How to Switch Xiaomi Phone: Official and Unofficial Ways

Why should you use Xiaomi and what are the risks?

Xiaomi’s smartphone firmware is a procedure that can either save a bricked-up device or turn it into a useless piece of plastic. On the one hand, official updates fix bugs, add new features and improve performance. On the other, informal (custom) firmware allows you to get rid of ads in MIUI, get root rights or install a clean Android without a shell.

For example, unlocking the bootloader resets the device to factory settings, and an error when installing custom recovery can lead to a loss of warranty. In this article, we will analyze all the current methods of firmware - from automatic update "over the air" (OTA) to manual installation via Fastboot and TWRP. And also tell you how to avoid the typical errors that turn a smartphone into a "brick".

Before you start, answer two questions: why do you need firmware (security updates, removal of bloatware, experimenting with Android 14) and whether you are prepared for the possible consequences.

1. Firmware Preparation: What to Do Before You Start

Regardless of the method chosen, preparation is half the success, neglecting this stage leads to 80% of brick-and-brick devices, starting with the most important thing: backup. Even an official update through Settings can go wrong, and custom firmware almost always requires a data reset.

Use Mi Cloud to save contacts, notes and photos, and for a full backup of system settings and applications, Titanium Backup (requires root) or Swift Backup is suitable. Don’t forget about IMEI – write it down in a notebook or take a photo of a sticker under the battery (for devices with removable battery).

• 🔋 Charge the phone at least 60% - when discharged during firmware, there is a high risk of damage to the boot partition.
• 🔗 Make sure the cable is USB Type-C (or Micro-USB for older models) supports data transfer, not just charging.
• 🖥️ On PC, install the Mi Flash Tool (for Fastboot) or TWRP (custom-fix).
• 📥 Download the correct firmware version for your model, for example, for the Redmi Note 11 Pro.+ 5G (veux is not suitable firmware from Poco X4 Pro 5G (veuxm, despite the similar "iron".

⚠️ Warning: If you are flashing a device with a locked bootloader, any unofficial method will trigger the Anti-Rollback protection, which can permanently lock the bootloader or damage the modem module, depriving the phone of communication.

To check the bootloader status, turn off the phone, press Power + Vol Down and connect to the PC.

fastboot oem device-info

If you see Device unlocked: false in the answer, then the bootloader is blocked and you need to unlock it through the Mi Unlock Tool (more about this in the next section).

2 Unlocking the bootloader: a mandatory step for custom firmware

Without unlocking the bootloader, you can't install custom recovery or firmware like LineageOS. Xiaomi blocks this process at the hardware level, so you can't bypass the protection on the knee. The official way is through the Mi Unlock Tool utility, but it has nuances.

First, you need a Mi Account that is tied to your phone for at least 7 days (up to 30 days for new devices); second, unlocking resets all data, so a backup is mandatory; third, Xiaomi limits the number of unlocks: if you have already unlocked the bootloader on this account, you will have to wait 30 days for a re-procedure.

1. Download the Mi Unlock Tool and install it on PC.
2. Turn on the phone Developer Options (7 times click on the MIUI version in Settings → About phone).
3. Activate OEM Unlock and USB Debugging in the Developer Menu.
4. Connect your phone to your PC, launch the Mi Unlock Tool, and log in to your Mi Account.
5. If you see a Couldn't unlock error, check if it's 7/30 days since you linked your account.

⚠️ Note: Some models (e.g. Xiaomi 13 Series or Redmi) K60) Unlocking the bootloader can lead to loss of support for Widevine L1. That means Netflix, Disney,+ Other services will only work in 480p.

Once you unlock it successfully, the phone automatically resets, so you can install TWRP or flash custom images, but remember, the warranty on the device is then canceled.

Linked to Mi Account by phone | USB | Debugging enabled | Activated OEM Unlock| Battery charge > 60% |Data backup made-->

3. Xiaomi firmware methods: from the safest to the riskiest

The choice of method depends on your goals and level of training, and we have arranged them according to the increase in complexity and risk:

Let’s look at each method in more detail, starting with the simplest.

3.1 OTA-Update: Automatically or manually

The safest way is to upgrade over-the-air. Xiaomi releases stable and beta versions of MIUI every 1-2 months. To check for updates, go to Settings → About Phone → System Update.

If the update does not come automatically, you can install it manually:

1. Download the full service package (.zip file) for your model from the official website.
2. Place the file in the root folder of the phone (not in the folder!).
3. Open System Update → Threefold (⋮) → Select the update file.
4. Confirm the installation and wait for the reboot.

Important: If you install a beta on top of a stable (or vice versa), you may need to reset your data via Wipe Data to Recovery.

3.2 Firmware through Recovery (stock)

If OTA doesn’t work (for example, due to corrupted system files), you can flash the official firmware through standard Recovery, which does not require unlocking the bootloader, but resets user data.

Instructions:

1. Download Recovery ROM (not Fastboot!) for your model from the official website.
2. Rename the file to update.zip and place it in the root of internal memory.
3. Turn off the phone, then press Power + Vol Up to log in to Recovery.
4. Select Install update.zip to System (navigation – volume buttons, confirmation – power button).
5. After you complete the process, select Reboot → System.

