No matter what smartphone you use, over time it begins to slow down, glitch, does not launch certain programs and applications, automatically closes processes, and so on. And in this case, the user resorts to the factory reset function. In principle, this is correct.
If on regular Android smartphones we know how to do this, then with Xiaomi phones there are some difficulties due to the specification of the modified operating system. Well, we’ll tell you about all the nuances and methods of returning factory settings on Xiaomi models.
Often, users who have little understanding of the intricacies of mobile operating systems mindlessly carry out the step-by-step actions described in the articles, ignoring the recommendations! It is important to know that all your data will be completely deleted, including your account, its password, all applications, favorite photos, data from social networks and everything else.
Before resetting to factory settings, be sure to make a copy of all information so that you can quickly restore it on any smartphone on the same operating system, or copy the information separately to a computer, SD drive, or removable drive. For example, photos can be uploaded to a cloud service, contacts can be linked to your account or backed up, data from games can be saved in the Google Game Center, videos can be uploaded to a computer or uploaded to YouTube, cloud services. In general, there are many options and you shouldn’t ignore them.
Option No. 1: Through the “Device Menu”
Xiaomi devices have a separate section in the settings menu so that the user can independently delete all information.
- To do this, you need to go to the “Settings” tab of your device and select an item there called "Restore and reset".
- Next, find the item "Reset" and confirm the operation.
- Within a few minutes, all data, including photos, accounts, downloaded applications, music, videos and other information will be completely deleted. The phone will reboot and after the restart you will receive a “clean” smartphone, as if you had just purchased it in a store.
The method under consideration is suitable for users who have physical access to their smartphone and it works correctly, does not freeze, and does not have cracks on the touch screen that would prevent them from pressing menu items.
It is important to know! If you set a password or pattern when you turn on and wake up your phone, you will also need it when resetting the settings. This is a special protection system that will not allow third-party users to delete important data through a factory reset.
Option #2: Through remote access
Let's say that you do not have the opportunity to enter the smartphone menu or it has a pattern or password set at the entrance. Or maybe it was stolen and you need to delete the information urgently. In this case, remote access through the Google service will help.
In Xiaomi, as in other Android smartphones, accounts are linked to the Google service, which allows you to control certain functions on the phone. For example, a user can send a command to enable a ringer to hear the phone ring, enable a lock to prevent attackers from doing anything, or clear all data from the system. We are interested in the last point.
- And so, you need to go to the remote access page, log in to the site using the account that is used on your phone and click on the “Clear” tab.
- As soon as your smartphone gains access to the Internet, all data from it will be automatically deleted, and the attackers will not even have time to come to their senses. But the completion time of the procedure largely depends on the amount of information.
Option No. 3: Through the Mi Cloud service
This is a complete alternative to the service from Google and Apple, where you can manage your devices.
Xiaomi has developed its own cloud service that allows you to carry out various operations with your phone, including deleting all content from it at a distance.
Attention! It is assumed that the “Find my phone” option was previously activated. If it is disabled by default, then you will not be able to use this method!
So, here's what you need to do:
- Go to the official website of the Mi Cloud service using the link and specify your username and password, log in to your account;
- Go to the "Devices" section, find your mobile phone, track it on the map and click the button "Format device";
- Once the data is deleted, you can reboot the device and enjoy comfortable and stable operation of your smartphone. Again, remote control is only possible when the phone is connected to the Internet!
Option #4: Keystroke reset
Some Xiaomi phones can be reset to factory settings through hot keys and calling a separate menu.
- To do this, turn off the phone, remove the SIM cards, SD card from it and boot into recovery mode. To activate it, you need to do the following: simultaneously press the power button and the volume down button along with it. Hold for a few seconds until the MIUI logo (modified Xiaomi system) lights up on the screen. Release the keys.
- The system will show a list of languages. Choose English (in addition to English, there is also Chinese or Japanese). Confirm the choice of language with the “Power” button. If there is a Russian language, then choose it, but basically the devices of this line only have foreign languages;
- Next, in the “Main Menu” menu that appears, find the “Wipe and Reset” item and click on it, controlling the volume keys (+ and -) to move through the items;
- After clicking, you need to click on the item “Wipe All Data”, again, confirming the click with the “Power” button. The system will ask for confirmation to complete the operation - confirm again;
- We are waiting for the operation to be completed. The smartphone will reboot and a notification with a greeting and further settings will appear on the screen. The data is deleted, you can use your phone again.
