How to change country to Xiaomi: 5 proven ways (2026)

Changing the region on Xiaomi devices is a pressing task for users who move to another country, buy gadgets in foreign markets or want to access local services. The manufacturer ties the functionality of the smartphone to the region of sale: from available applications in the MIUI App Store to the operation of system services like Mi Pay or Mi Cloud. However, not everyone knows that you can change the country by official methods without hacking the system or using dubious firmware.

In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways to change region to Xiaomi, including nuances for different models (from Redmi Note 12 to Xiaomi 14 Ultra), learn how to circumvent the limitations of MIUI, what to do when you fail to “This region is not supported”, and why some methods work only on unlocked downloaders, and also – what risks are associated with incorrect change of region and how to avoid them.

Spoiler: The most reliable way is through MIUI-account, but it requires preparation, and the fastest one is by SIM-maps, but not suitable for all models.Read on to choose the best option for your case.

Why Xiaomi is limiting the region’s change?

The manufacturer has linked devices to the country of sale for several reasons, and not all of them are obvious to users: first, there are legal requirements: different countries have their own data protection laws (e.g. GDPR in the EU) and device certification; second, Xiaomi enters into partnerships with local services, from payment systems to streaming platforms that only work in certain regions.

The key limitations that users face are:

• 🔒 Lockdown MIUI App Store: Popular apps are not available in some countries (e.g. Google Pay in China or Yandex Go in Europe).
• 📵 Lack of LAN support: VoLTE may not work on Chinese firmware or 5G in your region.
• 💳 Payment system restrictions: Mi Pay and Mi Credit are tied to the country of the account.
• 📦 Lack of updates: Chinese devices often don’t get global updates MIUI.

Fun fact: on devices for the Chinese market (China ROM) you can not officially change the region through settings — this functionality is blocked at the firmware level, owners of such gadgets have to use workarounds, which we will discuss below.

⚠️ Warning: Change of region may result in loss of warranty if the device was purchased from an official store in another country.

Method 1: Change country through MIUI settings (official method)

This is the easiest and safest way, but it only works on global firmware (Global) ROM) requires the availability MIUI-If your device is originally designed for China, this method will not work — go to the next section.

Step-by-step:

1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
2. Tap the MIUI version 7 times to activate the developer mode (if not already activated).
3. Return to the main settings menu and select Additional → Region (or Additional settings → Region in English firmware).
4. In the list of countries, select the desired region and confirm the change.
5. Reset the device.

After the reboot, the system will offer to update some applications (for example, Mi Video or Mi Browser) for a new region.

Synchronization MIUI-account|Mobile network operation (LTE/5G)|Availability of applications in MIUI App Store|Updating system applications|Date and time settings

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If your country is not on the Region menu or gray, the firmware does not support the official shift.

Method 2: Use of the SIM-maps of local operator

Some Xiaomi models (especially new ones, such as Xiaomi) 13T Or the Redmi Note 12 Pro.+) automatically change the region during the first installation SIM-This method works even on Chinese firmware, but with reservations:

• 📱 Not supported on all devices (see the list of models in the table below).
• 🔄 Full Factory Reset Requires After Inserting a New SIM.
• 📡 SIM-The card must be active from the operator of the country to which you want to switch.

How it works:

1. Turn off the phone and insert it. SIM-Local operator card (e.g. T-Mobile for the United States or Megafon for Russia).
2. Turn on the device and wait for the notification about the change of region (may not appear immediately, but in 5-10 minutes).
3. Follow the instructions on the screen. The system will suggest restarting.
4. After the reboot, check the region in Settings → About Phone.

⚠️ Attention: If after insertion SIM-The notification of the change of region did not appear, do not try to deceive the system with the help of virtual operators (for example, Google Fi). IMEI!

Through settings MIUI|With help. SIM-map|Through MIUI-account|Never tried.|Another way.-->

Method 3: Change of region through MIUI-Account (for unlocked devices)

This method is suitable for users who have bootloader unlocked and custom firmware installed (e.g. xiaomi.eu), allowing you to change region even on Chinese devices, but requires technical training.