⚠️ Note: On some models (e.g. Poco) F5 or Redmi Note 12 Pro+) Standard Recovery does not support installation update.zip. In this case, you will have to use Fastboot.

3.3 Fastboot (Mi Flash Tool)

Fastboot is the most reliable method for recovering brick-and-brick devices or changing the firmware region (for example, from Chinese to global), but it requires an unlocked bootloader and a complete data reset.

Step-by-step:

1. Download Fastboot ROM for your model (.tgz or.zip file).
2. Unpack the archive in a folder without Cyrillic characters (for example, C:\MiFlash\rom).
3. Turn off your phone and press Power + Vol Down to log into Fastboot.
4. Connect your phone to your PC and start the Mi Flash Tool.
5. Press Select, specify the firmware folder, then select Clean all (full reset) or Clean all and lock (reset + lock the bootloader).
6. Press Flash and wait until it is completed (usually 5-10 minutes).

Fastboot Firmware Errors and Their Solutions:

• 🔌 Fastboot: error: failed to load/verify boot images → Check the integrity of the firmware archive or download it again.
• 🔌 Anti-rollback check error → You are trying to install the old version. MIUI It's going to irreversibly damage the device!
• 🔌 Device not found → Install Qualcomm or MediaTek drivers for your chipset.

3.4 Install custom firmware via TWRP

Custom firmware (LineageOS, Pixel Experience, ArrowOS) gives you freedom from MIUI, but requires an unlocked bootloader and a TWRP installed. The process is risky: the wrong firmware can deprive you of IMEI, camera or mobile network.

Installation steps:

1. Download TWRP for your model from the official website (for example, for Redmi Note 10 Pro – sweet).
2. Install it via Fastboot: fastboot flash recovery twrp.img fastboot boot twrp.img
3. In TWRP, run Wipe → Format Data (required!), then copy the firmware (.zip) to your phone via MTP.
4. Install the firmware through Install, then (if required) run GApps (Google services) and Magisk (root).
5. Reboot to the system. The first launch can take up to 15 minutes.

⚠️ Note: On devices with a MediaTek chipset (e.g., Redmi) 9A POCO M3) Installation of custom firmware can lead to loss DRM-This means that Netflix and Widevine will only work in the SD-quality.

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Before installing custom firmware, check its compatibility with your model on the XDA Developers forum. Pay attention to the version of the chipset (for example, Snapdragon 732G vs Snapdragon 720G) - even within the same line they can differ!

4.Typical mistakes and how to avoid them

Even experienced users face firmware problems, and here are the most common bugs and solutions:

• 🔴 "This package is for xxx devices; this is a yyy" → You didn't download the firmware for your model. Check the code name of the device in Fastboot with the fastboot getvar product team.
• 🔴 "E: Unknown command [log]" into TWRP → You have an unofficial or outdated version installed TWRP. Download the current from the official website.
• 🔴 The phone does not turn on after the firmware → Try going to Fastboot and flashing it back with the Clean all option. If it doesn't work, check if the Anti-Rollback worked.
• 🔴 No network after installing custom firmware → Most likely, modem and vendor files are not stitched. Set them separately or find firmware marked "Full" ROM".

If after firmware, the phone loads into bootloop (infinite restart), try:

1. Go to Recovery and make Wipe Cache.
2. Fastboot Firmware with the Clean All option.
3. If nothing helps, go back to the official firmware via the Mi Flash Tool.

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Always check the hash amount (MD5 or SHA-1) of the downloaded file before you run it, and a damaged archive is one of the main reasons for the buildup.

5. How to return the official firmware after experiments

If custom firmware is unstable or you want to return the warranty, you can roll back to the official MIUI.

1. Download Fastboot ROM for your model from the official website.
2. Unpack the archive and launch the Mi Flash Tool.
3. Select the Clean all and lock option – this will return the bootloader’s factory lock.
4. Once the firmware is in place, the phone will automatically reset. This device is locked for the first time, which is normal, just wait 5-10 minutes.

If you want to keep the bootloader unlocked (for example, for future experiments), select the Clean all option without lock.

⚠️ Note: Some models (e.g. Xiaomi) 12T or Redmi K50) Returning to the official firmware after custom can cause data loss in the userdata section, even if you didn't format it manually!

6. firmware of specific models: nuances and exceptions

Some Xiaomi devices have unique firmware features. Consider the most popular models:

For devices on MediaTek (e.g. Redmi Note 8 2021 or Poco) M4 Pro) Fastboot firmware can be different; instead of Mi Flash Tool, you will have to use a utility. SP Flash Tool and scatter files. For instructions for such models, look at XDA Developers.

1. Download the SP Flash Tool and MediaTek drivers.

2 Unpack the firmware and find the scatter.txt file.

3. In the SP Flash Tool, download the scatter and press Download.

4. Connect the phone turned off to the PC (without buttons!).

5. Wait for completion (green circle) and turn off the device.

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FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi firmware