How to change country on Xiaomi phone: all working ways in 2026

Changing the country on Xiaomi smartphones is a procedure that you may need when moving, buying a device abroad or accessing regional services (for example, Google Pay, Netflix or local app stores). However, the manufacturer imposes restrictions: you can officially change the region no more than once every 30 days, and some models (especially with global MIUI firmware) block the function altogether. In this article, we will analyze all the current methods – from standard settings to bypassing restrictions through the engineering menu and ADB.

It is important to understand that the change of region affects not only language packages, but also the work of system services: local applications (for example, Mi Pay in China), a change in the set of pre-installed programs or even some functions (like NFS in some Asian countries) may disappear, before you start, check whether the change in the region will lead to a loss of warranty - this is true for devices purchased from official Xiaomi stores abroad.

Why Xiaomi is limiting the change of country

The manufacturer has put restrictions on changing the region for a reason.

• 📱 Localization of services: Different countries have different data retention laws (e.g., data retention laws, GDPR Xiaomi has to comply with them, so it ties the device to the region.
• 💳 Payment systems: Mi Pay and Alipay are operating in China, Google Pay is operating in Europe, PayTM is operating in India.
• 📦 Install applications: In Indian firmware, there is Mi Browser for India, in European ones, Mi Video with local content.
• 🔒 Combating grey imports: Xiaomi blocks region change on devices bought from unofficial dealers to avoid leaking cheap models from Asia to Europe.

In practice, this means that if you bought the Redmi Note 12 in China and are trying to use it in Russia, the system can block access to Google Play or restrict the functionality of the camera (for example, disable 48 MP mode due to local regulations), officially bypass this only through unlocking the bootloader and installing custom firmware, but this voids the warranty.

Official method: change through MIUI settings

If your device is unlocked (not region-specific at the firmware level), try the standard method.It works on most models with MIUI 12 and later, but may not be available on Chinese versions (China ROM).

Instructions:

1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
2. Find Region (or Country/Region in English firmware) if it is not available, your model does not support official shifting.
3. Select the country you want from the list. The system will suggest restarting the device.
4. After the restart, check if language settings and available services have changed (for example, Google Play should show apps for a new region).

Check the current version of MIUI (Settings → About Phone)

Make sure your phone is not tied to your Chinese Mi Account

Save a backup of data (Settings → Additional → Backup)

Disable two-factor authentication in your Mi Account (if used)

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⚠️ Note: On some models (e.g, POCO X5 Pro or Redmi K60) After the change of the region can be reset IMEI cliff-close 5G. This is because different countries use different frequency bands. Before the procedure, check whether your model is compatible with the networks of the new region on the FrequencyCheck website.

Change of region through the engineering menu (for advanced)

If the standard method doesn’t work, you can try to change the region through a hidden engineering menu.This method is suitable for devices on Qualcomm Snapdragon (for example, POCO F4, Redmi K50) and requires care – wrong actions can lead to soft-brick (the phone will only boot in Fastboot mode).

Step-by-step:

1. Open the Phone app and type in the combination: ##4636## If the code doesn't work, try ##3644633## (for MIUI 14).
2. In the menu that opens, select Phone Information (or Phone Information).
3. Scroll down to Set preferred network type or Region.
4. Enter the country code in MCC-MNC format (e.g. 250-01 for Russia, 262-01 for Germany).
5. Save the changes and restart the device.

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If the engineering menu doesn’t open, check if it’s blocked in the developer settings. Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version and tap it 7 times to unlock Developer Mode. Then to Settings → Additional → For developers, turn on the Allow Engineering Menu option.

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware (MIUI 13 China) amendment MCC-MNC If after the reboot the phone stopped catching the operator, reset the network settings in Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Resetting network settings.

Change of region through ADB (no root)

If previous methods have failed, you can try to change the region through Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which does not require superuser rights, but requires basic command-line skills, suitable for all models on MIUI 12-14, except for the Chinese versions with a locked bootloader.

What you need:

• 🖥️ A computer with installed Xiaomi drivers and ADB (You can download it here).
• 📱 Included debugging by USB on the phone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 taps → Developer settings → Debugging by USB).
• 🔌 USB-Type C Cable (preferably original).

Instructions:

1. Connect the phone to the PC and confirm the debugging permission.
2. Open the command line (Win + R → cmd) and type: adb shell settings put global region [country code] For example, for Russia: adb shell settings put global region RU.
3. Check the change: adb shell settings get global region should display new code.
4. Reboot your phone: adb reboot

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware (MIUI 14 China) settings put global region may not work due to Mi Cloud protection. V2 (unofficial tool) or install custom firmware. However, this requires unlocking the bootloader, which voids the warranty.

Bypassing the 30 Days Restriction by Resetting Settings

Xiaomi blocks re-reset of the region for 30 days, but this restriction can be circumvented with hard reset, which works on most models, but has side effects: you lose all data, including photos, messages and installed apps.

How to reset the settings correctly:

1. Create a backup through Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset → Local Backup.
2. Disable your Mi Account in Settings → Accounts → Mi Account → Sign out.
3. Reset: Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset → Resetting → Erase all data
4. After the reboot, go through the initial setup by selecting the desired region at the country selection stage.

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Resetting removes all data, including files in internal memory. If you have the device encryption enabled, you may need to enter your old password to decrypt the data after the reset (even if you made a backup copy).

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI 14 and later after the reset, you may need to re-assign your Mi Account if the phone was purchased in China, in which case the system will request an old account associated with the device, and if you do not remember it, you will have to contact Xiaomi with proof of purchase.

Changing the region on blocked Chinese firmware

The Chinese versions of Xiaomi (China ROM) have the maximum limitations: they can not change the region in standard ways, and many Google services are blocked. The only working methods are installing global firmware or using the Magisk module (requires root).

A step-by-step plan for China ROM:

1. Unlock the bootloader: Apply for unlock via the official website (requires a Mi Account older than 30 days). Download Mi Unlock Tool and connect your phone in Fastboot mode (Switch off). → Hold the Power. + Follow the instructions of the program (the process can take up to 72 hours).
2. Install global firmware: Download the right firmware for your model from the Xiaomi Firmware Updater (choose Global or EEA for Europe). Use the Mi Flash Tool for Fastboot.
3. Bypass Google’s lock (if you need services): Install Magisk and Universal SafetyNet Fix. Sweat GApps (like NikGApps) through TWRP.

⚠️ Note: Unlocking the bootloader on Chinese firmware can result in a ban on your Mi Account if the device was activated in China, in which case you will lose access to Xiaomi cloud services (for example, Mi Cloud or Find Device).

Frequent mistakes and their solutions

When you change region to Xiaomi, users face typical problems, and here are the most common ways to fix them:

If none of the methods worked, check if your device is antirollback (rollback protection). This is true for Xiaomi 12/13/14 and Redmi K50/K60.

adb shell getprop ro.boot.anti

If the value is 1 or true, the region change without an official update is not possible.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions