How to check the year of release of the Xiaomi phone: official and hidden methods

Have you bought a used Xiaomi smartphone and questioned the seller's honesty? Or want to know the real age of your device before selling? The release date of the phone affects cost, warranty period and even performance - batteries of older models wear out faster, and software updates may stop. In this article, we will discuss all the working ways to determine the year of production Xiaomi, including hidden methods, which are silent even official instructions.

Smartphone manufacturers rarely put a release date on the case or in the settings — a marketing ploy to make the devices seem “newer.” But Xiaomi has hidden tags to calculate the exact month and year of build. We’ve tested all the methods on models from Redmi Note 7 (2019) to Xiaomi 13 Ultra (2023) — and are ready to share the results. You don’t need root rights or special programs: just know where to look.

1. Serial number check (S/N) — most accurate

The serial number (S/N) is your phone’s unique identifier, which encodes the production date. Xiaomi’s serial format has changed over time, but the common logic has remained: the first 4-6 characters contain information about the plant, model and date.

• 🔢 Format 2015–2018 first 4 Numbers: Year and Week (Example: 6017 = 6-I'm a week. 2017 year-end).
• 📅 Format 2019-2023: the first 6 characters - factory (2 letters) + year/month (4 figures, example: AB2003 = March 2020).
• ⚙️ New models (2023–2026): date can be encrypted in the middle of the number (decryption is required through service utilities).

Where to find the serial number:

1. In settings: Settings → About phone → General information → Serial number.
2. On the box – usually on a barcode sticker (look for the S/N line).
3. Under the battery (for models with a removable lid, for example, Redmi 4A).

Find S/N in the settings or on the box

Check the format (4 or 6 characters at the beginning)

Confirm with the decryption table below

Use the online service for new models-->

An example of decryption:

⚠️ Note: If the serial number begins with the letters ZD or ZC, The device is assembled in a contract factory and may have a non-standard date format. IMEI.

IMEI Year Definition – Alternative for New Models

IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) is another unique identifier that sometimes contains production date data, and unlike the serial number, the IMEI can be checked through an engineering menu or a special service.

• 📱 Method 1: Dial on the keyboard of the phone *#06# - a window will appear with IMEI (two-way IMEI dual-SIM models).
• ⚙️ Method 2: See in settings: Settings → The phone. → Status → IMEI.
• 🌐 Method 3: Use online services like IMEI.info or IMEI-Pro (free check shows year of release).

How to decrypt IMEI for Xiaomi:

1. The first 8 digits of the IMEI are the model and the factory code.
2. 9-14 digits may contain a date in YYMM format (example:...2003... = March 2020).
3. For accurate decryption, use the databases of service centers (for example, SNDeeP).

💡

If the IMEI starts with 86, the phone is made in China, and codes 35 or 01 indicate the European or global version, respectively.

Example:

IMEI: 863547041234567


Transcript:




- 86354704 → Model and factory code




- 123456 → serial block




- 4 → year (2020)




- 12 → month (December)

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g, POCO F3 or Redmi K40) have an “inverted” date in IMEI — The month and year can be encrypted in reverse order.

3. Checking by the sticker on the box - visual method

If you still have the original phone box, you can tell the date of production by the factory sticker, which usually shows:

• 📦 Serial number (see section 1).
• 🏭 Plant code (e.g, CN — China, IN — India).
• 📅 Date of production in format YY/MM/DD or YYWW (year-and-week).

Where to look:

1. On a white barcode sticker (usually at the end of the box).
2. Under the film on the back of the box (take a gently angle).
3. On the sticker inside the box (under the phone tray).

Examples of markings:

If the sticker is erased or missing, try to inspect the box under the ultraviolet lamp - the original tags sometimes shine through.

4. Analysis of the MIUI version and firmware assembly date

The MIUI firmware version indirectly indicates the age of the phone. The manufacturer ties the first updates to the batch release date. For example, if your Xiaomi came out with MIUI 12.0.3.0 firmware and the current stable version for the model is 12.5.5.0, the device is likely to be released no later than 2021.

How to check:

1. Open the settings → About the phone → version of MIUI.
2. Remember the full build number (example: V12.5.2.0.RKFCNXM).
3. See the build date in Settings → About Phone → Kernel Version (format: Mon Jan 10 14:22:30 CST 2022).

Transcript of the MIUI version:

• 📅 The first two digits after the letter V are the year of firmware release (for example, V13.0.4.0 = 2021–2022 year).
• 🌍 The last letters are region (CN — China, EU — Europe, IN — India).
• ⚙️ Kernel Date – when the firmware was assembled (may differ from the phone release date by 1-3 months).

Once a month

Only with critical bugs.

Never update.

I don't know what it is. MIUI-->

Example:

MIUI version: V12.5.4.0.RJFCNXM


Core version: Thu Jun 10 14:30:15 CST 2021




Conclusion: The phone is released no later than June 2021.

⚠️ Attention: If the version MIUI begin V14.x.x.x, But the phone was bought in 2022, and it's very likely that the firmware was updated after the purchase, so the kernel date doesn't reflect the actual age of the device.

5. Check through the engineering menu (for advanced users)

The engineering menu (#4636##) contains hidden hardware data, including the calibration date of some components, a method that is suitable for Xiaomi models running Qualcomm processors (e.g. Redmi Note 10 Pro, POCO X3 NFC).

Instructions:

1. Open the Phone app and type ##4636##.
2. Go to the Battery Information or Hardware info tab.
3. Find Battery Manufactured Date or RF Calibration Date.

What do dates mean?

• 🔋 Battery manufacture date – when the battery is made (usually 1-2 months before the phone is assembled).
• 📡 RF Calibration date – the date of setting the radio module (coincides with the date of production).

Examples for the Redmi Note 9 Pro:

RF calibration date: 2020/05/15


Battery manufacture date: 2020/03/20




The phone was released in May 2020, the battery in March 2020.

💡

The battery date may not match the phone date if the battery was replaced under warranty, in which case, focus on the RF calibration date.

If the engineering menu is blocked, try the alternative code: ##284## (data packet test) or ##6484## (battery test).

6 Online services for verification – a quick but not always accurate way

If manual methods don't work, use specialized services that collect data from serial number databases, IMEIs and firmware information.

• 🌐 IMEI.info – shows year of release, model and specifications.
• 🔍 SNDeeP – Xiaomi serial number database (registration required).
• 📱 IMEI-Pro – paid inspection with detailed report (includes repair history).

How to use:

1. Enter the serial number or IMEI in the search box.
2. Pay for the report (free versions only show a year).
3. Check out the Manufacture Date or Production Info section.

Example of the report for Xiaomi Mi 11:

IMEI: 863547041234567


Model: M2011K2G (Mi 11)




Manufacture Date: December 2020




Factory: China (Foxconn)

⚠️ Note: Online services may be wrong with dates for contract factories (e.g. Xiaomi assembled in India or Indonesia.

💡

Before buying a used phone, check the IMEI through IMEI Blacklist – this will show whether the device is listed as stolen.

7. Indirect indications of the age of the telephone

If none of the methods worked, pay attention to the indirect signs:

• 🔋 Battery status: Go to Settings → Battery → Battery status: If the capacity has dropped below 85% of the factory capacity, the phone is over 2-3 years old.
• 📦 Compilation: Older models (Redmi) 4X, Mi A1) It comes with microUSB cable and charging on 10W. New ones. USB-C fast-charging.
• 🔄 Updates: If the phone doesn't receive updates MIUI For more than a year, it is supported only by critical patches (meaning the model is outdated).

Table of conformity of the complete set and year of issue:

If your phone has a microUSB connector and 10W charging, but the seller claims it’s released in 2022, that’s a clear scam.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi release date