How to know exactly when Xiaomi first turned on: from MIUI to engineering menu

Xiaomi's first smartphone turn on date is often required when buying a used device, for warranty disputes, or just out of curiosity. However, the manufacturer does not bring this information to the home screen - it has to be searched deep in the system. Unlike the iPhone, where the activation date is tied to the Apple ID, Android devices are increasingly difficult: data can be stored in firmware, Google account or even on Xiaomi servers.

In this article, we will look at all the working methods, from simple (via MIUI settings) to technical (log analysis and engineering menus), you will learn which methods give an accurate date with a time zone, and which only show an approximate period, and also explain why data sometimes diverge and how to fix it.

⚠️ Important: If you buy Xiaomi handheld, the date of first inclusion will help to identify fraud. For example, if the seller claims that the phone was purchased a month ago, and the system shows activation a year earlier, this is a reason to be wary.

Official method: activation date in MIUI (exact method)

The most reliable source is the built-in MIUI statistics, which captures the moment of the first connection of the device to a Xiaomi or Google account, which usually coincides with the first inclusion, and the instructions are relevant for all models from the Redmi Note 10 to the Xiaomi 14 Ultra.

To find the date:

1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
2. Tap 5-7 times on the line MIUI version until the notification appears "You became a developer!".
3. Go back to the main settings menu and select a new section for developers.
4. Scroll down to the Device Status block and find the Date of First Included (or First Boot Time on English firmware).

🔹 What if there's no point? Some firmware (especially global ones) have hidden the parameter. Then try an alternative path:

• 📱 Enter the code ##4636 in the phone application## → Choose Phone Information → Scroll down to work time.
• 🔧 Use the Engineering Menu (Section 4 of this article).

⚠️ Note: If the phone was reset to factory settings, the date at MIUI It might be zeroed out. In this case, go to the Google account method.

2. Through Google Account: When did the device first connect to the services

Google captures every new device associated with an account, which works even after a phone is reset, unless your Google account has changed. It's accurate for ±1 day.

Instructions:

1. Go to the page Device Activity in the browser (authenticate under the same account as on the phone).
2. Find your Xiaomi list and click on it.
3. In the Last Activity block, the date of first connection (if the device is new) or last use (if the phone was already in use) will be indicated.

🔹 nuance:

• 🔄 If the phone was reset but linked to the same account, Google can show the date of re-activation.
• 🌍 For accuracy, check the time zone in your account settings – it affects the date displayed.
• 📵 If your device has never connected to the Internet, there will be no data in Google.

💡

If the wrong model is displayed in the list of Google devices (for example, POCO instead of Redmi), this is normal – services identify devices by firmware, not hardware.

3. IMEI check: operator and manufacturer data

Each phone is assigned a unique IMEI, which not only provides the date of activation, but also the history of repairs, but it only works for devices connected to the mobile network (i.e., not relevant for Wi-Fi-only tablets).

Methods of verification:

• 📞 Operator: Call in support of your mobile operator (for example, MTS, Beeline) and name IMEI (You can find it by code *#06#. They will provide the date of the first registration. SIM-map.
• 🌐 Online services: Sites like IMEI.info or SND Deep Info shows the date of production of the device (not to be confused with the activation date!). For Xiaomi, the date of manufacture is usually 1-3 months before the first inclusion.

⚠️ Note: Some services require payment for advanced information. Free versions often show only the year of release, without an exact date.

4. Engineering menu and system logs: for advanced users

If standard methods don't work, you can go to the hidden logs of the system, which requires a super-user or ADB access, but it gives you the most accurate data, down to a second.

Instructions via ADB:

1. Install Platform Tools on your PC.
2. Connect your phone to your computer with USB debugging enabled (in Settings → For Developers).
3. Open the command line in the adb folder and type: adb shell dumpsys package | grep firstInstallTime The result will show the time of first installing system applications (usually coincides with the first inclusion).

🔹 PC-free alternative: Use apps like App Manager (requires root) to view the installation date of com.android.providers.settings.

⚠️ Note: Changing system files without root can cause failures. If you are not sure about your actions, use other methods from this article.

5. Physical inspection: box, checks and hidden tags

If the phone is purchased new, the date of the first inclusion can be determined by indirect signs:

• 📦 Box: On a sticker with serial number (S/N) Sometimes the date of production (format) is specified. YYWW, where YY — year, WW — For example, a week, 2345 = 45-I'm a week. 2023 year-end.
• 🏷️ Hidden tag: Under the battery (on models with removable battery) or under the back cover may be a sticker with the date of assembly.
• 🛒 Check/guarantee ticket: The date of purchase usually coincides with the first inclusion (±1-2 days).

🔹 How to decipher the date on the box?

Take the example: serial number K68 22351234567, where 2235 is the 35th week of 2022.

1. The first two digits (22) are the year (2022).
2. The next two (35) are weeks, and use the week calculator to find out the exact days (e.g., Week 35 of 2022 is August 29 – September 4).

6.Why data may diverge and what to do about it

Sometimes different methods show conflicting dates. Considerable causes and solutions:

• 🔄 Resetting: If the phone was returned to factory settings, the date in MIUI It will be reset but will remain in Google or the operator.
• ⏳ Sync Delay: Google Account Data Can Be Updated with Up to 24 Hours Delay.
• 📦 Used device: If the phone was bought with hands, the previous owner could not delete his account – then Google will show its activation date.
• 🔧 Custom firmware: On informal builds (e.g. LineageOS), system logs can be cleared.

🔹 How to determine the most accurate date?

1. Compare data from MIUI, Google and the operator.
2. If the discrepancy is more than 3 days, trust the operator (for SIM devices) or Google (for Wi-Fi-only devices).
3. For warranty disputes, ask the seller for a check - his date is legally valid.

💡

The most reliable way for used phones is to intersect data from 3 sources: MIUI (technical date), Google (account binding) and the operator (network activity).

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi activation date