Xiaomi’s ‘This Device Is Locked’: How to Unlock Your Phone in 2026

Why Xiaomi is showing “This device is locked” and what it means

The message “This device is locked. Unlock it with your Mi Account” on the Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO screen means that the device is tied to the Mi Account and requires confirmation of the owner.

(1) After a hard reset via Recovery or Fastboot, unless the Find Device function has been disabled before. (2) When you buy a used phone that was not properly untied from the previous owner. (3) After a failed firmware or interrupted update, if the device was locked at the bootloader level.

It’s important to understand that “This device is locked” is not a hardware malfunction, but software protection against theft. It can be bypassed, but the methods depend on the phone model, MIUI version and bootloader status. For example, on new devices (released after 2021) with Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/2 or Dimensity 9000 processors, EDL bypassing may require an authorized Xiaomi account.

If you see this screen after reset, don't panic: 80 percent of the time, you can fix the problem without going to the service center, and here's all the current methods, from the official to the gray workarounds.

Method 1: Unlocking with the original Mi Account (official method)

If you have a phone before or you know the previous owner, the easiest way is to log in to Mi Account.

1. Connect to Wi-Fi or mobile network (if the lock allows).
2. On the lock screen, enter the email and password from the linked account.
3. Confirm unlocking via SMS or backup email (if two-factor authentication is enabled).

If you have forgotten your password, restore it to account.xiaomi.com. Note: Xiaomi can request confirmation through your old phone number even if you have changed it in your account, in which case you will have to contact proof of ownership of the device (checks, box with IMEI).

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI 14+ After 5 failed attempts to enter a password, the account is blocked for 24 hours.

Method 2: Unlocking via Fastboot (for unlocked bootloader)

If the bootloader on your Xiaomi has already been unlocked, you can reset the lock via Fastboot mode.This method works on most models of Redmi Note 10/11/12, POCO X3/X4/X5 and others with Qualcomm processors.

You'll need:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows/Linux and installed drivers ADB/Fastboot.
• 🔌 Cable USB (preferably original).
• 📱 Phone with a charge of at least 50%.

Instructions:

1. Turn off your phone. Press the Power button + Volume down until the Fastboot logo appears.
2. Connect your phone to your PC and open the command prompt (cmd) in the folder with fastboot.
3. Enter the command to check the connection: fastboot devices If the device is determined, continue.
4. Do the lock reset: fastboot oem clean_frp (For new models): fastboot erase frp
5. Reboot the phone: fastboot reboot

If the team clean_frp It didn’t work, so try an alternative:

fastboot oem unlock-go

⚠️ Note: On Bootloader Locked devices, these commands will not work, in which case you will need to first unlock Bootloader through official permission from Xiaomi (the procedure takes up to 72 hours).

Method 3: EDL (Emergency Mode) bypass for advanced users

EDL (Emergency Download Mode) allows you to flash your phone at a low level, bypassing the Mi Account lock, which works even on a locked bootloader, but requires:

• 🔧 Special cable. EDL (or the ability to bond).
• 💻 Mi Flash Tool and the Right Firmware for Your Model.
• 🛡️ Knowledge IMEI and SN Devices (may be required for authorization).

Step-by-step:

1. Download Fastboot ROM firmware for your model from en.miui.com.
2. Install the Qualcomm HS-USB QDLoader 9008 driver (can be found in the archive with the Mi Flash Tool).
3. Put your phone in EDL mode: For older models: press the Power button + Volume up on the phone turned off and plug in the cable. For new ones, you'll need to close the contacts on the board or a special cable.

Mi Flash Tool

Refresh

COM-port

Flash

Important: On devices with MediaTek processors (e.g. Redmi 10A, POCO M4 Pro), the EDL mode is called BROM and requires other tools (e.g. SP Flash Tool).

💡

Before you run through EDL, check if your model supports authorization via Mi Flash. New devices (2023+ years) may require a developer account that only Xiaomi issues.

Method 4: Use of third-party services (paid solutions)

If independent methods did not help, you can turn to paid services that specialize in unlocking Xiaomi.

• 🌍 UnlockJunky (unlockjunky.com) – supports most models, price from $10.
• 🔓 MiAccountUnlock (miaccountunlock.com) – works with MIUI 12–14.
• 🛠️ GSMDome (gsmdome.com) – for devices with MediaTek.

How it works:

1. You choose a phone model and pay for the service.
2. The Service sends you instructions and/or software to unlock.
3. In some cases, you will need to send an IMEI or screenshot of the lock screen.

Advantages of this approach:

• ✅ No risk of “bricking” the phone (if you follow the instructions).
• ✅ Support for new models (including Xiaomi 14, Redmi Note 13).
• ✅ Guarantee of results (most services return money if you fail).

⚠️ Avoid “free” services that are asked to send IMEI It could be a fraud to collect information or spread viruses.

Method 5: Bypassing locking without data loss (for some models)

On devices with MIUI 12 and below (e.g. Redmi Note 8/9, POCO X3 NFC), there is a way to bypass Mi Account lock without resetting data.

• 📱 Charged phone >30%.
• 🔌 OTG-cable and flash drive (or second phone).
• 📂 Specialist APK-bypass file (e.g, MiAccountBypass.apk).

Instructions:

1. Download the file MiAccountBypass.apk to a flash drive or other phone (can be found on the 4PDA or XDA-Developers forums).
2. Connect the flash drive to the locked phone via OTG.
3. On the lock screen, press Emergency Call and dial ##4636##.
4. In the menu that opens, select Usage statistics → Storage → find the flash drive and install the APK.
5. Launch the installed application and follow the instructions on the screen.

This method does not work on all devices and may require several attempts; on newer models (MIUI 13+), this bypass is usually blocked by the system.

💡

Bypassing without loss of data is only possible on older versions of MIUI. On new devices (2022+ years), this method does not work due to enhanced protection.

What to do if nothing helps: alternatives

If all of the above methods do not work, the following options remain:

1. Contact the Xiaomi Service Center: 📄 Documents confirming the purchase (check, warranty card) will be required). ⏳ Unblocking period - from 3 to 10 days. 💰 Cost - from 1,500 to 5 000 rubles (depending on the model).

Test Point

On some models (e.g. Redmi 9T, POCO M3), you can activate EDL by closing the contacts on the motherboard, a risky method, because if you make a mistake, you can damage the phone.

Buying a new phone:

If the device is old (e.g. Redmi 4X, Mi A1) and the unlock cost exceeds 50% of its price, it is more advisable to consider buying a new model.

Before you hand over your phone to the service, check whether it does not have a warranty. In some cases, blocking the Mi Account is considered a warranty case (if the phone was not in use).

FAQ: Frequent questions about unlocking Xiaomi