How to remove the “Limited Access” setting on Xiaomi: 5 working ways

You turned on your Xiaomi phone and instead of your desktop, you saw the words "Restricted Setup" -- which means that the device is in Demo Mode or has a restricted guest profile activated -- a situation that is typical of smartphones that you buy in salons, after you reset or when you activate parental controls. In 90% of cases, the problem is solved without going to the service center, just follow a few steps in the MIUI menu.

In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to remove restrictions on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO (including the models of 2023-2026 on MIUI 14/15).You will learn how to turn off the demo mode, remove the guest profile, reset security settings and even bypass restrictions through ADB if standard methods do not work.

Why is there a “Limited Access” on Xiaomi?

The restricted mode is not a system failure, but a planned MIUI function, and it activates in three cases:

• 👤 Guest account – created when transferring the phone to another person (for example, a child) with limited access to settings, files and applications.

Externally, limited access is manifested as follows:

• 🔄 When you try to reset settings, a request for a Mi Account password appears.

Before you start removing restrictions, check if the developer mode is activated - it can block some actions. To do this, try opening Settings → About Phone → MIUI version and click on the line with the build number 5 times. If the notification “You became a developer” appears, then part of the restrictions are associated with this.

Method 1: Demo Mode (Demo Mode)

If the restrictions are imposed after buying a phone in the cabin, it's likely that the demo mode is turned on, and you can turn it off without resetting the settings:

1. Open the phone app and enter the combination: ##4636##
2. In the menu that opens, select Phone Information (or Testing).
3. Scroll down and find Demo Mode (or Demo Mode).
4. Click on it and select Disable.
5. Reboot the phone.

If #4636### doesn’t work, try an alternative method:

• 🔧 Go to Settings. → The phone. → All specifications.
• Click 5-7 times on the MIUI version until the message “You are a developer” appears.
• Return to the main settings menu and open Additional → for developers.
• Find the Demo Mode switch and turn it off.

Important! On some models (POCO F5, Redmi Note 12 Pro+), the demo mode is only disabled via Mi Account. If the restrictions remain after the reboot, move to the next method.

Method 2: Delete the guest account

If the lock screen displays an avatar that says "Guest," it means that the guest profile has been activated to remove it:

1. Unlock your phone (if you need a password, use a pattern lock or PIN-main-user).
2. Swipe down from the top edge of the screen to open the notification bar.
3. Click on the user icon (avatar) in the upper right corner.
4. Select Remove Guest or Exit Guest Mode.
5. Confirm the action by entering the password from the main account (if required).

If there is no Delete Guest option, try:

• 🔄 Reboot your phone and when the Xiaomi logo appears, press the Volume Up button. + Meals for 10 seconds (this sometimes resets a guest session).
• 📱 Connect your phone to your computer through USB Check if the files are displayed in mode. MTP. If yes, the guest profile is inactive.

💡

If you have restrictions on app installation after deleting your guest profile, check your Security settings → Application permissions → Install unknown applications.

Method 3: Resetting settings via Recovery Mode

If the previous methods didn't work, you'll have to do a hard reset, which will delete all the data from your phone, including apps, photos and accounts, but will return full access to the settings. SIM-card and memory card, if installed.

Instructions for Xiaomi/Redmi/POCO:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Volume Up + Power buttons at the same time and hold for 10-15 seconds until the Mi Recovery logo appears.
3. In the recovery menu, select the language (usually English by default).
4. Use volume buttons for navigation and power button for confirmation. Select Wipe Data → Wipe All Data.
5. Confirm the reset by entering the yes code (if required).
6. Once you have finished, select Reboot → Reboot to System.

⚠️ Attention! Phones with a locked bootloader may be prompted to link Mi Account after reset. If you don't remember your account details, the phone will turn into a brick. Before reset, check the bootloader status via Fastboot (fastboot oem device-info command).

Method 4: Unlocking through ADB (for advanced users)

If standard methods have failed and resetting is impossible due to binding to Mi Account, you can try removing restrictions via ADB. This method requires a computer and basic command line knowledge.

Step-by-step:

1. Download and install Android Platform Tools (includes ADB and Fastboot).
2. On your phone, turn on USB Debugging: Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version and 7 times click on the line to activate Developer Mode. Return to Settings → Additional → For Developers and enable USB Debugging.

USB

File Transfer (MTP)

CMD

ADB

adb devices

If the phone appears in the list, do:

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.guardprovider

Then:

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.xiaomi.finddevice

Reboot the phone.

These commands remove Xiaomi services that block settings. If the restrictions remain after the reboot, try to delete the guest profile via ADB:

adb shell pm remove-user 999

(where 999 is the guest user ID; it can be recognized by the adb shell pm list users command).

⚠️ Attention! Removing system applications through ADB It can cause unstable operation of the phone. After unlocking, it is recommended to reset the settings through Recovery to restore the integrity of the system.

Method 5: Unlocking the bootloader and flashing

If all the previous methods didn't work, you just have to unlock the bootloader and reflash the phone, which is a last resort, because:

• 🔓 Requires a Mi Account (account must be older than 7 days).
• 📱 Deletes all data without recovery.
• ⚠️ Violates the warranty (if the phone is warranty-free).

Instructions:

1. Apply for unlocking the bootloader through the official Xiaomi website. This will require: Mi Account, linked to the phone, confirmation of the phone number, waiting 7-15 days (depending on the model).

firmware

Fastboot

Fastboot

Loudness down + Nutrition

Mi Flash Tool

Xiaomi

Once firmware is in place, the phone will be like new, without restrictions, but also without data. If you're not sure about your abilities, you'd better contact Xiaomi's service center.

💡

Unlocking the bootloader is the only way to get around the restrictions if the phone is tied to corporate policy (for example, issued by the company to employees).

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When trying to remove restricted access, users often face typical problems:

Another common mistake is to ignore the backup, and before you manipulate the system, save important data:

• 📸 Photos and videos – copy to your computer or to the cloud (Google Photos, Mi Cloud).
• 📱 Contacts - export to VCF-file through Contacts → Management → Imports/Exports.
• 📥 Messages – Use apps like this SMS Backup & Restore.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions