The process of returning a smartphone to a factory state is often necessary when selling a device, fixing critical system errors or before installing a new firmware. Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco users often wonder about the duration of this procedure, since time planning plays an important role. In reality, the time interval varies, but on average it takes from 5 to 15 minutes, not counting the time for pre-preparation and subsequent initial configuration of the interface.
But a complete reset is not an instantaneous action, but a complex technical process, consisting of several steps. The speed is directly influenced by the amount of internal memory that was occupied by the data and the state of the drive. If your phone is full, the system will spend more time cleaning sectors than on a device that was free 80% of the space, and the version of the operating system MIUI or HyperOS plays a significant role, since the encryption algorithms in different versions of the shell work at different speeds.
It is important to understand that the time you spend waiting is divided into two phases: the file deletion itself and the initial system configuration after the reboot. Many users mistakenly believe that the process is complete when the progress bar disappears, but the phone continues to work in the background for a while. The critical factor is battery power: if the device turns off during the formatting of the userdata partition, recovery may become impossible without a service center. Below we will discuss in detail all the steps that affect the duration of the operation.
Factors affecting the duration of the cleaning process
The speed of the "Wipe data" command depends on a variety of variables that cannot be ignored when planning time. The main bottleneck here is the speed of writing and reading internal drive. In the budget models of the Redmi series with memory type eMMC 5.1, the process will take longer than in the flagships of Xiaomi with fast drives UFS 3.1 or UFS 4.0. The difference can be from 2 to 5 minutes, which in the context of such operations is quite significant.
The second important aspect is the number of files being deleted and data fragmentation. When you initiate a reset via the settings menu, the system not only deletes the links to files, as in a normal deletion, but often performs a procedure of secure erasure or low-level formatting. This is necessary to protect confidential information so that it can not be restored by third-party utilities. If the phone stored gigabytes of photos, videos and app cache, the memory controller needs more cycles to process requests.
⚠️ Warning: Do not interrupt the process even if the screen is gone or the phone appears to be getting stuck.Forced reboot during partition formatting can cause damage to the bootloader or loss of the recovery partition.
If the phone is overheated before reset, the system can artificially slow down the clock speed of the processor to prevent damage to components, in which any system operations, including reset, are slower than usual, and it is recommended to let the device cool before the procedure, if you notice a strong heating of the case.
Dumping stages and their provisional assessment
To calculate exactly how long an operation will take, you need to break it down into its components, and the user sees only a small part of the process, while complex system interactions occur in the background, and understanding these steps will help you not panic if the phone is stuck at a certain percentage.
The first step is to prepare and reboot to recovery mode. Once you press the confirmation button in the menu, the system closes all active applications, saves critical logs and initiates a reboot. This step usually takes 30 seconds to 1 minute. At this time, you will see the Xiaomi logo, after which the device can go out or go into debugging mode if the appropriate setting is enabled.
The second step is direct formatting. This is the longest and most important step. The screen can display the MIUI logo with a percentage of execution or just a black screen with the text of the console, it lasts an average of 3-7 minutes. This is where the /data partition is physically erased. The speed depends on the memory filling, as mentioned earlier.
- 📱 Initialization: Closing processes and logging in to recovery (1 minute).
- 🗑️ Formatting: Erase user data and cache (3-10 minute).
- 🔄 Reboot: First Clean System Startup (2-5 minute).
The third stage is First Run, which is when the data is deleted, the phone boots as new, creates new configuration files, indexes the underlying applications, and checks the integrity of the system partitions, which can take another 5-10 minutes, during which the phone can get a little warmer, and only after the desktop or welcome screen appears, can the process be considered complete.
☑️ Checklist before resetting
Comparison of reset time depending on model
The Chinese giant’s various smartphone lines are equipped with different hardware, which directly dictates the speed of memory work, and owners of older models may notice that the process takes longer than those with the latest flagships, not only with the processor, but also with the algorithms of the memory controller.
The table below shows approximate time intervals for different device categories, provided that internal memory is fully loaded with data. It is worth noting that the data is averaged and can vary depending on the particular firmware version.
| Category of device | Examples of models | Type of memory | Average discharge time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget segment | Redmi 12C, Redmi 13C | eMMC 5.1 | 8-12 minutes |
| Middle class | Redmi Note 12, Poco X5 | UFS 2.2 | 5-8 minutes |
| Subflagships | Poco F5, Xiaomi 13T | UFS 3.1 | 3-5 minutes |
| Flagships | Xiaomi 14, 14 Pro | UFS 4.0 | 2-4 minutes |
As you can see from the table, the difference between a budget and a top-end device can be three times, because of the bandwidth of the data bus. However, even on slow devices, the process rarely exceeds 15 minutes. If your phone hangs during the erasure phase of more than 20 minutes, this may indicate the presence of broken memory sectors or software failure.
Why do old phones take longer to reset?
Reset via the settings menu against Recovery Mode
There are two main ways to get your phone back to factory status: software (through menus) and hardware (through Recovery mode), which can vary in time, although the end result for the user is the same. The choice of method often depends on whether you have access to the system interface or the phone is locked.
Resetting via Settings menu → About phone → Resetting is more “soft” and safe for the untrained user.The system will shut down all processes and prepare the environment for cleaning.This method usually takes the standard time described above. It is preferred when the phone is stable and you just want to clean it before selling.
Recovery mode is triggered by a combination of volume and power buttons, which is used if the system is not loading or you have forgotten the pattern lock. In this mode, the phone will pass the graceful shutdown phase, which theoretically can save 10-20 seconds. However, in Recovery mode, additional system integrity checks are often triggered, which can, on the contrary, increase the overall procedure time.
- 🔧 Soft reset: Safe, saves error logs, standard time.
- ⚡ Hard Reset: Used for loading problems, may include additional diagnostics.
- 🔒 FRP Lock: In both cases, you will need to enter a Google account or Mi Account that was previously linked after the reset.
Importantly, when resetting via Recovery on current versions of MIUI 12/13/14 and HyperOS, you may need to unlock the screen (enter a pin code or pattern lock) directly into the recovery menu before beginning erasure. This is a security measure to prevent data theft. If you do not remember the unlock code, reset through may not be available without unlocking the bootloader.
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If you reset your phone through Recovery and it requested a password and you don't remember it, try entering the password from your Mi Account. In some firmware versions, this allows you to bypass the lock to perform the reset.
What happens after the discharge is completed
When the progress bar reaches 100% and the phone reboots, many users consider the task accomplished. However, the Android system continues to work in the background for a while, this is the period of initial optimization of applications and customization of system services.
Right after you get your desktop, you might notice that the phone is slow, the interface is slowing down, and the battery is warming. That's normal behavior (ART) Optimizes installed system applications (AOT-And on modern devices, this process takes place. 5-10 Minutes, on the old ones, can last up to 30 minutes of active use.
During this period, it is not recommended to install heavy games or apps from third-party sources immediately. Let the system safely index files and configure background services. If you interrupt this process with active actions, the phone may not work smoothly for the next hour.
⚠️ Warning: After first turning on, be sure to check the build version in the About Phone section. Sometimes errors may occur during the upgrade or reset process, and the phone may roll back to an older firmware version, which will require a re-update.
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Complete completion of the process is considered only after the phone worked 10-15 minutes in normal mode without overheating and interface brakes.
Possible problems and delays
Despite the smoothness of Xiaomi’s processes, sometimes the reset procedure may not go according to plan. Understanding possible scenarios will help you distinguish between normal latency and critical error.
If the phone is stuck in the erasure phase (black screen or logo with percentages) for more than 20 minutes, it is an alarm signal. The cause may be damage to the file system or the presence of blocks in memory. In rare cases, a faulty file in the recovery section causes the problem, which prevents the correct execution of the cleaning script.
Another common problem is cyclical reboot after reset, which often happens if the system partition has been damaged or if the phone has been infected with a deep virus that has damaged system files to the point where the clean system cannot start, in such cases, a simple reset is not enough, you need to flash through the computer using the Mi Flash Tool utility.
- 🚫 Waiting more than 20 minutes makes no sense, requires a forced reboot.
- 🔄 Bootloop: Cyclical reboot indicates system files are damaged.
- 🔋 Discharge: If the battery is dead during reset, plug in the charger and try to start the phone again.
Log in Recovery mode and selecting "Wipe all data" (if available) or "Reboot to bootloader" for later flashing often helps to solve loading problems. However, if the phone is guaranteed, it is better not to experiment with the firmware yourself, but to contact an authorized service center.