Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones often face the need to obtain accurate data about their device’s software, which may be required to update the firmware, unlock the bootloader or authenticate the gadget.
Users are often confused by the sprawling MIUI or HyperOS shell that hides Android’s standard settings. It’s important to know where to look for the basics of the system so you don’t get confused by the variety of menus. In this guide, we’ll look at all the possible ways to identify the OS version and the device itself.
Android version information is critical when installing applications that require a specific runtime environment, and knowing the exact build of the software helps diagnose performance problems, and here are the proven methods for obtaining this data.
Search for Android version in the standard menu
The most obvious and safe way to know the operating system version is to use a standard interface, and the path to that data may vary slightly depending on the version of the MIUI shell or HyperOS, but the logic remains the same. You need to go to the Settings section, which is usually indicated by the gear.
The list that opens contains the “About Phone” item (sometimes it’s at the top or hidden in the Advanced Settings submenu). This is where you find all the key information about the model, processor and software. Click on the Android version line several times to see the system logo.
- 📱 Open the Settings app on the main screen.
- ℹ️ Go to the About Phone section to view the summary.
- 🔢 Find the Android version line to get the exact number.
- 🎮 Click on the version number. 5-7 Once to start a hidden game (Easter Earnings).
Note that the MIUI version number (e.g. 12.5.6) is not the same as the base Android version (e.g. 11 or 12), a common novice error. Some applications require the base platform version to work properly.
⚠️ Note: Do not attempt to modify system files by simply viewing information. Any interference with the system partition without root rights may result in loss of warranty.
💡
Remember the build number, which is often required by support to identify the specific firmware state of your device.
Use of engineering menus and codes
For more detailed technical information, including IMEI, MAC-The address and the status of the test, the engineering menu is used, and it is accessed through a standard call by entering special USSD-It's a quick way to check the hardware without installing third-party software.
Dial ##6484## to log into the CIT (Customer Interface Test) menu, where you can check all sensors, screens and communication modules. Another useful code ##4636## opens the testing menu, where detailed battery usage statistics and Wi-Fi information are available.
#6484## - Equipment Testing Menu (CIT)
#4636## - Phone and battery information
*#06# - Displaying IMEI and serial numberIn the Phone Information menu (available under *#06#), you will find unique identifiers for your device. The IMEI code is required to register your phone in the database, lock a lost device or check its history against databases.
What do I do if the codes don't work?
Program Methods and ADB Teams
For advanced users who don't have enough standard settings, there are methods to get data through USB debugging. By connecting your smartphone to your computer, you can use the ADB (Android Debug Bridge) utility, which allows you to access hidden parts of the system and display full configuration information.
Before you start, you need to activate the developer mode. To do this, go to Settings → About Phone and quickly press 7 times on the MIUI Version. After the notification “You became a developer”, go to Advanced Settings → For developers and turn on the USB debugging switch.
☑️ Preparation for work with ADB
Once you're connected to your PC, run a command to output complete system information. Adb shell getprop will output hundreds of lines of system properties. To find a specific version, use a filter:
adb shell getprop ro.build.version.releaseThis method yields the most reliable data, since information is taken directly from system properties, bypassing the graphical interface, which is especially useful if the system interface is damaged or malfunctioning.
Conformity table versions MIUI and Android
Understanding which version of the underlying Android is hidden behind the shell of MIUI or HyperOS is often difficult. Different phone models on the same version of the shell can run on different versions of Android. Below is a reference table for indicative matching.
| Shell version | Basic version of Android | Status of support | Examples of models |
|---|---|---|---|
| MIUI 12 / 12.5 | Android 10 / 11 | Completed/Limited | Mi 9, Redmi Note 9 |
| MIUI 13 | Android 11 / 12 | Limited. | Mi 11, Redmi Note 10 |
| MIUI 14 | Android 12 / 13 | Active. | Xiaomi 13, Poco F5 |
| HyperOS 1.0 | Android 13 / 14 | Active / New | Xiaomi 14, Redmi Note 13 |
It is important to consider that global firmware versions (Global ROM) and Chinese versions (China ROM) can have different Android base even with the same MIUI number.
Searching for a Lost Xiaomi Device
If you mean "How to find Xiaomi Android" to find a physically lost smartphone, then Find Device is a built-in security feature that allows you to track the location of the gadget, block it or delete data remotely.
To work, the service requires that the lost device was logged in to Mi Account and enabled the function "Search for the device". Go to the official website cloud.mi.com from any other gadget, enter your credentials and select the desired phone from the list.
- 📍 Search: Displaying the current location on the map in real time.
- 🔒 Blocking: Remote screen lock with message output for the finder.
- 🔊 Sound: Turning on the loud signal even when the sound is turned off.
- 🗑️ Cleanup: Complete deletion of data (the phone will cease to be tracked after this operation).
⚠️ Warning: Search only works if the phone is on and connected to the Internet (mobile or Wi-Fi). If the device is turned off, the last known location will be displayed.
Using third-party search apps like Google’s Find Device is also effective if a Google account is activated on the phone, however, Xiaomi’s native service often works more consistently on that brand’s devices, especially in the background.
Diagnostics through the developer menu
The developer menu contains tools that are useful not only for building applications, but also for deep diagnostics, and you can find information about running processes, memory usage, and active debugging, which helps you understand why a phone can be slow.
In the Developer section, look at Working Services (or Statistics) and see details of which Android processes consume the most resources, which allows you to identify hidden miners or unoptimized applications.
💡
The developer menu is a powerful diagnostic tool, but changing the settings in the Animation or Process Limit sections can make the system unstable.
The Error Report feature is also available in this section, and when activated, the system creates a detailed log file containing a snapshot of the status of all services and drivers at the moment, which can be sent to specialists to analyze complex crashes.