Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones are used to the fact that the company regularly delights its users with new versions of the operating system. However, the process of upgrading to Android 11 has become one of the most complex and confusing in the history of the brand, due to the introduction of a new shell numbering system and a change in the policy of supporting budget devices. Many users are still wondering whether they will get the desired “eleventh” version, or their gadget will remain on the old system.
To make matters worse, Xiaomi has divided the list of devices into groups by region (Global, China, EEA) and shell versions (MIUI 12, MIUI 12.5, MIUI 13). Android 11 often comes in conjunction with MIUI 12.5, but some models have already received it with MIUI 13. It is important to understand that the presence of a new shell does not always mean a new version of Android. In this article, we will discuss in detail which models are guaranteed to receive the update and which will remain behind.
If you want to know the fate of your device, you need to carefully study the official lists and understand the difference between stable and beta firmware.The key factor is the year of release of the smartphone: devices released before 2019, most of them remained on Android 10. Below is a detailed analysis of the situation that will help you navigate the world of updates of the Chinese giant.
Official list of Xiaomi smartphones for Android 11
Xiaomi Mi’s flagship devices are the first to gain access to the new operating system, a traditional practice of the company: top-end models are always a priority, including devices released in 2019 and 2020, and users of these smartphones can count on not only a new interface, but also improvements in the management of access rights and privacy.
Specifically, the Xiaomi Mi 10 and Mi 11 series originally shipped with the new OS or received it in the first months of release. For older flagships such as the Mi 9 and Mi 9 Pro, the update was the latest major update of the main system, after which support shifted only to security patches, an important point for those who are planning to buy a used device.
It's worth noting that rollouts were in waves, with Chinese devices being updated first, European devices (EEA), and global ones (Global) later, with delays between regions ranging from two weeks to two months, often causing panic among users waiting for an update.
⚠️ Note: If you have a device in the Mi 8 series or older, the probability of getting Android 11 tends to zero, as support for Snapdragon 845 and earlier chipsets has been discontinued.
Below is a table with the main models that received the update:
| Series | Models. | MIUI version | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xiaomi Mi | Mi 11, Mi 10, Mi 10 Pro, Mi 10 Ultra | MIUI 12.5 / 13 | Stable. |
| Xiaomi Mi | Mi 9, Mi 9 Pro, Mi 9T Pro | MIUI 12.5 | Stable. |
| Xiaomi Note | Mi Note 10, Mi Note 10 Pro | MIUI 12.5 | Stable. |
| Xiaomi Mix | Mi Mix 3 5G, Mi Mix 2S (Beta only) | MIUI 12 | Limitedly. |
Update for smartphones Redmi and POCO
Redmi and POCO are the most popular, so the list is the most extensive, but it is in this category that compatibility issues are most often raised. Many popular models, such as the Redmi Note 8 and Redmi Note 9, were in the gray zone of expectations. As a result, most Note 8 and Note 9 devices received Android 11 in the shell MIUI 12.5.
The POCO series was even more interesting, because the brand split from Redmi, some models got redesigned firmware, for example, the POCO F2 Pro (similar to the Redmi K30 Pro) was one of the first to be updated, while the owners of the POCO X3 NFC waited for the update for quite a long time, since it came later than for Chinese counterparts.
It is important to distinguish between global and Indian versions, and Xiaomi’s Indian division often gets updates earlier or later than the global market, depending on regulatory certification and localization.
- 📱 Redmi Note 9 Pro / Pro Max / 9S — We have a stable version of Android 11 with MIUI 12.5.
- 📱 Redmi Note 8 / 8 Pro – received an update, but for 8 Pro, it was the last major.
- 📱 POCO X3 NFC / X3 Pro — X3 NFC Android 11, Pro version came out right away.
- 📱 Redmi 9 / 9A / 9C — The budget was also covered, but with a delay.
⚠️ Note: Devices with MediaTek Helio processors G80 and similar budget chips could get a stripped-down version of the update without some features of the new OS.
Owners of the budget lines Redmi 8 and Redmi 7 should not be updated, these models remained on Android 9 or 10, as the manufacturer considered further support economically impractical.
