Previous articleFastboot on Xiaomi screen: how to remove and bring your phone back to life

You've turned on a Xiaomi smartphone, and instead of the usual logo, the screen displays the words "Fastboot Mode" with the image of a hare in a hat-eared? Don't panic - this is not a "brick", but an engineering mode that is used to firmware, unlock the bootloader or restore the system. However, if the phone is getting stuck in this state without your participation, the problem requires urgent solution.

In 90% of cases, the cause lies in a software failure: interrupted update, incorrect firmware or conflict of MIUI modules. Less often, hardware malfunctions (for example, damaged memory) are to blame. In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways to exit Fastboot mode on Xiaomi (including Redmi, POCO and Black Shark models), and explain how to prevent the error from recurring.

Important: If the phone responds to the volume and power buttons, the chances of a successful recovery without data loss are 70-85%, and if the screen is completely black or the device is not detected by the computer, you will need a service center.

What is Fastboot and Why it Appears on Xiaomi

Fastboot Mode is a low-level tool for interacting with the Android bootloader.

• 🔧 Forced – if you keep the volume down + Power on-set.
• ⚡ Automatically – if the system cannot load the main kernel (for example, after a failed update).
• 📱 When connecting to a PC for firmware through the Mi Flash Tool.
• 🔄 After resetting to factory settings, if the process is interrupted.

On Xiaomi Fastboot is often confused with EDL (Emergency Download Mode) mode, but these are different states. In EDL, the phone does not respond to buttons and requires special recovery equipment, whereas from Fastboot you can log out yourself.

Reasons for spontaneous login to Fastboot:

⚠️ Note: If you installed custom software or unlocked the bootloader before the Fastboot label appears, do not try to leave the mode in the standard ways. This can lead to a hard brick (complete inoperability of the device).

Method 1: Reboot via button combination

The simplest method, which works 30-40% of the time, is suitable for all Xiaomi models, including the Redmi Note 10/11/12, POCO X3/X4, Mi 11/12/13 and older devices.

Instructions:

1. Hold the power button for 10-15 seconds until the screen goes out.
2. If the phone hasn’t rebooted, press the combination: Volume up + Power Hold for 20-30 seconds until the Mi logo appears.
3. If the download is interrupted again on Fastboot, repeat step 2 another 2-3 times.

If after 3-4 attempts the phone does not load, move to the next method.

• 🔋 Battery discharged below 5%.
• 🛠️ Firmware damaged (for example, after a failed downgrade).
• 🔌 Phone connected to charging or PC (turn off the cable!).

Disable the USB cable (if connected)

Check the battery power (minimum 10%)

Make sure the buttons don't stick

Try to press the buttons with force (sometimes contacts are oxidized)

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Method 2: Exit via Mi Assistant (Official Xiaomi Tool)

If the phone is detected by a computer in Fastboot mode, you can use the proprietary Mi Assistant utility. It automatically downloads the desired firmware and restores the system without losing data (in most cases).

Step-by-step:

1. Download Mi Assistant from the official Xiaomi website (Windows version).
2. Connect your phone to your PC via the original USB-TypeC cable (important!).
3. Launch the utility, select Flash → Select and specify the model of your device.
4. Click Download to download the latest stable firmware.
5. After downloading, click Flash and wait for the process to complete (5-15 minutes).

Advantages of the method:

• ✅ Does not require unlocking the loader.
• ✅ Stores user data (photos, contacts, messages).
• ✅ It works even on locked devices (if there was no rooting).

⚠️ If the Mi Assistant is not finding the device, check it: 🔌 Connection to the rear port USB 2.0 (front ports are often unstable). 🛠️ Are Qualcomm or MediaTek drivers installed (depending on the processor). 🔄 Try another cable (preferably original).

Method 3: ADB commands for power users

If previous methods didn’t work, you can try logging out of Fastboot via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a method that is suitable for users who previously included USB debugging in the developer’s settings.

