Emir BardakçıRecently, Xiaomi has made an important change regarding the ability to unlock the bootloader of devices bought on Mainland China.
If you bought a Xiaomi phone in China and tried to unlock the bootloader using a global Xiaomi account, from now on you got the following error message: “The place where the account is registered does not match the place where the phone is sold.” Because of the new restriction, unlocking the bootloader is not allowed anymore, and Chinese Xiaomi devices can’t be unlocked by users who are not from China.
Why Is This Happening?
The company, until now, allowed users to unlock the bootloader of their device, irrespective of where it was bought or what region the Xiaomi account that was in use belonged to. This also further helped enthusiasts or developers who wished to import Xiaomi devices from China to use them for global purposes. But this recent policy change is imposing region-specific constraints.
The thing is that bootloader unlocking of a Xiaomi device purchased from China requires the account used to be bound to China now. That’s a real huge problem for foreigners since creating a Xiaomi account in China requires Chinese citizenship. Therefore, only Chinese citizens are allowed to unlock bootloaders of Chinese Xiaomi phones.
The Implications for Global Users
This update directly serves users who purchase Xiaomi devices from China, either from online resellers or when they visit the country. If your region-lock is set to the Chinese region, it simply implies that your bootloader can never be unlocked with a global account. Such a limitation severely affects your options in terms of customization like installing custom ROMs or even reaching some advanced features.
Things You Should Know Before Purchasing a Xiaomi Device
If you are in the market for a Xiaomi phone, it pays to ensure that the device is not a Chinese-region model. Devices meant for the global market will not have this limitation and, therefore, can still be unlocked using a global Xiaomi account. One must be very aware when buying from unofficial or third-party resellers who might ship Chinese models without making this distinction known to them.
How to Check the Region of Your Xiaomi Device
So, to keep away from restrictions, here are the steps to check if your current Xiaomi smartphone is a global model.
How to know whether your Xiaomi device is Chinese or a global version?
The new restrictions on bootloader unlocking by Xiaomi are a sharp policy turnaround for the company, and it has been a big break for several international users who import devices directly from China. As it is, since Chinese CI Xiaomi phones can now only be unlocked in boot loader mode by native-born Chinese citizens, always ensure that any Xiaomi device you bought is for global markets. Always check a device’s region to avoid any conceivable limitations to customization and control.
This is bs, I can’t even unlock my global device for months, always quota error! My last device from this joke of a company!
Headphone problem
How can I unlock Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G (Garnet)?
I bought a Xiaomi 14 pro in China like all my previous smartphones, unfortunately it is my last Xiaomi device, I was a fan of the brand, but they have gained a staunch enemy, it’s a shame the way Xiaomi acted with the people it fell in love with at the beginning and those who made the brand known.
Goodbye.
I have Redmi note 9t and 11. Months ago, bought 12, but 9t and 12 can not use uber. Note11 still ok. Don’t know when it’ll be locked.
I used Xiaomi for years and recommended them to my friends. However, this is the last Xiaomi phone I will be getting, unlocking has become too complicated and not worth it. My old Xiaomi phones were Mi Max, Mi Mix, Mi Mix 3, K20 pro, Mi 10, K70 pro which is the current one. I bought Chinese versions because they have better specs.