Forgot the username or password from the account Xiaomi – what to do in 2026?

Forgot the data from the Mi Account and can not unlock the smartphone Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO? This problem is familiar to thousands of users — after resetting or buying a used device, the system requires you to enter the username and password from the associated profile. Without them, the phone turns into a “brick”: you can not install applications, update the firmware or even use basic functions.

In this article, we will discuss all the official and informal ways to restore access to Xiaomi account, including bypassing the lock through the service center, resetting the device and using engineering modes. Importantly, some methods work only on certain models (for example, Redmi Note 10 Pro or Xiaomi 13T) or versions of MIUI. We will specify the nuances for each instruction.

If you bought the phone with your hands and the previous owner did not untie your account – you have a maximum of 30 days to contact him and ask him to remove the device from the list in i.mi.com. After this period, unlocking will be possible only through the official Xiaomi service with the provision of a purchase check.

Why Xiaomi is blocking a phone without an account

The MIUI system links the device to the Mi Account for two reasons:

• 🔒 Theft protection: Find Device (similar to Find iPhone) allows you to lock your phone remotely if it is lost or stolen. Without entering your account, an attacker will not be able to use the device.
• 📱 Data synchronization: Mi Cloud saves contacts, photos, notes and settings. When reset to factory settings, the system requires authorization to restore backup.
• 🛡️ Counter fraud: stolen phones are often sold in the secondary market, and account binding makes it difficult to resell them.

The locking works in three cases:

1. After a complete reset (Wipe Data in Recovery).
2. When you update your firmware via Fastboot or MIUI Updater.
3. If you manually deleted your account in the settings, but did not untie the device on the i.mi.com website.

⚠️ Note: On Xiaomi models with Qualcomm Snapdragon chip (e.g. Redmi Note 12 Pro)+) Account blocking can be combined with protection FRP (Factory Reset Protection: This will require additional bypassing EDL-regime.

Official ways to restore Xiaomi account

If you have forgotten your password but remember the email or phone number associated with your account, use the standard recovery procedure:

1. Go to account.xiaomi.com.
2. Click Forgot Password? and select the recovery method: 📧 By email (the code will come in the mail). 📞 By text (if the number is attached). 🔑 By backup email (if indicated).

5-10 minutes

Xiaomi

If you lose your email/phone access, try:

• 🔄 Restoring access to mail (for example, via Gmail or Mail.ru).
• 📱 Use a different phone with the same phone SIM-smscard.
• 📝 Contact Xiaomi with proof of account ownership (checks, screenshots of purchases in the Mi Store).

⚠️ Note: If you see an error when you restore your account, "This account is locked due to too many attempts," wait 24 hours before you try again.

Do you remember the email or phone number linked to your Mi Account?|

Is there access to backup mail (if indicated)|

Have you tried to enter old passwords (sometimes it works) |

Are you ready to provide a purchase check for support?-->

How to unlock Xiaomi without a password from your account (unofficial methods)

If the official methods have not worked, there are alternative methods that require technical skills, which are suitable for devices on MIUI 12-14 and can lead to data loss or firmware corruption.

Method 1: Fastboot Reset (for models up to 2022)

This method works on Xiaomi smartphones with an unlocked bootloader.

• 📱 Redmi Note 8/9/10 Pro,
• 📱 Xiaomi Mi 9/10/11,
• 📱 POCO F1/F2/F3.

Instructions:

1. Turn off your phone and press the Power button + Volume down to log into the Fastboot.
2. Connect the device to your PC and start the Mi Flash Tool (download from the official website).
3. Select Fastboot firmware for your model (for example, tucana_global_images... For the Redmi Note 8 Pro).
4. Click Clean All and Lock (this will delete the account but block the bootloader!).

Important: After this procedure, the phone will be clean, but the bootloader will lock. It will take 720 hours (30 days) to re-unlock through the Mi Unlock Tool.

Method 2: Bypassing EDL-Mode (for Snapdragon)

If your Xiaomi has a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor (check Settings → About phone), you can use EDL emergency mode to run your firmware without an account.

• 🖥️ Windows computer;
• 🔌 Cable USB Type-C (original);
• 🛠️ QFil or Mi Flash Pro;
• 📄 Firmware in.mbn format.

Algorithm:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press Volume Up + Loud Down + Power for 10-15 seconds to enter EDL (the screen will remain black!).
3. Connect your phone to your PC – Qualcomm HS-USB QDLoader 9008 should appear in Device Manager.
4. In QFil, select firmware and press Download.

⚠️ Note: Incorrect Firmware in the EDL This method can permanently disable the phone ("brick"), which is recommended only for experienced users!

Method 3: Delete your account via TWRP (for unlocked bootloader)

If the phone has custom TWRP recovery installed, you can manually delete the account files:

1. Enter TWRP (Nutrition + Volume Up).
2. Go to Advanced → File Manager.
3. Delete the folders: /data/system/mi_account/ /data/data/com.xiaomi.account/
4. Reboot the phone.

This method works on 70% of devices, but can cause errors in the work of Mi Cloud.

💡

If you don't have experience with TWRP or Fastboot, it's best to contact a service center.Incorrect actions can result in loss of IMEI or damage to the EFS partition, making the phone unsuitable for calls.

What to do if you bought a used Xiaomi account with someone else

Buying a hands-on phone is often a problem: the previous owner didn't untie his Mi Account.

• 📞 Contact the seller. Ask them to remove the device from the list on i.mi.com. They need to: Sign in to their account. Go to Find Device. → Remove the device.

Xiaomi

• Check of purchase (or contract of sale).
• A phone box with an IMEI.
• Passport for identification.

The term of consideration of the application is from 3 to 14 days.

Service centre

fee

1 500–3 000 ₽

⚠️ Note: If the seller refuses to help, and there is no check, the phone can be unlocked only informally (via the phone). EDL Fastboot, but this voids the warranty and can lead to update issues.

💡

If the phone was purchased less than 30 days ago, you have a chance to return it to the seller under the Consumer Protection Act (Article 18), since the device does not meet the stated functions (it does not work without the account of the previous owner).

How to Avoid Account Blocking in the Future

To avoid the problem again, follow the simple rules:

• 📧 Link backup email in your Mi Account settings.

Update your firmware regularly

MIUI

If you frequently reset your phone to factory settings (for example, to test firmware), disable your account binding:

1. Go to Settings → Accounts → Mi-account.
2. Click on Delete Account.
3. Confirm the action with a password.

Important: After deleting your account, some features will become unavailable:

• Synchronization with Mi Cloud.
• Use Find Device.
• Shopping at the Mi Store.

Frequent mistakes and their solutions

When you restore your Xiaomi account, users face typical problems.

If you see an "Anti-rollback check" error when resetting via Fastboot, it means you're trying to install the old firmware version on your phone with the new one.

1. Download the latest official firmware for your model.
2. Use the Mi Flash Tool with the Clean All option (not Clean All and Lock!).

Xiaomi 12/13 and Redmi Note 11/12 may have an error "SLA Auth Error" when running through EDL. This means that the authorization of Xiaomi servers is required.

• Use the official developer account in Mi Flash.
• Contact the service center with the IMEI device.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions