MIUI started as a custom ROM for some popular Android devices back in the day before Xiaomi began using it as the default skin on its devices. Given that the third-party developer community helped Xiaomi (and MIUI) become popular back in the day, you’d expect the company to have a soft corner for them. Sadly, that does not appear to be the case, with Xiaomi making it more difficult than ever to unlock the bootloader of its phones running HyperOS.
Like Asus and other manufacturers, Xiaomi offers a web-based bootloader unlocking tool for its devices. But there were certain requirements that you must meet before applying for permission to unlock your Xiaomi phone’s bootloader. This includes having a Xiaomi account and binding the device and your phone number to it for at least 48 to 72 hours.
Once the permission is granted, you can unlock your Xiaomi phone’s bootloader. While not as simple as unlocking a Pixel phone’s bootloader, it is still better than nothing.
WithXiaomi 14and HyperOS though, the Chinese smartphone maker has changed its stance. Bootloader unlocking is turned off by default on these devices and all HyperOS-running phones. In a statement toAndroid Authority, Xiaomi says it has done this to “protect the device’s security, avoid data leakage, and provide users with a more secure and stable user experience.” However, this is not an issue, as this was also true for MIUI phones.
The problem is that Xiaomi has raised the criteria for bootloader unlocking permission and made it a lot more restrictive. Going forward, you must be a level 5 community member on Xiaomi’s China forum to apply. This means you must be an active forum member with a certain number of posts. If not, Xiaomi will not allow you to unlock your phone’s bootloader. Worse, the permission is time-sensitive and valid for only 1 year. Lastly, you may only unlock three devices every year going forward.
Xiaomi notes that devices with unlocked bootloader will not receive HyperOS OTA updates. This should not be a cause of concern, as most users who unlock their phone’s bootloader usually do it to install a custom ROM or root it. In both cases, they are savvy enough to sideload the latest firmware available for their device. Plus, you can always lock the bootloader again to receive software updates directly from Xiaomi.
These restrictions on unlocking the bootloader of HyperOS devices only apply to Xiaomi phones sold in China. The company will announce the bootloader unlocking criteria for international customers later, presumably alongside the global debut of the Xiaomi 14 series. If the new eligibility criteria in China are anything to go by, expect the process to be equally restrictive internationally.
