How long does Xiaomi phone update: from 5 minutes to infinity

Why does Xiaomi update time vary from 5 minutes to several hours?

You clicked Update, the phone rebooted, and for 20 minutes now, the Mi logo has been hanging with the load bar. Is it OK? How long should the Xiaomi update take? The answer depends on three key factors: firmware size, installation method, and device model.

Modern Xiaomi smartphones (Redmi Note 12, POCO F5, Mi 14) are updated in an average of 10 to 30 minutes when installed “over the air” (OTA). But older models like the Redmi 4X or Mi A1 can slow down up to an hour — especially if the firmware weighs more than 1.5 GB. And if you choose to manually install through fastboot, prepare to wait up to 40 to 60 minutes (plus time to prepare your PC).

In this article, we will examine:

• 📱 Average Update Time for Xiaomi’s Popular Models (Table with 2026 Data)
• ⚡ How to speed up the process if the firmware is “hanging” by 0% or 99%
• ⚠️ Dangerous bugs that interrupt the update (and how to avoid them)
• 🔧 What to do if your phone is stuck in recovery or stopped turning on

Official data: update time on Xiaomi models (2026)

Xiaomi doesn’t publish exact timings for each model, but analysis of user reports and tests shows a clear dependence on the processor and version. MIUI. For example, the flagships on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (Xiaomi 13 Ultra, POCO F5 Pro) cope with OTA-Update in 8-15 minutes, while budget Redmi on Helio G85 They can last up to 40 minutes.

Below is an up-to-date table with averages for popular devices, based on MIUI 14/15 firmware tests (Android 13/14):

Important: If your model is missing from the table, focus on the CPU.Chips Snapdragon 7/8 series updates 30-40% faster than Helio or Snapdragon 4/6 series.

⚠️ Warning: Time can increase to 1.5-2 hours if you upgrade from Android 11 to Android 14 (a major update.

What is the speed of update: 5 key factors

Even on the same phone, firmware times can vary, and this is what affects it:

• 📶 Internet speed (at OTA). If the download goes through 3G Or unstable Wi-Fi, files can swing for hours, optimal: a connection at a speed of 10 Mbps.
• 🔋 Battery charge. At levels below 20 percent, the system artificially slows down the process to avoid shutdown. Perfect: 50%+.
• 🗃️ Memory occupancy: If the phone has less than 1 GB of free space, the firmware may freeze during the unpacking phase.
• 🔄 Update type: Incremental (delta) - only changes: 50-300 MB, installed in 5-10 minutes. Full (full) - all firmware: 1-2 GB, time from 15 minutes.
• 🛠️ File system status: If there were failures before the update (e.g., a sudden power outage), the process may stall on file integrity verification.

💡

Before upgrading, disable VPN and proxy – they can block Xiaomi servers, which slows down or interrupts downloads.

Step-by-step: how to speed up the update Xiaomi

If the firmware is hanging for longer than an hour or the loading band is not moving, try these methods (from the safest to the radical):

1. Restart your phone (if the lane is not moving for more than 30 minutes) sometimes it helps to just turn off/on.
2. Clear the update cache: Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management. Find the Software Update (or Updater), click Clear cache.

Download the firmware manually

• Download the full package from the official MIUI Downloads website.
• Place the file in the root of the phone’s memory (not in folders!).
• In Software Update, click on three dots → Select a firmware file.
• Use fastboot (for experienced): How to flash through fastboot?To do this, you need an unlocked bootloader and a PC with drivers installed. Detailed instructions: 1) Download Mi Flash Tool; 2) Transfer the phone to fastboot mode (press Power + Vol−); 3) Connect to the PC and follow the instructions of the program. Risk: if you make a mistake, the phone can turn into a “brick”.

⚠️ Warning: Never interrupt the update during the verification update phase. /system, The phone will not turn on without flashing through EDL-regime.

What to do if the update is suspended: errors and decisions

The system can freeze at different stages, and we're going to tell you how to recognize the problem and fix it.

If the phone doesn’t turn on after the upgrade, try going to recovery (press Power + Vol+). If that doesn’t work, it’s just the hardware firmware through TestPoint (it requires experience or a service center).

💡

90% of the freezes during the installation phase are due to space shortage or interrupted downloads. Always check the hash of the downloaded firmware file (MD5) before installing!

Myths about Xiaomi updates: what is true and what is not

There are a lot of tips on speeding up firmware online, but many of them are not just useless, they're dangerous.

• ❌ «Shutdown SIM-Maps speed up updates – no, it only affects mobile internet, not installation.
• ❌ «We need to format. SD-card before updating" - firmware is installed in internal memory, external drive is not affected.
• ✅ «Updating over Wi-Fi faster than over a mobile network is true, but only if the speed of Wi-Fi is higher than 5 Mbps.
• ❌ «If you pull out the battery during the upgrade, the phone will break" - on modern Xiaomi battery is not removable, but even if you interrupt the power, the consequences depend on the stage (on verification - critical, on downloading - no).
• ✅ «After a major upgrade, the phone is slower – true for older models (e.g. Redmi 5 on the phone). MIUI 14), but not for the flagships of the last 2-3 years.

Another common fear is, "The update erases all data, OTA-Updates save files, but manual firmware through fastboot with clean all option will delete everything!

How to check if the update has been successful

It's not always obvious that the firmware is installed correctly. Here's how to check it:

1. See MIUI version: Settings → About Phone → MIUI version It should match the one you installed.
2. Check build date: Settings → About Phone → Android → Assembly date If the date is old – the update has not taken effect.
3. Run the diagnostic: ##4636## → Phone information See the baseband version (should be updated).
4. Performance test: Open AnTuTu Benchmark and compare the results to the pre-updates. Check the camera, fingerprint scanner, NFC - sometimes drivers "fly off."

If after the update, the phone began to overheat, quickly discharge or issue application errors, try:

• Clear the cache through recovery (Wipe cache partition).
• Reset network settings (Settings) → SIM-maps and networks → Resetting network settings).
• Reverse to the previous version (if backup was created).

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi update time