Modern Xiaomi smartphones have powerful functionality, but sometimes a regular update by air stops working or the device gets into a software failure. In such situations, the only right solution is to manually reinstall the operating system using a personal computer. This method allows you not only to upgrade to the current version of Android, but also to switch from the Chinese version of firmware to the global, and restore the device after critical errors.
The firmware process requires care and precise follow-up, but it is available even to inexperienced users. You do not need deep programming knowledge, you just need to download the necessary files and strictly follow the sequence of actions. Properly executed procedure will return the smartphone factory speed and eliminate software bugs that could accumulate during use.
Before you start taking action, you need to be aware of the risks and prepare the workplace, and interrupting the process of writing data to flash memory in 90% of cases leads to complete failure of the device without the possibility of recovery at home. Make sure your laptop or PC has a stable power supply and USB-The cable is reliable and transmits data.
Preparation of equipment and choice of firmware type
The first step is to choose the right operating system image. For Xiaomi phones, there are two main firmware formats designed for installation via a computer: Fastboot and Recovery. Fastboot files have the.tgz extension and are designed for deep scouring with complete data cleaning, often used when transitioning between regions or versions of Android.
Recovery files are.zip-enhanced and are usually used to update the system version without losing user data or to switch between firmware branches (for example, from Developer to Stable).
You'll need to find and download an archive that matches your model's code name. You can find the code name in the Settings menu. → About the phone, it is indicated in parentheses after the model name (for example, miui_GT710Global For the Redmi Note 10). Download files only from official resources or verified mirrors to avoid malicious code.
- 📱 Make sure your smartphone battery is at least 60% before the procedure.
- 💻 Use the original. USB-cable or high-quality analogue with thick wires for stable data transmission.
- 🔌 Connect the device directly to motherboard ports on the back of the PC, avoiding USB-hub.
Installation of drivers and software
To successfully communicate with the device in boot mode, you need to install specialized drivers. Without them, Windows will not be able to recognize the phone in the right mode, and the flasher simply will not see the connected device. The main tool for working with Qualcomm and MediaTek chipsets in Xiaomi devices is the Qualcomm HS-USB QDLoader package and standard ADB drivers.
The second critical component is the Xiaomi Flash Tool, an official software developed by the company's engineers specifically to install system images through the Fastboot interface, which should be downloaded from authoritative sources, since modified versions may contain errors, and once installed, it must be run on behalf of the administrator to obtain all necessary access rights.
Sometimes automatic installation of drivers through the Device Manager can go wrong, especially on Windows 10 and 11. In this case, you will need to manually specify the path to the driver files, which are usually in the folder C:\Program Files (x86)\Xiaomi\MiPhone\Driver. If the device manager appears unknown hardware with a yellow exclamation mark, then the driver is installed incorrectly and the procedure must be repeated.
⚠️ Warning: If the antivirus is blocking the installation of drivers or the operation of the MiFlash program, temporarily disable protection. System utilities often operate at a low level of access, which triggers the security mechanisms of Windows.
☑️ Driver and software readiness
Translation of the smartphone to Fastboot mode
Fastboot mode is a special diagnostic interface built into the Android bootloader, which allows you to perform low-level operations with the device's memory, such as unlocking the bootloader, flashing partitions and resetting settings. To enter this mode, the phone must be completely turned off.
When the device is turned off, you need to press the button combination. On most Xiaomi and Redmi models, this is the simultaneous holding of the Volume Down and the power button, holding the buttons until the image of a hare repairing an android appears on the screen, or the inscription FASTBOOT in orange or blue.
If the phone is connected to a computer in this state, a new device called Android Bootloader Interface or similar should appear in the Windows Device Manager in the Device or Ports section. If the phone is determined instead to be QDLoader 9008, then the phone has gone into EDL disaster recovery mode, which will require disassembling the case for flashing, but this should not happen with the standard Fastboot procedure.
- 🔘 Press the volume button down and power at the same time on the phone turned off.
- 🐰 Wait for the Fastboot logo to appear (hare or inscription).
- 🔗 Connect the cable to your PC without releasing the button if the screen is out.
The process of firmware through Xiaomi Flash Tool
Once all the components are ready, you can proceed to the immediate installation of the system. Unpack the downloaded firmware archive into the root of the disk, preferably into a short-path folder, such as C:\rom, to avoid path errors when working with the command line. Long paths with Cyrillic characters often cause malfunctions in the utility.
Launch the Xiaomi Flash Tool and press the Refresh button. The list should show the connected device with its unique identifier. If the device is not found, check the cable and drivers. Next, click the Select button and specify the path to the unpacked firmware folder. Images and bat scripts should be visible inside the folder.
At the bottom of the program window, select the firmware method. For a clean installation without saving debris, select the Clean all option. This option will completely erase all data from internal memory, so back up important contacts and photos in advance. The Clean all and lock option also reflashes the phone, but also blocks the bootloader, which can lead to problems if you change the firmware region.
Firmware methods in MiFlash:
1. Clean all - Complete data cleanup (Recommended)
2. Save user data - Data retention (Error possible)
3. Clean all and lock - Cleaning and locking the bootloaderPress the Flash button to start the process. The code will start showing up in the program log, describing the partition writing process. The whole process takes 300 to 600 seconds. Upon completion, success will appear in the status, and the phone will automatically restart. The first run can last up to 10 minutes.
| Parameter | Clean all | Save user data | Clean all and lock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data retention | No (deletion) | Yes. | No (deletion) |
| Locking the loader | No. | No. | Yes. |
| Risk of error | Low. | Medium. | High (region change) |
| Recommended use | Total reset | Update of version | Back to the stock |
Solving errors and problems in firmware
One of the most common problems is the Miss matching image error, which occurs when you try to install global firmware on a locked bootloader device for the Chinese market, or vice versa, in which case the software will not complete the process. The solution is one: unlock the bootloader through the official Mi Unlock application or select firmware that corresponds to the current status of the bootloader.
Another common situation is the process hanging at a certain percentage or timeout of the connection. USB-Try connecting the cable to the ports on the back of the system unit, eliminating the front ports of the housing and USB-It's also worth checking if the phone goes into sleep by turning off the power saving. USB-Ports in Windows Power Settings.
If the phone goes into a bootloop after the firmware is installed, it may have been damaged by the firmware files when downloaded, check the checksum of the archive, or download the image again from another source, and in some cases, repeating the Clean all procedure helps, as the conflict of old and new system libraries can cause a cyclical start.
⚠️ Warning: Never turn off the cable while writing partitions, even if it seems like the process is stalled".
First steps after successful installation
Once the phone has successfully logged in and booted into the system, you will be greeted by the initial setting screen, the interface language will depend on the chosen version of the firmware, at which point it is important to take your time and carefully go through all the points, especially those related to the restoration of a Google account and Mi Account.
The first thing to do is check the Android version and build number in the Settings → About Phone menu. Make sure that the version you planned is installed. Next, we recommend checking for updates immediately, as the downloaded archive may not be the latest version at the time of firmware.
It takes time to recover data from the backup. If you've been using cloud storage, just log in to your account. If the data was stored locally on your PC, plug the phone into file transfer mode and copy the information back. Don’t install all applications at once, let the system stabilize during the day. 15-20 minute.
- 🔋 Leave your phone on the charger. 1-2 One hour after the first load to calibrate the battery controller.
- 📡 Check Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and mobile phone service by making a test call.
- 🧹 Remove pre-installed advertising apps if they appear (characteristic of some builds).