In this article, we will try to describe perfectly clear and in detail the process of unlocking the bootloader, using new smartphones from Xiaomi for the example: Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus. The sequence of actions and the basic principles of unlocking on these smartphones are identical, so we decided to combine them and describe everything in one article.
Since these smartphones are quite popular, we decided to describe the whole process from start to finish. To state all the details as much as possible, to indicate possible mistakes, when carrying out certain actions, as well as how to circumvent them. This will save your precious time searching for the necessary information on the Internet.
UNLOCK THE LOADER POSSIBLE ONLY OFFICIALLY. NO OTHER WAYS!
WHY DO YOU NEED TO UNLOCK THE BOOTLOADER?
First of all, it concerns Chinese smartphones. Often they do not have the right language for your country. You can choose only between English, Chinese (several options) and some others that have nothing to do with the Cyrillic alphabet.
The bootloader is a computer program that gives permission to install any programs and firmware.
Install the keyboard with the presence of the required language is not difficult, but will have to suffer from the interface language. For some of the users is enough for the menu in English, but most users would be more comfortable with their native language.
The fact is that on these smartphones, there is no way to put a global firmware with a locked bootloader. If you try to do this, then just get a bricked phone.
Also, the unlocked bootloader allows you to install a custom recovery (TWRP) later, which in turn will give you the opportunity to get ROOT — rights to install various patches and scripts, third-party firmware and much more. But this is another topic. Today, our task is to install a global firmware, with the support of the native language.
HOW TO KNOW WHETHER THE LOADER IS LOCKED OR NOT?
There are several ways to check the bootloader condition.
- WAY 1. Using a smartphone.
To do this, go to „Settings” — „Additional settings” — „Developer options” *. And select the „Mi Unlock status” — „Check if the device is locked”.
If we see the „The device is locked” — it means the bootloader is locked.
*If you do not have the „Developer options” option, you need to go to „My device” — „All specs” and click 8 times to „MIUI version ”. There should be a notice, „You have become a developer”. After that, you can go to the above path and check the status of the loader.
- WAY 2. Using a computer.
To do this, you need to turn your smartphone into „fastboot mode” (turn on, hold down the volume down button and turn on the smartphone, wait for the image of the Mi Bunny on the screen).
Connect the phone to the computer with a USB cable. On the PC, press the key combination „Win + R”, the input field will open. In the field, type the command „cmd” (without quotes). A command line opens, in which we write the command „adb” (without quotes), press Enter. To find out information about the loader, type the command: „fastboot oem device-info” (without the quotes), press Enter. If the loader is unlocked, the display will read: Device unlocked: „true”. If not, the value is set to „false”.
If you have not unlocked the bootloader earlier, then you are likely to get information that the bootloader is locked. Go to unlock.
PROCEDURE FOR UNLOCKING THE LOADER
- Apply for unlocking the bootloader.
- Get approval from the manufacturer for unlocking.
- Install developer (weekly) firmware.
- Unlock the bootloader.
Approval may take up to 10 days but usually occurs faster.
1. APPLY FOR UNLOCKING
To apply, click on the link — it will send you on official MIUI site.
In the window that opens, click „Unlock Now”
In the next window, you must enter the login credentials in the MI — Account. If the account does not already exist, you need to register it.
After logging into your account, fill out the form, the fields are signed in the screenshot below.
In the first field, enter a name. It is convenient to use Google Translator to fill in the fields. If the Chinese version of the site — we translate into Chinese (simplified).
In the second field, you must select your country from the drop-down list.
In the third — enter the number of your phone (without +7, 8, etc.)
In the fourth we indicate the reason for unlocking the loader. You can specify something like this: „To install the global version of the firmware with the presence of the native language.” As in the case of the name, fill the cell in the language in which the site is written.
Do not forget to check the box at the bottom of the window and press the green button.
A verification code will be sent to the specified phone number, which should be entered in the corresponding field of the next window and the green button is pressed.
if the code is right and everything went well, a window with a green tick will appear, symbolizing the successful completion of the application.
2. APPROVAL FOR UNLOCKING
Now it remains to wait for the SMS from the manufacturer, in which it will be written that you have received consent to unlock the bootloader. SMS will look like this.
The approval can take up to 10 days, but as a rule, this process takes much less time. Most often it takes from 12 to 24 hours. After receiving the long-awaited SMS, you can proceed to the next stage.
3. INSTALLING THE FIRMWARE
This step can be performed in advance, without waiting for approval, the main thing to do this is before unlocking the loader.
In order for the unlocking to be successful, you need to install the latest version of the Developer ROM.
The latest versions of these firmware (at the time of this writing) you can download here:
Redmi 5 China Developer ROM Redmi 5 Plus China Developer ROM
4. UNLOCK LOADER
After receiving approval from the manufacturer, the first thing to do is to check if this smartphone is tied to an MI account. If this is not done, then the following error will appear when unlocking the bootloader in the „Miflash unlock” program:
To do this, go to the item: „Mi Unlock status” — „Check if the device is locked”. We already described how to do it (Way 1). To bind, click „Add account and device”. After a little thought, there should be an inscription: „Added successfully ......”
Also, when binding, you may receive error 10008: .......
This error occurs in this case if you can not connect to the server on which you are binding. In this case, the „DNS Changer” program will help us. The principle of the program is quite simple, after installation and startup, it is necessary to enter DNS 1 and DNS 2 addresses (as in the screenshot) and press „START”. Give permission to connect by clicking „OK.” After that, the program interface changes to green and „Connected” appears.
Now do the addition function „Add account and device” again. Now problems should not arise. We are waiting for the treasured inscription: „Added successfully ......”
We don’t need this program anymore, you can delete it.
Now download the program Mi Flash Unlock:
Download miflash unlock 2.2.624.14
Unpack the archive to the root of drive C: /
Run the program using the file miflash_unlock.exe
Next, we describe the order of actions:
- We refuse from responsibility, we press „I agree”.
- Enter login and password from your
MI-account, click „Sign in”. - We wait while the program will check up the permission to unlock.
- If the permission was received, the window with „Unlock” will appear. The „Unlock” button is not active. Now we need to connect the smartphone in the „fastboot mode” to the computer using a USB cable (how to do this, we described above, we remember the hare in a fur hat).
- If the smartphone is defined by the program, the „Unlock” button will become active, press it.
- A warning box will appear with a countdown, after 5 seconds the „Unlock” button will be activated, press it.
- The unlock process will begin.
- The process ended in failure. The program informs us that it is necessary to wait another 219 hours.
The most unpleasant moment of unlocking the bootloader is 360 hours of waiting.
Previously, this process boiled down to waiting for approval (up to 10 days, but in fact much faster), after receiving which you could easily unlock the device. Now you need to wait for approval, and then another 360 hours, and this means 15 days.
This process cannot be accelerated by any means.
If you have only English and Chinese in your smartphone after purchase, then you will have to use it for half a month minimum. As we have already said, you can install the global version of the firmware (or any custom), only after unlocking the bootloader. If you read this article, you understand that everything that is written in it is difficult for you or if you simply do not want to wait 15 days, then you should pay attention to the global versions of these smartphones.
In addition to the firmware, the global versions of the device differ from their Chinese versions, the presence of a charger with a euro plug (no need for an adapter for outlets), as well as support for Band 20 LTE (for some regions this is very important).
After 360 hours, after manipulating the program miflash_unlock, you should get something like this:
After successful unlocking, restart the phone.
Congratulations! Now you can start installing custom recovery and smartphone firmware, but this is the topic of another article.
