Xiaomi will make it harder to re-flash its smartphones

Xiaomi has made stricter bootloader unlocking rules for its smartphones. According to known insiders, with the introduction of the new HyperOS operating system, which replaces MIUI, users will have to face new requirements to unlock their devices: very soon, it will simply be necessary to have a Mi account registered at least 30 days before applying. On top of the above, each unlock application will be manually verified by Xiaomi staff twice a week, this adds extra waiting time for users.

So far, each unlock application will be manually verified by Xiaomi staff twice a week, this adds extra waiting time for users.

The changes, it’s worth noting, will only affect smartphones sold in China, as many users who buy devices directly from China or through marketplaces prefer to reflash them to global firmware versions. The main reason for reflashing is the desire to get support for Google services and Russian language, which are absent in Chinese firmware versions.