Instructions:

1. Download and install Google’s Platform Tools.
2. Connect your phone to your PC and open the command line in the adb folder.
3. Enter the following commands: adb devices (should display your device) fastboot reboot or, if it didn’t work, fastboot continue.

If the commands are executed, but the phone is back in Fastboot, try resetting the cache:

fastboot erase cache


fastboot reboot

For models with unlocked bootloader, you can try reflashing only the boot section:

fastboot flash boot boot.img


fastboot reboot

boot.img

Method 4: Firmware via Mi Flash Tool (for unlocked bootloader)

If previous methods didn't work, the radical option is to completely reflash through the Mi Flash Tool, which will erase all the data on the phone, but return it to working condition.

Importantly, this only works for devices with an unlocked bootloader, and if you've never officially unlocked it through the Mi Unlock Tool, it's not going to work.

Instructions:

1. Download the official firmware for your model (choose the Fastboot version, not Recovery!).
2. Uncancel the firmware file into a folder without Cyrillic characters.
3. Download and install the Mi Flash Tool.
4. Connect your phone in Fastboot mode to your PC.
5. In the Mi Flash Tool, click Select, specify the firmware folder, then Refresh (your device should appear).
6. Select firmware mode: Clean All – full reset (recommended); Clean All and Lock – reset + lock the bootloader (if you need to sell the phone); Save User Data – an attempt to save data (does not always work).

Flash

5-10 minutes

⚠️ If the Mi Flash Tool is a flash not done error, check it out: 📁 Correctness of the selected firmware (must coincide with the model and region!). 🔌 Port connection USB 2.0 (USB 3.0 often causes crashes). 🔄 Try another version of the Mi Flash Tool (e.g. 20180528 instead of the latest one).

💡

Before you run the firmware, check the bootloader version (fastboot getvar anti). If the value is anti: 3 or 4, you will need firmware marked Anti-Rollback, otherwise the phone will turn into a "brick".

Method 5: Hardware reset (if nothing helps)

If the phone doesn’t respond to software methods, it’s a test point, which requires disassembling the device and is only suitable for advanced users or service centers.

How it works:

• 🔧 On the motherboard Xiaomi has special contacts, the closure of which forcibly puts the phone into mode EDL.
• 📱 In mode. EDL You can even flash the device with a damaged loader.
• ⚠️ Risk: If you do the wrong thing, you can damage the fee.

Instructions (for models on Qualcomm):

1. Remove the back cover and disconnect the battery.
2. Find test points (usually signed by EDL or Test Point; schemas for popular models are available on 4PDA).
3. Close the contacts with tweezers or wires.
4. Connect the phone to a PC – it should be defined as Qualcomm HS-USB QDLoader 9008.
5. Swipe the device through the Mi Flash Tool or QFil.

The process is more complicated for models on MediaTek – special boxing is required (for example, UFi or EasyJTAG).

💡

Hardware reset is a last resort, if you are not sure of your skills, you should contact a service center. The cost of recovery through test point in Russia is 1500-3000. ₽ (2026).

How to prevent the reappearance of Fastboot

To prevent the Fastboot label from appearing again, follow these guidelines:

• 🔄 Update. MIUI Only through official channels (Settings) → The phone. → Updating the system).
• 🛡️ Do not install custom firmware without unlocking the bootloader.
• 🔋 Keep an eye on battery power during updates (minimum 30%).
• 📱 Clean the cache regularly through Settings → Memory. → Cleanup.
• ⚠️ Do not interrupt the process of firmware or reset to factory settings.

If you often experiment with firmware, back up your system via TWRP or Mi PC Suite, which will allow you to quickly restore the system in the event of a crash.

For POCO and Redmi models with MediaTek processor, it is additionally recommended to disable automatic kernel updates (Settings → Additional → Kernel Update), as it may conflict with custom modifications.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi's Fastboot mode