How to turn off the got stuck smartphone Xiaomi: from soft reboot to hard reset

Introduction: Why Xiaomi is Hanging Up and When a Forced Reboot is Needed

Xiaomi’s hanging smartphone is a situation that almost every owner of the brand’s devices has faced: screens stop responding to touch, buttons don’t work, and the phone turns into a “brick” with burning backlights. The reasons for this behavior range from overloading RAM to critical firmware errors. For example, Redmi Note 10 Pro and POCO X3 Pro models often hang due to unoptimized custom shells MIUI 13/14, and older devices like the Mi A2 suffer from a lack of resources when working with modern applications.

It's important to understand the difference between "suspend" and "freeze": in the first case, the phone may respond slowly to commands, but still executes them in 10 to 30 seconds; in the second case, the screen is completely frozen, and touch input and physical buttons (Power, Loudness) are ignored. This already requires a forced shutdown, otherwise you risk draining the battery in vain or causing the chipset to overheat (relevant for devices on Snapdragon 8xx).

In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to turn off the Xiaomi freeze, from secure software methods to “heavy artillery” like battery extraction, pay special attention to the nuances for different models and warn against errors that can lead to data loss or system damage.

Method 1: Soft reboot via button combination

The most gentle method, which works on 90% of Xiaomi models, including the Redmi 9, POCO F3 and Mi 11. It simulates the standard shutdown, but bypasses the hung interface. You only need the physical buttons of the device.

Instructions:

• 🔄 Hold the Power button for 10-15 seconds until the screen goes out. On some models (for example, the Redmi Note 8 Pro) it can take up to 20 seconds.
• 📱 If the screen is out, but the phone vibrates or the charging indicator is on, release the button and wait 30 seconds before turning on again.
• 🔋 On non-removable battery devices (all models after 2018), this method works in 80% of cases.

What if it doesn't work? Try Power + Volume + Up (hold 10-15 seconds) and force the system to restart via Fastboot mode without affecting user data. However, on Xiaomi with MIUI 12.5+, this combination can trigger a recovery menu - in which case just select Reboot → System.

Is the phone connected to charging? (unplug if yes)

Is there any physical damage to the power button?

Have you tried holding the button for longer than 15 seconds?-->

⚠️ Attention: On devices with AMOLED-With screens (such as the Xiaomi 12 Pro), prolonged holding of the power button can cause a false alarm to be triggered. If you hear a siren, release the button and try again in a minute.

Method 2: Hard Resetting with Recovery Mode

If the soft reboot doesn't work, the next step is to load into Recovery Mode, which is suitable for devices that don't respond to buttons completely but still show signs of life (vibration, flashing of the indicator). Importantly, on some firmware (e.g. MIUI Global), access to Recovery may be blocked, in which case you go to Method 3.

Step-by-step:

1. Turn off the phone (if it is not already turned off) by holding the power button.
2. Press the Power + Volume combination and hold for 8-10 seconds until the Mi logo appears.
3. Release the buttons when you see the Recovery menu (usually in English or Chinese).
4. Use volume buttons for navigation and select Reboot → System (or Chinese firmware).
5. Confirm the choice of the power button.

On models with MediaTek-processors (for example, Redmi 10A), the Recovery menu may look different – look for items with the words Reboot or Power Off. If the phone loaded into Fastboot (black screen with a rabbit in a hat-out), then you held the buttons for too long – just let them go and try again.

⚠️ Note: If you see Wipe Data (or ) in the Recovery menu, do not select it - this will lead to a complete reset and delete all data on the phone!

Method 3: Battery Removal (for older models)

This method is only relevant for Xiaomi devices of 2017 and older, where the battery is removable, including the Redmi 4A, Redmi 3S, Mi Max and some versions of the Redmi Note 4. On modern smartphones (starting with the Redmi 5), the battery is soldered into the case, and trying to remove it without tools will damage the plumes.

How to properly remove the battery:

• 🛠️ Turn off the phone from charging and remove the back cover (if it is removable).Some models will require a mediator or plastic card to cover the lid.
• 🔋 Carefully tuck the battery on the side with a nail or plastic tool. Do not use metal objects - the risk of short circuit!
• ⏱️ Wait 1-2 minutes, then insert the battery back and turn on the phone.

If the phone does not turn on after the battery is removed, check:

• 🔌 Battery contacts for oxidation (clean with alcohol if necessary).
• 🔧 Correctness of connection of the display plume (on models with a removable screen).

Method 4: Forced shutdown via ADB (for advanced users)

If you have access to a computer and debugging is enabled USB (USB Debugging, you can turn off the got stuck Xiaomi via the command line. This method is suitable for devices that respond to the connection of the cable (charge indicator lights up or a notification about the connection appears).

Instructions:

1. Connect your phone to your PC through USB-cable (preferably original).
2. Open the command line (Win + R → enter cmd → Enter).
3. Enter the command to check the connection: adb devices If the device is determined (the serial number will appear), move to the next step. If not, install the Mi PC Suite or ADB Driver Installer drivers.
4. Perform the forced reboot command: adb shell reboot -p This command simulates pressing the power button and turning off the phone.

If the adb device command returns the unauthorized status, then you have not previously confirmed a trusted connection on your phone. ADB-The method will not work – move on to other ways.

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To avoid ADB problems in the future, enable USB debugging in advance: go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times to become a developer), then to Additional → For Developers → Debugging over USB.

Method 5: Battery discharge (extreme case)

If neither method works, you just have to wait until the phone is completely dead, and it takes 6 to 24 hours depending on the model and the charge level, and it works all the time, but it has two serious drawbacks:

• ⏳ Long wait (especially on new models with capacious batteries, for example, Redmi Note 12 Pro)+ 5,000 mAh).
• 🔋 The risk of deep discharge that could damage the battery (relevant for lithium polymer batteries after 300)+ charge-cycle).

How to speed up the discharge:

• 📶 Turn on mobile internet (if the phone is still responsive to holding the power button to call the menu).
• 🔦 Activate the flashlight (if there is a physical button or gesture).
• 🎵 Run music playback through the speaker (if you have access to Google Voice Assistant).

After full discharge, connect your phone to charge and hold the Power button for 20 to 30 seconds to start it. If the device does not turn on, a software error may have occurred and you will need to firmware through Fastboot.

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Battery discharge is the only method that is guaranteed to turn off a hanging phone, but it is also the most harmful to the battery. Use it only as a last resort!

What to do after switching off: diagnosis and prevention

When the phone finally turns off and turns on again, don't be too excited, it's important to find out why it's hanging out, so you don't have to do it again.

• 📱 Check Free Memory: Go to Settings → Memory: If less than 1GB is free, delete unnecessary files or transfer them to a memory card.
• 🔄 Update the firmware: Settings → The phone. → System update. On Xiaomi with MIUI Critical errors are often corrected in patches.
• 🛠️ Run a hardware test: dial ##4636## and select Test (not working on all models).
• 🧹 Clear the cache: Settings → Annexes → Select the application → Clear the cache. For system cache: Settings → Memory. → Clear the cache.

If the phone freezes regularly, the reasons may be deeper:

• 🔋 Worn-out battery (check in Settings) → Battery. → Condition; if the capacity is below 80%, replace the battery).
• 🦠 Virus software (install Malwarebytes or Dr.Web Light and scan the system).
• 🔧 Damaged firmware (flashing through the Mi Flash Tool will help, but it is risky without experience).

For models with AMOLED-Frequent freezes (such as Xiaomi 13) can be associated with overheating of the display. Check the temperature of the screen with your hand - if it is hot, reduce the brightness and turn off Always-on Display.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi's got stuck phones