“Device settings were reset” – how to unlock Xiaomi after reset

The message, “Device settings have been reset. You can unlock it with Xiaomi,”** appears after a hard reset or failed smartphone firmware, meaning that the device is locked due to the activation of the factory protection of Mi Account Lock, the mechanism that binds the phone to the owner’s account. Without the right actions, it will be impossible to unlock the device, even if you know the password from the account.

In this article, we’ll break down all the working ways to unlock (including official and alternative), explain why a smartphone requires authorization after a reset, and caution against common errors that can turn a temporary lock into a brick without the possibility of recovery. We will pay special attention to the Redmi Note models. 10/11/12, POCO X3/X4/X5 and flagships Xiaomi 13/14, The protection system is different from the older devices.

Why Xiaomi is blocked after resetting settings

The reason for the lock is because of Xiaomi’s security policy, which links the device to the Mi Account, which works even after a full reset via Recovery or Fastboot and has two purposes:

• 🔒 Protection against theft: If the phone is stolen, the thief will not be able to use it after being dumped.
• 📱 Authentication: Confirmation that the device will unlock the rightful owner.
• 🔄 Data Synchronization: Recovery of Backups After Authorization.

On new models (released after 2021) a two-stage verification is added:

1. Enter the username/password from Mi Account.
2. Confirmation via SMS or backup email (if two-factor authentication is enabled).

Without passing both stages, unlocking is impossible.

It’s important to understand that if you bought a phone with your hands and the previous owner didn’t untie your Mi Account, you won’t officially unlock the device, and in such cases, only informal methods remain (about them in the section about EDL and Fastboot).

Official method: unlocking through Mi Account

If you remember your Xiaomi account, follow this instruction, and it works on 90% of devices, unless:

• 🚫 The device was stolen/lost and blocked by the previous owner.
• 🔧 There was a custom Recovery on the phone (for example, TWRP).
• 📵 No Internet access (unlocking requires a network connection).

Step-by-step:

1. On the lock screen, select Unblock with Mi Account.
2. Enter the email or phone number associated with the account.
3. If two-factor authentication is enabled, confirm the login via SMS or email.
4. Wait for the data to sync (it can take up to 5 minutes).
5. After successful authorization, the phone will unlock and offer to configure it as new.

If an error appears at the stage of entering a password and you could not connect to the server, try:

• 🌐 Change Wi-Fi network (sometimes blocked due to regional restrictions).
• ⏳ Wait 10-15 minutes and try again (Xiaomi servers are sometimes overloaded).
• 📱 Reboot your phone in Recovery mode and re-unlock.

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If you have forgotten your Mi Account password, restore it through the official account.xiaomi.com. Use the backup email or phone number provided during registration.

Unlocking via Fastboot (if Mi Account is not suitable)

If the official method did not work (for example, due to a forgotten password or buying a phone from hand), you can try unlocking through Fastboot mode. This method does not guarantee a 100% result, but often helps on devices until 2020 release (Redmi Note 8/9, Mi 9/9T, etc.).

Important: you will need a computer with ADB/Fastboot drivers installed and Mi Unlock Tool (the official tool from Xiaomi), download it from en.miui.com/unlock.

Instructions:

1. Turn off the phone. Press the Power button + Volume down to enter the Fastboot.
2. Connect the device to the PC through USB-cable.
3. Launch the Mi Unlock Tool and log in to your Mi Account (even if it’s not tied to your phone).
4. Press Unlock and wait until the process is complete (can take up to 72 hours due to Xiaomi restrictions).
5. After unlocking the bootloader, run the phone through the Mi Flash Tool (instructions in the next section).

⚠️ Warning: Unlocking the bootloader via the Mi Unlock Tool resets all data on the phone. If the device had important files, their recovery will be impossible.

On new models (Xiaomi) 12/13, Redmi Note 11/12) This method may not work because of the increased protection. EDL-regime (ongoing).

Unlocking through EDL (for power users)

EDL (Emergency Download Mode) is the last chance to bring the phone back to life if other methods have not worked, and allows you to flash the device at a low level, bypassing the lock Mi Account.

• 💀 Can turn your phone into a brick if you do the wrong thing.
• 🔓 Requires an authorized Xiaomi account to download firmware.
• 💻 Special programs (Mi Flash Pro, QFil) and Qualcomm drivers are needed.

How to log into EDL:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the power button. + Loudness up + Volume down (some models need to be connected additionally) USB-cable).
3. The screen should remain black, but the computer will identify the device as a Qualcomm HS-USB QDLoader 9008.

This will be further required:

1. Download the firmware for your model from the Xiaomi Firmware Updater website.
2. Unpack it and download it to Mi Flash Pro.
3. Select Clean All mode and start the firmware.

⚠️ Attention: Firmware through EDL deletes all data, including IMEI After the procedure, you may need to restore the serial number. IMEI via the engineering menu (#4636##).

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EDL-Mode is the most powerful, but also the most dangerous, method of unlocking, only use it if other methods have failed, and you understand the risks.

What to do if your phone is locked and bought from hand

If you bought Xiaomi with your hands and the previous owner did not untie his Mi Account, you can not officially unlock the device.

The most reliable way is to contact the seller and ask him to:

1. Untie your device from your Mi Account via account.xiaomi.com.
2. Send a screenshot with confirmation of the detachment.
3. If the seller refuses, demand a refund (by law, selling a locked phone is equivalent to cheating).

If you can’t contact the seller, try service centers, some of which have access to official unlocking tools (e.g. Xiaomi Authorized Service), and the cost of the service ranges from 1,500 to 5,000 rubles depending on the model.

How to avoid blocking in the future

To avoid the issue of a blocked Xiaomi after a reset, follow these rules:

• 🔑 Untie Mi Account before selling your phone: Go to Settings → Xiaomi account → Get out and remove the tether.
• 📝 Save your account information: write down your login, password and backup email in a safe place (for example, in a password manager).
• 🔄 Do not use custom firmware without unlocking the bootloader: this can lead to hard-brick (irreparable damage).
• 🛡️ Enable backup: in Settings → System system → Backup save data to Mi Cloud or Google Drive.

If you frequently reflash your phone, install TWRP Recovery and back up the persist partition to help restore the IMEI and serial number after a failed manipulation.

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Before resetting, check if you are connected to your Mi Account. Go to Settings → About Phone → Mi Account Status. If you are “Active”, don’t forget the login details!

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Many users exacerbate the block problem by making common mistakes, the most common of which are:

• 🔌 Interrupting firmware: if you turn off the phone during an update via Fastboot or EDL, It might stop turning on altogether.
• 📥 Use of unofficial firmware: firmware through TWRP without unlocking the bootloader leads to bootloop ( looped reboot).
• 🔑 Attempts to “nullify” Mi Account via reset: This does not work, as the lock is tied to a hardware identifier (hardware) ID).
• 💰 Paying for 'guaranteed' unlocking: Fraudsters often sell 'unblock codes' that don't work.

If you encounter bootloop (the phone is constantly rebooting), try:

1. Go to Recovery (Nutrition + Volume Up) and make Wipe Data.
2. Swipe the phone through Fastboot with the official firmware (without unlocking the bootloader).
3. If nothing helps, take it to the service center.

⚠️ Note: Forums often advise using programs like Xiaomi Tool V2 or MTK Bypass to bypass locks. These tools only work on older models (Redmi) 4/5, Mi A1) And they can damage new devices!

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions