He downloaded the official MI Unlock Tool, connected his phone, and followed every guide. But just as hope peaked, a red message appeared:
Alex reset the phone, logged in with his MI account, and waited 72 hours (a required cooling period for his model). This time, when he ran MI Unlock Tool, no 1004 error appeared. The progress bar moved—slowly, surely. mi unlock tool 1004 error
He opened Settings > Mi Account on the phone. The top showed an unfamiliar email—the previous owner’s. That confirmed it: the phone was still bound to someone else. He downloaded the official MI Unlock Tool, connected
Frustrated, Alex searched forums. Some called it the "gatekeeper error." Here’s what he learned. The progress bar moved—slowly, surely
In Alex’s case, the previous owner had forgotten to remove their account. For others, it happens when buying “new” phones from third-party sellers who pre-logged into dummy accounts.