How to Install Google Experience on Xiaomi: The Complete Guide

Google Experience (or GSI- firmware) allows Xiaomi smartphone owners to get a “clean” Android with Google pre-installed services, minimal bloat and regular security updates. This solution is ideal for those who are tired of the MIUI shell with its advertising, duplicate applications and update delays. However, the installation process requires care from unlocking the bootloader to choosing a compatible firmware version.

Many users mistakenly believe that it is enough to download any GSI- image and flash it through TWRP. In practice, this can be fraught with "bricks", loss of IMEI or broken modules (camera, NFC, sensors). In this article, we will understand how to properly prepare the device, where to get the tested firmware and what nuances to consider for specific Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO models.

It’s worth noting that Google Experience firmware doesn’t support OTA- updates via MIUI — once installed, you’ll have to manually track new releases and repeat the firmware process. This is a key point that is often overlooked by newcomers. It’s also important to understand that some Xiaomi features (such as IR Blaster or brand gestures) may not work properly or at all.

Before you start, answer two questions:

1. Are you ready to lose the warranty (unlocking the bootloader will cancel it)?
2. Do you have a backup (firmware erases internal memory)?

If the answers are yes, we will start preparing.

1. Verification of device compatibility

Not all Xiaomi smartphones support Google Experience installation.

• 📱 The device must be based on a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor (for Mediatek and Exynos, the process is more complicated).
• 🔓 The bootloader must support unlocking (check on Xiaomi’s official website).
• 📡 Availability of a working TWRP or other custom Recovery for your model.
• 🔄 Project Treble support (required for GSI) can be checked in the Treble Check app from Play Market.

The list of officially supported devices for GSI- firmware is published on the Android Open Source Project website (AOSP).However, many Xiaomi models (for example, Redmi Note 10 Pro, POCO F3, Mi 11) are successfully being sifted despite being absent from the official list.

To check the compatibility of a particular model:

1. Find out the coded name of your device (e.g., vayu for POCO X3 Pro) via the CPU-Z app or command: adb shell getprop ro.product.device
2. Check the availability of custom recap for your model on the XDA Developers forum.
3. Check out the reviews of users who have already installed Google Experience on a similar device.

⚠️ Warning: Mediatek processor devices (e.g., Redmi Note 9, POCO M3) require additional manipulation of the SP Flash Tool and are at high risk of "bricking" and are recommended to use alternative firmwares like Pixel Experience or LineageOS adapted for MTK.

Preparation of the device: unlocking the loader

Unlocking the bootloader is a must-do step without which custom firmware installation is impossible. Xiaomi officially allows you to unlock the bootloader, but the process can take up to 7 days due to account verification.

Step-by-step:

1. Link your Mi Account to your device: Go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud. Enable sync and confirm the binding via SMS.

• Open the Settings. → The phone.
• Press 7 times on the MIUI version.
• Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable OEM unlocking and USB debugging.
• Download Mi Unlock Tool and unlock: 1. Launch the tool on behalf of the administrator. 2. Sign in to Mi. 3. Connect your phone in Fastboot mode (clip Volume Down + Power). 4. Press Unlock and wait until it is completed (it may take a second try in 168 hours).

After successfully unlocking, a warning will appear on the phone screen This device is unlocked when booting.This is normal and means you can proceed to the next step.

⚠️ Warning: If you see a "Couldn't unlock" error (10008), it means your account is not tied to the device or you need to wait.Do not try to circumvent the restriction through informal tools - this can lead to hard-brick (irreparable damage).

Create a backup of data | Link Mi Account to the device | Enable OEM-unlock and debug by USB | Download Mi Unlock Tool from the official website | Prepare a USB cable (preferably original)

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3. Selecting the Google Experience firmware

There are several types of firmware with Google services, but two options are optimal for Xiaomi:

• 📱 Google Experience (GSI) is Google's "pure" Android, unmodified. Suitable for testing, but may not support all hardware features.
• 🛠️ Pixel Experience is a custom firmware based on AOSP with a Pixel interface and additional features. Often better optimized for Xiaomi.
• 🔧 LineageOS for MicroG is a non-Google option, but with open alternatives (suitable for privacy advocates).

For most users, the Pixel Experience is recommended, as it includes:

• 📸 Working camera (with GCam support)
• 🔊 Bug-free sound and vibration.
• 📶 Stable mobile network and Wi-Fi.
• 🔄 Regular OTA- updates (as opposed to pure GSI updates).

Where to download the firmware:

When choosing, pay attention to:

• 📅 Build Date (the current version of Android)
• 🔧 Build type: arm64-bvS (for most Xiaomi) or arm64-ab (for older models).
• 📥 File size: GSI-images weigh ~1.5–2 GB, custom firmware 2–3 GB.

