Forgot the pattern lock on Xiaomi Redmi: ways to unlock

When you pick up your Xiaomi Redmi and suddenly realize you've forgotten your pattern lock, it happens more often than you think, after a long pause in your use, haste, or trivial inattention, and the lock screen becomes an insurmountable barrier that separates you from contacts, photos, and important apps.

Fortunately, Android and MIUI have multiple recovery mechanisms, but each method depends on the security settings that were activated on the device in advance, and in some cases, you can save the data, in others you will have to resort to a complete reset.

In this article, we will take a look at all the current ways, from simple actions through a Google account to more complex procedures using the engineering menu.It is important to understand that modern versions of Android (10, 11, 12 and later) have significantly increased protection, so old life hacks may not work.

Use the “Forgot Password” function through Mi Account

The most civilized and safest way for Xiaomi smartphone owners is to link the device to a personal Mi Account. If you have previously logged in and activated a search for the device, unlocking it takes a couple of minutes, which allows you to unlock the screen without losing your personal files.

First, you need to type the wrong pattern lock five times in a row, and then the lock screen should show the words "Forgot the password" or "Forgot the pattern lock," and clicking on it, the system will prompt you to log in to the Mi Account that is attached to this device.

Enter your Mi Account login and password, and if the data is correct, the phone will suggest creating a new key or pin code, which works only if you have an active Internet connection (Wi-Fi or mobile network) on a locked smartphone.

⚠️ Note: If you have forgotten the password and from the Mi-account, you will not be able to restore access through this method. You will have to use the data reset procedure or restore access to the account through the official Mi-account website.

Note that newer versions of MIUI 12, 13, 14 may be hidden or require confirmation via SMS to the linked number. Always keep a SIM card that has been registered in the profile.

Remotely Unlocking with Google Find My Device

Google Find My Device is a standard tool for managing Android gadgets, which allows you not only to track the location of the lost phone, but also remotely erase data, which automatically removes the lock screen.

To use this method, follow the following steps:

• 📱 Go from a computer or other smartphone to the site android.com/find.
• 🔐 Sign in to the same Google account used on the blocked Xiaomi Redmi.
• 🌐 Make sure that the problem device is enabled Internet and geolocation.
• 🗑️ In the control menu, select the option “Erase Device” (Erase Device).

Once the operation is confirmed, the phone will be ordered to reset completely, all data, including photos and contacts, will be deleted, but the pattern lock will disappear with them, the phone will return to factory condition.

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Before using the Clean feature, make sure you have a fresh backup in Google Cloud or on your computer, otherwise it will not be possible to recover deleted files.

There's a caveat: on some Redmi models with post-reset protection enabled, the phone may request a Google account (FRP Lock) entry. This is a standard security measure, so remember your credentials.

Resetting with Recovery Mode (Hard Reset)

If remote methods are not available, the classic option is to enter recovery mode. Recovery Mode is a special diagnostic environment built into the memory of the phone regardless of the operating system.

The login procedure may vary depending on the version of MIUI. On most modern Xiaomi models, the algorithm is as follows:

1. Turn off your smartphone completely.
2. Press the Volume Up button (Vol +) and the Power button at the same time.
3. Hold the buttons until the Mi logo appears, then let go of power, but keep the volume down.
4. In the Recovery menu, navigation is carried out by volume buttons, and the choice is by the power button.

Select Wipe Data, then Wipe All Data, and confirm the action. Once you've completed the process, select Reboot. The phone will reboot as new.

⚠️ Note: On devices with Android 11 and higher, after reset, you may need to enter a password from a Google account that was synced to the phone before locking.

Sometimes, you need to unlock the bootloader to log in to Recovery. If the standard login doesn't work, try connecting the phone with a cable to your computer and pressing the same buttons, and you may also see a reset confirmation request on the screen, where you want to type in the word yes or confirm.

Unlocking through debugging via USB and ADB

This method is only suitable for advanced users who have pre-enabled USB Debugging on their locked device. If this feature is activated, you can try to delete the lock key file via your computer.

You'll need a PC, USB-cable and installed Android platform tool package SDK Platform Tools. Connect your phone to your computer and open the command line in the folder with ADB. Enter the command:

adb shell rm /data/system/gesture.key

If the command is successful, restart the device. The lock screen should disappear or allow any key to be entered. However, on modern versions of Android, this method often does not work due to restrictions on access rights without root rights.

An alternative is to use a command to reset security settings:

adb shell settings delete secure lock_screen_lock_type

⚠️ Attention: If debugging is on USB It was not turned on before the screen was locked, it's useless. The computer won't get access to the phone's file system without the user's permission.

There are also specialized utilities from third-party developers that try to automate this process, but their effectiveness on Xiaomi Redmi is extremely low due to the aggressive security policy of MIUI.

Comparison of Redmi Unlocking Methods

To make it easier for you to choose the right option, we have prepared a comparison table that will help you assess the risk of data loss and the conditions for each method.

As you can see from the table, the only way to save data without pre-preparedness is through Mi Account, and all other methods involve the sacrifice of files to return access to the device.

If neither of these methods worked, it could be a hardware button malfunction or system file corruption, which would require flashing the Mi Flash Tool in Fastboot mode, which is a complicated procedure.

Prevention of blocking and safety advice

To avoid such problems in the future, you should set up backup unlocking methods in advance. Biometrics (fingerprint or facial recognition) greatly simplifies access, but a pattern lock is still necessary for periodic confirmation.

It is recommended to regularly check the relevance of data in your Google and Mi Account. Make sure that the phone number and backup email are up to date, which will allow you to quickly restore access to cloud services in a critical situation.

It's also useful to write complex passwords to a safe place, like a paper notebook or a password manager on a PC. Human memory is imperfect, and after a month, a complex 10-dot key can fly out of your head.

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Regularly syncing data to the cloud is the only way to ensure you don’t lose important information when you emergency reset.

Remember that the security of your Xiaomi Redmi depends on you. Using simple keys (like the letter "G" or square) makes the device vulnerable, and too complex - inaccessible for the owner.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)