How to unlock Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro: official and alternative methods

Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro is the flagship smartphone of 2018, which is still popular thanks to the powerful “iron” and support for custom firmware. However, to install alternative software or obtain root rights, you need to unlock the bootloader - a procedure that is officially supported by Xiaomi, but has a number of nuances. In this article, we will analyze all the current ways of unlocking, including the official method through the Mi Unlock Tool, bypassing the waiting time restrictions and restoring the device through the device. EDL-regime.

It is important to understand that unlocking the bootloader resets all data on the device to factory settings, including photos, contacts and installed applications. In addition, after the procedure, the smartphone may lose the warranty (if it is still valid), and some banking applications (for example, Sberbank Online) will stop working due to the lack of a SafetyNet certificate. Before you start, make sure that you are ready for these consequences.

Preparation of the device for unlocking

Before starting the procedure, several mandatory steps must be taken, and neglecting them can lead to the blocking of the Mi Account or the device's "brick" (completely disabled).

First, check the MIUI version on your Mi 8 Pro. Unlocking is only possible on official global or Chinese firmware (stable or development).If you have custom firmware installed (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience), first return to stock MIUI via Fastboot.

• 📱 Verification of the version MIUI: Go to Settings. → The phone. → Version. MIUI. If the version is lower MIUI 10, update the device through Settings → Updating the system.
• 🔗 Mi Account Link: Make sure your smartphone has a Xiaomi account (not to be confused with Google!) without this, unlocking is impossible.
• 🔒 Disabling Protection: C Settings → Mi Account → Security disable Find device and protect your Mi Account.
• 📡 Network and Sync: Connect your device to stable Wi-Fi (not mobile data!) and wait for full account sync.

⚠️ Note: If you have previously blocked the bootloader through the Mi Unlock Tool, Xiaomi can set a waiting period (from 72 hours to 30 days).This timer is reset only after successful unlocking or through an official service center.

2.Official unlocking via Mi Unlock Tool

This is the safest and most recommended method, but it requires confirmation of your Mi Account and compliance with all Xiaomi terms and conditions.The procedure takes from 5 minutes to several days (if the waiting timer is in place).

Download the latest version of the Mi Unlock Tool from Xiaomi's official website (Windows only!). The utility doesn't work on macOS or Linux without an emulator. USB-cable (preferably original) and computer with disabled antivirus (it can block the utility).

Download Mi Unlock Tool from the official website |Install ADB/Fastboot |Disable antivirus on PC |Authorize in Mi Account on phone and PC |Enable debugging over USB and unlock OEM

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Step-by-step:

1. Turn on the Mi 8 Pro Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and 7 times click on the MIUI Version. Go back to the basic settings, find the Developer section.
2. Activate options: Debugging by USB OEM Unlocking (the most important item!) Factory Unlocking (if any)

Connect your phone to your PC, select File Transfer (MTP) mode, and confirm access to debug on your smartphone screen.

Launch the Mi Unlock Tool, log in to the same Mi Account as your phone. If the utility gives you a Couldn't verify device error, restart your phone and PC.

Press Unlock. If you see a waiting timer (e.g. 72 hours), wait until it expires. Don't disconnect your phone from your PC during the procedure!

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If the Mi Unlock Tool is stuck at 99%, try turning off the Internet on your PC for 10 seconds, then plug it back in. This sometimes helps bypass the freeze.

3. Unlock through EDL-The mode (for experienced users)

If the official method doesn’t work (for example, due to a Device isn’t supported error), you can use Emergency Boot Mode (EDL), which requires physical access to test points on the device board or a special cable, as well as increased caution – wrong actions can turn a smartphone into a “brick”.

For Mi 8 Pro (codename equuleus) EDL-Unblocking is possible through utilities like Mi Flash Pro or QFil, but you will need an authorized account. EDL (You can buy it from trusted vendors or get it from someone you know in service centers, and you need a firmware file in.mbn format for your model.

Instructions for EDL-unlocking:

1. Download Mi Flash Pro and firmware for Mi 8 Pro (for example, fastboot firmware from the Xiaomi Firmware Updater website).
2. Transfer the phone to Fastboot mode (hold Power + Volume down when the device is off) and connect to the PC.
3. In the command line, run: fastboot oem edl If the command does not work, use test points (disassembly of the device is required).
4. In Mi Flash Pro, select the downloaded firmware, specify the COM port (check in Device Manager) and press Flash.
5. Once the firmware is successful, the phone will restart. You can now try unlocking the bootloader again through the Mi Unlock Tool.

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The best way to avoid a wait timer is to unlock the bootloader immediately after you buy the device while it's new. Xiaomi most often doesn't set a delay for "fresh" smartphones.

5 Unlocking after reset or breeze

If the Mi 8 Pro doesn’t turn on (for example, after a failed firmware), unlocking becomes more difficult, in which case recovery via Fastboot or EDL will help, but you will need access to the computer and the original cable.

Scenario 1: Phone boots into Fastboot, but not into the system

1. Download fastboot firmware for your model (for example, equuleus_global_images_...).
2. Unpack the archive and run from the folder command: fastboot flash all (for Windows use the command: flash_all.bat).
3. After the firmware, try unlocking the bootloader through the Mi Unlock Tool.

Scenario 2: Phone doesn't respond (full breeze)

• Use it. EDL-regime (see section 3).
• If the IMEI is lost, restore it via the engineering menu (#4636##) or the QCN Rebuilder utility.
• Contact the service center if you are not sure about your actions.

6. Verification of the unblocking status

After successfully unlocking the bootloader, check its status to make sure everything went right, and this will also help avoid problems when installing custom firmware.

Methods of verification:

1. Enable your phone in Fastboot mode and enter: fastboot oem device-info Search for the lines: (bootloader) Device unlocked: true
2. Install the Fastboot Mode Checker app from Google Play and it will show the status of the bootloader.
3. Try installing TWRP or Magisk – if the installation is error-free, the bootloader is unlocked.

⚠️ Note: If after unlocking the phone is no longer defined in Fastboot (writes waiting for device), check the drivers on the PC or try another one. USB-Often the problem is with the unoriginal cables.

7.Install custom recovery (TWRP) after unlocking

Now that the bootloader is unlocked, you can install custom recovery (for example, TWRP), which will allow you to sew informal firmware, make backups and get root rights.

For the Mi 8 Pro, use TWRP from the OrangeFox or PitchBlack team. Download the latest.img image from the TWRP or XDA Developers site.

Instructions for installing TWRP:

1. Download. twrp-3.7.0_9-0-equuleus.img (or a new version) and place the file in the folder with fastboot.
2. Transfer your phone to Fastboot and execute: fastboot flash recovery twrp-3.7.0_9-0-equuleus.img
3. Immediately after firmware, hold Power + Volume up to boot into TWRP (otherwise the system will overwrite recovery).
4. In TWRP, back up the Boot and Data partition to an external memory card.

You can now flash custom firmware (like LineageOS or ArrowOS) or install Magisk to obtain root rights. Remember that some firmware may not support data encryption or OTA-update.

FAQ: Frequent questions about unlocking Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro