Xiaomi Might No Longer Allow Bootloader Unlocking on MIUI

While we already had to go through hoops and loops to unlock the bootloader on a HyperOS device, we still had the luxury to unlock the bootloader of MIUI. Just enable OEM Unlocking, bind your MI Account to your device, and hit Unlock in the MI Unlock Tool. Although we had to wait for 168 hours, but that was just about it. No outside interference, no need to request at 00:00 AM of Beijing time , and carry out all such unnecessary tweaks. Unfortunately, all this is about to change, and not for good.

Xiaomi Might No Longer Allow Bootloader Unlocking on MIUI

We stumbled upon a post that highlighted the fact that the Bootloader Unlocking on older Xiaomi devices running MIUI is going to be a thing of the past because Xiaomi has already closed their servers for the same on the 5th of August 2025.

The following are the affected devices: -Mix (1st gen) -Devices with Snapdragon 6 series or earlier -Tablets 4th gen and earlier -All Max series -All Note (prior to Redmi self-brand) series -All Redmi 6 series (including Note 6) and earlier devices.

Apart from that, there’s also some danger looming around for MIUI 13, 14, and HyperOS 1. Not only that, the Fastboot Downgrading method has also been patched, so the AVB-verified 9008 downgrading approach seems to be the only way out, which might not be everyone’s cup of tea.

While many tech enthusiasts had already left Xiaomi due to the complexity involved in the bootloader unlocking in the newer HyperOS versions, there were still a few out there who used to purchase older Xiaomi/Redmi/Poco devices running on MIUI, unlocked its bootloader, and tried out a plethora of tweaks and ROMs. However, one should forget about it now if this leak is confirmed.

Talking about which, here’s the entire leak [English translation is given below]:

Around August 5, 2025, Xiaomi shut down the servers for older device models (referring to devices without official UI12 support). The affected devices currently include: Mix (1st gen) Devices with Snapdragon 6 series or earlier Tablets 4th gen and earlier All Max series All Note (prior to Redmi self-brand) series All Redmi 6 series (including Note 6) and earlier devices that have BL (bootloader) lock For unlocking, do not flash keymaster, or else the device will be permanently bricked and cannot be fixed . For devices with UI12, UI13, UI14, or OS1, if you need anything, please act quickly. I can’t predict when Xiaomi will shut down the explanation/unlock servers for UI14 as well. Xiaomi is burned out and won’t recover. Since they’ve already blocked the old phone access route, they clearly have the capability to completely block UI14 unlocking and Q&A access in a short period of time. Also, the “Fastboot” downgrade method is no longer applicable. Some regions have already fully switched to AVB-verified 9008 downgrading. This method should, in theory, still work as long as the phone is from the Dynamic Partition group (even Snapdragon 860/865 should be usable).

Recently, Samsung had also removed the OEM Unlock toggle from One UI 8 , so the devices launched with it [the Fold and the Flip 7] were the first ones to bear its brunt. And now, Xiaomi is following suit. I would just like to iterate on one thing-

It is the device that we have purchased from our very own money, and we should have complete control over it. The OEM can, at the very max, warn about the repercussions of unlocking [which it already does], and get out of the scene. We could then take it from there. They cannot dictate how one should use their device. If that’s the case, we would then have bought an iPhone. The very core of Android is the unrestricted environment where we could carry out the customizations as we want, which these OEMs are hell-bent on destroying.

If this leak about Xiaomi not allowing us to allow Bootloader Unlocking on MIUI comes out to be true, then unfortunately, it is going to lose out on some of its loyal fanbase. But since these tech enthusiasts only comprise a small/niche segment of its ever-expanding user base, the OEM doesn’t give a damn about it. However harsh it may sound, it is the sad reality.

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