Recently had 2 Aqara Zigbee devices connected to M3 hub that after were removed from the Aqara app did not want to enter pairing mode at all.
I thought the devices are defective as the procedure to enter pairing mode were not working. They were not blinking in the correct way and the hubs were not seeing them.
After many tries and little help from Aqara developer we found the culprit to be the Accidental Removal protection feature on the M3 hub with latest firmware.
The feature was enabled and in this state all the connected to the hub child devices can be removed from the hub only via the Aqara app.
The problem is that even when removed from the app the ZigBee device was deleted from the app but not leaving the ZigBee network and behaving like it is still added and have ARP enabled.
I had to switch off the ARP from the M3 hub that was parent of those deleted devices in order for them to be able to enter pairing mode again.
I am sharing this in case there are other Aqara users struggling with this issue.
I am not sure but i think this issue started with the latest M3 hub firmware which introduced also many other issues like Matter devices disconnecting all the time and slow trigger for automations.
@radi7024 Thanks a lot for sharing your experience! This is super valuable for other Aqara users who might encounter similar issues with the M3 hub’s Accidental Removal Protection.
Your description of Zigbee devices failing to enter pairing mode after being removed from the app aligns with how the “accidental deletion protection” function works. As noted, when this feature is enabled on the hub, devices can only be removed via the Aqara app, and under normal network conditions, long-pressing the reset button won’t reset them. It’s great that you figured out disabling ARP resolved the issue—this tip will definitely help others save time troubleshooting!
You also mentioned potential firmware-related problems like Matter devices disconnecting and slow automation triggers. For these, feel free to submit your feedback through the Aqara Home App Customer Service Team (Profile> Help & Feedback > Customer Service) or scan the QR code:
This will be more efficient. If you do not have an Aqara Home account, “Please click here” to create a ticket.
Keep sharing your insights—they make the community stronger! 
Hello, I’m still using the gateway reboot. Most likely, the gateway logs do not delete information about the device deleted via APP and the gateway does not understand how to add an already connected device. I agree, this is a problem with the gateway firmware.