Xiaomi Redmi’s “The Device Is Locked”: What to Do and How to Unlock Your Phone

The message “The device is locked” on the screen of Xiaomi Redmi is one of the most unpleasant situations for a smartphone owner, it appears after resetting settings, failed firmware or when buying a used device tied to someone else’s Mi Account. Unlike the standard pattern lock, this lock is associated with Xiaomi hardware protection, and you can not get around it “on the knee”.

In this article, we will discuss all working ways of unlocking, from official (via Mi Unlock Tool) to alternative (bypass activation, reset via Fastboot). Importantly, if the phone was stolen or bought from hands without detachment from the previous owner, unlocking may not be possible without his participation. Also note that some methods require a PC, cable and basic skills with ADB or Fastboot.

Why is the device locked on Redmi?

The message “This device is locked” (or its variant “The device is locked by Mi Account”) signals that the smartphone is tied to a Mi Account account and requires proof of ownership.

• 🔄 Resetting settings via Recovery or Fastboot without decoupling from your account.
• 📱 Buying a used phone that was not unlocked by the previous owner.
• 🔧 Failed firmware update interrupted via Mi Flash Tool.
• 🛡️ Activate Find Device (similar to Google’s Find Phone).
• 🔐 Locking through Mi Cloud when your device is lost.

On Redmi Note 10/11/12, Redmi 9/10 and later, the lock can be triggered even after flashing, if the OEM Unlock option in the developer settings was not disabled. On older devices (for example, Redmi 4X or Redmi 5), the problem is more often associated with binding to Mi Account.

⚠️ Note: If you bought the phone with your hands and the seller did not provide the data from Mi Account, contact him immediately.

Unlocking with Mi Unlock Tool

The most reliable method is to use Xiaomi's Mi Unlock Tool, which works if:

• 📧 You have access to the Mi Account tied to your phone.
• 🔌 The device can be switched to Fastboot mode (Volume Down button) + Power).
• 🖥️ There is a Windows PC and the original cable USB Type-C.

Step-by-step:

1. Download Mi Unlock Tool from Xiaomi’s official website.
2. Install Mi USB Driver drivers (if your PC doesn’t recognize your phone in Fastboot).
3. Turn off Redmi, press Volume Down + Power to log into Fastboot.
4. Connect your phone to your PC and start the Mi Unlock Tool.
5. Sign in to your Mi Account (should match your phone account!).
6. Press Unlock and wait until the process is complete (usually 5-10 minutes).

Download Mi Unlock Tool from the official website |Install Mi USB Driver | Log in Fastboot (Volume Down + Power) | Connect your phone to your PC with the original cable |Authorize to Mi Account tied to the device-->

If the utility gives you a “Couldn’t unlock” or “Device not supported” error, check:

• 🔗 Does Mi Account match on the phone and utility.
• 🕒 Is it 72 hours since the last account was linked (new Xiaomi devices are restricted).
• 📱 Does your Redmi model support (the list of compatible devices is available on the Xiaomi website).

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI 13/14 Xiaomi has tightened its unlock policy, if the phone was purchased after the phone was released. 2022 Additional confirmation may be required through SMS email.

Alternative methods: bypassing the lock without Mi Account

If you don't have access to Mi Account, official unlocking is not possible, but there are a few workarounds (not all MIUI models and versions work):

1. Reset via Recovery Mode (for older models)

On Redmi devices before 2019 (e.g. Redmi 5/6/Note 7), hard resets sometimes help:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press Volume Up + Power to enter Recovery.
3. Select Wipe Data → Wipe All Data (Manage Volume and Power buttons).
4. Confirm the reset and restart the device.

If the device is locked again after the reboot, this method did not work.

2.Use of EDL-The mode (for advanced users)

EDL (Emergency Download Mode) allows you to flash your phone without locking, but requires:

• 🖥️ PC with Qualcomm drivers installed HS-USB QDLoader 9008.
• 📁 Fastboot firmware ROM For your Redmi model.
• 🔧 Mi Flash Tool or QFil.

Instructions:

1. Transfer the phone to EDL (usually by closing contacts on the board or via ADB).
2. Connect to the PC – the device must be determined as QHSUSB_BULK.
3. In the Mi Flash Tool, select the firmware and press Flash.

Bypassing activation through ADB (for MIUI 12 and below)

On some firmware, you can delete the lock file via ADB:

adb shell


rm /data/system/mi_account_lock

However, this method only works if:

• 🔓 On. USB Debugging (debugging by USB).
• 📱 The device is not locked at the loader level.

Mi Unlock Tool | Reset via Recovery | Firmware in EDL | Bypassing through ADB | Nothing helps-->

Table: Compatibility of unlock methods with Redmi models

The data in the table is relevant for MIUI 14 (2026) and on newer versions of firmware, some methods may stop working due to tighter protections.

What to do if nothing helps

If all of these methods do not work, there are several options:

• 📞 Contact the Xiaomi service center with documents on the phone (check, warranty card), they can unlock the device by serial number, but only if you are the official owner.
• 💬 Contact the previous owner (if the phone is purchased by a used one) and ask to untie Mi Account via account.xiaomi.com.
• 🆘 Sell your phone for parts if unlocking is not possible.

Forums (like 4PDA or XDA Developers) sometimes have new methods of bypassing, but they are often associated with the risk of a breeze (turning the phone into a "brick"). On devices with a MediaTek processor (like the Redmi 10C or Redmi A1), the chances of unlocking without the Mi Account are close to zero due to the Secure Boot hardware protection.

💡

Before buying a used Xiaomi Redmi, always check the status of the Mi Account binding through the Settings menu → Mi Account → Devices. If the phone does not appear in the seller’s list of devices, it is already untied.

How to avoid blocking in the future

To avoid “The device is locked” again, follow the following simple rules:

• 🔑 Untie Mi Account before resetting via Settings → Mi Account → Delete the account.
• 🔧 Turn it on. OEM Unlock in the developer settings if you plan to flash your phone.

On devices with MIUI 13/14, Xiaomi has added the “Reset Account Delete feature,” but it only works if the phone has been unlocked before. If you frequently reflash Redmi, we recommend using Custom ROM (such as Pixel Experience or LineageOS), where there is no binding to Mi Account.

💡

The only legal way to unlock Xiaomi Redmi is through the Mi Unlock Tool with the original Mi Account. All other methods are either temporary or carry the risk of damage to the device.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Redmi unlocking