Xiaomi Mi Note 3 is the iconic smartphone of 2017, which is still relevant thanks to the powerful hardware and active community of developers. However, over time, official MIUI updates cease to come out, and users face slowdowns, bugs or the desire to install a fresh version of Android. Flashing the device can solve these problems, but requires careful approach: a mistake at any stage can turn the phone into a “brick”.
In this guide, we will analyze all the current ways to flash the Mi Note 3 (codenamed jason): from official global / Chinese MIUI builds to custom firmware like Pixel Experience or LineageOS. Particular attention will be paid to device preparation, unlocking the bootloader and typical errors that users encounter. If you are a beginner, do not miss the sections about the backup and firmware compatibility check!
Preparation for Flashing: What to Do Before Starting
Reflashing Xiaomi Mi Note 3 is an irreversible process, and one error can deprive you of data or the functionality of the device.
- 🔋 Charge the battery to at least 70%. Interrupting the process due to battery discharge is almost guaranteed to lead to a "brick».
- 📱 Make a full backup through Settings → Additionally. → Backup or third-party utilities like Titanium Backup (requires root).
- 🔐 Find out the bootloader version. 3 two of them: old (ARB v1) new (ARB v3/v4). This depends on the choice of firmware and the method of unlocking.
- 💻 Install drivers for Xiaomi on PC (download from the official website or through the Mi Flash Tool).
Also check the model of the device in Settings → About the phone. Mi Note 3 was released in several versions:
- Global version (MDG6) – supports official global firmware.
- Chinese version (MDT6) – requires unlocking the bootloader to install global software.
Installation of firmware from another modification will lead to idle modules (modem, camera, sensors)!
Save. IMEI (through *#06#)|Download the correct version MIUI/Fastboot ROM|Disable antivirus on PC|Prepare. USB-cable (original!)|Check the free space on the disk (minimum) 5 GB)
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Unlock the bootloader on Xiaomi Mi Note 3
All Xiaomi devices have a bootloader by default.To install custom firmware or even official through Fastboot, it needs to be unlocked.The procedure takes up to 720 hours (30 days) of waiting due to Xiaomi's security policy, so start in advance.
Instructions for unlocking:
- Link your Mi Account to your device in Settings → Xiaomi Account.
- Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version and tap 7 times to activate Developer Mode.
- Return to Settings → More → For developers and enable: Debugging over USB OEM Unlock (may not be available on Chinese firmware)
Mi Unlock Tool
official website
Fastboot
Loudness down + Nutrition
What if the Mi Unlock Tool shows "Couldn't unlock"? Chances are you didn't wait for the end of the waiting period (72/168/360/720 hours).
Important! Once the bootloader is unlocked, all data will be deleted from the device (full reset), and some features (such as Mi Pay or Find Device) may stop working on informal firmware.
Yes, a long time | Yes, recently | No, just planning | No, I don't know how | I don't want to unlock-->
Re-flashing methods: which one to choose?
For the Xiaomi Mi Note 3, there are three main methods for installing firmware, depending on your goals and level of training:
| Method | What's the point? | Difficulty | Do you need unlocking? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Officially OTA-update | Install a new version of MIUI without data loss | ⭐ (simple) | No. |
| Fastboot (Mi Flash Tool) | Restoration of the "brick", change of the firmware region, downgrade | ⭐⭐⭐ (middle-of-the-road) | Yes. |
| Recovery (TWRP) | Install custom firmware (LineageOS, Pixel Experience, etc.) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (difficult) | Yes. |
| EDL-regime | Unlocking the “brick” with a damaged loader | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (expert) | Yes (and EDL authorization) |
For most users, Fastboot (for official firmware) is optimal. TWRP (custom-made). EDL-The system requires special equipment (EDL cable or Deep Flash Cable and is only used in critical cases.
💡
If your goal is simply to update MIUI Before the latest version, start by checking available OTA-Updates to Settings → The phone. → Updating the system. It's the safest method that doesn't require unlocking.
Fastboot (Mi Flash Tool)
This method is suitable for installing official firmware (global, Chinese, stable or development) and is often used to “resurrection” the device after a failed firmware.
- 💻 Windows PC (7/10/11).
- 🔌 Original. USB-cable (not cheap analogues!).
- 📁 Firmware in.tgz or.zip format for Fastboot (download from the official website).
- 🛠 Mi Flash Tool (last version).
Step-by-step:
- Unpack the downloaded firmware in a folder without Cyrillic characters (for example, C:\miui_jason).
- Turn off the phone and press Volume Down + Power to log into the Fastboot.
- Connect the device to your PC and run the Mi Flash Tool (on behalf of the administrator).
- In the program, click Select and specify the path to the folder with the firmware.
- Select firmware mode: Clean all - complete cleaning (recommended when changing the region); Clean all and lock - cleaning + lock bootloader (only for official firmware!); Save user data - saving user data (not always stable).
Flash
1. Reinstall drivers manually through Device Manager.
2. Use another USB-port (preferably 2.0).
3. disable driver signatures in Windows (via gpedit.msc).
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⚠️ Attention! If you install firmware from another region (e.g. Chinese to global), manual repair may be required after flashing. IMEI using the engineering menu (#4636##) or tools like SN Write Tool.
Installation of custom firmware through TWRP
For fans of pure Android or alternative builds (for example, Pixel Experience with support for Project Treble) will require custom TWRP recavators. the process is more complicated than through Fastboot, but opens access to hundreds of firmware.
What needs to be done:
- Download TWRP for Mi Note 3 (the version should support your ARB v1/v3) bootloader. The official build can be found on the TWRP website.
- Install. TWRP Fastboot Team: Fastboot Flash Recovery twrp-3.7.0_jason.img fastboot boot twrp-3.7.0_jason.img
- V TWRP Make a full backup of the section NVRAM (stored IMEI and MAC-address!).
- Sweep the firmware (e.g, PixelExperience_jason-13.0-20231010.zip) GApps (if you need Google services).
- Clear the cache (Wipe) → Dalvik/ART Cache and reboot.
To restore functionality, manual installation of the kernel or mods may be required.
Typical errors and their solutions
Even if you follow the instructions accurately, you can still get errors when flashing the Mi Note 3, and here are the most common ways to fix them:
| Mistake. | Reason. | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-rollback check fail | Try to install firmware with an older version of ARB. | Use the firmware with the same or newer ARB. |
| Invalid image format in Mi Flash | A damaged firmware file or an incorrect folder. | Download the firmware again and unpack it to the root of the disk. |
| The phone does not turn on after the firmware | Incompatible firmware or interrupted process. | Repeat the firmware through Fastboot with a full clean (clean all). |
| E: Unknown command [log] in TWRP | An outdated version of TWRP. | Upgrade the recavers to the last assembly. |
| No network after firmware | Lost IMEI or wrong modem. | Restore the NVRAM from the backup or run the modem separately. |
If the phone is stuck on the MI or Fastboot logo after firmware, try:
- Press Volume up + Power for 10-15 seconds for forced reboot.
- Log in to Recovery (Loudness up + Power) and make Wipe Data.
- Fastboot with the clean all checkmark.
How to restore IMEI after firmware?
Recommendations after flashing
Successful firmware is only half the battle, so that the device works steadily.
- 🔄 Reset the settings after the first download (unless you clean all in Mi Flash).
- 🔒 Turn off automatic updates in Settings → About the phone, if you use custom firmware.
- 📡 Check network operation: if there is no signal, run the modem separately (file) modem.img).
- 🎯 Set up the performance: in TWRP DM-verity can be disabled to prevent bootlooms.
For custom firmware, it is recommended:
- Install Magisk for root rights (download the latest version from GitHub).
- Use cores like FrancoKernel or Perseus to improve autonomy.
- Disable Force Encryption if you do not use encryption (via TWRP or scripts).
⚠️ Attention! custom firmware does not have official security updates from Xiaomi. XDA Developers) and install them manually.