Why Xiaomi is not unlocked: a full analysis of the causes and solutions

You've turned on a Xiaomi smartphone, but instead of your desktop, you see an endless boot, a black screen, or a password requirement from a Mi Account that you never created? The situation is familiar to thousands of users -- the brand's devices are known for their reliability, but sometimes face unlock problems. In 80% of cases, it's not hardware failures, but software failures or user errors.

This article is not about the template tips like “reset the phone.” We’ll look at 12 real reasons why Xiaomi (including Redmi, POCO, Black Shark) might not unlock — from a banal battery discharge to locking up for suspicious activity. For each reason, we’ll give you specific steps, including ADB commands, hidden menus, and Xiaomi official tools. If you’ve tried “everything you can,” but you don’t get the result, here’ll find a systematic approach to diagnosis.

1. Discharged or defective battery

The most trivial but often ignored reason: If Xiaomi does not respond to the power button or only turns on when connected to charging, the battery is to blame. Modern smartphones of the brand (for example, Xiaomi 13T or Redmi Note 12 Pro+) can block the OS from booting at a critical charge level (<5%), even if the indicator shows “1%”.

How to check:

• 🔋 Connect the original cable and power supply (at least) 18W). Wait 30 to 40 minutes – sometimes charging starts only after the controller has warmed up.
• 🔌 Try another charger or USB-PC port: A faulty cable can give a false sense of charging.
• 🔍 If the screen is black, but when pressed, the volume is up + Power appears Fastboot menu - the problem is in the battery.

⚠️ Note: If the smartphone is discharged "to zero" and does not respond to charging for more than a day - do not try to "resuscitate" it homemade circuits. In 30% of cases, this leads to damage to the power controller (PMIC), Repairs will cost 50-70% of the cost of the device.

💡

If after a long charge the phone turns on, but immediately turns off, check the Type-C connector for oxidation or debris. Use toothpick and alcohol for cleaning (not metal objects!).

2. firmware failure or "bootloop"

Bootloop is a classic Xiaomi problem, especially after MIUI updates or failed root manipulations.Symptoms: the phone turns on, shows the Mi or Redmi logo, then restarts in a loop.

• 📱 Interrupted OS update (for example, through OTA Or Mi Flash Tool).
• 🔧 Incompatible firmware (e.g. attempt to put Global ROM Chinese version of Xiaomi 12S Ultra).
• 🛠️ Damage to section /system after obtaining root rights.

How to fix it:

1. Try to go to Recovery Mode (Put Volume Up + Power on the phone off). If the menu opens, select Wipe Data (Reset).
2. If Recovery is not available, go to Fastboot (Loudness Down + Power) and run the device through the Mi Flash Tool:

1. Download the firmware for your model from https://new.c.mi.com/global/miuidownload/index


2. Install Xiaomi USB Drivers and Mi Flash Tool drivers.




3. Connect the phone in Fastboot mode to the PC.




4.In the Mi Flash Tool, select the Clean All option and press Flash.

⚠️ Note: Fastboot erases all data, including photos in internal memory. If your phone has Mi Cloud enabled, restore the backup after unlocking.

3. Mi Account lock (Xiaomi account)

One of the most frustrating reasons is that the phone requires you to enter a username and password from Mi Account that you didn't create or forgot, and this happens in three cases:

• 🔒 The phone was bought “from hands” and tied to someone else’s account.
• 📱 You have performed a Factory Reset via Recovery without detachment of your account.
• 🛡️ Xiaomi has blocked the device for suspicious activity (for example, after trying to unlock the bootloader unofficial methods).

Official decision:

1. Go to account.xiaomi.com and try to restore access via email or phone number.
2. If your account is not yours, ask the previous owner to untie the device through Settings → Mi Account → Devices.
3. If you can’t contact the seller, contact Xiaomi with a check for purchases. They can remove the lock within 3-7 days.

Yeah, someone else's account requires.|Yeah, I forgot my password.|No, there's another problem.|I don't know what it is.-->

Unofficial methods (at your own risk):

• Using EDL Mode (emergency mode) to run through the Mi Flash Tool with account verification disabled. Requires an authorized Xiaomi developer account.
• Bypassing ADB (only works on older models before the Redmi Note 8):

adb shell


content insert --uri content://settings/secure --bind name:s:user_setup_complete --bind value:s:1

⚠️ Warning: Unofficial Mi Account bypass methods could result in a device being completely locked through Xiaomi servers.In 2023, the company tightened its protections: after 3 failed attempts to unlock, the phone could be locked permanently.

