How to Properly Upgrade to Another Version of MIUI

The phones produced by the Chinese company Xiaomi are distinguished not only by their excellent features and affordable price but also by their well-coordinated software. Smartphones function on good proprietary firmware, but sometimes even with it, there may be problems. Then users wonder how to properly switch to a different version of MIUI and what they need for such a procedure.

Why you might need to change MIUI

The most common situation is transitioning from the English-Chinese firmware to the global one. The reasons here are as follows:

• Lack of multilingual. There are only Chinese and English languages.
• The absence of Google services. It is a real problem for the European user because it is impossible to install the necessary applications and use useful tools (Maps, cloud storage, mail).
• There are useless Chinese programs. Outside of China, they are completely unnecessary and only slow down the operating system.

• The developer version contains the latest updates, which come almost every week (hence the second name). But brakes, lags, crashes, and incorrect operation of applications are not excluded.
• The stable version is devoid of various malfunctions. The system functions correctly and smoothly. But updates are quite rare, usually once every two months.

Preparatory procedures before flashing

So, you’ve decided to flash your Xiaomi phone to another version of MIUI. Don’t rush to download the shell file and go into Three Dots mode. Unfortunately, the reflashing operation is quite long and serious.

1. Find out your firmware version (screenshots with examples above).
2. Unlock the bootloader (it’s almost always necessary).
3. Perform a full data backup and do all the wipes (complete data removal via recovery).
4. Download the correct archive with firmware.

Switching from China Stable to Global Stable

Before you start re-flashing, please note a very important detail: the company has officially banned such a procedure. Such a law came out to stop the illegal resale of devices, and the punishment for breaking it is complete bricking of the device.

If the phone is on the development version – you can get around the ban, but the stable firmware is out of luck. The only option will be to reflash with an unlocked bootloader. Then the risk of bricking is much lower.

Don’t want to perform a long bootloader activation? Then see our instructions below, but be prepared for possible trouble.

On a locked bootloader

1. We will need a special program called XiaoMiTool. You can download it from the official developer’s website – xiaomitool.com, and install it on your computer in the root of the system drive. The utility itself will download the necessary drivers.
2. Then activate the debugging on the smartphone via USB, turn it off, and connect the cable to the computer. The application detects the smartphone, and we click “Select”. Be sure to clear all the data by clicking “Yes”. Otherwise, an error will be shown.
3. The phone will restart. We wait and then confirm the operation with the power button. In the utility, tap on “OK, done. XiaoMiTool informs us to install the global firmware. You must have a bootloader. If it is blocked, we agree to the Global Developer ROM.
4. But the Global Developer ROM will not be installed right away. The first thing the program downloads is the Chinese weekly version. We again click “Select” and “OK, done”. Do not disconnect the smartphone in any case! The utility starts reflashing to the global developer shell.

Alas, XiaoMiTool will not allow you to immediately switch from China to Global Stable if you have a locked bootloader. But, having the developer’s Global Stable, you can jump to the stable one without any problems, as you can read about below.

On an unlocked bootloader

Here the procedure is already much simpler. Using the above program, you can immediately flash Xiaomi from the Chinese version to global stable (or any other, even custom firmware). Or try a great option using MiFlash.

We’ve already written about installing the firmware through Fastboot. Here, as always, we’ll duplicate the brief instruction:

1. Disable the digital driver’s signature on the computer and install the MIUI ROM Flashing program.
2. Please turn off the smartphone and put it into Fastboot mode with a combination of the power and volume keys.
3. In the utility, specify the path to the archive with the previously downloaded firmware, and clear the data. Wait for the flashing procedure to complete.
4. The mobile device reboots, and we get the smartphone on Global Stable.

Switching from Global Developer to Global Stable and vice versa

This operation is also not very complicated. It is considered official, so we only need the OTA technology. But pay attention! If there is a difference in the Android version between the current firmware and the new one, the system will give you an error, and only an unlocked bootloader will save you.

If you want to change the firmware the standard way, then let’s get started:

1. Visit the MIUI website and choose the archive with the firmware designed for your phone. Pay attention to the presence of the mark “system”.
2. Let’s move the file to the root of the phone. No need to unpack anything!
3. We go to the settings menu and open the item “About phone ” – “System update”. In the upper right corner, click and press “Choose firmware file”.
4. Use the firmware explorer to select the previously downloaded firmware. The smartphone begins to reflash. Done.

Switching from Global EU to Global Stable

Similar problems can be found in any localized firmware, regardless of the country. Only the European version of MIUI EU deserves trust, but it is not too widespread.

We strongly recommend choosing a stable global shell, but what to do if your device is already running on an EU one? In most cases, you can’t predict it. You will not find identification marks on the box when you purchase.

Always check what firmware the phone is running on, manually check the information through the settings, and buy the product only from verified and official sellers.

FAQ

Which method is better to use for the Redmi lineup?

You can use absolutely any option given above. The methods we’ve described are valid for all Xiaomi phones.

I want to buy a smartphone on AliExpress. Is there a risk that I will get a Chinese phone with global firmware?

There is a risk, and quite a big one (especially when the price, compared to other sellers, is quite reduced). Be sure to pay attention to Global marking and multilingualism. Don’t forget that global firmware and global versions are completely different things. I prefer sellers with high ratings and enough positive feedback.

If I overload the global version with the Chinese version, won’t I get a brick?

Get 100%. Such a procedure, like the Chinese – global, is officially forbidden.

Today we’ve discussed a few proper ways to switch to another version of MIUI. As you can see, there is nothing complicated about it. The main thing is to follow the instructions carefully. And to avoid possible troubles, always check your phone thoroughly before buying it, and don’t forget to pass the authenticity test.