Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Bootloader Unlocking
Today I finally received a text message from Xiaomi, granting me the ability to unlock the bootloader on my Xiaomi Redmi Note 3, which I use as my primary backup phone (yeah, I have a lot of backup phones!).
I have been quite the fan of Xiaomi during 2015, with the Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 topping the list of the best bang-for-your-buck phone of the year. It is currently available for about �90 imported from China & has fantastic specs for the price. When the all-metal Redmi Note 3 came out, I couldnt resist importing one.
When you get a Xiaomi phone from a Chinese importer, they almost always replace the default Xiaomi firmware & replace it with a shop ROM. The shop ROM generally removes all or most of the Chinese apps and adds in the Play store and a multitude of additional languages.
While the shop ROM is generally OK, you are unlikely ever to get any firmware updates. This means that you have two options:
1. Re-flash the stock Xiaomi firmware. If the phone isnt available outside China, the only ROM available will be the stock Chinese ROM, which will only have Chinese and English languages, contain a lot of Chinese apps, will not have any Google apps and will have rather odd default settings (e.g. limiting download sizes & other strange decisions that must make sense in the home market). The Google apps can generally be installed via an app made available by Xiaomi, most of the Chinese apps can be uninstalled and the settings can be changed to somethign sensible, so it is nothing an advanced English speaking user needs to worry about too much after initial setup.
2. Flash the xiaomi,eu community ROM. This ROM integrates the Google apps & services directly into the ROM, adds in loads of languages, has sensible settings and has OTA updates that track Xiaomis ROM releases.
My choice has always been to use the community ROM, as it makes life much easier - especially if you are setting up a device for a non-advanced user!
The process was always fairly straightforward until the end of 2015. The bootloader was unlocked, so you could flash TWRP and then install the ZIP file containing the ROM. It took all of 10 minutes.
With the release of the Redmi Note 3, Xiaomi decided to lock the bootloaders so custom firmwares could not be flashed without first requesting an unlock directly from Xiaomi. Now, this is not strictly true as you can always flash Mediatek ROMs with their SP Flash tool, but the ROMs will never be able to receive OTA updates.
In theory, the unlock request shouldnt be too bad:
1. Create a Xiaomi Mi account and log in to it via Settings / Mi Account.
2. Log into the account & make sure all your details are good
3. Apply for an unlock code.
4. Wait 10 days & you will be sent a text confirming whether or not your request has been successful.
Ok, so the wait is a bit annoying, but what is most annoying is that your request can be rejected & a detailed reason will not be given. Vague advice about posting more on the Xiaomi forums is suggested, but people have been rejected who are heavy posters and others have been let through without having posted anything!
If your request is rejected then you need to wait 30 days before re-applying, which is super annoying!
For me, I received the phone on December 24th, put in an application just after Christmas, was rejected, waited 30 days and have just today been granted an unlock!
Well, better late than never I guess, but as a huge phone manufacturer you would have hoped that Xiaomi would have put something workable in place before rolling out this new scheme.
If you have an older Xiaomi device, then sadly 2016 OTA updates will automatically lock your bootloader. If you want to try custom firmwares then try to avoid flashing the latest Xiaomi firmwares. All future devices come with locked bootloaders out of the box.
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