Xiaomi smartphones have long established themselves as one of the most affordable devices for modification, but the procedure for opening access to system files requires care. The owner of Redmi 9, who decides to take full control of the device, must understand that standard methods of installing applications will not work here.
The main purpose of this operation is to remove the restrictions that the bootloader imposes on making changes to the system partition. Without this step, it is impossible to install custom receptacles, obtain Root rights or use specialized modules to deeply customize the system.
Many users fear that the smartphone will turn into a brick after the intervention, but with strict adherence to the algorithm, the risks are minimal. It is important to use the original cable, a stable Internet connection and an account that was tied to the device in advance. In this article, we will discuss in detail each step, from applying to the final firmware, so you can safely unlock the potential of your gadget.
Preparation of Mi Account and device binding
The first and most important step is to create or use an existing Mi Account, which will serve as a digital key that confirms your right to make changes to your firmware, you must log in through the smartphone settings menu, not just through the app store or cloud service, and mismatching accounts in different parts of the system can lead to an error during the status check phase.
After authorization, you need to activate the developer mode. Go to Settings → About Phone and quickly press seven times on the MIUI Version. The screen will flash with a notification that you have become a developer. Next, in the expanded settings menu, find the Additional section and select the Developer option. Here you need to activate the OEM Unlocking and USB Debugging switch.
⚠️ Warning: When you turn on the factory unlock feature, the system will issue a security risk alert. Confirm the action, but remember that from now on, data protection on the device decreases, and losing your phone may mean losing access to banking applications.
In the same menu, find Mi Unlock Status and click on it. The system will require you to link your current device to your account. Make sure the smartphone is connected to the mobile Internet (Wi-Fi can cause an anchor error in some cases). After the successful link, a notification will appear, and from that point on, a mandatory waiting period begins, which is from 7 to 168 hours (usually 168 hours or 7 days), during which you can not reset or change the settings. SIM-map.
Installation of drivers and utilities Mi Unlock Tool
To interact with a smartphone at the software level, you will need a personal computer running the Windows operating system. At this stage, you must download the official Mi Unlock Tool from the developer's website. The use of third-party versions of the program is strictly not recommended, as they may contain malicious code or work incorrectly with new versions of MIUI.
Once you download the archive with the program, unpack it into the root folder of the disk, such as C:\MiUnlock, so that the path does not contain Cyrillic characters or spaces. Launch the executable file and log into your Mi Account. The program will automatically check the status of your device on the server. If the waiting period has not expired, the utility will report this and show the remaining time in the hours.
The critical point is to install the correct ADB and Fastboot drivers. Without them, the computer will not be able to recognize the smartphone in boot mode. The folder with the utility often has a built-in driver installer, but it is more reliable to download a separate Xiaomi USB Drivers package and install it manually through the Device Manager. Make sure that the Android Bootloader Interface name appears in the list of devices after connecting the phone in the appropriate mode.
- 🔌 Use the original. USB-cable that comes with the kit, as cheap analogues often do not support data transfer.
- 💻 Install drivers on behalf of the administrator to avoid Windows system files access errors.
- 🌐 Disable the antivirus and firewall for the duration of the procedure, as they can block the connection of the utility to the server.
Redmi 9 is now in Fastboot mode
Fastboot mode is a low-level diagnostic interface that allows you to perform memory operations before the operating system boots. To get into this mode on Redmi 9, you need to completely turn off your smartphone. After you turn off, press the volume down and power buttons simultaneously. Hold them until an image of a hare repairing an android appears or the words FASTBOOT.
If the smartphone is connected to the computer in this state, the Mi Unlock Tool utility should identify the device. Phone connected status and model information will appear in the program window. If the status does not change, try another one. USB-port (preferably) USB 2.0) or reinstall drivers by manually selecting them from the list of devices in the task manager.
☑️ Checking before unlocking
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where the phone does not enter Fastboot mode in the standard way, in such cases you can use the software method through ADB. Connect the on phone with active debugging over USB to the PC and enter the command into the console:
adb reboot bootloaderThis command will force the device to restart in the desired mode, which is especially convenient if the physical buttons of the smartphone are defective or fail. After successfully entering mode, make sure that the screen displays an open lock icon or an inscription confirming the possibility of unlocking.
The process of unlocking the loader
When the device is connected in Fastboot mode and the Mi Unlock Tool sees it, you can start the final stage. Press Unlock in the program interface. The system will again warn you that all data will be destroyed. Confirm action if backups are created. The process takes from 30 seconds to several minutes.
The procedure may display a progress bar on the screen of the smartphone. You can't interrupt the connection or pull the cable at this point. If the process is frozen by 99% for more than 10 minutes, there is likely a problem with the network connection or drivers, and the procedure will have to be repeated. Successful completion will be marked by the Unlocked successfully message and automatic reboot of the device.
| Phase | User action | Expected output |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connection to Fastboot | Rabbit display in utility |
| 2 | Press Unlock | Starting the erasure process |
| 3 | Waiting. | Progress bar to 100% |
| 4 | Completion | Message of success and rebut |
What to do if there is a 10008 error?
Once you reboot, the device will start the initial setup as if it had just left the factory, which is normal behavior, which is a successful wipe of data, log into your Google and Mi Account, restore data from the backup.
Installation of custom TWRP Recovery
The unlocked bootloader opens the way to install TWRP Recovery, a modified recovery environment that allows you to install unofficial firmware, make full system backups and obtain superuser rights. Redmi 9 (codenamed lancelot) must download the current version of the twrp.img image and vbmeta.img (to disable the integrity check of the bootloader).
Put your smartphone back to Fastboot mode again. Open the command line on your computer in the folder with the files uploaded. First, you need to turn off the bootloader check by following the command:
fastboot flash vbmeta --disable-verity vbmeta.imgThen temporarily load the recavators with the fastboot boot command. twrp.img. It is important not to flash it immediately (flash), namely download (boot) to check the work.1ability, if TWRP started, you can go to install Root rights or firmware ZIP-Archives via the Install menu.
- 📂 Firmware files and images should be in a folder without Cyrillic in the title.
- 🔋 Do not allow battery power to be below 40% during memory partition manipulation.
- 📱 Make sure you download the version. TWRP It is for the Lancelot, not the Redmi. 9T or 9C.
⚠️ Note: After installing custom recovery and obtaining Root-rights, banking applications and Google Pay will cease to work. To return them, you will need to install the Magisk Hide module and configure DenyList, which is a separate complex procedure.
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Before installing any modifications, make a full backup of Boot and DTBO partitions in TWRP. This will restore the phone’s health if the new firmware is unstable1.
Possible problems and ways to solve them
In the process of modifying Xiaomi, users often encounter typical errors, one of the most common is "Couldn't verify. Try again later." It means that the server can not confirm the status of the account, in which case it helps to change the network (distributing Internet from another phone) or wait 24 hours before trying again.
Also, there is a problem called "Device isn't in the whitelist," which is a message that appears if you're trying to unlock a device that hasn't been linked to your account for the required time, or if you're trying to unlock a device that hasn't been linked to your account for the required time. IMSI code SIM-The card doesn't match the one that was tied. SIM-the map through which the link was made and try again.
If after unlocking the phone goes into an endless restart (bootloop), you need to reset data through the Recovery menu (if available) or reflash the device through the Mi Flash Tool program in Clean All mode. Do not be afraid to experiment, since the presence of an unlocked bootloader makes it possible to return the stock firmware at any time.
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Having an unlocked bootloader is the foundation for any deep change in Android, but it requires the user to take greater responsibility for data security.