Attention, in some Xiaomi models, when resetting via Recovery, there are several types of cleaning. The one we reviewed involves completely clearing the phone of user data, but for some cases other menu items will help you, which we will briefly discuss below:
- Wipe Cache - clearing cached data from the file system (mainly cached application files, browser history, etc.);
- Wipe user data - deletes only user data. At the same time, applications, photos, and individual settings remain;
- Wipe SD Card - complete removal of information from a memory card. Essentially, an alternative to standard formatting.
Another important point! This instruction may not help if your Xiaomi smartphone is powered by an MTK processor and also has a blocked Bootloader. To solve this problem, you will have to unlock the bootloader using a specialized program and service from the device developers. The time it takes to wait for a decision can vary from 3 to 21 days.
Option #5: Non-standard method
Let's say that you don't remember your account password and can't connect via remote access and don't have the ability to physically unlock your Xiaomi phone. In this case, you can use the method described below. But keep in mind that it is quite complex, especially for novice users.
The method involves completely flashing the smartphone's firmware and updating it to the latest version. Moreover, the phone must already have Bootloader mode unlocked.
Here's what you'll need to do:
- From the website, download and install the MIUI ROM Flashing Tool program on your computer;
- Go to the official MIUI website using the link and select your device model from the list;
- Download the latest firmware for this device and save it on your computer;
- Activate FastBoot mode on your phone. To do this, you need to turn off the device and press two keys at the same time - Volume Down and Power (Power button);
- As soon as the phone boots up in this mode, a picture with the MIUI man and Android will be displayed on your screen;
- Now connect your smartphone to your computer via a USB cable, unzip the archive with the firmware and copy the path to this file from Explorer;
- Open the program, in the Select item manually specify the path to the folder with the firmware or simply paste the path just copied from Explorer;
- Click on the Refresh tab, after which the system will automatically recognize the new device;
- At the bottom of the program, be sure to check the box next to Clean all, and click on the Flash tab;
- The system will automatically start the process of removing the old firmware and installing the new one. As soon as the progress bar turns green and a Success notification appears on the right side of the program, you can remove the device and try to turn it on.
Important advice! Use this method only if everything described above did not help you. Please note that the data will be completely deleted and if you do not make a copy, you will not get anything back later. Before downloading the firmware, be sure to select an exact copy of your model, otherwise the versions of the operating systems will not match and no one guarantees correct operation of Xiaomi.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many ways to reset settings, despite the fact that Xiaomi has a separate version of the Android operating system installed, which is very different in functionality from other models and manufacturers.
Be sure to create backup copies, enable the “Find Phone” option, link to cloud services and remember the passwords you set, otherwise you will experience numerous problems during such operations.
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How to change the language on Xiaomi?
To perform this procedure, you need to download and install the MoreLocate2 program on your smartphone. You can download the application from the Play Market, but here, too, not everything is so simple.
It is important to know
Many Xiaomi phones do not have the Google app store and other company services.
When everything is installed, you need to launch MoreLocate2 and activate the Russian language.
Changing the language by flashing it
This the most difficult way to Russify Xiaomi. By the way, many problems with smartphones of this brand are solved by changing the firmware. This can be done in two ways:
- via Recovery;
- through phone settings.
Whatever method is chosen, you first need to download the required firmware. Lots of websites provide this option, but the safest place to download it would be from either the Russian Xiaomi fan forum or the official MIUI website. It's important to remember that You only need to download stable versions marked global.
Installing firmware through the system
The easiest way to reflash Xiaomi is through the phone settings. To do this you need to follow a few simple steps:
- open settings;
- select the “About phone” section;
- open the “System updates” tab;
- specify the path to the downloaded firmware file;
- confirm.
After this, the installation of updates will begin, during which the smartphone may reboot itself several times. After completing the flashing procedure, the device can turn on within 5 minutes. When the phone is turned on and configured, in the settings you can check the ability to change the system language to Russian. If there is none, you should download new firmware.
Installing firmware in Recovery
The first step is to downloading the firmware file itself and renaming it to “update.zip”. Then it must be copied to the root directory of the internal storage. After this, you should start recovery mode:
- turn off your smartphone;
- hold down the on/off and volume up keys;
- wait for vibration and release the power button.
If everything is done correctly, a window with a choice of language will appear on the screen. Next, you need to go to the “Install update.zip to System One” section (3rd item of the main menu) and confirm the action. After this, the installation of new firmware will begin.
When the entire procedure is finished, you need to return to the main menu and go to the “Wipe&Reset” section (2nd item) to reset all parameters. If you don't do this, your phone may not work properly. After completely deleting all data, the smartphone will reboot on its own. You can change the language in the device settings.
» we talked about the shortcomings of mobile devices from this manufacturer, forcing users to choose other brands.
Today Lifehacker will reveal another big problem with Xiaomi smartphones, because of which we had to write an entire guide. We are talking about the model range and naming.
Life is easy for apple farmers. When they want to upgrade their mobile phone, they choose between three iPhones: regular, large Plus and compact SE. We counted about 30 more or less current smartphone models from Xiaomi. This does not take into account versions with different amounts of RAM and storage.
And now another person who has read about the advantages of Xiaomi goes into some online store, sees dozens of different, but at the same time very similar smartphones in front of him and immediately falls into a deep stupor. Sound familiar? That is why Lifehacker created this guide.
Now we will quickly make you a true expert on the Xiaomi smartphone range. Go!
Xiaomi classification
Despite the apparent diversity, Xiaomi has only two lines of smartphones:
- Xiaomi Mi are mostly flagship smartphones. As a rule, they are more expensive, powerful, high quality, with excellent cameras and excellent build quality. The latest Xiaomi Mi competes with the top models of the world's A-brands.
- Xiaomi Redmi are mainly budget smartphones, mid-range ones, some of which, however, claim to be flagship status. Redmi is able to satisfy the needs of the vast majority of users and is much more affordable.
What are Xiaomi Mi?
Xiaomi Mi is divided into four series: simply Mi, Mi Note, Mi Max and Mi Mix.
Mi
Classic top-end smartphones with a standard screen size of 5.15 inches. The best hardware, the best displays, the best cameras, a discreet conservative design and a design without any obvious features. The Mi series can be considered the standard, basis and face of the senior range of Xiaomi smartphones.
The most recent at the time of writing is the smartphone.
- 8-core Snapdragon 835 processor.
- 6 GB RAM.
- 5.15-inch Full HD IPS display covering 71.4% of the front panel.
- 64 or 128 GB storage.
- Availability of a version with a ceramic case.
The previous generation Mi, number 5, is still relevant and will be in great demand for a long time. This is because the flagships get the best stuffing with a huge reserve for the future.
The Mi5 generation is represented by five models:
- - basic model based on Snapdragon 820 with a Full HD screen. The body is made of glass and metal.
- Mi5 Pro is the older version of the classic Mi5 with increased memory. The model is available in an incredibly beautiful and stylish ceramic case.
- Mi5S is an updated version of Mi5 based on Snapdragon 821 in a metal case.
- is a version of Mi5S with a 5.7-inch screen and a dual main camera. Due to the increased display size, it can be considered as an alternative to the Mi Note series, which will be discussed below.
- Mi5c is a not very successful attempt by the company to release a smartphone with a processor of its own production.
Mi Note
Mi Note is a series of Xiaomi flagship phablets with a screen diagonal of 5.7 inches.
A phablet is a smartphone with a large display, that is, a hybrid of a smartphone and a tablet.
Obviously, due to their increased dimensions, such devices are not suitable for everyone, since they often simply do not fit in a pocket.
The strength of phablets is the large screen, which is more convenient for surfing, watching videos and playing games.
The latest at the time of writing is the phablet.
- Quad-core Snapdragon 821 processor.
- 4 or 6 GB RAM.
- 5.7-inch Full HD AMOLED display.
- 64 or 128 GB storage.
The first generation of phablets, represented by the standard Mi Note model and the advanced version Mi Note Pro with increased memory and a higher resolution screen, cannot boast of the latest hardware, but is significantly cheaper than Mi Note 2.
Please note: in addition to the Mi Note series, the Mi5S Plus, equipped with a 5.7-inch screen, can quite rightly be included in the Xiaomi line of phablets.
Mi Max
If you think that the 5.7-inch screens of Mi Note phablets are too much, then just take a look at the Mi Max series with a 6.44-inch display! Obviously, it makes more sense to consider such large devices primarily as a tablet with a dialer rather than as a smartphone.
The latest at the time of writing is the Mi Max 2 phablet.
- 8-core Snapdragon 625 processor.
- 4 GB RAM.
- 6.44-inch Full HD IPS display.
- Battery 5,300 mAh.
- Camera like Mi6.
Please note: it is equipped with a Snapdragon 650 processor, which is slightly inferior to the 625 in overall performance, but wins in graphics.
Mi Mix
This is innovation in its purest form. Frameless design, giant screen, good hardware, clever sound transmission technology, ceramic body and an appropriate price.
- 8-core Snapdragon 821 processor.
- 4 or 6 GB RAM.
- 6.4-inch 2K IPS display covering 91.3% of the front panel.
- Storage 128 or 256 GB.
What are Xiaomi Redmi?
Xiaomi Redmi is divided into three series: simply Redmi, Redmi Note and Redmi Pro.
Redmi
Classic smartphones with a standard screen size of 5 inches. Unlike the flagship Mi, the Redmi line is more diverse. Here you will find both frankly cheap devices made of plastic and with an entry-level processor, as well as very productive mid-range devices with claims to flagship status.
At the moment, the fourth generation of Redmi is relevant, represented by four models:
- Redmi 4 is the base model based on Snapdragon 430 with an HD screen. The body is made of metal.
- Redmi 4 Pro is the older version of Redmi 4 with a more powerful Snapdragon 625 processor, Full HD screen and increased memory.
- Redmi 4X is an intermediate option between the basic and older models based on Snapdragon 435. The processor is slightly better than that of Redmi 4, the screen is the same. Versions are available with a memory capacity identical to both the basic and older Redmi 4 models.
- Redmi 4A is an ultra-budget smartphone based on Snapdragon 425 in a polycarbonate body. The ideal entry-level smartphone.
Redmi Note
Redmi Note is a series of 5.5-inch (Full HD, IPS) Xiaomi smartphones. is a series of 5.5-inch (Full HD, AMOLED) Xiaomi smartphones based on MediaTek Helio X20 and X25 with a front-mounted fingerprint sensor and a dual main camera.
Did this classification help you? Do you have a clear understanding of the Xiaomi smartphone lineup in your head? If not, then it's okay. There are really so many Xiaomi smartphones that it is no longer possible to organize them.
We are in no way saying that all manufacturers should follow Apple's example, that is, release one or two smartphones, telling everyone that this is how it should be. Freedom of choice is important, but everything is good in moderation.
We hope that in the near future Xiaomi will restore order and make sure that everything is clear to everyone.
Here you will find a detailed guide to Meizu smartphones.
After purchasing a brand new Xiaomi phone, the first thing that catches your eye is its very unusual operating system. Everything seems to be the same as always, but when you start installing applications or simply making settings, it turns out that there are some nuances. There are some subtleties here, and there is no need to be afraid of them. The MIUI operating system is a modified Android, and it has almost the same capabilities. You just need to delve a little and figure it out.
Features of installing Google Play on Xiaomi phones
Google Play is a necessary application; through it you can easily and, most importantly, safely install programs designed to expand the functionality of your smartphone. The only trouble is that some Xiaomi phones come from the factory without pre-installed programs, and Google Play is missing. In principle, this is a small problem that can be solved quite simply.
- Open the pre-installed browser.
- Enter the words “Google” or “Google installer” into the search and, focusing on the familiar Play Store logo, download the program to your phone.
After installation, the application needs to be opened - problems may arise here too. Information in Chinese is understandable only to Chinese people. We will have to navigate purely intuitively. The application will ask for permission to install APK files - you need to click on the blue circle, after which everything will go like clockwork. Next is standard registration or logging into an existing account, after which you receive full user access rights to almost all Google services, including the Play Store.
Features of working with the main screen of Xiaomi phones
Each person, expressing his individuality, customizes the home screen in his own way - installs different wallpapers and creates all kinds of effects. In Xiaomi smartphones this is done simply, although a little unusual. If you place two fingers on the screen and move them diagonally at the same time (similar to how the scale of a picture changes), then an image of four icons will appear on the screen, among which you will find “Effects”. This is where all the necessary settings and changes to the main screen of the phone are made.
