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

Did you buy Xiaomi off your hands or find an old phone in your desk drawer but don’t know when it was released? The year of production is important to assess its relevance, compatibility with new versions of MIUI and even market value. For example, a 2018 phone may not support the latest Android updates, and a 2022 model may still be eligible for 2-3 years of official security patches.

In this article, we’ll look at all the working ways of determining Xiaomi’s year, from the obvious (box, battery sticker) to the hidden (serial number decoding via engineering menus), how to distinguish the production date from the model release date, why these concepts don’t always match, and what tools will help you avoid cheating when buying a used device, and at the end you will find a table of model and year compliance for quick check.

1. Checking the box and documents: the most reliable method

If you still have the original phone packaging, consider it lucky. Xiaomi puts the production date on the box in YYYY-MM-DD format (year-month-day) or YY/MM/DD.

• 📦 On the side sticker with a barcode (near the serial number).
• 🏷️ At the bottom of the box, sometimes the date is hidden under a protective film.
• 📄 In the warranty card (if you bought in the official store).

⚠️ Attention: The date on the box may not coincide with the release date of the model! For example, the Redmi Note 10 Pro was released in March 2021, but your copy could be produced in August 2021.

If there's no box, go to the next method. But first check if you have any photos of the package -- sometimes users take pictures of the box when they unpack and forget about it. Search the gallery or cloud storage for "Xiaomi," "box," or the model name.

Serial number and IMEI: decryption through official services

Each Xiaomi smartphone has unique identifiers: serial number (S/N) and IMEI, which tell you not only the year of release, but also the country of manufacture, and sometimes even the factory.

Step 1: Find the serial number or IMEI

• 📱 On the phone: Settings → The phone. → General information.
• 🔢 On the sticker under the battery (if the removable back cover).
• 📞 By command: dial *#06# - a window will appear with IMEI.

Step 2: Decipher the production date

Xiaomi’s serial number often contains an encrypted date in YYMMDD (year, month, day) or YWW (year and week) format, such as:

• 200815 → August 15, 2020.
• 935 → 35th week of 2019 (September)

🔍 How do you find this part in the serial number? It usually comes after the model's prefix. M2004J7AC 20081512345 date - 200815.

⚠️ Note: Not all Xiaomi models have a serial number date! For example, the flagship Mi 11 series and newer ones can use a different format. IMEI.

Step 3: Verification through IMEI (alternative method)

IMEI does not contain the date directly, but it can be used to determine the month and year of production through specialized services:

1. Go to IMEI.info.
2. Enter your IMEI in the verification field.
3. In the results, look for the Manufacture Date line.

💡 If the service shows the date 1-2 months before you bought the phone, don’t be afraid. This is normal – between production and sale, there is time for logistics and distribution to the stores.

3. Engineering menu and hidden codes: for advanced users

If the box is not there and the serial number does not contain a date, you can try to find out the year of release through the engineering menu, which does not work on all models, but often helps with budget and mid-budget smartphones Redmi and POCO.

Method 1: Code for verifying the date of production

Type in the phone keyboard:

##4636##

In the menu that opens, select Phone Information and scroll down.

• Manufactured date – the date of production.
• Hardware info → Build date – firmware build date (may be different!).

Method 2: Reading data through ADB (for tech-savvy people)

If you have a computer and have ADB-tools installed, follow the command:

adb shell getprop ro.boot.ddr_size

Then:

adb shell getprop ro.boot.date

The second command will return the date in YYYYMMDD format. For example, 20210315 → March 15, 2021.

⚠️ Attention: Not all teams ADB Don't enter unknown instructions - this could lead to a loss of warranty or a phone lock.If you're not sure, skip this step.

4. firmware and MIUI version: indirect signs

The phone's production date can be approximated by MIUI version and firmware assembly date, a method less accurate, but it will help if other methods have failed.

How to check the version of MIUI

Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version. Pay attention to:

• 📅 Assembly date (e.g. 20220715) → 15 July 2022).
• 🔢 Version number (e.g., version number, MIUI Global 13.0.5).

Compare the build date with the official update schedule for your model: If the firmware is fresh (e.g. 2023) and the model is released in 2020, then the phone is not made until 2021 (otherwise it would not have received the update).

Table of conformity of models and years of issue

For convenience, we have collected data on popular Xiaomi models:

💡 Key takeaway: If your model is released in 2020 but the firmware is dated 2023, it's likely the phone was made in 2021-2022. Xiaomi rarely updates firmware on devices older than 3 years.

5.External signs: what can give the age of the phone

If no digital techniques have worked, look at the physical features of the device, and some of the design and configuration details have changed over the years.

• 🔌 Type of charging port: Micro-USB → model to 2019. USB-C → 2019 and later (but there are exceptions, for example, Redmi) 7A 2019 with Micro-USB).
• 📶 Support 5G: if the phone catches the nets 5G, It's not released until 2020.
• 🎵 3.5mm audio jack: most models after 2021 are produced without it (except for the budget Redmi).
• 📷 Camera: If the core module is less than 48 MP, it is likely to be a model before 2020.

⚠️ Attention: External signs are only indirect indications, POCO M3 (2020 has USB-C, But it's equipped with a 3.5 mm connector. Don't rely on them alone.

Another way is to look at the sticker under the battery (if the lid is removable), which can show the month and year of production in MM-YYYY or YY/MM format. Carefully put the lid on with a plastic card - do not use metal objects so as not to damage the case!

6. Checking through online services: a fast, but not always accurate way

If you want a quick check, you can use online databases that collect information from users and official sources, but they don't guarantee 100% accuracy.

Top.-3 Service to check the year of release of Xiaomi

1. IMEI.info – shows the date by IMEI (free of charge).
2. Numari – decrypts serial numbers (paid, but there is a trial period).
3. SNEPI is a database of Xiaomi models with release dates.

🔍 How to use it:

1. Enter the serial number or IMEI.
2. Check the Manufacture Date or Production Date line.
3. Check the model table (see section 4).

⚠️ Warning: Some services may show a model release date rather than your specific device's production date! For example, for the Redmi Note 9 Pro, they will indicate "2020" even though your phone could have been made in 2021.

💡

If the service asks for payment for decrypting a serial number, try the free methods in this article first. Often the date can be found without the paid tools.

7 What to do if none of the methods worked?

If you have tried all the methods, but have not learned the year of release, there are two options:

1. Contact the Xiaomi Service Center. 📍 Find the nearest official service. 📋 Please. IMEI Or a serial number, they can check the database.

Take the phone down (for the experienced ones only!).

• 🔧 The motherboard sometimes has a production date in the format YYWW.
• ⚠️ Risk: Loss of warranty and damage to the device!

💡 Useful tip: If you buy a phone with your hands and the seller can not confirm the year of release, ask him to take a video from the working device, where you can see:

• Serial number in settings.
• The MIUI version.
• Firmware assembly date.

This will help to avoid cheating and assess the real age of the gadget.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi's production date