How to upgrade Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 to Android 10: official and unofficial ways

Introduction: Should you upgrade the Redmi Note 7 to Android 10?

Xiaomi Redmi Note 7, released in 2019 with Android 9 Pie on board, officially received an update to Android 10 as part of the support program MIUI. However, not all users know how to perform this process correctly — especially if the automatic update is “hanged” or the device is on custom firmware. OTA-Update to manual firmware via Fastboot and Recovery.

It’s important to understand that upgrading to Android 10 brings not only new features (such as a dark theme at the system level or improved navigation gestures), but also potential risks. For example, some versions of the Redmi Note 7 (particularly with the Snapdragon 660 processor) may experience battery or camera problems after the upgrade, and we’ll discuss how to avoid them in detail.

If your device is already running MIUI 12 or later, you probably already have Android 10 installed — check this in Settings → About Phone → Android Version. If it says Android 9 and there are no air updates, you'll have to manually. Let's start with preparation.

Preparation for the update: what to do before the firmware

Regardless of the upgrade method chosen, preparation is a critical stage, and neglecting it can lead to a device “brick” or data loss.

• 🔋 Battery charge: at least 60 percent. If you manually run a Fastboot, the phone must be connected to charge.
• 📱 Backup – Save contacts, photos and apps through Settings → Additionally. → Backup or manually on PC.
• 🔍 Model device - make sure you have a Redmi Note 7 (codename lavender) and not a Note 7 Pro (violette!
• 🔗 USB-cable – use the original Xiaomi cable or a certified USB-TypeC for a stable connection to your PC.

Pay special attention to unlocking the bootloader. If you have not done this before, an official update via Fastboot or custom firmware will not be available.

fastboot oem device-info

If you see Device unlocked: false in the answer, you will need to unlock through the official Xiaomi tool.The process takes up to 72 hours and requires an account to be linked to Mi.

Method 1: Official Update by Air (OTA)

The easiest and safest way to do this is to wait for the update to be available or check it manually.

1. Open Settings → About the phone → System update.
2. Click on the icon «⋮» (three dots) in the upper right corner and select Download the latest version.
3. If an update is found, confirm the download (file weight ~1.5-2 GB).
4. After downloading, click Reboot and Update.

If the update does not appear, the following reasons are possible:

• 🌍 Regional restrictions — firmware for your region hasn't been released yet. Try changing region to Settings. → Additionally. → Region: India or Europe.
• 🔄 Hanging cache update - clear the application data System Update in Settings → Annexes.
• 📵 Operator Block – If the phone is purchased from a mobile operator, updates may be delayed.

💡

If OTA-Update "hang" during the booting phase, try connecting to another Wi-Fi network or using mobile Internet. Sometimes it helps to reboot the phone.

If Android 10 doesn’t appear in the list of available updates, go to manual methods.

Method 2: Manual firmware through Recovery (without data loss)

This method is suitable if OTA-Update is not available, but you don’t want to use Fastboot or lose data.You’ll need an official service pack for your model.

Download the correct firmware version from Xiaomi's official website. For Redmi Note 7, select files marked Recovery and codenamed lavender.

• miui_LAVENDERGlobal_V12.0.1.0.QFGMIXM_... — global MIUI 12 Android-based 10.
• miui_LAVENDEREEAGlobal_V12.0.2.0.QFGEUXM_... — European.

Installation instructions:

1. Rename the downloaded file to update.zip and transfer it to the root of internal memory (not to folders!).
2. Turn off the phone, then press Volume Up + Power to enter Recovery.
3. Select the language (usually English), then go to Install update.zip.
4. Confirm the installation and wait for the completion (it will take 5-10 minutes).
5. After the reboot, check the Android version in the settings.

⚠️ Warning: If your phone is stuck on the Redmi logo after you've run through Recovery, reset it via Wipe Data in the same Recovery menu, which will delete all data, but return the serviceability.

Method 3: Fastboot Firmware (for power users)

This method requires an unlocked bootloader and is suitable if other methods have not worked. It allows you to install a clean version of MIUI based on Android 10, but erases all data.

You'll need:

• 🖥️ Computer with Xiaomi drivers installed and Mi Flash Tool.
• 📦 Firmware in.tgz format for Fastboot (download from xiaomifirmwareupdater.com).
• 🔌 Original. USB-cable.

Step-by-step:

1. Unpack the downloaded firmware archive into a folder without Cyrillic characters (for example, C:\MIUI\lavender).
2. Turn off the phone and put it into Fastboot mode, clamping Volume down + Power.
3. Connect the device to your PC and start the Mi Flash Tool.
4. In the program, click Select, specify the path to the firmware folder, then select Clean all mode (complete cleaning).
5. Press Flash and wait until it is completed (the process will take 5-15 minutes).

⚠️ Note: If the Mi Flash Tool gives an error critical partition flashing is not allowed, then your bootloader is locked. Unlock it through the official Xiaomi tool before the firmware.

Method 4: Alternative firmware (LineageOS, Pixel Experience)

If you want to get Android 10 without a MIUI shell, you can install custom firmware, such as LineageOS 17.1 or Pixel Experience. This method requires an unlocked bootloader and installed TWRP Recovery.

Advantages of custom firmware:

• 🚀 Smoother work without a “heavy” shell MIUI.
• 🔄 Regular security updates from the community.
• 🎨 Ability to fine-tune the interface.

Disadvantages:

• 📱 Possible camera problems (without full 48MP support).
• 🔋 Faster battery discharge due to lack of Xiaomi optimizations.
• 🛠️ No official support – all risks are on the user.

Instructions for installation of LineageOS 17.1:

1. Download firmware and GApps (Google services) from the LineageOS website.
2. Reboot to TWRP Recovery (Put Volume Up + Power).
3. Run Wipe → Advanced Wipe and mark Dalvik, Cache, System, Data.
4. Install the firmware, then GApps, and restart.

💡

Custom firmware is warranty-free and may contain bugs. Before installing, check for reviews about a particular build on the XDA Developers or 4PDA forums.

Solving problems after upgrading to Android 10

Even if the firmware is successful, you may encounter some problems, and here are the most common ways to fix them:

If the audio is lost in the speaker or the sensor is not working after the update, the firmware for another model (for example, for the Redmi Note 7 Pro) was most likely installed, in which case you need to return the original firmware through Fastboot with complete data cleaning.

To diagnose problems, use the system log.

1. Connect your phone to a PC with USB debugging enabled.
2. Open the command line and enter:

adb logcat > log.txt

The log.txt file will help you determine the cause of the crash (look for lines with ERROR or CRASH).

FAQ: Frequent questions about the Redmi Note 7 update