Smartphone Xiaomi Mi A1 has become a legend in its price segment thanks to the pure system Android One, but with the release of Android 9 Pie, many users faced a drop in performance and increased battery consumption. There is a natural desire to return the stable operation of the device, which was characteristic of the version of Android 8.0 Oreo. This process requires care, as involves flashing the device with the complete removal of all data.
Recovering the previous version of the operating system is not just a change of picture on the screen, but deep work with partitions of memory. The process of rolling back the Mi A1 to Oreo requires the mandatory unlocking of the bootloader, without which installing a custom recovery is impossible. If you are willing to risk and want to reanimate your device, this instruction will help you complete all the steps correctly.
Before you start, make sure your device is charged at least to the 60-70%. Interrupting the firmware process due to battery discharge can lead to irreversible consequences, turning the phone into a brick. USB-cable and computer running Windows, as drivers ADB Fastboot is the most stable company in the world.
Preparation of ADB/Fastboot tools and drivers
The first step is to organize the workspace and install the necessary software. You need Google's Platform Tools, which contains ADB and Fastboot utilities. Without these components, the computer will not be able to communicate with the phone in bootloader mode. Download the current version of the package from the official developer site and unpack the archive to the root of the C disk for easy work with the paths.
Next, install drivers for your device. Xiaomi Mi A1 (codenamed tissot) often requires Qualcomm or Xiaomi USB Driver specific drivers. If the Device Manager doesnβt see the phone in Fastboot mode (usually displayed as Android Bootloader Interface), try manually updating the driver through the Device Manager, indicating the path to the driver folder.
β οΈ Note: Using unverified drivers from third-party sites can lead to malware installation or incorrect operation USB-Use only official sources or verified development communities. XDA.
After installing the drivers, check the connection. Connect the phone in Fastboot mode (clamping the volume button when turned on) and type in the command line:
fastboot devicesIf you see the serial number of the device, you've got a good connection, otherwise, try another one. USB-port, preferably USB 2.0, or replace the cable.
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Use the original Xiaomi cable or a quality analog with thick wires. Cheap charging cables often do not support data transfer, which will lead to a connection error.
Unlocking the Bootloader bootloader
The standard Xiaomi rollback procedure is not possible without an unlocked bootloader. This is manufacturer protection, which prevents the installation of modified software. A1, which is part of the Android One program, the procedure may differ from the standard MIUI-Smartphones, but the basic principle remains the same: request through Xiaomi servers.
You need a Mi Account that you need to link to your device. Go to your phone's settings, find About, and click on the version several times. MIUI (or build number) to activate the developer menu. Then, in the advanced settings, turn on "Debugging by USB" Mi Unlock status.
- π Download the official Mi Unlock Tool utility to your computer.
- π± Sign in to the same Mi Account on PC and phone.
- β³ Apply for unlock; wait can take 3 to 7 days.
- π» After receiving the SMS notification, launch the unlock via Fastboot.
It's important to understand that when you unlock, all the data on your phone will be destroyed, and it's a security measure to prevent someone else from accessing your data by resetting your password, so backup is critical before you even start manipulating it.
Search and preparation of Android 8 Oreo firmware
Finding the original Android 8.0 firmware for the Xiaomi Mi A1 is harder now than it was a couple of years ago, as the official servers may no longer support older versions for this device.
Sources can be archives on the XDA Developers forum or specialized firmware mirror sites. Make sure you download Fastboot ROM, not Recovery ROM, if you plan to flash through your computer. For the Mi A1 (tissot), look for a stable version of Oreo, avoiding beta versions that may contain bugs.
Once you download the archive, unpack it. Inside, you'll need a folder with partition images (boot.img, system.img, recovery.img, etc.) and a launch script. For the manual firmware method we'll discuss, you'll need these image files.
| Firmware component | Description | Importance |
|---|---|---|
| boot.img | The core of the system and ramdisk | Critically. |
| system.img | Main operating system | Critically. |
| recovery.img | Recovery environment | Tall. |
| vendor.img | Equipment drivers | Medium |
| cache.img | Temporary system files | Low. |
Where to find reliable firmware?
Installation of custom TWRP Recovery
A standard recovery system is not enough to successfully roll back and install it cleanly. You'll need a TWRP (Team Win Recovery Project) that allows you to complete partitions, install firmware zip archives, and make full backups.
Download the current TWRP image file for tissot (Mi A1). Don't confuse the model, the firmware from Mi A2 or Mi A3 will destroy your device. The file should have the.img extension. Rename it to twrp.img for convenience and place it in a folder with Platform Tools.
The installation process is as follows: Put your phone into Fastboot mode and connect to your PC. Open the command line in the tool folder and type a command to temporarily download the Recovery:
fastboot boot twrp.imgThe phone will reboot to the TWRP menu. To fix the Recovery permanently, you must prevent the system from overwriting the recovery partition. In TWRP itself, swipe to allow changes to be made on the first run, but don't install anything yet. Then you can flash the image permanently with the command:
fastboot flash recovery twrp.imgβ οΈ Attention: After the firmware TWRP Do not accept the system offer to update Recovery when you first download Android, otherwise you will lose access to the system. TWRP You'll have to repeat the procedure.
βοΈ Checklist before firmware
Partition rollback and cleaning process (Wipe)
The most important step is to clean the memory and install the old version of the system. TWRP. Select Advanced Wipe and tick the sections: Dalvik / ART Cache, System, Data, Cache, and Internal Storage β Only clean the Internal Storage if you have already copied the firmware to an external one. SD-Map or cloud, as files from your phone will be deleted.
Once the partitions are cleaned, move the Android 8 Oreo firmware file (zip format) to your phone. If you cleared the internal memory, connect the phone to your PC in mode. MTP (through TWRP It's possible, and you can upload the firmware file. SD-map.
From the Install menu, select a zip archive with Oreo firmware. Before swiping to confirm installation, make sure that "Wipe before flashing" is selected (usually enabled by default in TWRP). Start the process. Installation can take from 5 to 15 minutes.
- π§Ή Execute Advanced Wipe of selected sections.
- π₯ Copy the zip archive from Android 8 to your device.
- βοΈ In the Install menu, select a firmware file.
- π Confirm swipe installation.
If it's successful, you'll see the green "Successful" sign, but it's too early to boot right into the system, and you'll need to clear the formatting to avoid encryption errors that are common when you switch between Android versions.
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After rolling back on Android 8.0, be sure to format Data (Format Data) by entering "yes" to reset encryption, otherwise the phone may enter a reboot cycle.
First Start and Problem Solving
Once installed, select Reboot β System. The first run after rollback can last up to 10-15 minutes. This is normal, the system adjusts files and optimizes applications. If the phone has got stuck on the Xiaomi or Android logo for more than 20 minutes, you may need to re-clean the partitions or check the integrity of the firmware.
A common problem after rollbacks is broken Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, due to the incompatibility of the drivers (vendor partition). If this happens, you may need to separately flash the vendor.img section from the Oreo stock firmware through Fastboot:
fastboot flash vendor vendor.imgAlso, users sometimes experience the error "Device is corrupt." This is treated by flashing the boot image, in some cases, helps reset network settings or a complete factory reset already inside the operating system Android 8.
β οΈ Note: If the phone goes into an endless bootloop after installing Oreo, try flashing it. boot.img and recovery.img from stock firmware, do not touch the system, or go back to Android 9 Try another Oreo image.
Congratulations if you successfully rolled back the Xiaomi Mi A1 to Android 8 Oreo, you got a lighter and faster system, extending the life of your device, and back up important data regularly, as older versions of Android may be less protected from modern threats.