Xiaomi Mi 9: what to do if the phone does not respond to the buttons and does not turn off

Xiaomi Mi 9 is the flagship of 2019, which is still popular among users thanks to powerful hardware and current updates. However, even such reliable devices sometimes fail: the screen suddenly ceases to respond to touch, the phone freezes on the MI logo or does not turn off at all. If your Mi 9 freezes, do not panic - in 90% of cases, the problem can be solved without contacting the service center.

In this article, we will look at all the possible causes of freezing, from simple overheating to serious firmware failures, and give step-by-step instructions for restoring performance. We will focus on methods that will save your data (photos, contacts, messages) and require no special skills. And if the phone is already unresponsive, we will tell you how to forcefully restart it or reflash it via Fastboot.

Warning: some methods (such as factory resets) will delete all data, so try soft options first, which often work even when you freeze.

Why Xiaomi Mi 9 is Frozen: 5 Main Reasons

Smartphone freezes rarely happen "just like that," usually due to one or more problems:

• 🔥 The Mi 9 is equipped with a Snapdragon 855 chip, which is under heavy load (games, video shooting). 4K, multitasking can get hot to critical temperatures, and if the phone gets hot to the touch, that's the first sign.
• 📱 Failure to work MIUI. Xiaomi’s operating shell is known for its glitches, especially after updates. Often freezes occur due to conflicting system processes.
• 🔋 Battery discharged or damaged, and if the charge level dropped below 5%, the phone could freeze on the lock screen or logo, and there may be problems with the power controller.
• 💾 Memory shortage. The Mi 9 as a basic package has only 64 GB of internal memory. If it is crammed to the end, the system starts to brake and hang.
• 🦠 Viruses or malware: Installing applications from unverified sources can lead to infection that blocks the system from working.

In rare cases, the hardware is to blame, such as a memory chip failure or damage to the screen plume after a fall, but these problems are usually accompanied by other symptoms (artifacts on the display, spontaneous reboots).

First Aid: What to do if the Mi 9 is frozen and does not respond to the buttons

If the phone doesn’t respond to the touch of the screen, but the power and volume buttons are working, try these methods:

1. Forced reboot. Press the Power button for 10-15 seconds until the screen goes out and the MI logo appears. This is the safest way to do this without deleting data.
2. Button combination: If a simple reboot doesn't work, press Power + Volume Up for 10 to 20 seconds at the same time, and that will trigger the Recovery menu.
3. If the phone is dead, plug it in for 15 to 20 minutes, then try rebooting it, and sometimes that's enough to get it back on track.

If the screen is completely black and does not respond even to prolonged button retention, the problem may be in the hardware (for example, the display or the plume failed), in which case it is better to take the device to the service.

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If your phone is stuck on the lock screen, try connecting it to your PC via USB, which sometimes helps wake up the display and unlock the device.

How to unlock Xiaomi Mi 9 if it is getting stuck on the MI logo

Logo getting stuck (called bootloop) is one of the most common problems, usually after a failed firmware update or reset.

1. Wait 10-15 minutes. Sometimes the system thinks long after the update. Don't interrupt the process if the boot indicator is rotating.
2. Log in Recovery Mode: Turn off your phone (press Power + Volume Up for 10 seconds). Press Power + Volume Up, hold until the menu appears. Select Reboot → Reboot to System (use Volume buttons for navigation, Power button for confirmation).

Drop the cache

In Recovery, select:


Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache → Confirm




Then restart the phone.

If these methods do not help, you will have to resort to more radical measures - resetting to factory settings or flashing.

Resetting to factory settings: when it is necessary and how to do it

Attention! Reset will delete all the data from your phone: photos, apps, accounts. Use this method only if other methods have not worked.

There are two ways to discharge:

1. Using Recovery Mode (if the phone turns on): Press Power + Volume Up to log in to the menu. Select Wipe & Reset → Wipe All Data → Confirm. Once reset, the phone will reboot to its original state.

Fastboot

• Connect the Mi 9 to a PC with Xiaomi drivers installed.
• Press Power + Volume Down to Enter Fastboot.
• Use the Mi Flash Tool to firmware a clean version of MIUI.

Once reset, the phone will look like new. You will need to reconfigure it and restore the data from the backup (if it was created).

Make a backup copy of important data|Check the battery level (minimum 50%)|Download the latest firmware version for Mi 9|Install Xiaomi drivers on PC-->

Reflashing Xiaomi Mi 9 via Fastboot: step-by-step instructions

If the phone doesn't turn on even after it's reset, the last option is to reflash it manually, which is a complicated process, but we'll write it down as much as possible.

What you need:

• 💻 Windows computer 7/10/11.
• 🔌 Cable USB (preferably original).
• 📁 Firmware for Mi 9 (download from the official Xiaomi website or forum) 4PDA).
• 🛠 Mi Flash Tool (last version).

Step-by-step:

1. Install Xiaomi drivers on your PC (download from the manufacturer’s website).
2. Unpack the archive with firmware in a folder without Cyrillic characters (for example, C:\Mi9_Firmware).
3. Turn off the phone and press Power + Volume Down to log into Fastboot.
4. Connect the Mi 9 to a PC. Android Bootloader Interface should appear in the Device Manager.
5. Run the Mi Flash Tool, select the firmware folder and press Refresh.
6. Select Clean All mode and press Flash.
7. Wait for the process to finish (5-10 minutes) and the phone will reboot automatically.

Important: If you see an anti-roll back error during the firmware, you are trying to install an older version of MIUI than the one on your phone, in which case you need to download a newer firmware.

What to do if Xiaomi Mi 9 freezes after the update

MIUI updates sometimes cause freezes due to firmware errors. If your phone stopped working after the update, try:

• 🔄 To do this, download the old firmware and run it through Fastboot (instruction above).
• 📥 Download the full service pack (.zip) and install it via Recovery: In Recovery, select Install Update → Choose from storage → select the update file → Confirm
• ⚙ Reset. If the rollback didn't help, reset to factory settings (section above).

If the problem repeats after each update, it may be the firmware region that is to blame, for example, if you installed the European version of MIUI on a phone with Chinese firmware, conflicts may arise, in which case you should flash the global stable version.

Prevention of hangings: how to prevent problems in the future

To make sure that Xiaomi Mi 9 doesn’t hang out in the future, follow these tips:

• 🔄 Update your firmware regularly, but don’t install bat versions unless you’re sure they’re stable.
• 🧹 Clean the cache once every 1-2 months through Settings → Memory. → Cleanup.
• 🔋 Keep an eye on the battery: Do not discharge your phone to 0% and do not use unoriginal chargers.
• 📱 Do not install applications from unknown sources – they may contain viruses.
• 🌡 Avoid overheating: Do not play heavy games when charging and do not leave your phone in the sun.

We also recommend that you enable automatic backups in Settings → Additional → Backup. This will help you quickly recover data after a reset.

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If the phone is slowing down but it hasn't stopped yet, try turning off the animations in the developer settings, which will unload the processor and increase the speed.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the Xiaomi Mi 9 freeze