The process of returning a smartphone to a factory state is a critical operation that owners Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco conduct before selling the device or when serious software errors. The question of how long this procedure will last is not accidental, because interruption of the process can lead to complete inoperability of the gadget. On average, a standard reset through the menu takes from 5 to 15 minutes, but the real time interval depends on the amount of accumulated data and the type of memory used.
Owners of budget models with memory such as eMMC can experience a longer wait compared to flagships equipped with fast UFS 3.1 or higher. The total time consists of several technical steps: cleaning the cache, deleting user profiles, formatting partitions and first restarting the system. Understanding these steps allows you not to panic if the smartphone screen is gone or the progress indicator is frozen in one place for a few minutes.
The key factor in determining the duration of the operation is the number of files deleted and the fragmentation of the file system. If you have used the phone for several years, downloading heavy games, photos and videos, the system will take longer to physically erase data from the drive. The average time for formatting a data partition on modern Xiaomi models is about 3-7 minutes, but on crowded devices this stage can take up to 20 minutes.
Factors that affect the duration of the Hard Reset process
The speed of the Wipe data/factory reset command is directly correlated with the specifications of your device. Smartphones running on the basis of the Snapdragon series of medium and high-level processors usually cope with the task faster than models on the budget chips MediaTek Helio or older Snapdragon 4xx.
Space is the second most important parameter: an empty phone is reset almost instantly, while a device that is 90% full requires sequential passage through all occupied memory cells to clean them. Also consider the version of the MIUI operating system or the new HyperOS: newer shells have optimized cleaning scripts that can work more efficiently than older versions of Android.
The temperature of the device also plays a role. If the smartphone is overheated, the power controller can artificially limit the frequencies of the processor, which will slow down all computational processes, including formatting. In the cold state, the phone will reset faster, but extremely low temperatures are also undesirable for lithium polymer batteries.
💡
Before starting the reset, make sure that the battery charge is at least 40-50%, since peak power consumption is observed during active recording and overwriting of system partitions.
Dumping stages and their time costs
The process of returning to factory settings is not a one-time action, but a sequence of strictly regulated steps. Understanding what happens under the hood at every minute of waiting helps to avoid the false impression of the device getting stuck.
The first step is to initialize the recovery mode, and once confirmed, the system shuts down all active applications and stops the background services, which takes 30 seconds to 1 minute, followed by the longest step, the direct deletion of user data and formatting the /data partition, which is where the timer can freeze on the Mi or Poco logo.
After cleaning the data, you have to reinstall the system applications and verify the integrity of the firmware files. On modern Project Treble devices, this process is optimized, but still takes time, and ends with a reboot and initial setup, which is technically no longer part of the reset, but is perceived by the user as an extension of the wait.
Why can the indicator of progress stand still?
Comparison of reset times on different Xiaomi models
The time difference between different devices in the Xiaomi Inc. line can be significant, and to help you navigate what to expect from your particular gadget, we have prepared a comparison table based on averaged data from testing different memory configurations.
| Category of device | Examples of models | Type of memory | Average discharge time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget segment | Redmi 9A, Redmi 10C | eMMC 5.1 | 10 - 15 minutes |
| Middle class | Redmi Note 11, Poco X3 | UFS 2.2 | 5 - 8 minutes |
| Flagships | Xiaomi 13, 14, Poco F5 | UFS 3.1 / 4.0 | 3 - 5 minutes |
| Old flagships | Mi 9, Mi 10 | UFS 2.1 / 3.0 | 6-9 minutes |
As you can see from the data, the difference between a budget and a top-end device can be as high as three times, and this is due not only to the speed of the memory chip, but also to the amount of RAM that is involved in buffering write operations.
It is worth noting that models with a large amount of internal memory (256 GB and 512 GB) may require a little more time to check sectors when formatting, even if they are not fully filled. MIUI perform additional integrity checks on system partitions before final launch.
Reset via the settings menu against Recovery Mode
There are two main ways to perform Hard Reset: through the Android GUI and through the Recovery Menu. The runtime of these methods may vary. Reset via the Settings Menu → About Phone → Resets often go faster during the preparation phase, since the system is already running normally and does not require driver initialization.
However, Recovery is considered to be a cleaner and more reliable method, especially if the system is damaged.In this mode, the phone is not distracted by background processes, but the transition to Recovery mode and checking the bootloader's signatures can add 1-2 minutes to the total waiting time before the actual data erasure.
If you use a menu reset, the phone will prompt you to enter the screen or Mi Account unlock password. This security check phase also takes time, especially if Xiaomi servers are overloaded or communication with them is unstable. In Recovery mode, password verification is local and instant.
☑️ Preparation for safe discharge
What to do if the reset is frozen or lasts too long
When the recovery process is delayed for more than 30-40 minutes, the user needs to intervene. Although modern systems are resistant to failures, prolonged getting stuck on the Android logo or animation screen often indicates a software conflict or damage to the memory sector.
The first thing to do is to assess the situation: if the load indicator (a spinning ring or progress bar) moves, albeit slowly, it is better to wait another 10-15 minutes. If the image is frozen dead and the reaction to the pressing of the buttons is missing for more than 20 minutes, the process is likely to be interrupted.
⚠️ Warning: Forced reboot during the active data writing (formatting) phase may damage the boot partition, which will require the device to be flashed through the computer using Fastboot tools.
To get out of the freeze, try to do a forced reboot by holding the power button for 10-15 seconds. If the phone is on and shows the language selection menu, you're lucky, the reset was successful despite the visual failure. If the device goes back into a cyclic reboot (bootloop), you will need to use Fastboot mode and flash it.
A common cause of long freezes is a faulty microSD card left in the slot during a reset.The system may try to format or check an external drive, which takes a long time or causes errors.Always remove external cards before starting the procedure.
💡
If the reset lasts more than 40 minutes without visible progress, there is a high probability of a software error requiring flashing through the Mi Flash Tool.