Hardware malfunctions

If the phone doesn't respond to buttons, doesn't charge or turn on even after a long connection to the network, the problem may be hardware.

How to check hardware problems indiscriminately:

• 🔦 Light a flashlight on the screen at an angle - if the image is barely noticeable, the backlight inverter is to blame.
• 🔊 Connect headphones – if you hear the boot sound when you turn on, but there is no screen, the problem is in the display or plume.
• 🌡️ Check the body temperature in 10 minutes on charge. If one of the zones is very hot, there may be a failure in this part of the board.

💡

If the phone falls or gets wet before it stops turning on, there's a 90% chance of hardware failure, and then software unlocking methods won't help.

5. Blocked Bootloader (Bootloader)

Xiaomi locks the bootloader on all devices by default. If you tried to get root rights, install custom Recovery (such as TWRP) or flash informal firmware, the phone could go into the Bootloader Locked state.

• 📵 The phone is turned on, but hangs on the inscription This device is locked or Fastboot.
• 🔧 Fastboot commands are not working (response) FAILED: remote: device is locked).

The official solution is to unlock through Mi Unlock Tool:

1. Download the Mi Unlock Tool and install it on PC.
2. Sign in to the Mi Account tied to the phone.
3. Connect your phone in Fastboot mode and follow the program instructions.
4. Wait 7-15 days (the wait period depends on the model and the history of unlocks).

Unofficial methods (risk of blocking the account!):

• Use EDL Mode with an authorized developer account.
• Exploits are for older models (e.g. Redmi 4X or Mi A1), but they are closed in newer versions of MIUI.

Put the debugging on. USB In Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (press 7 times)|Put Mi Account on the phone|Download Mi Unlock Tool from the official website|Connect the original USB-cable-->

6 Conflict after MIUI Update

MIUI updates sometimes result in a “brick” (unworkable state) due to:

• 📦 Incompatibility of the new version with iron (for example, POCO F1 post-update MIUI 14).
• 🔄 Interrupted installation OTA-packet (for example, due to battery discharge).
• 🔒 Conflict with installed Magisk or Xposed.

How to restore:

1. If the phone is loading into Recovery, try installing the update again via Apply update from ADB.
2. If Recovery is not available, run the full firmware through Fastboot (see Section 2).
3. For root devices: remove Magisk via Fastboot with the command:

fastboot flash boot magisk_patched.img


fastboot reboot

⚠️ If after the update the phone stopped seeing SIM-map NFC — It's not a brick, it's a modem firmware failure. modem.img via Fastboot.

7.Influence of third-party applications or viruses

Some apps (especially those with Device Admin rights) can block the screen from unlocking.

• 🔐 Your phone asks for a password you didn’t set.
• 📱 The screen is locked immediately after unlocking.
• 🚫 Reports of “contagion” or payment requests (e.g. from Fake Security App) appear).

How to remove malware:

1. Boot in Safe Mode (click Power, then hold off "Switch off" until the option appears). In this mode, third-party apps are disabled.
2. Remove suspicious programs through Settings → Apps.
3. If Safe Mode is not available, connect your phone to your PC and use ADB:

adb shell pm list packages -f | findstr "suspicious_keyword"


adb uninstall com.example.malware

List of famous "blockers":

• 🛡️ Clean Master, DU Battery Saver (can block screen due to optimization»).
• 🔒 AppLock, Vault (if the password is forgotten).
• 🦠 Android/Trojan.Spy (viruses masquerading as system utilities).

8.Problems with fingerprint sensor or Face ID

If the phone is not unlocked by biometrics, but responds to the PIN-code is a problem in sensors. Common causes:

• 👆 The fingerprint sensor is contaminated or damaged (for example, after a fall).
• 📸 Face Unlock camera does not recognize the face due to algorithm updates (relevant for Xiaomi 13 Pro and newer).
• 🔧 Failure of BiometricService after update MIUI.

Decisions:

• 🧼 Wipe the fingerprint sensor with alcohol and re-register the prints.
• 🔄 Reboot your phone - sometimes the biometrics service "hangs».
• 🛠️ Reset your biometrics settings through Settings → Passwords and security → Delete all prints.
• 📱 If the sensor is physically damaged (for example, the scanner glass under the screen cracked), a replacement is required.

💡

On Xiaomi models with an ultrasonic scanner (such as the Mi 11 Ultra), fingerprints may not be read at low ambient temperatures (below +5°C).

FAQ: Frequent questions about unlocking Xiaomi