How to install Android 12 on an old Xiaomi cellphone
What options do you have when updating your Xiaomi phone to Android 12? Is it worth it? Find out here.
The useful life of a device is marked, in part, by its update cycle. If your phone is a few years old, it may be stuck on an old version of Android. And the fragmentation in Google’s operating system is huge. On this occasion we will explain to you what options you have to install Android 12 on old Xiaomi phones. Do you want to give your terminal a new look?
What we present here is of interest to you if you want to update your old Xiaomi mobile to Android 12 or later. We will guide you about your choices when it comes to updating Chinese branded devices and what risks you need to take to complete the process.
First of all, how to find out which Android version you have on Xiaomi?
Xiaomi has a rather confusing update policy. While adding features to his devices, he releases a new version of MIUI, his personalization layer. Now the changes the brand has brought to Android are so profound that we can think of the layers as a complete system.
For this reason, we have seen how Xiaomi updated many phones to the latest version of MIUI, while the Android version remained unchanged. Without going any further, devices with MIUI 11 based on Android 11 installed can be updated to MIUI 12 while keeping Android 11 as a base, i.e. without upgrading to Android 12. This is not just an example of how Xiaomi is acting and does not correspond to real cases.
Taking this into account, the fact that you have the latest version of MIUI does not mean that the base, namely Android, is the latest.
It is very easy to see which version of Android you have installed on your Xiaomi
To find out the Android version of your Xiaomi phone, follow these steps:
- Go to phone settings.
- Tap About phone or My devices.
- Look at the Android Version section.
In the previous image we can see the real case: Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G with MUI 13 which still runs Android 11.
Is there an official update?
Before proceeding, there is one question you need to resolve. Has Xiaomi released the official Android 12 update to your phone?
Checking for official updates is the first step to see if your phone switches to Android 12
Here are the Xiaomi phones getting Android 12 with MUI 13, according to Xiaomiui:
- xiaomi mi 11
- Xiaomi mi 11 pro
- Xiaomi Mi 11Ultra
- xiaomi mi 11i
- xiaomi mi 11x
- Xiaomi Xiaomi Mi 11X Pro
- Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
- Fold Xiaomi Mi MIX
- Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 4G
- xiaomi mi 10
- Xiaomi mi 10 pro
- Xiaomi Mi 10Ultra
- Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G
- Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G
- xiaomi mi 10i
- Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite
- xiaomi mi 10t
- Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro
- xiaomi mi 10s
- Redmi 10X 5G
- XiaomiRedmi 10X Pro
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro Max
- Redmi 9 5G
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro 5G
- Redmi Note 10
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 10T
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 5G
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro Max
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro 5G
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 2021
- Redmi K30
- Redmi K30 5G
- Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G Running
- Redmi K30i 5G
- XiaomiRedmi K30 Pro
- Zoom Xiaomi Redmi K30
- Redmi K30Ultra
- Xiaomi Redmi K30S Ultra
- Xiaomi Redmi K40 Games
- Redmi K40
- XiaomiRedmi K40 Pro
- XiaomiRedmi K40 Pro+
- Xiaomi POCO F3
- POCO F2 Pro
- F3 SMALL GT
- POCO X2
- POCO X3
- POCO X3 NFC
- POCO X3 Pro
- POCO M2
- POCO M2 Reloaded
- POCO M2 Pro
- POCO M3
- POCO M3 Pro 5G
- POCO C3
- black shark 3
- Black Shark 3 Pro
- black shark 3s
- black shark 4
- Black Shark 4 Pro
Check for updates in the About your phone section of your device settings.
Android 12 on the old Xiaomi thanks to a custom ROM
Well, now you know which version of Android you have on your Xiaomi phone. Hence, it’s time to find out what your options are for updating it to Android 12. And we already told you that it all involves flashing a custom ROM on your device.
paranoid androids
Paranoid Android is a custom ROM compatible with some older Xiaomi models. Currently there is a beta version of this ROM with Android 13, although in most cases it is based on Android 12.
Paranoid Android aims to bring Android 13 to legacy devices
The Xiaomi devices that support this ROM are as follows:
- My Mix 3 (perseus)
- My Mix 2S (polaris)
- Mi 8 Pro (equipped)
- My Explorer 8th Edition (bear)
- my 8 (shade)
- my 11X (aliotine)
- Mi 10T and Mi 10T Pro (Apollo)
- my 10 (umi)
Similarly, some Redmi and POCO are also compatible:
- X3 Pro (vayu)
- X3 | X3 NFC (solar) F3 (alioth)
- F2 Pro (me)
- F1 (beryllium)
- Note 11 / Note 11 NFC (spec)
- K40 (alioth)
In order to download Paranoid Android, you need to go to the official page and select the device that you have. Next, click on XDA THREAD to view the ROM thread on the XDA Developer Portal. There you will find instructions for your device. In some cases downloads are also offered directly from the official page.
OS lineage
LineageOS 19 compatibility is high when it comes to Xiaomi phones
LineageOS is another option that you have when trying to update Android on your Xiaomi phone. This is a custom ROM that tries to implement the latest Android version on most of the devices. For Xiaomi devices, the following models are supported:
- my 8SE
- Mi 9 Lite/Mi CC 9
- my 9SE
- 5 i
- 6 i
- 8 i
- My 9/ 9T/ 9T Pro
- Mi 10/ 10 Lite/ 10T/ 10T Pro/ 10T Lite/ Mi 10i
- My 11 Lite 4G/11X
- my A1
- My A2/A2 Lite
- My mix 3
- My rating is 10/10 Lite
- MiPad 4/4 Plus
- POCO F1
- POCO F2 Pro
- POCO F3
- POCO X2
- POCO X3/ X3 Pro
- POCO M2 Pro
- redmi 5
- Redmi 5/5 Plus
- redmi 7
- Redmi K20/K20 Pro
- Redmi K30/ K30 5G/ K30S/ 30 Pro
- Redmi K40
- Redmi Note 5/5 Pro
- Redmi Note 6 Pro
- Redmi Note 7/ 7S/ 7 Pro
- Redmi Note 8/ 8T
- Redmi Note 9S/ 9 Pro/ Pro 5G/ 9 Pro Max
- Redmi 10 Lite
- Redmi Note 9T/9 5G
- redmi notes 10
- Redmi Note 10 Pro/ 10 Pro Max
- redmi s2
- redmi y2
It’s important to note that the list above includes all devices compatible with LineageOS 19, the version based on Android 12. Many may not be supported as developers are now focusing their efforts on newer versions of Android.
In any case, if your terminal is at some point compatible with LineageOS 19, it will not be too difficult for you to find guides on the internet explaining how to install this ROM.
How to Install Custom ROM on Xiaomi
Each device has its own custom ROM installation process. There is a tool to find out what ROMs are available for your device and download them. However, the steps to follow may vary depending on the model you have.
Generally, you will need to unlock the bootloader and install a custom recovery. Then, you have to flash the ROM on your terminal to boot with it and not with the operating system that was integrated at the factory exit.
Our recommendation is that you visit dedicated forums, such as XDA Developers or HTCMania, where other users can help you and explain the steps needed to install Android 12 on your Xiaomi.
Is it worth installing Android 12 on old Xiaomi?
We close this post by answering an important question: is it really necessary to install Android 12 on old Xiaomi?
MIUI is a layer with many options. And they’ll probably reach your phone, even if Android isn’t upgraded
This will depend on several factors which we will detail:
- Do you have enough knowledge? If you are not sure how to go through the steps required to flash a custom ROM on your phone, it is better that you avoid starting this process. If you make a mistake, something that can happen when you don’t have the necessary knowledge, your phone can become useless.
- Is it the latest MIUI? Even if you don’t have the latest version of Android, MIUI is probably up to date. This will allow you to have most of the functionality that the company has implemented. On Xiaomi phones, the Android version isn’t the most important thing when it comes to having the latest software features.
- Do you have the latest security patch? Security patches are rolled out even without updating to a new Android version. If you have the latest, your old phone will be completely safe.
- Is the app updated? One of the reasons to upgrade to a newer Android version is to be able to update apps. However, you should know that on Android even Google services get news with very old system versions. The most common is that old Xiaomi phones have news about most of the apps.
- Do you like MUI? Please note that the ROM looks like LineageOS is based on Android AOSP. If you are a fan of Xiaomi capes and their services, you will miss it when flashing custom ROMs.
With that in mind, updating Xiaomi phones to Android 12, especially if done with custom ROMs, is usually not profitable. If your device is running fine, you won’t get much advantage by getting a higher version of the system.
Relax, find the evolution of the number of smartphones sold by brands from time to time in the video below:
