How to find out the year of the release of the Xiaomi phone: all the ways from the box to IMEI

Why it is important to know the year of the release of the Xiaomi smartphone

Did you buy Xiaomi off your hands or find a forgotten device on the shelf but not sure its age?The date of production of the smartphone affects many aspects, from the residual warranty period to compatibility with new versions of MIUI. For example, models older than 2019 may not support the latest Android updates, and batteries in devices 2017-2018 release often require replacement due to degradation.

In addition, the year of release helps to avoid cheating when buying used equipment. Vendors sometimes pass old devices as new ones, masking them as “warehouse residues.” And in Xiaomi service centers, the date of production determines the possibility of free repairs under warranty — even if you do not have a check, specialists will check the serial number in the database. In this article, we will analyze all the available methods, including hidden MIUI functions and decrypting factory codes.

Method 1: Checking the box and stickers

The easiest way to do this is to look at the original packaging, and Xiaomi boxes don't have a year of release directly, but you can calculate it from a few markers:

• 📦 Serial number on the sticker (usually begins with letters) SN: or S/N:). First-time 4–6 digits after the letter prefix are often encoded by the date of production.
• 🏭 Manufacturer's code (e.g, FCC ID or made in India/China). Some parties have month and year markings in format YYMM.
• 📅 Barcode: The first digits may contain batch information (but this does not work for all models).

Example: The Redmi Note 10 Pro box has the serial number SN: MZB12345678. Here 2103 (third and fourth digits after MZB) can mean March 2021 (21 is year, 03 is month).

⚠️ Warning: Fake boxes often have dates forged. Check the serial number through official services (about them below).

💡

If the sticker on the box is erased, try to light it with a flashlight at an angle - sometimes the numbers appear.

Method 2: IMEI decoding

International Mobile Equipment Identifier (IMEI) It contains encrypted data about the device, including the release date. IMEI:

1. Dial on the phone keyboard *#06# and the 15-digit code will appear.
2. Write down the first 8 digits (this is the first one). TAC-code, model ID).
3. Check out the TAC at IMEI.info or IMEI-Number.com.

For example, for the Xiaomi Mi 11 with IMEI 862345041234567, the first 8 digits (86234504) will indicate the model and approximate release year. However, the IMEI only shows the quarter (for example, "Q1 2021"), not the exact date.

⚠️ Note: Some vendors are re-flashing phones, replacing them IMEI. If the data on the site do not match the real model, this is a cause for suspicion.

Yes, always |Only if there is any doubt |No, I don't know how |I check but I don't understand the results-->

Method 3: Serial number in phone settings

The serial number (S/N) is stored in firmware and duplicated in several places:

• 📱 On the menu: Settings → The phone. → General information → Serial number.
• 🔋 Under the battery (for models with a removable lid, for example, Redmi) 4A).
• 🖱️ In Fastboot mode (click Volume Down) + Power with the phone turned off).

Xiaomi’s serial number format varies, but most often the date is encoded as follows:

• [Letters][Year][Month][Other figures] — for example, MZB21035678 = March 2021.
• [Letters][Month][Year][Other figures] — for example, KZC09201234 = September 2020.

For POCO and Black Shark models, there are different rules, such as the POCO X3 Pro, which can start with JYT, where the second letter (Y) stands for 2021 (alphabetically A=2016, B=2017, etc.).

Find it. S/N phone-setting|Check with the sticker on the box|Check through the official Xiaomi website|Ensure that there are no discrepancies-->

Method 4: Official Xiaomi Services

Xiaomi provides two authentication and release date tools:

1. The warranty check site (new.c.mi.com/global/verify) Enter the serial number or IMEI, the system will show the activation date (not always the same as production, but close to it).
2. The Mi Verify app (available on Google Play) barcode scanner from the box or manual S/N input will give information about the model and the country of manufacture.

Example of service response:

Model: Redmi Note 10 Pro (sweet)




Manufacture Date: 2021-03-15




Warranty Status: Active (until 2023-03-14)

Note the Manufacture Date field – this is the production date.

⚠️ Note: If the service gives a “Device not found” error, it is possible that the phone is assembled in an unofficial factory (for example, for the local market in India) or its data has been deleted from the database.

Method 5: Analysis of firmware and hardware data

If there is no box and the serial number is not decrypted, the hardware information will help:

• 📊 Version. MIUI. Go to Settings. → The phone. → Version. MIUI. The first two digits after the dot often indicate the year of firmware release (for example, the first two digits after the dot, MIUI 12.5.3 - 2021).
• 🔧 Firmware assembly date. In the same menu, find the build number (e.g., build number, QKQ1.200828.002, where 200828 = 28 August 2020).
• 🛠️ Engineering menu. Dial ##4636## → Phone information → Opening time. This can show the date of first activation.

For advanced users, the ADB utility is suitable. Connect your phone to your PC and follow the command:

adb shell getprop ro.boot.ddr_info

In the answer, look for lines like manufacture_date=20210315 (15 March 2021 year-end).

💡

The firmware assembly date may be 1-3 months later than the phone’s production date (testing and logistics time).

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When determining the release year, users often encounter traps:

• 🔄 Xiaomi services sometimes show the day of first binding to the Mi Account, rather than exiting the conveyor.
• 📱 Use it. IMEI dualistic SIM-Two-slot phones have two. IMEI — Check both as they may be different parties.
• 🛠️ They trust data from Battery Analytics, and apps like AccuBattery show the date of the first charge cycle, not the release date.

To minimize the risks:

1. Check data from 2-3 sources (e.g. serial number + IMEI + box).
2. For models older than 2019, check compatibility with the latest MIUI versions at mi.com/global/miui.
3. If you are buying a used phone, ask the seller to provide a photo of the original box with the serial number before the meeting.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions