware for your model (in.zip format).
• 🖥️ Access to a computer with installed ADB and Fastboot.
• 🔌 The phone is determined by the PC in Recovery mode (checked by the adb device command).

Instructions:

1. Download the full firmware (not Fastboot!) for your model from the Xiaomi Firmware website.
2. Unpack the archive and place the update.zip file in the folder with ADB.
3. In Recovery, select Connect with MIAssistant (or ADB Sideload in TWRP).
4. On PC, run the command: adb sideload update.zip
5. Wait until the installation is completed (up to 10 minutes).

Advantages of the method:

• ✅ User data (photos, files) are saved).
• ✅ Does not require unlocking the loader.
• ✅ It works even when the system partition is damaged.

⚠️ Note: If adb: failed to read command: No error occurs during the process, try: USB-Cable (use original). - Run a command on behalf of the administrator. - Reboot PC and phone.

Method 5: Fastboot Flashing (Emergency Method)

If all previous methods failed, it will still be completely reflashed through Fastboot mode, which will bring the phone back to life even if it is severely damaged, but will delete all data and require an unlocked bootloader (for most models).

What you need:

• 🖥️ Windows computer and administrator rights.
• 🔗 Official Fastboot Firmware for your model (you can download here).
• 🔧 Mi Flash Tool (last version).
• 🔓 Unlocked bootloader (if not previously unlocked – see the instructions below).

Step-by-step:

1. Turn off your phone and turn to Fastboot: Press Power + Volume Down for 10 seconds
2. Connect the device to the PC and check for detection by the command: fastboot devices
3. Unpack the archive with firmware in a folder without Cyrillic characters.
4. Launch the Mi Flash Tool, select the firmware folder and press Refresh.
5. At the bottom, select Clean all (full clean) or Save user data (save data, if available).
6. Press Flash and wait until it is completed (5-15 minutes).

If the boot loader is blocked, it is necessary to unlock it before the firmware:

1. Download Mi Unlock Tool from the official Xiaomi website.


2. log in to the Mi-account tied to the phone.




3. Connect the device to Fastboot and follow the program instructions.




4. Repeat the firmware after unlocking.

💡

If the Mi Flash Tool gives an anti-rollback error, it means that you are trying to install an older version of the firmware than the one that was before, in which case you need to download a new version of the software or use special patches (for example, to bypass Anti-Rollback on the Redmi Note 8 Pro).

Frequent mistakes and their solutions

Even with the instructions, users often face typical problems, and let's look at the most common mistakes and how to fix them.

If your Xiaomi model is equipped with a MediaTek processor (e.g. Redmi 9A, POCO C31), you will need to:

• 🔧 Use it. SP Flash Tool instead of Mi Flash.
• 📁 Download DA-Download Agent for your model.
• 🔌 Connect the phone off (without buttons pressed).

For devices on Qualcomm Snapdragon (most flagships), the standard instruction with the Mi Flash Tool will suit, but if the firmware does not pass, try:

1. Install Qualcomm HS-USB QDLoader 9008 drivers.


2. Connect the phone in EDL mode (emergency boot).




3. Use Mi Flash with the "Clean all and lock" option.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions