How to update MIUI on your phone

MIUI is an Android-based user interface used in smartphones and tablets from Xiaomi. Thanks to the latest software, phone owners will receive the latest version of MIUI, with improved performance.

AI Preload tracks usage data to help load apps faster. Along with this, users will find several changes to the phone's interface, making it more functional. In order to get these features you need to know everything about MIUI and how to update the interface.

Availability of updates for Xiaomi versions

Long-term support for native devices is a big plus for MIUI. The current and powerful generation of gadgets is the first to receive version 10: Mi 8/ 2S/MIX 2/Mi 6X/ 6/ 5. Even older smartphones will benefit from new features: Mi 3/ 5c/ 5s/ 5s Plus/ 4/4c/ 4S/ Redmi Pro. The update is available via Global ROM. Although users from other countries have to wait much longer for the package than residents of China.

Over the past few years, Xiaomi has updated the security patch in MIUI and Global ROM. Almost every Xiaomi mobile phone is now equipped with international MIUI. How to update it from Playstore and OTA? It won't be difficult. Additionally, most devices are currently running Android 8. This kind of update policy is hard to find from any other phone maker.

The benefits of timely phone updates

With each release of a new version of Android, external and internal innovations appear in the system.

As a rule, tangible and immediately visible changes take place in the case of large-scale updates to the operating system. This includes introducing new functions, changing interface elements, and optimizing code. Smaller updates, which are released regularly, contain various types of improvements and bug fixes in the operation of services. Thus, there are simply no useless updates.

In one of the latest updates to Android and the MIUI shell for Xiaomi, performance was noticeably improved. As a result, performance increased by 25%, but power consumption remained the same. In addition, several new functions have become available at once. One of the most useful is Digital Wellbeing.

Installing the ninth version of MIUI

This version was one of the most anticipated and brought Xiaomi fans a lot of new features and modifications. If the user is confused about how to install the latest update, it would be better for him to check the instruction manual.

Installing MIUI: how to update via OTA:

Login to your Xiaomi device with the same user ID.
Open the Updater application on Mi 6, click “Check for updates”.
Get the version you need and click “Update”.
Once the download is successful, the user will be prompted to restart the device, after which the phone will have the latest version.

How to set MIUI 12 wallpaper

Modern live wallpapers for smartphones are a stylish and optimized solution for any modern device. In the new firmware version, live wallpapers have become highly detailed. Below are step-by-step guides to install wallpapers on Xiaomi and Android mobile phones.

For Xiaomi phones

To install live wallpaper you need:

Download apk file.
Run the file and wait for the installation to complete.
Go to the “Live Wallpaper” settings of your smartphone and select any option.

Obtaining a version using a computer

You can install MIUI using the XiaoMiFlash tool. This requires an unlocked bootloader device. Installation on PC:

First, download the latest free version of the program for PC and install it.
Turn off your Xiaomi device.
Press the Vol Down and Power button to enter fastboot mode. In fastboot mode, connect your phone to your computer.
Download the MIUI file for the device and extract it. After that, open the MiFlash tool and click “Select”. A new window will open.
Go to the folder where all the files were extracted and select images.
Click the “Update” button. If the device is listed, then proceed to the next step. If not, make sure it is connected correctly and the fastboot drivers are installed. In the lower right corner, select and save user data, clear and lock all parameters. The "Clear all" option will format the storage and make the device updated. The “Keep user data” option will format the system partition, saving all content, before updating MIUI 8 to 9. The “Wipe all and lock” option will format the storage, delete all data and additionally lock the bootloader.
After the settings are completed, click on the “Flash” button in the upper right corner. The MiFlash tool will start flashing according to the settings. When the panel next to the device turns green, you can turn it off.
Reboot your phone to start working and get the MIUI icon.

Loading a program using the Fastboot package

Before starting the flashing process, make sure your phone is at least 60% charged. You will need to download a recovery package, depending on the ROM version you are using. Download the recovery package with a .zip extension if you are using a developer ROM. Download the Fastboot package with the .tgz extension if you are using a Stable ROM. For those who have Redmi Note 4 version, you can download and install the required ROMs directly from the Xiaomi website.

Download process:

Once fastboot has been installed on your phone, turn it off and then press and hold the Volume Down and Power buttons, which will be reflected on the fastboot screen.
Connect the phone to the PC using USB, click the “Update” button, the device ID will appear.
Install Mi PC Suite and the necessary drivers. Extract the ROM to a folder on your PC. Launch the MiFlash Tool, click “Clear All” in the corner below.
Select the folder in which the Fastboot disk is saved and click “Flash”, after 3 - 5 minutes MIUI will be successfully launched on the phone.

What's new compared to MIUI 11

There are no significant changes in functionality in Miyuai 12. Almost all innovations relate to graphics, animation, applications and privacy of personal data. Let's take a closer look:

Smooth animation with beautiful effects . It appears when switching between vertical and horizontal mode, as well as when opening programs and tabs.
Changed design. All icons, settings menu and notification shade have been redrawn.
Read also: Review of OnePlus 5T - a smartphone that has no competitors
Dynamic font . Letters can be scaled by adjusting their size and thickness. This should work not only with hieroglyphs, but also with Latin and Cyrillic alphabet.
Dark Mode 2.0 . Dark mode is now supported in all system and third-party applications. After its activation, the image gradually darkens, rather than just turning on a black background.
Super Wallpaper . The firmware introduced animated space wallpapers that move from the lock screen to the desktop. You can also customize an animated weather forecast: all natural changes will be displayed on the screen in the form of screensavers.
Changed applications "Notes", "Tasks", "Calculator" And "Camera". The programs have received many improvements both in design and functionality.
New themes in Always on Display . Users are offered a huge selection of dials, pictures and designs for the AOD.
Convenient organization of important phone data . Information such as storage capacity, free/used memory space, smartphone characteristics is displayed in the form of graphs.

We talked more about the latest features in the news about the presentation of MIUI 12.

Update Redmi 4 in ROOT

MIUI 9.5, what new has the manufacturer offered to users? This version has many updated features including split screen mode, smart assistant, smart app launcher, image search, quick reply and many more features that can be experienced on Redmi Note 4 using version 9.

It has multiple RAM and ROM options and means this Rom will run on all Snapdragon variants.

MIUI, how to update without ROOT:

Make sure that Redmi 4 is using MIUI version 8.2.10, if not, then first update it to 8.2.10, then follow the procedure below, otherwise it may result in an error: Verify failed.
Download the ROM version on your laptop/PC.
Connect your device to your laptop or PC and copy this ROM file to your Redmi internal memory.

Correct MIUI update

User reviews suggest that you need to back up your apps and settings so that you can easily restore your phone in the event of a failure. Open Settings, scroll down to the About Phone section and click on System Update by clicking on the three dots on the top right side of the device and select the update package that you downloaded earlier, for example, MIUI _HMNote4XGlobal_7.8.10_e9be2ff85a_7.0.zip and select from internal storage.

Once selected, the device will start to decrypt the ROM and ask you to erase data, after clicking on Erase Data, it will flash on Redmi, it will take about 15 minutes to update. You can now restore your previous backup and copy all your data, including music, videos, and photos.

What is an OTA update (FOTA)

OTA is an update package that comes to a Xiaomi smartphone via mobile Internet or Wi-Fi connection. The abbreviation OTA comes from the English phrase Over The Air, which means “by air”.

This is the same as FOTA (Firmware Over The Air), translated from English as “firmware over the air”.

Installing the OTA Update does not require a PC, and when installing the firmware, your data is not lost.

Any OTA package includes files that allow you to install firmware on a specific Xiaomi smartphone:

The META INF folder contains files for performing the update.
The Patch catalog includes improvements released by firmware developers. Thanks to this folder, system bugs are fixed.
The System folder contains files that add new functions to the operating system, change the appearance and affect the operation of the OS.
The check files are designed to scan the installed system and determine whether the stock MIUI from Xiaomi is installed on the phone.
Files for checking available updates are designed to assess the degree of “freshness” of the installed OS. If the necessary updates were installed previously, not everything from the new package will be installed.
A set of instructions determines which files need to be deleted and which should be left for stable operation of the firmware.
Patches ( driver update kits) are designed to ensure the operation of components, for example, CPU, RAM, mobile modem.
The instruction package determines whether a particular user has sufficient rights to install the update.

This is the standard composition of any OTA firmware.

Not every MIUI firmware version receives OTA. In some cases, developers release packages for firmware only through Recovery or Fastboot.

To choose OTA or Recovery ROM, let's look at their differences:

Recovery can only be downloaded; this firmware does not arrive “over the air”.
Installing Recovery ROM is done through the phone's Recovery Mode.
Recovery weighs more because it contains full firmware for the smartphone. The OTA contains only part of the files needed for the update.
Recovery ROM can be installed on any version of MIUI, OTA only on those specified by the developers.
Recovery can be stock (official) and custom (from third-party developers). OTAs are official only.

Global Stable ROM on Redmi

MIUI can be downloaded and installed on Xiaomi devices that are eligible for the update. It is available for Mi 2/6 and Note 5 Pro versions. The new software comes with a major redesign of the phone and new AI-enabled features. One can easily get MIUI on devices using the below instructions:

Before installing MIUI on Xiaomi devices, you need to take a complete backup of all data on your phone and charge it to avoid sudden shutdowns during the update process. The phone's bootloader must be unlocked.
Download and install the TWRP recovery image on a supported device in "C:\adb". This is the folder on the computer where the ADB and Fastboot binaries are present.
Turn off your phone and immediately turn it on by holding Volume and Power button to open TWRP recovery.
In TWRP, swipe the "Swipe to Factory Reset" button. If the user has MIUI China Developer ROM, you can skip this step. After deleting, you will return to the TWRP main screen.
Click on the “Install” button.
Go to internal storage and select MIUI China Developer ROM ZIP file.
Once selected, click the “Add more ZIP addresses” button. Select the GApps ZIP package. Finally, swipe your finger across the screen.
When the flashing process is completed, click the "System Reboot" button.
When the phone boots into the OS, it should be running the latest Developer ROM.

Manual programming Android 8.0 Oreo

The manufacturer launched its new device into a competitive market. After collaborating with Google, Xiaomi arrives with Android 8.0 Oreo update. Update procedure:

First of all, download and install MIUI Rom from Play Store.
Open the application and register. You can now see a form where you can select your device model, country, and reason to get the OREO update.
Click the send button and wait a few days, then download it to your phone.
Go to settings and select “System updates”, now you can see the official Android Oreo firmware.
Click to download and install on your device. Now the phone will automatically reboot.

Pros and cons of MIUI 12

The MIUI 12 update features the following benefits:

Speed and smoothness. MIUI 12 Global is highly smooth in operation: there are no visible software lags or errors, or twitching.
Camera perfection. On Xiaomi phones (devices of the Redmi series inclusive) the camera application has been updated: the interface has been completely simplified and technological functions have been added.
Universal optimization. As of the third quarter of 2020, MIUI 12 Global is optimized for phones in the budget price segment (Redmi line models).

Flaws:

Unjustified expectation. The ability to install firmware for individual users will not be implemented until next year.
Google Pay services. The contactless payment functionality does not work on the updated MIUI 12 Global firmware.

MI UPDATE app

This method uses the Mi Updater app directly without the need to reboot into recovery. Sequence of stages:

Download any or latest version of MIUI with .zip extension.
Place the file in the root directory of the phone's internal storage, which is not in a folder. The file name must be very long and end in .zip.
Rename it to "update.zip" or just use it as it is without renaming.
Open the Updater app on your phone.
Click on the 3 dots (...), several options will appear.
Then click “Select update package” and the OK button so that the phone starts flashing.
The Mi Updater app will first check the ROM package and then continue the installation process and reboot automatically.

IUI 10 for all Xiaomi phones

Xiaomi announced the launch of the latest MIUI update from June 1, 2022. This user interface is one of the most widely used in the world, operating in 55 languages in 142 countries.

Since the beginning of the Xiaomi era, the system has provided speed, ease of operation and excellent battery life. It makes the OS even smarter with the new MIUI and better adapts it to the full screen format. And there are also several optical parallels with Android 9.1. Xiaomi Smart Assistant. The user interface works basically like Google Assistant/OK Google and offers hands-free calling with your smartphone. It can do much more complex things than Google Now because Xiaomi Assistant is designed for MIUI.

The design adjustments are modern, beautiful and better tuned. Actually known from MIUI 5, Full Screen Gestures will now also be included in MIUI. The switches replace on-screen buttons and work great. IOT smart device integration has become ubiquitous in 2022. The multitasking menu has been restored. Now you can display up to 6 tabs at the same time and close them with one motion, volume control can be controlled using large areas directly on the display.

MIUI comes with Android 8 base and Xiaomi already offers Android 9. According to surveys for 9.5 users, base 8 version is nothing new. The status bar gets an IOS Style Upgrade. In addition, brightness control is greatly increased. The performance of version 10 will of course be faster and better than version 9.

A new approach to transferring data between devices

Broadcast screen content to TV. In MIUI 11, the company added support for transferring images to TV screens from a huge number of manufacturers. No additional software or equipment is needed for this, and using it is a pleasure.

Consider Cast from Xiaomi an analogue of AirPlay from Apple. Using this function, you can conveniently show your loved ones photos from trips, trips, and events. You just need to open the curtain with key system switches and notifications and launch it.

It’s a pity, this thing completely refused to work with my Samsung TVs based on the Tizen operating system. However, colleagues on the site managed to try them out on their own and were filled with positive emotions. Write if it works for you and on what TV.

How to do it: expand the control center, turn on Cast mode, connect to the TV and cast content to it.

You can quickly transfer data to other smartphones. This is an analogue of Apple's AirDrop, which can be used with smartphones from other manufacturers - the first information about it appeared several months ago. Apart from Xiaomi smartphones, it can also be used with OPPO, Realme and Vivo devices.

How to do it: Open Control Center and select the Mi Share option.

Tips and tricks

MIUI is very user-friendly as it always finds a smart solution to every problem. Very often, user complaints arise in connection with aggressive advertising of many applications: Mi Music, Mi Security, Cleaner, Mi Browser, Mi File Explorer and Downloader. This inconvenience can be corrected using the Mi File Manager and Security applications.

Disabling ads from Mi File Explorer:

Open Mi File Explorer.
Click on the 3rd character icon in the top corner of the Mi File Browser.
Go to the “Recommendations” section and turn it off.
To disable the advertising identifier, go to “Advanced settings” - “Privacy” - “Advertising Use advertising identifier” - “Disable”.
Disable advertising in the MIUI Security application. Go to security settings. Get recommendations and switch off.

Hundreds of millions of Xiaomi MIUI users use one of the most popular skins in the world. Its use has increased sharply in recent years as the company made its entry into the Indian market, where it created an R&D division to address localization needs. MIUI has come a long way over the past three years, adding many new features that successfully complement the main ones.

Xiaomi's rapid pace of development with a new update released every two weeks means that MIUI is always evolving to benefit users.

A completely new look at most system sounds

You will be able to diversify the system sounds. A unique feature that I personally have not seen before from other manufacturers. Xiaomi offers to choose not just sounds for notifications and other events, but entire sets of them. Today they are more connected with nature.

For example, throughout the first day with MIUI 11, during each new message in instant messengers, my Xiaomi Mi 9 meowed and made other cat sounds - almost every time different. This design is available for events, notifications and alarms. In the latter case, they will adapt to the weather.

How to do it: Open Settings, go to Sound & Vibration, expand Alarm, Events or Notifications, and choose a theme of your choice.