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Before downloading, check the reviews on the XDA forum for your model. For example, for the POCO F3, it is better to choose Pixel Experience marked with "alioth" (the coded name of the device), rather than a universal GSI.

4. TWRP Installation and Firmware

To install firmware will require custom recavers – TWRP. Official versions are available on the site TeamWin, but for many Xiaomi models need informal builds (look for XDA or Telegram-channels developers).

Step-by-step:

1. Download TWRP for your model (file with.img extension).
2. Transfer the phone to Fastboot mode (clip Volume Down + Power).
3. Connect the device to your PC and execute the command: fastboot flash recovery twrp-3.7.0_12-0-vayu.img fastboot reboot recovery (replace vayu with your device’s encoding name).
4. In TWRP, run Wipe: Press Wipe → Advanced Wipe. Mark Dalvik, Cache, System, Data. Swipe for confirmation.

• Click Install and select downloaded.zip or.img (for GSI).
• For GSI- firmware, select the System Image section.
• Wait until it is finished and press Reboot System.

The first run can take 10 to 20 minutes — don't interrupt the process. If the device has been stuck on the logo for longer than 30 minutes, try rebooting to the recavator and repeating the installation.

⚠️ Warning: If the mobile network is not running after the Google Experience firmware, check the settings APN in Settings → Network and Internet → Mobile Network → Additional → Access Points (APN). Some operators (such as MTS or Beeline) may need to manually enter parameters.

5. Solving common problems

Even with the right installation, bugs can occur, and here are the most common ways to solve them:

• 📵 Mobile network not working: Check if your model supports VoLTE in the selected firmware. Set the patch IMS (available on XDA for some devices). Try a different firmware build (e.g., go from GSI to Pixel Experience).
• 🎥 Camera Fails: Set GCam with settings for your model (look for configs on Telegram channels like @gcamxiaomi). Check if camera permissions are included in Settings → Apps.
• 🔋 Fast battery discharge: Turn off Adaptive brightness and background activity of unnecessary applications. Install FrancoKernel or KirinKernel kernel (for some models).
• 🔊 No audio in the speaker: Check if the audio is turned off in Settings → Sound. Install the Audio Mod patch (e.g., ViPER4Android).

If the problem is not solved, check the error log through ADB:

adb logcat > log.txt

and post it on the XDA forum or in your model’s Telegram chat.

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Before installing any modification (kernel, patch, magician), back up the current firmware in TWRP. This will roll back if something goes wrong.

6.Firmware optimization after installation

After a successful firmware Google Experience, it is recommended to follow several steps to improve performance and stability:

1. Set-up of application permissions:

• Open the Settings → Applications.
• For each application, disable unnecessary permissions (e.g. access to contacts for games).
• Enable Battery Optimization for Background Processes.

Installation of GCam (to improve the camera):

• Download the GCam version for your CPU (e.g. BSG or Wichaya for Snapdragon).
• Import the XML-config for your model (look for the Celso Azevedo or XDA).

3. disabling unnecessary Google services:

• If you are not using Google Assistant, disable it in Settings → Applications → Assistant.
• Replace Google Chrome with Bromite or Kiwi Browser for better privacy.

Tweaking of gestures:

• Google Experience offers navigation gestures like the Pixel.
• Open Settings → System → Gestures → System Navigation and select Gestures with the Back button.

For additional optimization, you can install:

• 🔧 Magisk (for root rights and modules)
• 🛡️ AFWall+ (firewall to block the Internet to applications).
• ⚡ Greenify (for hibernation of background processes).

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If NFC is missing after firmware, try installing the NFC Fix for GSI module via Magisk. Some models (such as the Redmi Note 10 Pro) also require a patch for libnfc-nci.

7.Return to MIUI (if something went wrong)

If Google Experience is unstable or you don’t like the “clean” Android, you can return the original MIUI firmware.

1. Download the official firmware for your model:

• Use the Xiaomi Firmware Updater website.
• Select a region (e.g. EEA for Europe or Global).
• Download the file with the extension.tgz or.zip.

2. Squeeze through the Mi Flash Tool:

• Unpack the firmware in the folder.
• Install the Mi Flash Tool.
• Put your phone in Fastboot mode.
• In Mi Flash, select the firmware folder and press Refresh, then Flash.

Data recovery:

• If you did a backup through TWRP, restore it after firmware.
• To recover IMEI (if it is reset), use the command: su setprop sys.usb.config diag, serial_cdev,rmnet,adb and the QPST or MauiMeta tool.

⚠️ Warning: When you return to MIUI via Fastboot, all data will be erased. If you need to save files, copy them to your PC or external drive before you start the process. Also note that once you return to MIUI, the bootloader will remain unlocked, requiring a re-routing of the firmware via Mi Flash with clean all and lock option.

FAQ: Frequent questions

Reset the device.

⚠️ Do not enter random IMEI — this is against the law and can lead to a network lock.