Algorithm of action:

1. Make sure that the device has firmware that supports multi-region (e.g. xiaomi.eu or MIUI Global from third-party developers).
2. Go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Account settings.
3. Click on the "Region" line (or "Country/Region") and select the country you want.
4. Confirm the change via SMS or email (if required).
5. Reset the device.

Important: After changing your region through your account, some system applications (such as Mi Home or Mi Fit) may require re-authorization, and if you use Xiaomi smart devices (lamps, robot vacuum cleaners), they will also have to be re-connected.

If you have a bootloader blocked, unlocking takes up to 720 hours (30 days) of waiting after you link your account to your device. Read more about unlocking in our article “How to unlock a bootloader on Xiaomi in 2026.”

Method 4: Bypassing Regional Restrictions with VPN

VPNs won’t officially change the region in MIUI settings, but they can bypass geo-blocking for individual services, such as:

• 🌍 Install applications from MIUI App Store of another country.
• 📺 Use streaming services (Netflix, Disney)+) locally-contented.
• 💰 Connect payment systems that are not available in your area.

How to set up a VPN to circumvent restrictions:

1. Set it up solid. VPN-Application (e.g. ProtonVPN or NordVPN).
2. Connect to a server in the country you want to emulate (e.g. US-NY for the United States).
3. Clear the cache and data of the applications that you need to “cheat”: Settings → Applications → Application Management → [Select the application] → Storage → Clear the cache + Clear the data
4. Restart the app. It should think you're in another country.

Limitations of the method:

• ❌ It does not change the system region. MIUI (The old country will remain in the settings).
• ❌ It may not work with banking applications (they are often blocked). VPN).
• ❌ Requires a permanent connection to VPN maintain.

💡

If you need to temporarily access an application from another region (for example, to download), use a VPN along with the second space in MIUI. Create a separate profile in Settings → Special Features → Second Space and set up a VPN only for it.

Method 5: Complete reset and flashing (for power users)

If none of the above methods worked, the radical solution is to completely reflash the device to the global version of MIUI, which is suitable for Chinese devices (China ROM) and requires:

• 🔓 Unlocked loader.
• 🖥️ Computer with drivers installed ADB/Fastboot.
• 📥 Official global firmware for your model (you can download it on the Xiaomi website).

Step-by-step:

1. Download the firmware archive (.tgz or.zip) for your model, for example, for the Redmi Note. 11 It's gonna be a file, like, vili_global_images_V14.0.2.0.TKCMIXM_20231012.0000.00_12.0_global.zip.
2. Unpack the archive and place the file flash_all.bat (for Windows or flash_all.sh (for Linux/Mac) firmware.
3. Connect your phone to your PC in Fastboot mode (clip Volume Down + Power when turned on).
4. Launch the file. flash_all.bat Wait until the process is completed (usually) 5–10 minute).
5. After flashing, reset the settings (Wipe Data) through Recovery.

Warnings:

• ⚠️ All data on the device will be permanently deleted.
• ⚠️ Incorrect firmware can lead to a “brick” (inoperability) of the device.
• ⚠️ On some models (e.g. Xiaomi) 12S Ultra may stop working after flashing Widevine L1 (The quality of streaming on Netflix will decrease).

💡

Flashing is an extreme method, and if you're not sure about your skills, you should go to a service center, and doing the wrong thing can make the device unsafe and unusable.

Frequent mistakes and their solutions

When you change region to Xiaomi, users face typical problems, and we have collected the most common errors and ways to fix them:

If your problem is not described in the table, check:

• 📋 Compatibility of your model with the selected region (for example, Redmi Note 10 does not support the same model). 5G European-style).
• 🔄 Availability of updates MIUI — Sometimes bugs are fixed in new versions.
• 🔒 Xiaomi account status – if it is blocked, the region change will not be available.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions