How to Roll Back Firmware on Xiaomi

Got the long-awaited update, but started noticing that your smartphone is performing much worse. Performance has dropped, or is battery life much worse than before? This is quite a common situation, especially with earlier versions of MIUI. In that case, the only way out is to go back to the previous build. So today, we will find out how to roll back the firmware on Xiaomi quickly and safely.

Step 1: Preparatory procedures

If you have decided to roll back the MIUI firmware, the preparatory procedures step should never be skipped. To begin with, let’s find out exactly what operations you will have to do to reflash.

There is nothing complicated or special. We need to return the phone to its original state, remove all traces of the new version, and then install the old firmware in the standard way.

1. First of all, we need to charge the phone. The optimal amount of charge is 70-90%. Otherwise, the device can suddenly switch off while updating, which is often fraught with the danger of bricking.
2. Next, perform a backup because when you roll back to an old version of MIUI from your smartphone, all the data is erased, starting with the pictures taken and ending with the operating system’s settings.

Please note that in no case you can’t store these backups in the phone’s internal memory, as they will disappear at the first time you wipe the phone.

Step 2: Saving the backup to your computer

As we mentioned above, keeping the backup materials in the phone makes no sense. Immediately after making a backup, use external storage. These can be flash drives, memory cards (be sure to remove them), or a personal computer. We’ll focus on the last basic option.

1. We take a USB cable, connect it to the computer with the connectors and give access to the smartphone data.
2. Through Explorer, we go into the mobile device’s memory, find the backups made and copy them to any hard drive.
3. There is also an option to back up all Xiaomi data with the official Mi PC Suite program.

Step 3: Factory Reset

In some cases, users can immediately switch to a previous firmware version, performing only a reset. But not everyone is that lucky, especially if the current version of MIUI has been running on the smartphone for a long time.

1. So, find the “Settings” shortcut on the main screen.
2. Scroll down the page, and click “Advanced Settings”.
3. Next, click on “Backup and Reset.”
4. This takes you to a separate item where you select the “Reset Settings” option.

The mobile device will reboot, and you will get the phone in the “factory” form, where all the materials are missing, which is why it is so important to back up in time. If you could not roll back the update in such an easy way, read on.

Step 4: Full data deletion

Unfortunately, a factory reset isn’t enough to completely erase all traces of the previous MIUI firmware from your mobile device. It is necessary to remove the shell data from the very “bowels” of the system, and TWRP Recovery will help with that.

There are two ways to enter the utility mode. The first is the easiest: go to “Settings” and look for “System update”. In the top corner, there should be three dots that suggest entering the recovery mode.

If the inscription “Reboot in Recovery mode” is missing, try another way. Turn off the mobile device, wait about a minute to stop all processes, and press the power and volume up keys.

The corresponding inscription should appear on the screen, and various functions should be presented in tiles. Look for the “Wipe Data” option, as it will completely clean the mobile device in a matter of minutes, thus preparing it for the installation of a past version of MIUI.

Finally, reboot the device and proceed to the next steps.

Step 5: Find the right version to install the previous MIUI

It should be understood that a rollback is simply a reflash that uses an older version. Accordingly, you need to find and download this version. Everything is simple: visit the official MIUI website with Fastboot firmware, find your device, and download the file.

Be careful! Only the firmware designed exclusively for your model will be suitable. For example, the owner of the smartphone Redmi 10 categorically can not download the version developed for Xiaomi Redmi Note 10.

Once the firmware file is downloaded, rename it to “update.zip“. Do not touch the resolution of the archive itself. Then we again use the USB cable and transfer the shell to the smartphone’s memory.

Step 6: Rollback MIUI firmware on Xiaomi through MiFlash

Here’s what you need to do to rollback (using MIUI 12 as an example) via MiFlash:

1. Unlock the bootloader.
2. Install the PC drivers.
3. Download MiFlash or MiFlashPro software.
4. Download the archive with the firmware in FastBoot mode for your phone.
5. Unpack the archive with the .tgz extension twice.
6. Unpack the archive twice and move the content of the last unpacked folder to (any folder) of the system root.
7. Start the Mi Flash program.
8. Login to the linked Mi Account.
9. Specify the path to the flash files.
10. Connect the phone in Fastboot mode to your PC using a USB 2.0 port (3.0 is also possible).
11. Detect your device and check Clean All.
12. CHECK IT AGAIN!
13. Begin the flashing process.
14. The Xiaomi or Redmi smartphone will start booting into the system upon completion.

As you can see, rolling back the firmware on Xiaomi and Redmi phones is possible. Developed a fairly large number of methods, and you’re sure to pick the best for yourself.