How to find out how old Xiaomi smartphone is: from serial number to hidden MIUI menus

Have you bought Xiaomi off your hands or found an old device in your desk drawer - but don't know when it was released? The age of a smartphone affects the relevance of firmware, compatibility with new apps and even resale price. Fortunately, the manufacturer leaves "traces" of the production date in several places, from stickers on the case to hidden system menus.

In this article, we will discuss 7 working methods to determine the year of release of Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO – from simple (check box) to technical (analyze IMEI through the engineering menu), you will learn what data can be trusted 100% and where the manufacturer can “snitch”, and we will explain why the activation date and the production date are not the same, and how this affects the real “age” of the device.

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

The serial number (S/N) is your Xiaomi’s unique identifier, which is linked to the date of production.

• 📦 On a sticker under the removable lid (for models with removable battery, for example, Redmi). 4A)
• 📱 In settings: Settings → The phone. → General information → Serial number.
• 📄 On the device box (near the barcode)
• 🔌 Through the computer: connect the smartphone to USB and type in the command line adb shell getprop ro.serialno

Xiaomi serial number usually has a format XXXXXXXXXYYWW, where:

• YY is the last two digits of the year (e.g. 20 = 2020)
• WW – week of production (01 to 52)

⚠️ Note: On new models (from 2022), Xiaomi began using 10-digit serial numbers without an explicit date (IMEI system-data).

2.IMEI production date - works even without a box

IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity is your smartphone's passport, and it also contains release date information, but it needs to be extracted correctly. IMEI possible:

• 📞 typing on the keyboard *#06# (a window with a number will appear)
• 📱 In settings: Settings → The phone. → General information → IMEI
• 📄 On a sticker under the battery or on a box

IMEI consists of 15 digits, where 7-8 digits encode the date of production.

🔍 Example: IMEI 861234200518567890 means that the smartphone was released on May 18, 2020.

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If the 7-8 digits of the IMEI are 99, it means that the device was released in 1999 or later, but the exact date cannot be determined by IMEI. Use other methods.

3. MIUI system data: where Xiaomi hides release date

MIUI's firmware stores the production date information in hidden menus to find it:

1. Open the Phone app and dial ##4636##.
2. Go to the tab Information about the phone.
3. Scroll down to the assembly date or production date block.

📌 What does data mean:

• 📅 Build Date – firmware assembly date (not always the same as the device’s production date!).
• 🏭 Manufacture Date - the exact date of release of the device (if any).
• ⚙️ Hardware Date - the date of production of the "iron" (motherboard).

⚠️ Note: On some models (e.g, POCO F3 Xiaomi 11T) The date in the engineering menu can be displayed in format YYYYMMDD (for example, 20210815 = 15 August 2021 Not to be confused with Build Number!

4. Checking by Xiaomi model and database

If the serial number or IMEI does not give a clear answer, you can use the official databases of Xiaomi.

1. Find out the exact model of the device in Settings → About Phone → Model (e.g. Redmi Note 10 Pro = sweet).
2. Go to MIUI Downloads website.
3. Enter the code name of the model in the search and see the date of the first firmware.

📊 Example of popular models:

🔎 Where else to look:

• 🌍 Kimovil website – database with announcement dates and sales start.
• 📦 GSMArena website – technical specifications and model history.

5. Physical inspection: what will tell the case and battery

If you don’t have access to settings (like a smartphone doesn’t turn on), check the physical tags on the device:

🔋 Battery: Most removable Xiaomi batteries have a production date in the format YYYY-MM-DD (for example, 2020-05-18). To see her:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Remove the back cover (if it is removable).
3. Carefully remove the battery and inspect the sticker.

📦 Box: The original packaging of Xiaomi always shows the date of production in the format YY/MM (for example, 21/08 = August 2021). Find her:

• On a barcode sticker (near the serial number).
• On the side of the box (in small print).

Removable battery (date on sticker)|Box (tag) YY/MM)|Sticker under the cover (serial number)|Charger (production batch)-->

⚠️ Note: If the date on the battery and the box differs by more than 3 months, this may indicate a replacement of components (for example, during repairs.

6.Apps to check: which apps will show the real age

If manual methods seem complicated, use specialized applications that analyze system data and give the production date in a convenient format:

📱 The Best Apps for Android:

• 🔍 Device Info HW — The date of production is shown by serial number and IMEI.
• 📅 AIDA64 — Detailed information about the “iron”, including the date of assembly.
• 🛠️ AnTuTu Benchmark – Info section displays release date.

💡 How to use it:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Open the System or Device section.
3. Find the Manufacture Date, Build Time, or Serial fields.

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Applications like AIDA64 show the firmware assembly date, not the device production date. For the exact age, check the data against the serial number or IMEI.

7. Check through Xiaomi service centers – when nothing helps

If all of the above methods fail (e.g., the serial number is erased and the IMEI is not decrypted), contact the official Xiaomi service center.

• 📄 Official report with production date and history of repairs.
• 🔧 Diagnosis of the authenticity of the device (important for used phones).
• 📅 Guarantee status (if the deadline has not expired).

📍 How to Find a Service Center:

1. Go to the Xiaomi Service website.
2. Choose a country and a city.
3. Find the nearest authorized center (marked with the ✓ Official icon).

⚠️ Note: Unofficial service centers may not have access to Xiaomi's full database.Always check for official status on the manufacturer's website.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the age of Xiaomi smartphones