Xiaomi Redmi A5 firmware: official and unofficial methods

Xiaomi Redmi A5 is a budget smartphone with good hardware, but standard MIUI firmware does not always suit users. Someone wants to get rid of advertising, someone wants to install a fresh version of Android, and someone needs additional features through custom firmware. In this article, we will analyze all the current ways of firmware Redmi A5 (code name light), from official updates to installing TWRP and custom ROM.

It's important to understand that firmware is not only a way to upgrade the system, but it also risks getting a brick if you do something wrong. We'll describe each step in detail, point out pitfalls, and give you tips on how to avoid mistakes. If you're a beginner, start with the official methods. Experienced users will find instructions here for unlocking the bootloader and installing alternative firmware.

1. Firmware Preparation: What to Do Before Starting

Before you start firmware, make sure that all the preliminary steps are followed, which will save time and save you from unpleasant surprises.

First, check the phone model. Go to Settings → About Phone → Device Model. The Redmi A5 should have 23026RN5DI (global version) or 23026RN5NY (in India). If the model is different, the instruction may not be right!

Second, back up all the important data. The firmware, especially through Fastboot, erases user files. Use Mi Cloud, Google Drive, or physical backup on your computer. Don't rely on "maybe" -- recovering data after a reset is often impossible.

• 📱 Battery charge - at least 60%. Better. 80-100%, to avoid sudden shutdown.
• 🔌 Cable USB — Original or high-quality, cheap cables can interrupt the connection.
• 💻 Computer with Windows 10/11 (for Fastboot) or any OS to work with ADB.
• 🔓 Unlocking the bootloader – mandatory for unofficial firmware (more in section 3).

⚠️ Attention: If your Redmi is A5 bought in China (the C version in the model name), the firmware of the global version can block the network!

Save contacts and photos | Check phone model | Charge battery >60% | Install Xiaomi | Drivers Download the right firmware | Disable antivirus (can block files)

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2. Official methods of firmware: MIUI Updater and Recovery

The safest method is to upgrade through Xiaomi’s standard tools, and it’s suitable for installing official stable or beta versions of MIUI without risking losing warranty.

Method 1: Air Update (OTA). Go to Settings → About Phone → System Update. If an update is available, download it and install it. This method saves all data, but only works for incremental updates (not for full flashing).

Method 2: Install via Recovery. Download the full firmware package (.zip) from the official MIUI Downloads website. Move the file to the root of the internal memory, then:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press Volume Up + Power to enter Recovery.
3. Choose your language (if required).
4. Go to Install update.zip to System.
5. Specify the path to the downloaded file and confirm the installation.

Once rebooted, the phone will have clean firmware (the data will be saved but the settings will be reset), which works even on a locked bootloader.

Official OTA|Recovery (via ZIP)|Fastboot (full firmware)|TWRP)|Never stitched

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3. Unlocking the bootloader: a must-do step for Fastboot and custom firmware

Xiaomi blocks the bootloader on all its devices. To install firmware through Fastboot or custom ROMs (e.g. LineageOS, Pixel Experience), it must be unlocked. The process takes a minimum of 7 days of waiting (this is Xiaomi’s security requirement).

Instructions for unlocking:

1. Link your Mi Account to your phone in Settings → Xiaomi Account.
2. Enable USB Debugging and OEM Unlock in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times to activate the developer menu).
3. Download Mi Unlock Tool and log in to the program.
4. Connect your phone in Fastboot mode (clip Volume Down + Power when the phone is off).
5. Press Unlock in the program. If you receive a waiting message, wait for the specified time (usually 168 hours).

Once unlocked, the bootloader will remain open, but every time you turn on the phone, a warning will appear. This is normal and does not affect the work.

⚠️ Warning: Unlocking the bootloader resets the phone to factory settings. Backup in advance.

4.Fastboot firmware: Complete reinstallation of MIUI

This method is used to "resuscitate" the phone after crashes, install another regional version of MIUI, or return to stock firmware.

Steps:

1. Download Fastboot firmware for Redmi A5 (look for files with the.tgz or.zip extension on Xiaomi Firmware Updater).
2. Unpack the archive in a folder without Cyrillic characters (for example, C:\MIUI\light).
3. Install Platform Tools (includes fastboot and adb).
4. Connect your phone in Fastboot mode (clip Volume Down + Power).
5. Launch the file. flash_all.bat (for Windows, or enter manual commands: fastboot flash boot boot.img fastboot flash recovery recovery.img fastboot flash system system.img fastboot flash vendor vendor.img fastboot flash dtbo dtbo.img fastboot flash vbmeta vbmeta.img fastboot reboot

The process will take 10-15 After the reboot, the phone will be like new, and you'll need an initial setup.

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If the firmware is interrupted in the vbmeta step, add fastboot --disable-verity --disable-verification flash vbmeta vbmeta.img before the last command.

5. Installation of custom firmware: TWRP and alternative ROM

Custom firmware like LineageOS, Pixel Experience or ArrowOS gives you more freedom: no ads, Android updates longer, more customization, but installing them requires an unlocked bootloader and TWRP Recovery.

Steps to install TWRP:

1. Download the latest version of TWRP for Redmi A5 (light) from the official website.
2. Connect your phone in Fastboot mode and execute the command: fastboot flash recovery twrp-3.7.0_12-light.img
3. Immediately after the firmware, go to TWRP, holding Volume up + Power. If you boot into the system, TWRP will be dead!
4. In TWRP, backup the Boot and Data section (in case of errors).

Now you can install custom firmware:

1. Download. ZIP-firmware file (e.g., with XDA Developers).
2. Transfer it to your phone or flash drive.
3. In TWRP, select Wipe → Advanced Wipe and select Dalvik, Cache, System, Data.
4. Press Install, point the way to ZIP-file and confirm installation.
5. After you complete the process, go to Gapps (if you need Google services) and Magisk (for root).

⚠️ Note: Some custom firmware does not support Widevine L1, That's why Netflix and other services will be running in low resolution!

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Custom firmware requires regular manual updates, and without them, security vulnerabilities or errors can occur.

6. Solving common firmware errors

Even if you follow the instructions, you can have problems, and here are the most common mistakes and solutions.

• 🚫 Fastboot: Unknown command – check that Platform Tools are added to the environment variables or run commands from the folder from fastboot.exe.
• 🔄 The phone is stuck on the logo MI — Try to go to Recovery and make Wipe Data. If it doesn't work, then swipe it over again on Fastboot.
• 🔌 Computer Can't See Phone - Install Qualcomm Drivers HS-USB QDLoader 9008 (for mode) EDL) or check the cable.
• 📱 This MIUI version cannot be installed on this device - download the firmware for the correct model (light for Redmi) A5).
• 🔓 Unlock the bootloader – make sure your Mi Account is tied to your phone and waited 168 hours.

If the phone stops turning on (brick), try flashing through EDL-(Access loading mode) for this purpose:

1. Download the Mi Flash Tool and the firmware for EDL.
2. Turn off the phone, press Volume up + Volume down and connect to the PC.
3. Device Manager should appear Qualcomm HS-USB QDLoader 9008.
4. In the Mi Flash Tool, specify the path to the firmware and press Flash.

EDL-firmware will restore the phone even in the most severe cases, but requires an account with developer rights (or paid access to authorized firmware).

7.Optimization after firmware: what to do first

After a successful firmware, you need to set up your phone for stable operation.

• ⚙️ Disable unnecessary services: Go to Settings → Annexes → Manage applications and deactivate pre-installed programs (e.g. Mi Video, Mi Music).
• 🔒 Set up security: Turn on Google Play Protect and update all apps in the Play Market.
• 📶 Check the network: if there is no mobile Internet after firmware, update your settings APN In Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Access points (APN).
• 🔋 Calibrate the battery: after full firmware discharge the phone to 0% and charge up to 100% without interruptions.

If you have installed custom firmware, check:

• Does NFC work (some assemblies are disabled)
• Is the camera model correctly defined (sometimes you need to flash a separate module) camera_blobs).
• Is there a Widevine L1 certification (for Netflix HD viewing)?

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To speed up the system after firmware, turn off the interface animation. To do this, activate Developer Mode and in Settings → Additional → For developers, set all animation values to 0.5x or Disabled.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the firmware Xiaomi Redmi A5