Redmi Note 7 owners often face the need to obtain advanced access rights to the system, which may be required to install custom firmware, obtain Superuser rights or remove system debris that cannot be removed by standard means. However, the process of unlocking the bootloader in Xiaomi devices has its own characteristics and requires careful preparation.
Before you start taking action, it’s important to understand that unlocking Bootloader is a procedure that erases all user data from the device.You’ll lose contacts, photos and installed apps if you don’t back up in advance.In addition, Google Pay or banking apps may temporarily stop working on your smartphone due to a security breach.
In this article, we will discuss all the steps in detail: from linking an account to using the official Mi Unlock Tool utility. Following the instructions will help avoid errors that can turn the phone into a brick.
Preparation of the device and account Mi
The first and most important step is to link your Mi Account to your device. Without this step, the unlocker will simply not see your phone or will give you an authorization error. Make sure you remember the password from your account, as it will be requested repeatedly during the setup process.
Go to the smartphone settings and go to About Phone. Find the MIUI version and click on it seven times in a row to activate the developer menu. Then go back to the main settings menu, select Additional, and then For Developers.
In the list that opens, look for Mi Unlock Status and click on it. The system will ask you to confirm the action and warn you of the risks. Agree, then in the same menu, turn on the Factory Unlock option. This is where the device is linked to the account.
⚠️ Warning: After enabling the factory unlock and linking the account, you need to wait from 168 hours (7 days).If you try to unlock the phone earlier, the utility will give an error indicating the remaining time.
Don’t try to bypass the waiting timer with third-party scripts, as this can lead to the blocking of the account by Xiaomi service. It is better to use the phone safely in normal mode for a week. Also make sure that the device is on the Internet, preferably via Wi-Fi, for proper synchronization of status with the server.
Necessary software
To successfully perform the procedure, you will need a computer running the Windows operating system. On macOS or Linux, the process can be complicated by the need to use emulators or special versions of software, so it is better to use a PC.
Download the official Mi Unlock Tool from the developer's website. Using third-party versions or "modified" forum downloaders may contain malicious code. The program should be the latest available version, as older versions may not support current MIUI security protocols.
Also make sure that your computer has ADB and Fastboot drivers installed, which are usually bundled with platform tools or installed with phone drivers, and without properly installed drivers, your computer won’t be able to recognize the device in bootloader mode.
- 📱 Official Mi Unlock utility (last version).
- 💻 Xiaomi drivers USB Driver for Windows.
- 🔌 Original. USB-cable or quality analogue with data transmission support.
- 🔋 Charge of the smartphone battery at least 60%.
Check integrity USB-Cheap cables designed only for charging will not allow data to be transmitted to unlock. If the computer does not respond to the phone's connection in Fastboot mode, try replacing the cable or USB-port.
☑️ Checking readiness for unlocking
Translation of the smartphone to Fastboot mode
Fastboot mode is a special diagnostic mode that allows you to interact with the bootloader of the device directly, and this is the mode in which the phone communicates with the Mi Unlock utility on the computer.
Turn off your smartphone completely. Then press the Volume Down button and the power button simultaneously, hold them until you see an image of a hare fixing an android or a FASTBOOT.
If the screen is on fire but the mode is not on, you may have a quick boot option enabled, in which case try to press the buttons when the phone is already off, or use the adb reboot bootloader command if USB debugging has been enabled before.
adb reboot bootloaderConnect your phone to your computer through USB-The new device must be connected to the computer screen. Your phone should appear in the Windows Device Manager in the Android Devices or Android Bootloader Interface section.
If you display “Unknown Device” instead, the drivers are not installed correctly, in which case you need to manually update the driver through Device Manager, indicating the path to the folder with Xiaomi drivers.
Unlocking process through Mi Unlock
Run the Mi Unlock Tool on your computer. Log in to the same Mi Account you previously linked to your phone. The program will check your account status and the presence of your associated device.
Press Unlock. The system will give you a warning that all data will be deleted. Confirm the action. The unlocking process will begin, which can take anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Don't turn off the cable at this time.
During the process, the phone can reboot several times, the Mi logo or download animation can appear on the screen, this is normal behavior, and at the end of the process, the utility will report successful unlocking (Unlocked successfully).
| Status at Mi Unlock | Meaning | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Unlocking... | The process is underway. | Wait, don't touch the cable. |
| Unlock failed | Unlocking error | Check the Internet, reconnect the cable |
| Please try again later | It's been 7 days. | Wait for the timer to end |
| Account mismatch | Wrong account. | Log in to the correct Mi Account |
Once successfully completed, the phone will automatically restart and begin the Wipe Data cleanup process. This may take some time. Once turned on, you'll see a welcome screen, just like on a new device.
Possible mistakes and ways to solve them
One of the most common errors is Error 10003 or messages about a network connection. Mi Unlock requires a stable connection to servers in China. If a standard connection does not help, try to distribute the Internet from your phone (via a phone). USB-modem) or use a mobile hotspot from another operator.
The error "Current account is different from the account info on the device" means that you are logged in to the wrong account. Carefully check which email is listed in the phone's settings under Mi Unlock Status and log in to that account on your PC.
If the process is hanging on 50% or 99%, Don't panic. Sometimes it takes longer because of the speed of the Internet or the loading of servers. 10-15 If the progress hasn't moved for more than half an hour, interrupt the process, reconnect the cable, and try again.
⚠️ Warning: Don't try to unlock your phone if the screen displays a "Device is locked" message with a timer unless you're willing to wait. IMEI.
If you have a software version error, upgrade Mi Unlock to the latest version. Older versions are often blocked by Xiaomi servers to prevent vulnerabilities.
What to do after unlocking the loader
Once you unlock successfully, you get full access to the system. You can now install Custom Recovery (like TWRP), which allows you to make full system backups and install modified firmware.
The most common way to set Root rights is to use Magisk, which allows you to obtain superuser rights in a system-safe way, hiding them from banking applications, but remember that having Root rights reduces the overall security of the device.
- 🛡️ Install antivirus and be careful about application rights.
- 💾 Regularly do backups through TWRP before any changes.
- 🚫 Do not remove system applications whose purpose you do not know.
It is also worth noting that after unlocking some features, such as Widevine, are available. L1 (responsible HD-The quality of streaming services, they can stop working, and the video will play in low resolution, and you can only get it back by flashing the stock closed version, which is not always possible without data loss.