How to change the country on the smartphone Xiaomi: 5 proven ways

Why users change region to Xiaomi and when it is necessary

Changing the country in Xiaomi’s smartphone settings is a procedure that is faced by owners of devices purchased abroad, moved to another country or wanting to access local services. For example, when you buy Redmi Note 12 in China through AliExpress, you will get firmware with the Chinese region where Google Services is absent, and the Mi App Store offers content in Chinese, in which case changing the region becomes a necessity.

Another common situation is that functions are blocked due to geo-restrictions, for example, in India, some models are not available. POCO get stripped down versions MIUI supportless NFC or 5G-It is also necessary to change the country in order to:

  • 🌍 Access to local banking applications (for example, SberBank Online or Tinkoff require the Russian region)
  • 🎵 Unblock streaming services (Netflix, Spotify, YouTube Premium with local directory)
  • 📱 Install regional versions of applications (for example, Yandex.Maps or Grab for Asia)
  • 📡 Connections to local mobile networks (some operators block roaming for “foreign” devices)

But it's important to understand that changing the region through the official MIUI settings is not possible more than once every 30 days, and this is a restriction that's been introduced to combat fraud and circumvent geo-restrictions, and if you need to change the country urgently, you'll have to use alternative methods, which we'll talk about later.

📊 Why you want to change your country to Xiaomi?
To use local banking applications
To unlock streaming services
The device was purchased abroad with the wrong region
Other

Method 1: Officially change region through MIUI settings

The easiest and safest method is to use the built-in MIUI function. It is suitable for most modern models (Xiaomi 13, Redmi Note 12 Pro+, POCO F5 and later) with global or European firmware. Importantly, if your device is in Chinese firmware (CN designation in the version number), this method will not work - you will need a pre-flashing.

Step instructions:

  1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
  2. Find the Region (or Country/Region in English).
  3. Click on the current country and select the one you want from the list.
  4. Confirm the change by following the system's prompts.
  5. Reset the device.

Check the firmware version (should be global or European)

Make sure your device is connected to Wi-Fi

Battery charge of at least 50%

Save a backup of the data (settings) → Additionally. → Backup)-->

After restarting, the system will automatically update:

  • 📱 Interface language (if the selected region supports it)
  • 🌐 Local Xiaomi services (weather, news, topics)
  • 📡 Mobile network settings (automatic search for local operators)
  • 🛒 Content in Mi App Store and Google Play

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If the country you want is not on the list, try to choose a neighboring country (for example, for Kazakhstan - Russia, for Ukraine - Poland), after changing the region, you can manually set the correct language and time zone.

Method 2: Change of country through SIM-card (for new devices)

Modern Xiaomi smartphones (starting with the MIUI (12) automatically determine the region by the specified SIM-This method works if you have a map:

  • 📱 New device (not tied to another region)
  • 📶 SIM-card of a local operator (for example, MTS for Russia, Vodafone for Ukraine)
  • 🔄 The function is not blocked by previous changes in the region

Algorithm of action:

  1. Put it in. SIM-card of the local operator SIM 1.
  2. Connect to the mobile network (enable data transfer).
  3. Go to Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Settings SIM-map.
  4. Select Update Network Information or Regional Settings.
  5. Confirm the change in region if a request is made.

If the automatic definition does not work:

  • 🔄 Reset the device with installed SIM-card.
  • 📡 Manually select the mobile network in the settings.
  • 🔧 Reset network settings (Settings) → SIM-map → Resetting network settings).
What to do if SIM-map is not defined?
If the smartphone does not see SIM-map, check it out: 1. Installation correctness (try moving to another slot). 2. Network compatibility (some Chinese models do not support European bands) 4G/5G). 3. Update your firmware to the latest version – this can solve the problem with the communication module.

Method 3: Bypassing restrictions via VPN and resetting settings

If official methods fail due to a 30 day limit, a workaround can be used with VPN and setting reset, a method that is suitable for experienced users and requires caution, as it involves deleting data.

Step-by-step:

  1. Install. VPN-App (e.g. ProtonVPN or Windscribe) and connect to the server of the desired country.
  2. Go to Settings → Google → Managing Google Account → Personal Data.
  3. Change the country in your Google profile to your target country (for example, from China to Russia).
  4. Return to the basic settings and perform Reset to factory settings (Settings → About Phone → Resetting).
  5. After rebooting, select the desired region when you first set up.
MethodNeed a reset?It's running on Chinese firmware?Time limit
Official change of region❌ No.❌ No.⏳ 30 days
Shift through SIM-map❌ No.⚠️ Partially.❌ No.
VPN + reset✅ Yes.✅ Yes.❌ No.
ADB-team❌ No.✅ Yes.❌ No.

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Use of the VPN For example, a region change may result in the blocking of some Xiaomi services (for example, Mi Cloud) due to a mismatch IP-addresses and real location.

Method 4: Changing Regions Through ADB (for Advanced Users)

If the standard methods do not work, you can apply them. ADB-This method requires connecting the smartphone to the computer and enabling the developer mode, suitable for devices with Chinese firmware or with a blocked change of region.

What you need:

  • 💻 Computer with installed ADB and Fastboot (download from Android site)
  • 📱 Included Developer Mode and Debugging by USB Xiaomi
  • 🔌 Cable USB (preferably original)

Instructions:

  1. Connect your smartphone to your PC and open the command line (or Terminal on Mac/Linux).
  2. Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices should appear the name of your device.
  3. Execute the command to change region (for example, to Russia): adb shell settings put global country_code RU For other countries, use a two-letter code (US, DE, IN etc.).
  4. Reboot the device: adb reboot

If the command doesn’t work, try an alternative method via am broadcast:

adb shell am broadcast -a android.provider.Telephony.SPN_STRINGS_UPDATED -e country_iso RU

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After completion ADB-If you can't change the country, try a combination of commands with pre-reset network settings.

Method 5: Reflashing to the global version of MIUI

The most extreme, but most reliable method is to completely flash the device to a global or European version of MIUI. This is true for smartphones purchased in China (Xiaomi 14, Redmi K70), where official change of region is impossible.

Step-by-step algorithm:

  1. Unlock the bootloader through Mi Unlock Tool (requires a Xiaomi account binding and wait 7-15 days).
  2. Download the global firmware for your model from the Xiaomi Firmware website.
  3. Install the Mi Flash Tool on your PC.
  4. Transfer the device to Fastboot mode (clip Power + Volume down when the phone is turned off).
  5. Connect your smartphone to your PC and run the downloaded firmware through the Mi Flash Tool.

After flashing:

  • ✅ The region will be reset by default (usually India or Global).
  • ✅ There will be an opportunity to change the country through the settings.
  • ✅ Google Services and Local Apps will be available.
Risks of flashing
1. Loss of warranty (if the device has not been officially unlocked). 2. Possible "brick" (turning into "brick") when you make a firmware error. 3. Data loss - make sure to back up! 4. Some functions (such as NFC) may not work correctly on unofficial firmware.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When you change region to Xiaomi, users face typical problems, and here are the most common ones and ways to solve them:

⚠️ Note: If banking applications (for example, SberBank Online) stopped working after the region change, check the security settings in the bank. MIUI. Some firmware blocks access to financial services when you change country, so you can go back to your local settings and select the country that matches your bank.

Mistake 1: "You couldn't change the region. Try it later."

  • 🔹 Reason: 30 days limit or Chinese firmware lock.
  • 🔹 Solution: Use the method with ADB or VPN + discharge.

Error 2: Some features (NFC, 5G) have been lost after the region change.

  • 🔹 Reason: Firmware does not support the ranges of the selected country.
  • 🔹 Solution: Write a European or Global Version MIUI.

Error 3: Google Play or other Google services are not working.

  • 🔹 Reason: Chinese firmware device without Google Services.
  • 🔹 Solution: Install Google Installer from the Mi App Store or run global firmware.

Error 4: After the change of region, the smartphone became slower to work.

  • 🔹 Automatic installation of unnecessary local services.
  • 🔹 Solution: disable auto-update applications and remove unnecessary services in Settings → Annexes.
Can you change country to Xiaomi without a computer?
Yes, if your device is global firmware and not blocked by previous region changes. SIM-You can't do without a PC for Chinese firmware. ADB-cliff-flip.
How many times can I change the region to Xiaomi?
Officially, once every 30 days, this restriction applies to all devices with MIUI 12 and later, and you can bypass it through a setting reset or ADB, but this can lead to unstable performance of some functions.
Why is mobile phone service not working after the change of region?
This is due to the network settings mismatched to the selected region.Solution: Go to Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Network settings: Manually select network mode (e.g, 4G/3G/2G (Update the operator profile (Settings) SIM-map → If the problem persists, check that your model is compatible with local carrier networks.
How can we bring back the Chinese region if it has changed?
You can't bring the Chinese region back to global firmware, it's a one-way process, and if you want Chinese features like Mi Pay or Xiaomi Cloud, you'll have to: Download Chinese firmware for your model. Sweep it through the Mi Flash Tool (you'll need an unlocked bootloader), and then you'll lose Google Services and access to global services.
Will Apple Pay/Google Pay work after the change in the region?
It depends on it: 📱 Smartphone models (not all Xiaomi supports) NFC payment). 💳 Banks (some block card binding to “foreign” devices). 🌍 Selected region (e.g. Google Pay does not work in China) For stable operation: Select the region corresponding to your bank. Update your firmware to the latest version. Check your settings NFC In Settings → Connections and sharing → NFC.