Technical features and innovations of Android 11 on MIUI
The move to Android 11 brought not just a change in numbers, but a fundamental change in how the system works, and in conjunction with MIUI, it gave users new management tools, one of the main innovations being a redesigned notification control panel and bubbles for instant messengers, which allow faster switching between chats.
And the permissions have been improved, so you can only give the app a single location access, which is critical for privacy, and in MIUI, these settings are integrated into a shared control center, making them more accessible to the average user.
Hidden features of Android 11
Performance has also changed, with some devices being able to run faster with improved background processes, although older models have sometimes seen the opposite effect of increased battery consumption in the first days after the update, due to file indexing and database optimization.
- 🔋 Improved power and charging management.
- 🔒 Granular permission control (camera, microphone, geolocation).
- 📸 New camera features built into Android 11 core.
- 🎮 Reducing delays for games (Game Mode).
And don’t forget the 5G support that became the standard in Android 11. For Xiaomi devices, it meant more stable running on fifth-generation networks where they are available.
Compatibility issues and known bugs
Like any major update, the Android 11 upgrade was not without problems, with users of various Xiaomi and Redmi models reporting a number of bugs that showed up after installation, most often with a fingerprint scanner that could become less responsive or work with a delay.
Another common complaint is that the battery is running out fast, which is a typical problem with the first firmware versions on the new OS. The system retrains itself to use the CPU resources, which leads to increased power consumption in the first 3-5 days. After the adaptation period, the situation usually stabilizes.
Some users have experienced problems with Google Pay (now Google Wallet) and updating security certificates sometimes required a complete reinstallation of banking apps or even resetting the phone to factory settings.
⚠️ Warning: Before installing an update, be sure to back up important data. In rare cases, the update process may result in an error, resulting in loss of information.
There have also been complaints about autobrightness and Bluetooth, which have typically been addressed by subsequent security patches that Xiaomi releases every month, and if you encounter a critical bug, it makes sense to wait for the next version of the firmware to come out.
How to Check and Install Update Manually
If your device is on the supported list but no update notification comes, don't panic. Xiaomi's update system is a gradual rollout, but you can speed up the process by manually checking for an update through the settings menu.
To do this, go to Settings → About → MIUI version. Click on the system logo or the “Check Updates” button. If the server sees your device, it will prompt you to download the package. If it says “No Updates”, then your turn has not yet arrived or the model is not supported in your region.
☑️ Preparations for renewal
There is also a method of manual installation through a firmware file (Recovery ROM), which is suitable for power users. You will need to download the current firmware from the official site, rename the file to update.zip and place it in the root of internal memory. Then click on the update menu three dots and select "Select firmware file".
Way to manually check: Settings → About phone → 3 points in the corner → Select a firmware fileUsing this method allows you to update before the official wave, but carries risks. Inappropriate firmware can lead to the failure of the device.
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Use only firmware labeled "Stable" and "Beta" versions may contain critical errors and are not intended for daily use.
What to do if the update does not arrive
If you own a popular model like the Redmi Note 9, but the update never came, there may be several reasons: the first and most common is regional binding. The global version (Global) receives updates on its schedule, different from the Chinese (China) or European (EEA).
The second reason is that you've been using a device modification, and if you've bought a phone with an unlocked bootloader (which is something that dealers often do to install Google services on Chinese versions), the update system may not work properly, and you'll have to manually update through the Mi Flash Tool.
The third reason is the gradual rollout. Xiaomi often tests the update on a small group of users (1-5%) to catch bugs. If you do not fall into this group, you will have to wait. Usually the full cycle takes 1 to 3 months after the announcement.
- 🌍 Check the region in settings (Settings) → Advanced settings → Region).
- 🔓 Make sure the bootloader is not unlocked by third-party methods.
- ⏳ Be patient – the line will reach all supported models.
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Not notifying you of an update within 2-3 months of your model’s firmware release often means that your device is not on the support list for your specific region.
In extreme cases, if the official update does not come, and really want new features, you can consider installing custom firmware such as Xiaomi.eu. They are based on Chinese versions, but clear of advertising and have built-in Russian language and Google services.