Data transmission control
For this purpose, a special application called “Security” is provided in the phone menu - this provides complete control over all installed applications and access to their settings. To use “Security”, you need to find the “Data usage” section, in which go to the “Restrict data usage” tab.
This is another feature of almost all Xiaomi phones - you can freely give your friend access to any WI-FI network without a password. All you need to do to do this is go to the “Settings” menu section, to the “WLAN” submenu and click on the Internet connection of your choice. After this, a QR code will appear, by copying which your friend can easily use this connection without a password.
Easy to read notifications
If you can't read notifications (SMS messages or information from other apps), then you're doing something wrong. On standard Android platforms this is done with one touch, but with MIUI things are a little different. To access notifications, you need to make not one click on the application icon, but two - a double click opens all messages. Here you can delete read messages by sliding them left or right.
Extending the operating time of a device without recharging is not much more difficult
For ease of use, the developers of the MIUI operating system have introduced not one, but three battery saving modes. You can get to them by going to “Settings”, then to “Advanced Settings”, then you need to go to “Battery and Performance” and from there go to the “Power Options” section.
- « Battery Saver» – automatic control of Xiaomi phone parameters depending on the battery charge.
- « Schedule profile switch"- this saving mode controls the smartphone based on the time of day.
- « Scheduled power on/off» – here you can program the phone to automatically turn on and off at your discretion.
Each of these options will be useful in one situation or another and will save you a fair amount of energy for the productive operation of the device.
One-handed operation
Especially for large devices or simply controlling a standard Xiaomi phone, the operating system menu provides a one-handed control mode. Its essence is that you can reduce the screen from 5 to 4.5 inches and return everything to its place. The small screen allows you to reach almost any corner of the screen with your thumb. You can get to this function by first going to “Settings”, then to “Advanced settings”, then you should select one-handed mode and activate it for convenient control of your smartphone.
Emergency lighting
Imagine this situation: the light has disappeared and darkness has completely surrounded you. What to do? Naturally, quickly look for at least something remotely resembling a flashlight. Modern people have long mastered all the delights of a glowing screen, but it’s not always possible to quickly unlock a Xiaomi phone and use it as a flashlight. It is for this reason that, as an additional bonus to the existing functionality, the phones of this company are equipped with a standard flashlight with the ability to turn it on in an emergency. This function works even when the phone is locked - all you need to do to turn it on is press and hold the center button for a while. The flashlight will remain on until you release the button.
How to wake up a Xiaomi phone using the volume button
Emergency unlocking of the phone by pressing one button - not every modern smartphone has this advantage. The exception is a few mobile devices, one of which is the Xiaomi phone. You can activate this function in the settings by going to the “Advanced settings” menu and selecting the “Buttons” subsection there – here you need to activate the “Wake up the smartphone with the volume button” function.
As you can see, everything is simple, and making a Xiaomi phone work the way you want is not that difficult. Just like with any other technology, you need to figure it out. Only after studying all its capabilities and trying them in practice can you form a final opinion about the device.
IMEI is a unique marking of a wireless communication module, which is issued by the manufacturer and serves to identify a mobile device. Taking into account the fact that many modern smartphones support two SIM cards, they are equipped with two such numbers at once. How to find out the IMEI of a Xiaomi phone?
Method 1 – Phone
The easiest way is to use a special code in your smartphone dialer.
To do this, open the “Phone” application and enter the code *#06# , after which a window with information about IMEI1 and IMEI2 will immediately appear.
Method 2 – Engineering menu
It is not much more difficult to find out the IMEI of your smartphone through a special engineering menu.
Go to the smartphone settings and select the “About device” section, where we quickly click on “Kernel” five times.
The engineering menu will open, where the very first item will be “Version information”. It contains information about IMEI along with barcodes that can be scanned if necessary.
Method 3 – Packaging
The packaging and shipping film also contain information about the IMEI of the mobile device. You can trust it if you bought the phone and unpack it yourself. Otherwise, it would be a good idea to check if the numbers on the package and inside the phone match.
IMEI helps to find lost or stolen mobile phones, and also, in some countries (for example, Turkey), is linked to its owner.
