Restricted Settings in Android 13 on Xiaomi: How to Remove Restrictions in MIUI

Have you encountered a “Restricted Settings” message on a Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO smartphone running Android 13?This mode blocks key system settings from developer settings to developer section, and even the ability to install APKs from unknown sources. The reasons for the restrictions can range from corporate policies (if the device was issued by the company) to accidental activation of parental controls or errors after the MIUI update.

In this article, we will discuss all the working ways to disable restricted access to Xiaomi from Android 13, including hidden methods through ADB, resetting settings and bypassing locks without losing data. Particular attention will be paid to the nuances of the MIUI 14 and HyperOS firmware, where the logic of restrictions is different from previous versions. If your smartphone is blocked by an employer or operator, here you will find solutions for such cases.

Why there are limited access settings on Xiaomi

The MIUI restricted access mode is not a bug, but a security mechanism that can be activated in several scenarios:

• 🔒 Corporate governance (MDM): If the smartphone is issued by the company, IT-The department may have applied policies through Mobile Device Management (e.g. Microsoft Intune or Mi Enterprise), in which case the restrictions are only removed through the administrator.
• 👨‍👩‍👧 Parental Controls: Included in Digital Well-Being Settings → Parental controls: often activated accidentally or at the request of the operator (e.g. for child rates).
• 📱 Error after update: When switching to Android 13 (particularly MIUI 13 on MIUI 14/HyperOS) Access rights to system settings may be lost.
• 🔧 User restrictions: Some applications (such as AppLock or Second Space) block access to data protection settings.

It's important to distinguish between a bootloader lock and a limited access lock. In the first case, you see gray, inactive menu items, in the second case, the smartphone refuses to boot into Fastboot or Recovery. If you have the second situation, you will need to officially unlock through the Mi Unlock Tool.

Method 1: Checking parental controls and digital well-being

Start with the simplest of things: check if parental controls or digital well-being are activated, which often block access to system settings, but can be turned off without resetting.

1. Open Settings → Digital Well-Being and Parental Controls.
2. Check the Parental Controls section. If it's active, you'll need to type in. PIN-code (default frequency 0000 or 1234).
3. In the Digital Well-Being Tools section, disable the “Limiting Use” option.
4. Restart your smartphone and check if the restrictions in your settings have disappeared.

If PIN-Unknown code, try resetting it through Settings → Passwords and security → Delete all digital well-being data, which will remove all restrictions, but also reset the statistics of app usage.

Method 2: Disconnect via ADB (for power users)

If the restrictions are not related to corporate policies, they can be removed through ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which works on Android 13 even without root rights, but requires the developer mode to be enabled.

Important: Before you start, make sure that the Xiaomi and ADB Tools drivers are installed on the PC. You can download them from the official Android Studio website.

1. Turn on Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version and tap 7 times on this item.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and activate “Debugging by USB”.
3. Connect your smartphone to your PC and confirm the debugging permission.
4. Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) and type:

adb shell pm list packages | grep "dpm"

This command will show you the installed applications for managing the device (e.g. com.miui.enterprise or com.android.managedprovisioning).

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 name packet

Replace the packet name with the value found (e.g. com.miui.enterprise). After deleting, restart the smartphone.

Method 3: Resetting settings to factory (last resort)

If the previous methods didn't work, you'll have a hard reset, which will delete all the data, but it will give you full access to the settings. There are two ways Xiaomi has Android 13:

• 📱 Through the settings menu (if the "Reset" section is available»):

Through Recovery Mode

1. Turn off your smartphone.
2. Press the Power button + Volume up until the Mi logo appears.
3. In the Recovery menu, select “Wipe Data” (use volume buttons for navigation, power for confirmation).
4. Confirm the reset and wait for the reset.

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 12 Pro)+ Xiaomi 13T) You may need to link to your Mi Account after the reset, and if you forget your account details, use the official recovery service.

Method 4: Bypassing Restrictions through Safe Mode

If the restrictions are imposed by a third-party application (such as AppLock or Security), try booting into Safe Mode, which disables all third-party programs, and you can remove the culprit of the lock.

1. Press the power button before the turn off menu appears.
2. Slip and hold the “Switch Off” option (or “Reboot” on some models).
3. Confirm the transition to Safe Mode.
4. After downloading, remove suspicious apps through Settings → Apps.
5. Reboot your smartphone in normal mode.

In Safe Mode, the bottom right corner of the screen will display a watermark "Safe Mode," and if the restrictions have disappeared, the problem was definitely third-party software.

💡

If you can’t delete the app in Safe Mode, try disabling its administrator rights: go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Device administrators and uncheck suspicious programs.

Method 5: Removing corporate policies (for work phones)

If the smartphone was issued by the company, it is likely installed on it MDM-You can’t delete it using standard methods – you will need access to an administrator account or special tools.

Try the following steps:

1. Go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Device Administrators.
2. Check the list for apps like Microsoft Intune, Mi Enterprise, or Android Device Policy.
3. If you can turn off the administrator, do it. If you can't, contact the administrator. IT-department.

For compulsory removal MDM-profile can be used ADB:

adb shell dpm remove-active-admin package application/admin

For example, for Microsoft Intune, the command would be:

adb shell dpm remove-active-admin com.microsoft.windowsintune.companyportal

⚠️ Note: Deleting a corporate profile without the permission of the administrator may violate the company’s security policy, in some cases resulting in automatic device locking or remote data erasure.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When trying to disable restricted access, users often face typical problems, and here's how to prevent them:

• 🔄 Reset does not help: If the restrictions remain after hard reset, then they are sewn at the firmware level (for example, in Xiaomi for MegaFon or Beeline operators.
• 🔌 ADB Does not see the device: Check if debugging is enabled USB for all applications (in developer settings). Android 13 may also require permission to "Install via" USB».
• 🔒 Forgotten. PIN Parental Controls: If standard codes (0000, 1234) don't fit, try resetting digital well-being data (see Method 1).
• 📴 Phone does not load in Recovery: On some models (e.g. Xiaomi) 12T) To enter Recovery, you first need to pin the Volume up + Food, and after the logo appears, let go of Food, keeping Volume.

If neither method works, there are two options:

1. Contact the Xiaomi service center with proof of ownership of the device (check or box).
2. Reflash your smartphone via Fastboot using the Mi Flash Tool (requires an unlocked bootloader).

💡

On devices with HyperOS (the new firmware from Xiaomi), the logic of the restrictions has changed. If your smartphone is upgraded to HyperOS, first try to roll back to MIUI 14 via Fastboot - this often removes locks.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions