How to determine the exact date of purchase of Xiaomi phone: official and hidden methods

Did you buy Xiaomi off your hands, find a forgotten device in your closet, or just want to know the age of your smartphone? The date of purchase is not just a number for curiosity. It determines the warranty period, helps verify the legitimacy of the device (is it stolen?), and sometimes affects the value of the resale. Unfortunately, the manufacturer does not knock out the date on the case, as they do with jewelry, but there are at least 7 working ways to find out it, from the obvious to the little-known.

In this article, we will look at all the methods, from viewing the box to asking for customer support, and explain why some of them may give inaccurate results and how to get around it. We will focus on the nuances for Chinese versions (with the CN suffix in the model) and devices purchased abroad. If you are in a hurry, use the quick check at the end of the article.

1. Checking the date by box and documents

The most reliable way to inspect the original packaging and related papers is to look at the production date on Xiaomi boxes (especially for global versions), which usually coincides with the sale date with a margin of error of 1-3 months.

📦 The barcode with the serial number is on the sticker on the side or bottom of the box, sometimes in small print next to the date in the format YY/MM/DD or YYWW (year-and-week).
📄 Warranty card – if the phone was bought in an official store (for example, Mi Store), there is necessarily a date of sale.
🛒 Check or invoice - even an email check from an email will confirm the date. For Xiaomi from AliExpress, check the section "My orders".

⚠️ Note: On the boxes of the Chinese versions (for example, Redmi Note 11 Pro)+ 5G CN) The date may be missing or encrypted in the serial number, in which case proceed to the following methods.

💡

If the box is lost, but the phone was bought on credit or by card, request a bank statement - there will be a transaction date.

Activation Date in Mi Account (official method)

Each Xiaomi smartphone is linked to a Mi Account when it is first turned on, and this date is recorded in the system and can serve as a reference.

Open Settings → Xiaomi account.
Slip on the avatar or email at the top of the screen.
Scroll to the Devices block - there will be a list of all the attached gadgets.
Select your phone – the model name will display the date “First Activation”.

🔹 nuance:

🔄 If the phone was reset to factory settings, the date may be reset.
🌍 For the Chinese versions (CN) Sometimes the date of the first link to the account is shown, rather than the purchase.
📱 If the device was bought and already linked to another account, this method will not work.

What to do if the account is not tied?

If your phone is not tied to Mi Account, try creating a new account and logging in on your device, and sometimes the system automatically records the date of first activation even for a clean device, but this method doesn't work on all models older than 2020.

3. IMEI check: what the service will show and whether it should be trusted

IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) is a unique phone identifier that can tell you the date of production, but there are pitfalls: services like imei.info or sndeep.info often show the release date, not the sale, and the difference can be anywhere from 1 month to six months (depending on logistics).

How to check:

Dial *#06# and you will see a 15-digit IMEI.
Go to imei.info and enter the code.
In the results, look for the Manufacture Date or Age fields.

Xiaomi model	Average Lag Between Production and Sale	Accuracy of method
Redmi Note 12 Pro+	1-2 months	Tall.
POCO X5 Pro	2-3 months	Medium
Xiaomi 13 Ultra	up to 6 months (limited parties)	Low.
Redmi 10A (budget)	1 month	Tall.

⚠️ Note: Some sellers in the secondary market are forging stickers with IMEI. Always check the code against what appears in Settings. → The phone. → General information.

Always |Only if in doubt |Never |I don't know how to do it-->

4. Xiaomi Support Request: When It Works

Xiaomi official support can provide a phone activation date by serial number or IMEI, but only if the following conditions are met:

📌 The phone must be officially imported into your country (not "gray" imports).
📝 You have proof of purchase (check, warranty card) or a tied Mi Account.
🔒 Serial number should not be blacklisted (stolen/lost devices).

How to send a request:

Go to the support page.
Choose Online Chat or Submit a Request.
Specify the model, IMEI and the reason for the request (e.g., “purchase date required for warranty repairs”).

📌 Response time: 1 to 5 working days. To speed up the process, attach a photo of the box or check.

💡

Xiaomi Russia’s support service responds more frequently to purchase date requests than the global center, and it’s better for Russian users to write to a Russian-language website.

Some Xiaomi models store information about the first device to be turned on in the Engineering Mode, a method that is suitable for Redmi and POCO on Qualcomm processors (for example, Redmi Note 11 Pro or POCO F4).

Instructions:

Open the Phone app and dial ##4636##.
Go to the Battery Information or Usage Statistics section.
Look for the First boot time or Uptime fields, which may include a date.

⚠️ Note: Not all models support this method. On MediaTek chips (e.g. Redmi) 10C) The menu may not contain the data you need, and the wrong actions on the menu may cause the system to crash.

Backup | Record the IMEI of your phone | Don't change your settings without understanding |Go back through the back button-->

6. Verification through Google Account (for Android)

If the phone connected to a Google account on its first launch, the date can be stored in the device history, which works even after the settings are reset.

How to check:

Go to the device activity page.
Find your Xiaomi model in the list and tap it.
The “Last Activity” or “Date of Addition” section will indicate the approximate date.

🔹 Limitations:

🕒 Shows the date of first login to the account, not the purchase (the difference can be up to a week).
🔄 If the account is untied, the data is reset.

7. Alternative methods: when nothing helps

If all of the above methods do not work, try:

🛠️ Disassembly of the phone – on some models (for example, Xiaomi Mi 11) the production date is indicated on the sticker under the battery.
📊 Serial number analysis – the first 4-6 digits often encode the date. For example, 2207 can mean July 2022.
🤝 Contact the previous owner – if you bought from hand, request a screenshot of the check or warranty card.

💡 Tip: For phones purchased on AliExpress or Gearbest, check your order history in your personal account – the payment date usually coincides with the purchase date.

⚡ Quick check: which method to choose?

Situation	Recommended method	Time of verification
There's a box/check.	Checking documents	1 minute
Phone tied to Mi Account	Viewing the activation date	2 minutes.
No box, no account tied.	IMEI + Support Request	5-30 minutes
I bought it on AliExpress.	Checking order history	3 minutes.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi's purchase date

Can I find out the date of purchase if my phone is stolen?

Not unless you have original documents or access to the previous owner's Mi Account. Xiaomi does not share such data with third parties for security reasons.If a phone is found, contact the police - they can request information through official channels.

Why is the IMEI date different from the date on the box?

This is normal. The date on the box is the date of production, and IMEI services often show the date of shipment from the plant or the first activation on the network, a difference of 1-3 months is considered acceptable.

Can the store fake the purchase date on the warranty card?

Technically, yes, but it's a scam. Official Xiaomi stores (like the Mi Store) put the date automatically through the system, so counterfeiting is unlikely.In the secondary market, always check the box for signs of cleanup (blurred numbers, font mismatches).

How to find the date of purchase for a phone purchased abroad?

For imported devices (Xiaomi) EU, Global) use: Check or invoice (even without translation date is usually specified in format DD/MM/YYYY). Request for support of the region where the phone was purchased (e.g. Xiaomi Europe) Verification via Google account if the phone has already been used. ⚠️ For the Chinese versions (CN) The date can only be found through your Mi Account or IMEI.

Does the purchase date affect the ability to update the firmware?

No, software updates are not tied to the purchase date, but for some models (such as the Xiaomi Mi A3 on Android One), after 3-4 years of release, security updates stop coming out, and the purchase date in this case will help predict how much time is left until the end of support.