How to change the region Xiaomi Redmi 5: 3 working methods and their consequences

Xiaomi Redmi 5 is one of the most popular budget smartphones of 2018, but even years later, its owners are faced with the problem of geographical restrictions. Region-based MIUI affects the available services, updates and even the operation of some applications. If your device was originally set up in China, India or Europe, and you need features for Russia or another country, this guide will help.

Unlike the newer models, where region change is blocked at the firmware level, Redmi 5 (codename rosy) still allows you to bypass the restrictions, but the process requires caution: improper actions can lead to a loss of warranty, locking your Mi Account account or even “bricking” the device, and we will examine three proven methods — from simple change in settings to using ADB and a complete reset.

Important: If your goal is to bypass Google Play restrictions or access Mi Pay, first check if creating a new Mi Account for the desired region solves the problem. 80% of the time, it works without risk to the system.

Why can’t you just choose any region on Redmi 5?

Unlike smartphones on pure Android, MIUI firmware tightly tethers the device to the region when first set up, which affects:

• 📦 List of available apps in the Mi App Store and Google Play (for example, China does not have Google services).
• 🔄 Frequency and content OTA-updates (European firmware updates are less frequent than Chinese ones).
• 💳 Payment systems (Mi Pay, Google Pay may be blocked).
• 📡 Support for local LTE-bands (in some regions, some frequencies are disabled by software).

Redmi 5 uses a region lock system that checks the compliance of the firmware region and SIM-If they don't match, they can occur:

• ⚠️ Activation errors com.android.phone (persistent requests enter) PIN).
• ⚠️ Lack of mobile internet when roaming.
• ⚠️ Locking the camera or NFC in some countries.

After 2020, Xiaomi has tightened its policy: new devices can only change the region through the official service, but for Redmi 5, loopholes remain, and we will consider them.

Method 1: Change region through MIUI settings (without root)

This is the safest method, but it only works if:

• 🔹 The device is not linked to a Mi Account with another region.
• 🔹 The firmware is not modified (original) MIUI Global or China Stable).
• 🔹 You are ready to reset all the data.

Step-by-step:

1. Back up important data through Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset.
2. Go to Settings → About Phone and 7 times click on the MIUI version to activate the Developer Mode.
3. Return to the main settings menu, open Additional → For developers and enable debugging via USB.
4. Connect the phone to the PC, confirm the debugging permission on the smartphone screen.
5. Perform a full reset via Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset → Reset settings.
6. When you first set up after reset, select the desired region from the country selection menu.

Save Contacts in Google Account|Download the driver ADB PC-based|Check the battery charge (>50%)|Untie Mi Account (if tied)-->

Critical: if the phone resets the old region, the firmware is rigidly anchored, and then only flashing through Fastboot will help.

⚠️ Note: If you used Mi Account from China, you may need to enter your account password after resetting. Make sure you remember it or untie your account in advance through Settings → Accounts. → Mi Account. → Exit.

Method 2: Using ADB to circumvent restrictions

If the reset didn’t work, you can try to change the region through Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a technique that requires a PC and basic command line skills.

Advantages of the method:

• 🔧 Does not require unlocking the loader.
• 🔄 Save user data (but it’s better to make a backup).
• 🌍 It works on most versions. MIUI for Redmi 5.

Instructions:

1. Download and install Google’s Platform Tools (includes adb.exe).
2. Connect Redmi 5 to your PC, enable USB Debugging (see Method 1).
3. Open the command line (Win) + R → Enter cmd) and execute: adb shell settings put global device_provisioned 1 settings put secure user_setup_complete 1
4. Reboot your phone and connect to your PC again.
5. Follow the command to change region (e.g. Europe): adb shell am start -n com.android.settings/.Settings$DeviceInfoSettingsActivity adb shell settings put global region EU
6. Restart the device and check the region in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (should appear EU or other region tag).

If the command doesn’t work, try an alternative method using MiuiRegion:

adb shell am start -a android.settings.REGION_SETTINGS

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware MIUI 12+ Redmi 5 team ADB In this case, only flashing through the Fastboot with complete data cleanup will help.

Method 3: Fastboot Flashing (for experienced)

If the first two methods didn't work, the radical option is to completely reflash the MIUI version for the desired region, which will delete all the data and return the phone to the factory state with the new region.

Advantages:

• 🔄 100% change of region (if the correct firmware is selected).
• 🆕 Possibility to install the latest version MIUI.
• 🔧 Correction of system errors related to the region.

Disadvantages:

• ⚠️ Total loss of data (including internal memory).
• ⚠️ Risk of "bricking" in case of firmware error.
• ⚠️ Requires unlocking the bootloader (can take up to 72 hours).

Step-by-step:

1. Unlock the bootloader through the official Mi Unlock tool. To do this: Link your Mi Account to your phone in Settings → Accounts → Mi Account. Enable OEM Unlock in Settings → Additional → For developers. Connect your phone to your PC in Fastboot mode (turn off your phone, then press Power + Volume Down).

Download the correct firmware for your region from MIUI Downloads. For Redmi 5 (rosy), select:

• Latest Stable Version → Global (for Europe/Russia) or China (for China).
• Fastboot format (file with.tgz extension).
• Unpack the firmware in a folder with Fastboot (for example, C:\platform-tools\).
• Open the command line in this folder and execute: fastboot flash all [name file firmware].tgz fastboot reboot

💡

If the phone stopped seeing 4G networks after the region change, check the frequency support of your model. Redmi 5 (rosy) does not support some European LTE bands, even if the firmware is global.

How can we verify that the region has changed?

To ensure that the change of region has been successful, perform the following checks:

1. Open Settings → About the phone and look at the line MIUI Version. at the end should be the region: MIUI Global 12.5.1.0 | Stable - global firmware (EU/RU/IN). MIUI 12.5.2.0 China Stable - Chinese firmware.

Check out the list of available apps in the Mi App Store:

• For China: WeChat, Alipay, Baidu.
• For Europe/Russia: Google Play, Facebook, Netflix.
• Perform in ADB Command: adb shell getprop ro.miui.region Must return region code: CN, EU, IN etc.
• Try installing an app that was previously unavailable in your area (like Google Pay for Chinese firmware).

If the region has changed, but some functions are blocked, the problem may be:

• 🔹 Linking a Mi Account – Create a new account for the desired region.
• 🔹 Operator Limitations – Contact Your Mobile Provider Support.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When switching regions to Redmi 5, users often make critical errors that can lead to loss of functionality or even “bricking” of the device, among the most common of which are:

• 🚫 Using firmware is not for its model. Redmi 5 is codenamed rosy, Redmi 5 Plus is vince. Installing the wrong firmware will make the phone inoperable.

To minimize the risks:

• ✅ Use only official firmware from the Xiaomi website.
• ✅ Check the integrity of the downloaded files (compare hashes) MD5).
• ✅ Keep an eye on the battery level (at least 60% before the firmware).
• ✅ Use a data-enabled cable (not all) USB-cables are suitable for Fastboot).

⚠️ Note: If you bought Redmi 5 handheld and do not know the history of its firmware, before changing the region check the status of the bootloader command fastboot oem device-info. If the answer Device unlocked: false, unlocking will take up to 3 days (according to the rules of Xiaomi).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions