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[Question] Bootloader opened by seller, unable to close

Hello, I've just recieved a Xiaomi Mi8 phone but in this occasion it comes with unlocked bootloader by seller.
Some users say that in this case there's no way to lock BL, and in case of brick you won't be able to flash in EDL mode.
I'd like to know if there's a way to lock it and later unlock it with my own Xiaomi account ID, and leave phone like a brand new one from factory.
Thanks in advance.

juankar7 said:
Hello, I've just recieved a Xiaomi Mi8 phone but in this occasion it comes with unlocked bootloader by seller.
Some users say that in this case there's no way to lock BL, and in case of brick you won't be able to flash in EDL mode.
I'd like to know if there's a way to lock it and later unlock it with my own Xiaomi account ID, and leave phone like a brand new one from factory.
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
( miui 10 Global Rom )I've see an option to on developer setting/ bootloader unlock/lock option in there u can bound or link ur mi account whit device to proceed to unlock whit mi flasher which i press it and received an notification .....now i was running rooted magick maybe that trigger something..... neither have try to see if is linked

Ez, just flash the phone with China Stable or China Developer ROM via Miflash , choose Clean and Lock, done

Choose clean and lock with any China miui ROM. ONLY CHINA ROM. Upgrade to a higher version only (Don't go from miui 10 to miui 9). Beware of this and you will avoid bricking your mi 8

3597dxta said:
Ez, just flash the phone with China Stable or China Developer ROM via Miflash , choose Clean and Lock, done
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
achickennugget said:
Choose clean and lock with any China miui ROM. ONLY CHINA ROM. Upgrade to a higher version only (Don't go from miui 10 to miui 9). Beware of this and you will avoid bricking your mi 8
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you actually tested that? Or just a theory (I know that it has sense but pretty risky to try)
Thanks !

Thanks but I'll try after someone else has done it with success. I hope it works, maybe that way my Xiaomi ID could be linked to the phone.
Enviado desde mi MI 8 mediante Tapatalk

punk84z said:
Did you actually tested that? Or just a theory (I know that it has sense but pretty risky to try)
Thanks !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is a fact. The bricking only arise due to Xiaomi's implementation of a new policy, whereby they prevent relocking of a China variant of their phone when the global rom is installed. Your Mi 8 will only brick if it is not the global version but you flash global miui and try to lock. With that said however, I am not liable if you bricked your phone and you should indeed proceed modifying your phone with caution. All the best and feel free to ask if you have any questions!
PS. Since android oreo, Google has also implemented another policy which prevents rollback to older android versions. However, due to Xiaomi's (lack of) implementation of this, you can brick your phone when you downgrade for Miui 10 to Miui 9 for example. So always keep this in mind as it is a thing to watch out for now.

Thanks for the explanation, maybe there's a new Xiaomi policy trying to avoid selling phones for China market to other countries, that should be with Global versions.
Enviado desde mi MI 8 mediante Tapatalk

achickennugget said:
It is a fact. The bricking only arise due to Xiaomi's implementation of a new policy, whereby they prevent relocking of a China variant of their phone when the global rom is installed. Your Mi 8 will only brick if it is not the global version but you flash global miui and try to lock. With that said however, I am not liable if you bricked your phone and you should indeed proceed modifying your phone with caution. All the best and feel free to ask if you have any questions!
PS. Since android oreo, Google has also implemented another policy which prevents rollback to older android versions. However, due to Xiaomi's (lack of) implementation of this, you can brick your phone when you downgrade for Miui 10 to Miui 9 for example. So always keep this in mind as it is a thing to watch out for now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks !

Has anyone tried the procedure?

I want to know too. I think installing a Chinese version, you can block the bootloader. Then you unlock with your normal My Account, to avoid possible problems.

Some say that if you lock bootloader even with china ROM you'll get a brick. I'm not sure of that but I prefer to try when someone has done the procces with success.
One more problem are the 720h Xiaomi makes you wait for unlocking, sometimes more than 1000h. Very bad policy for old Mi Fans after years with Xiaomi devices.
Enviado desde mi MI 8 mediante Tapatalk

https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=77776635&postcount=9
read this. this guy did what he was supposed to do and ended up with a brick. dont relock your phone just because someone says so.
i am still looking for some one to explain why official way is better. the only case i found this to be true so far was if you manage to screw up and lock your chinese phone on global rom (or the other way around, same story). in that case, you are way better off because you can go to fastboot and unlock your phone, and after that it should boot. please share any info you have on this topic, but please also explain how and why. thanks

Thanks, then I'll keep it opened using Xiaomi.eu weekly ROM.
Enviado desde mi MI 8 mediante Tapatalk

juankar7 said:
Thanks, then I'll keep it opened using Xiaomi.eu weekly ROM.
Enviado desde mi MI 8 mediante Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
im not saying it would allways brick because i dont really know that. just that maybe dont do it if you dont really need it, things obviously can go wrong

Mi 9 in Netherland

Is there anyone that buy the mi 9 in Belsimpel store? Is it the mi 9 global version? Can I trust in this store?

Why not just buy it from trusted Coolblue?

Its the global version. I bought 2 allready, 1 for me and the purple for my gf. Both global.

Xiaomi has an official list of trusted sellers on their website. Coolblue and Bol.com are among these trusted companies

iLaurens said:
Why not just buy it from trusted Coolblue?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The 128 Gb version is sold out...

duvee said:
Its the global version. I bought 2 allready, 1 for me and the purple for my gf. Both global.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! I think that i will buy there!

ri4dh said:
Xiaomi has an official list of trusted sellers on their website. Coolblue and Bol.com are among these trusted companies
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The 128 Gb version is sold out at Coolblue. And bol. com doesnt has the 128 Gb version. Thanks!

I have my Mi 9 Blue 128 from Belsimpel. It's the EEA Global one.

Jordytjes said:
I have my Mi 9 Blue 128 from Belsimpel. It's the EEA Global one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! Whats EEA?

So it does not come with the xiaomi.eu ROM since it's the global ?
I bought mine here : -> https://www.ebay.fr/itm/Xiaomi-Mi-9-6Go-128Go-Dual-Sim-Debloque-Bleu/323752216372
Or is it in stock the .eu ROM ?

I bought mine on belsimpel. Blue 128gb and it's a global PFA version.
Delivered next day in Belgium.

winny74 said:
I bought mine on belsimpel. Blue 128gb and it's a global PFA version.
Delivered next day in Belgium.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Whats PFA?

ManuBBXX said:
So it does not come with the xiaomi.eu ROM since it's the global ?
I bought mine here : -> https://www.ebay.fr/itm/Xiaomi-Mi-9-6Go-128Go-Dual-Sim-Debloque-Bleu/323752216372
Or is it in stock the .eu ROM ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Xiaomi.eu is a community rom, no phone (at least not from official retailers) ships with this. It needs an unlocked bootloader and custom recovery.
If you buy your phone at any official retailer in europe you should get the EEA version, if you get one that's gray imported to europe you might get a global one.
In the netherlands Belsimpel is a very well known and reputable retailer, one google search could have answered this question btw.

CrazyBeaver2377 said:
Xiaomi.eu is a community rom, no phone (at least not from official retailers) ships with this. It needs an unlocked bootloader and custom recovery.
If you buy your phone at any official retailer in europe you should get the EEA version, if you get one that's gray imported to europe you might get a global one.
In the netherlands Belsimpel is a very well known and reputable retailer, one google search could have answered this question btw.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Belsimpel is known to sell imported devices. I wouldn't buy a Samsung device for example there. But as Belsimpel has a official Xiaomi partnership, and Xiaomi doesnt have the ''premium'' warranty services like Apple and Samsung have, I bought my Mi 9 there.
I saw yesterday in the Belsimpel store in Tilburg they also have it on display, really cool.

Jordytjes said:
Belsimpel is known to sell imported devices. I wouldn't buy a Samsung device for example there. But as Belsimpel has a official Xiaomi partnership, and Xiaomi doesnt have the ''premium'' warranty services like Apple and Samsung have, I bought my Mi 9 there.
I saw yesterday in the Belsimpel store in Tilburg they also have it on display, really cool.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My s9+ from them was perfectly fine and they are even one of the resellers who is in the samsung cashback programs, so I don't know why you wouldn't buy a samsung phone from them?

CrazyBeaver2377 said:
My s9+ from them was perfectly fine and they are even one of the resellers who is in the samsung cashback programs, so I don't know why you wouldn't buy a samsung phone from them?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Currently, they aren't selling any imported Samsungs, but they really use to do that to be the cheapest. My friend has a S9 from there and that one is a imported device.

CrazyBeaver2377 said:
Xiaomi.eu is a community rom, no phone (at least not from official retailers) ships with this. It needs an unlocked bootloader and custom recovery.
If you buy your phone at any official retailer in europe you should get the EEA version, if you get one that's gray imported to europe you might get a global one.
In the netherlands Belsimpel is a very well known and reputable retailer, one google search could have answered this question btw.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks !
So unlocking bootloader and installing twrp for flashing the xiaomi.eu ROM is worth it ?
I read that unlocking bootloader takes ages, is it ?

Bought the Lavendel version from Belsimpel this week, ordered at 22:30 and got the package delivered the next morning around 10; great stuff. Global version, need to wait the 360h for unlock unfortunately. Perhaps it depends on already having a Mi account or not, or EEA vs Global ? I'm planning on trying both the xiaomi.eu and Resurrection Remix ROMs and flash with the XiaomiTool v2 tool instead of the more tedious manual procedure, thusfar that tool works flawlessly.

SKiLLa XP said:
Bought the Lavendel version from Belsimpel this week, ordered at 22:30 and got the package delivered the next morning around 10; great stuff. Global version, need to wait the 360h for unlock unfortunately. Perhaps it depends on already having a Mi account or not, or EEA vs Global ? I'm planning on trying both the xiaomi.eu and Resurrection Remix ROMs and flash with the XiaomiTool v2 tool instead of the more tedious manual procedure, thusfar that tool works flawlessly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ResurrectionRemix exists for mi9 ?

ManuBBXX said:
ResurrectionRemix exists for mi9 ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, using the GSI build, including support for the in-screen fingerprint reader when using phhusson's base ROM

Buying K20 Pro From China

Hello All,
A friend of mine will be traveling to china the next week, and i can ask him to get me a K20 Pro device.
So i need your advice if i can later install the Global ROM easily without harming the device ?
A friend if mine wants one too, but he uses the phone in Arabic, So does the Global Rom contain Arabic language ?!
Where to buy the phone from Shenzhen - China, and how much it will cost for the 128/8 and 256/8 versions
Thanks all

There's nothing like Global rom as of now. There's either China rom or India rom. Global rom would only be released once K20 is released in Global markets. Your best bet is to either use India or miui.eu rom which both suppport multi-lang. The prices of K20 pro in China have recently received a price cut and your friend can easily get the devices from the Official MI stores. Check mi.com for the latest price, conversion and store info.
To flash EU or India rom or Global(Post Release) rom, you'll have to keep bootloader unlocked forever. Locking it back while being on any other Rom from the Original rom (China) will brick the device.
Not sure if you plan to use any apps that highly depend on a locked bootloader.
Sent from my Redmi K20 Pro using Tapatalk

Sukhi said:
There's nothing like Global rom as of now. There's either China rom or India rom. Global rom would only be released once K20 is released in Global markets. Your best bet is to either use India or miui.eu rom which both suppport multi-lang. The prices of K20 pro in China have recently received a price cut and your friend can easily get the devices from the Official MI stores. Check mi.com for the latest price, conversion and store info.
To flash EU or India rom or Global(Post Release) rom, you'll have to keep bootloader unlocked forever. Locking it back while being on any other Rom from the Original rom (China) will brick the device.
Not sure if you plan to use any apps that highly depend on a locked bootloader.
Sent from my Redmi K20 Pro using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great and easy to understand reply
If i don't care for other languages, do the Chinese version has English ?! or only Chinese ?!
i can wait till there is an official Global ROM not in rush to install a modified ROM, if then will i be able to update the phone OTA ?!
is there any problem with the phone or everything is working just fine ?!
Appreciate if you can post photos for the box to send it to my friend to get the exact same model
Thanks :good:

Chinesse version also has english language, just ask him to look for sealed box that has not been opened before (wrapped in nylon)

This color is amazing, and yes there is a nice price cut which makes it even better
image safe

Here are the pics of box 8gb 128gb

ef1x said:
Here are the pics of box 8gb 128gb
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Many Thanks, Much appreciated
No mention for device color on the box ?!

And do you recommend getting it and getting the Chinese version ?!

is there any problems with the 4G or Network Signal in general ?!

Easy to check, search for yours and your friend's carrier frequencies for every band, then compare with this site:
https://www.frequencycheck.com/mode...[device_brand_id_eq]=&q[frequency_bands_id_eq
This is a list that shows you which of the frequencies does K20 Pro support.
If you want to know about carriers and their frequency compatibility, go there:
https://www.frequencycheck.com/countries

MohamedYousri said:
is there any problems with the 4G or Network Signal in general ?!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
on the other side of the box there is color name, china ver doesnt support band 20 (800Mhz) 4g frequency. for me its not big deal because my carrier doesnt use it, but in Germany i had trouble sometimes getting 4g in smaller cities.
forgot to mention that indian ver doesnt have nfc

MohamedYousri said:
Great and easy to understand reply
If i don't care for other languages, do the Chinese version has English ?! or only Chinese ?!
i can wait till there is an official Global ROM not in rush to install a modified ROM, if then will i be able to update the phone OTA ?!
is there any problem with the phone or everything is working just fine ?!
Appreciate if you can post photos for the box to send it to my friend to get the exact same model
Thanks :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep. China version has two other languages apart from Chinese and English. You'll get OTA's aswell. Just that you'll to have to debloat and Install Google Play and Services manually initially. Too much of Junk comes pre-installed which can be uninstalled easily.
If you're getting the device from MI home or mi.com then nothing to worry as you'll get a sealed device. If your friend orders it online (Ali, gearbest etc) then look for sealed devices in the listing or ask the seller in PM. Most of the sellers online, unlock the devices and flash a fake global rom to be able to sell them globally. There's also an MI official store on Ali, which will give you a sealed device. But, if a MI store is closeby, then nothing like getting in person from there.
I have used this device extensively for the last 2 weeks and i don't see any major challenges. Fantastic VFM device with up to date features. Just minor software bugs that'll iron out with time.
China version has NFC as an added advantage which the India unit misses on. Not sure if the Global units will get it. Another advantage of China model is that it gets you beta access. Beta builds (more stable while still being beta) are still available for China only models while Xiaomi few months back phased out global beta builds to focus on stable channel. Android Q beta is only available for China models as of now.
Sent from my Redmi K20 Pro using Tapatalk

Thanks bro, much appreciated

If i got the Chinese version, and Xiaomi released the device in Europe as Mi 9T Pro
Will i be able to convert the phone to the official EU ROM without any problems or need to unlock the bootloader and lose the OTA updates ?!

MohamedYousri said:
If i got the Chinese version, and Xiaomi released the device in Europe as Mi 9T Pro
Will i be able to convert the phone to the official EU ROM without any problems or need to unlock the bootloader and lose the OTA updates ?!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You'll need an unlocked bootloader to flash the Global Rom (Official or MIUI.Eu) Till the time you're on an Official rom, irrespective of whether it is Chinese or Global, you'll always get OTA's. Just that you can't lock the bootloader of a Chinese device with Global rom on it. Moreover, unlocking the bootloader doesn't effect the OTA updates.
Sent from my Redmi K20 Pro using Tapatalk

Sukhi said:
You'll need an unlocked bootloader to flash the Global Rom (Official or MIUI.Eu) Till the time you're on an Official rom, irrespective of whether it is Chinese or Global, you'll always get OTA's. Just that you can't lock the bootloader of a Chinese device with Global rom on it. Moreover, unlocking the bootloader doesn't effect the OTA updates.
Sent from my Redmi K20 Pro using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So i will unlock the bootloader, Flashing the official Global, then use the device as normal without any problems
And the ROM will be intact not a modified one ?

MohamedYousri said:
So i will unlock the bootloader, Flashing the official Global, then use the device as normal without any problems
And the ROM will be intact not a modified one ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your use of the device is subjective. Unlocking the bootloader would show the device as uncertified in the playstore. You can't play FHD Videos in Netflix because your L1 certification would be downgraded. Any pay apps that you might wanna use, GPay etc you won't be able to use that.
All.of the above could have been fixed if Xiaomi didn't probhit people from locking Bootloaders of Chinese variants with global roms. This was possible a year back but it's getting harder day by day.
Band 20 is missing on the China Device. Usually the Global variants would have that. Some countries use that band for VoLTE service, check that with your service provider.
Honestly, I can live w/o all the above because my usage doesn't require them. Not sure about yours.
Sent from my Redmi K20 Pro using Tapatalk

Sukhi said:
Your use of the device is subjective. Unlocking the bootloader would show the device as uncertified in the playstore. You can't play FHD Videos in Netflix because your L1 certification would be downgraded. Any pay apps that you might wanna use, GPay etc you won't be able to use that.
All.of the above could have been fixed if Xiaomi didn't probhit people from locking Bootloaders of Chinese variants with global roms. This was possible a year back but it's getting harder day by day.
Band 20 is missing on the China Device. Usually the Global variants would have that. Some countries use that band for VoLTE service, check that with your service provider.
Honestly, I can live w/o all the above because my usage doesn't require them. Not sure about yours.
Sent from my Redmi K20 Pro using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well i don't mind using the Chinese version ROM, i guess it's even better with quick access to updates
but they said that it has a lot of bloatware , is this true ?!

MohamedYousri said:
well i don't mind using the Chinese version ROM, i guess it's even better with quick access to updates
but they said that it has a lot of bloatware , is this true ?!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes it comes with lot of chinese apps that probably rest of the world defines as bloat. Most of them can be directly uninstalled and the rest can be either disabled or uninstalled through adb. You can clean the OS as much as you wish.

Can i flash the Indian Stock Official ROM to Chinese K20 Pro ?!

Redmi K20 Pro comes with "Global Rom" from Aliexpress what to do??

Hello everyone, my first post here, i wanted to ask a few questions about k20 pro.
I have ordered a redmi k20 pro with "global rom" from aliexpress, but this rom its not what it seems like. Also i think the phone should be unlocked when i get it. My questions were:
1.Is it safe to OTA update this "Global Rom" because i read somewhere that it might brick the phone when the official Rom comes?
2.Can i roll back to the Chinese Rom that the phone came from the box before the seller flashed this Global Rom?
3.Because the bootloader might be unlocked, in order to flash a new rom i need to lock and unlock it again or the phone might hard brick, is there any other way i could do it?
Thanks in advance.

cherriz said:
Hello everyone, my first post here, i wanted to ask a few questions about k20 pro.
I have ordered a redmi k20 pro with "global rom" from aliexpress, but this rom its not what it seems like. Also i think the phone should be unlocked when i get it. My questions were:
1.Is it safe to OTA update this "Global Rom" because i read somewhere that it might brick the phone when the official Rom comes?
2.Can i roll back to the Chinese Rom that the phone came from the box before the seller flashed this Global Rom?
3.Because the bootloader might be unlocked, in order to flash a new rom i need to lock and unlock it again or the phone might hard brick, is there any other way i could do it?
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now that there are official global ROMs you will probably get an official global ROM installed. If it is an official ROM then OTA will work OK.
If it's not an official ROM then OTA checks will never tell you there's an update.
Yes you can flash an official Chinese ROM.
You don't need to lock the bootloader to flash other ROMs.
If you want to flash an official ROM from another region, or if you've made a mess of things and want to restore to factory condition, then you will need to flash an official fastboot ROM. When you do this with the Mi Flash Tool the default option will also lock the bootloader. What you really should do is ALWAYS change the flash option to 'clean all'. This way you'll never lock the bootloader.
If you flash a ROM from a different region to the phone and lock the bootloader you will brick the phone. If you haven't applied to unlock the phone yourself then you cannot unlock the bootloader to reinstall a ROM, in this case you have hard bricked the phone.
Some owners have chosen to lock the bootloader deliberately, so that they can unlock it with their own Mi account immediately after. The only reason they do this is to allow them to unlock and restore their phone if they accidentally lock the bootloader.
If you are careful and make sure you change the flash option every time you flash with the Mi Flash Tool, then it isn't necessary to lock the bootloader.

Robbo.5000 said:
Now that there are official global ROMs you will probably get an official global ROM installed. If it is an official ROM then OTA will work OK.
If it's not an official ROM then OTA checks will never tell you there's an update.
Yes you can flash an official Chinese ROM.
You don't need to lock the bootloader to flash other ROMs.
If you want to flash an official ROM from another region, or if you've made a mess of things and want to restore to factory condition, then you will need to flash an official fastboot ROM. When you do this with the Mi Flash Tool the default option will also lock the bootloader. What you really should do is ALWAYS change the flash option to 'clean all'. This way you'll never lock the bootloader.
If you flash a ROM from a different region to the phone and lock the bootloader you will brick the phone. If you haven't applied to unlock the phone yourself then you cannot unlock the bootloader to reinstall a ROM, in this case you have hard bricked the phone.
Some owners have chosen to lock the bootloader deliberately, so that they can unlock it with their own Mi account immediately after. The only reason they do this is to allow them to unlock and restore their phone if they accidentally lock the bootloader.
If you are careful and make sure you change the flash option every time you flash with the Mi Flash Tool, then it isn't necessary to lock the bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I asked the question about locking and unlocking the bootloader because of this https://forum.xda-developers.com/k20-pro/how-to/redmi-k20-pro-firmware-10-3-8-0-9-6-13-t3939647
So what im understanding from your reply is that if my phone is unlocked i can flash xiaomi.eu rom easily without locking and unlocking the bootloader first,
Also at the phone page at Aliexpress the seller states that you can get Ota updates so ill wait and see about that,
So what do you think should i stay with the Global ROm the phone comes or should i flash xiaomi.eu rom.
Thanks a lot for the reply.

cherriz said:
I asked the question about locking and unlocking the bootloader because of this https://forum.xda-developers.com/k20-pro/how-to/redmi-k20-pro-firmware-10-3-8-0-9-6-13-t3939647
So what im understanding from your reply is that if my phone is unlocked i can flash xiaomi.eu rom easily without locking and unlocking the bootloader first,
Also at the phone page at Aliexpress the seller states that you can get Ota updates so ill wait and see about that,
So what do you think should i stay with the Global ROm the phone comes or should i flash xiaomi.eu rom.
Thanks a lot for the reply.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, you can flash TWRP then a xiaomi.eu ROM without any issues.
If you get into serious trouble the simplest way to recover is flash an official fastboot ROM. However you just have to be careful and make sure you change the flash option. It is when people haven't been careful and accidentally left the lock option set that they've got into the trouble seen in that and many other posts. If you know what you are doing, then you can extract various image files from a fastboot ROM and flash them manually. This way you can avoid the Mi Flash Tool altogether.
Most of the good sellers will be flashing the official global ROM now, so it will be true that OTA works.
As for what ROM, I'm the wrong person to ask. I avoid MIUI and been using custom ROMs since the day I could unlock the bootloader (I bought mine locked and with the Chinese ROM). Personally if I could only have a version of MIUI then I'd choose the xiaomi.eu version.

Robbo.5000 said:
Yes, you can flash TWRP then a xiaomi.eu ROM without any issues.
If you get into serious trouble the simplest way to recover is flash an official fastboot ROM. However you just have to be careful and make sure you change the flash option. It is when people haven't been careful and accidentally left the lock option set that they've got into the trouble seen in that and many other posts. If you know what you are doing, then you can extract various image files from a fastboot ROM and flash them manually. This way you can avoid the Mi Flash Tool altogether.
Most of the good sellers will be flashing the official global ROM now, so it will be true that OTA works.
As for what ROM, I'm the wrong person to ask. I avoid MIUI and been using custom ROMs since the day I could unlock the bootloader (I bought mine locked and with the Chinese ROM). Personally if I could only have a version of MIUI then I'd choose the xiaomi.eu version.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well i bought the phone on 16/08 before the mi 9t pro was officially released thats why im a bit sceptic about that,
Plus its going to be really hard for me too because this will be my first time ever flashing a rom on a phone so i definitely dont know what im doing

Robbo.5000 said:
Yes, you can flash TWRP then a xiaomi.eu ROM without any issues.
If you get into serious trouble the simplest way to recover is flash an official fastboot ROM. However you just have to be careful and make sure you change the flash option. It is when people haven't been careful and accidentally left the lock option set that they've got into the trouble seen in that and many other posts. If you know what you are doing, then you can extract various image files from a fastboot ROM and flash them manually. This way you can avoid the Mi Flash Tool altogether.
Most of the good sellers will be flashing the official global ROM now, so it will be true that OTA works.
As for what ROM, I'm the wrong person to ask. I avoid MIUI and been using custom ROMs since the day I could unlock the bootloader (I bought mine locked and with the Chinese ROM). Personally if I could only have a version of MIUI then I'd choose the xiaomi.eu version.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi! I'm interested on buying a Redmi K20 Pro (Chinese variant since it's the cheapest one), but I would like to receive a phone with locked bootloader since I prefer not to take the risk of getting a phone with unlocked BL because it might bring me some problems if it's still bound to the original owner/seller Mi account's. Do you have any idea/advice? I've been reading A LOT, and now I'm pretty conviced that the Chinese version with official chinese ROM is the best choice if I'm going to buy the Redmi K20 Pro.
Thanks for your help

Robbo.5000 said:
Now that there are official global ROMs you will probably get an official global ROM installed. If it is an official ROM then OTA will work OK.
If you want to flash an official ROM from another region, or if you've made a mess of things and want to restore to factory condition, then you will need to flash an official fastboot ROM. When you do this with the Mi Flash Tool the default option will also lock the bootloader. What you really should do is ALWAYS change the flash option to 'clean all'. This way you'll never lock the bootloader.
If you flash a ROM from a different region to the phone and lock the bootloader you will brick the phone. If you haven't applied to unlock the phone yourself then you cannot unlock the bootloader to reinstall a ROM, in this case you have hard bricked the phone.
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I have two Mi T2 Pro... one came with Global ROM and one with the EU ROM. I wish to bring both to EU ROM and I how the risk about relocking the bootloader and I will be extra careful to not do it, but just as an information: if I flash the EU ROM on the Global phone and lock the bootloader will it hard brick?

Saulor said:
Hi! I'm interested on buying a Redmi K20 Pro (Chinese variant since it's the cheapest one), but I would like to receive a phone with locked bootloader since I prefer not to take the risk of getting a phone with unlocked BL because it might bring me some problems if it's still bound to the original owner/seller Mi account's. Do you have any idea/advice? I've been reading A LOT, and now I'm pretty conviced that the Chinese version with official chinese ROM is the best choice if I'm going to buy the Redmi K20 Pro.
Thanks for your help
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I decided the same thing. If you are confident about flashing ROMs then it's still probably the best option. The downside is waiting a week to unlock it.
Most AliExpress sellers give you the option to buy a Chinese phone with either the original Chinese ROM or with a global ROM. If you choose the Chinese ROM it should come factory sealed. If a seller doesn't advertise both options, then you can leave a note when you order to tell them you want it with the Chinese ROM and still factory sealed.
If you prefer not to flash ROMs and would like to stay on a stock ROM, then the global version of the Mi 9T Pro is starting to show on a few sites. This is not the European model. It gives up to 8/256GB and so far it is released in Hong Kong. The price is much less than the European prices. If you think this would be better for you, then wait a while for it to become more widely available, I've not seen any AliExpress sellers offer this one yet.
---------- Post added at 12:49 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:42 AM ----------
adriantc_ro said:
I have two Mi T2 Pro... one came with Global ROM and one with the EU ROM. I wish to bring both to EU ROM and I how the risk about relocking the bootloader and I will be extra careful to not do it, but just as an information: if I flash the EU ROM on the Global phone and lock the bootloader will it hard brick?
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Click to collapse
If the phone is not a European model but is a global model, then yes it would probably brick the phone. So far I've not heard of anyone doing this, so I can only guess that it would hard brick. This has happened when people have flashed the Chinese ROM on an Indian phone and also flashing an Indian ROM on a Chinese phone. So far, until someone accidentally does this, we can only assume the same thing will happen when flashing the European ROM on a global phone.

Robbo.5000 said:
I decided the same thing. If you are confident about flashing ROMs then it's still probably the best option. The downside is waiting a week to unlock it.
Most AliExpress sellers give you the option to buy a Chinese phone with either the original Chinese ROM or with a global ROM. If you choose the Chinese ROM it should come factory sealed. If a seller doesn't advertise both options, then you can leave a note when you order to tell them you want it with the Chinese ROM and still factory sealed.
If you prefer not to flash ROMs and would like to stay on a stock ROM, then the global version of the Mi 9T Pro is starting to show on a few sites. This is not the European model. It gives up to 8/256GB and so far it is released in Hong Kong. The price is much less than the European prices. If you think this would be better for you, then wait a while for it to become more widely available, I've not seen any AliExpress sellers offer this one yet.
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Thanks for your answer! Have you bought your phone from AliExpress? Or from any other store? I've been searching but I can't find a seller offering the Chinese ROM option. Buying a 9T Pro would be just perfect but it's around 50 bucks more expensive than the K20, or have you seen a good price? I'm looking for the 8/128 version it's around $400 (redmi K20 Pro) but for the mi 9T Pro I've found for $450 Do you know why? I know that it supports an extra baseband but it really worth buying the 9T Pro instead the K20 Pro? I can't tell any significant different between them.
Thanks for your help

Saulor said:
Thanks for your answer! Have you bought your phone from AliExpress? Or from any other store? I've been searching but I can't find a seller offering the Chinese ROM option. Buying a 9T Pro would be just perfect but it's around 50 bucks more expensive than the K20, or have you seen a good price? I'm looking for the 8/128 version it's around $400 (redmi K20 Pro) but for the mi 9T Pro I've found for $450 Do you know why? I know that it supports an extra baseband but it really worth buying the 9T Pro instead the K20 Pro? I can't tell any significant different between them.
Thanks for your help
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I bought mine from AliExpress. Most of the big sellers there offer the option of global or Chinese ROM.
A link to one of the main Xiaomi sellers.
https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/KddobpTK
You'll see they offer both options.

Robbo.5000 said:
I bought mine from AliExpress. Most of the big sellers there offer the option of global or Chinese ROM.
A link to one of the main Xiaomi sellers.
https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/KddobpTK
You'll see they offer both options.
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Thanks for the link! I can't believe that I could not find anything (searching on Aliexpress is a little bit difficult) btw the price is better than the ones that I've found here following other links. Sorry if I'm asking a lot but could you tell me if it's better buying the 9T Pro instead? I will suppose any advantage from the K20 Pro besides the baseband? I'm still wondering why it's more expensive than the K20 Pro. You've mentioned that there are some sellers offering the 9T pro and it's cheaper than the European version. I would be really interested if it's on my budget ($400 max).
Thanks again.

Saulor said:
Thanks for the link! I can't believe that I could not find anything (searching on Aliexpress is a little bit difficult) btw the price is better than the ones that I've found here following other links. Sorry if I'm asking a lot but could you tell me if it's better buying the 9T Pro instead? I will suppose any advantage from the K20 Pro besides the baseband? I'm still wondering why it's more expensive than the K20 Pro. You've mentioned that there are some sellers offering the 9T pro and it's cheaper than the European version. I would be really interested if it's on my budget ($400 max).
Thanks again.
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eGlobalCentral are selling the global (Hong Kong from what I can tell) version. You're talking dollars so I'll guess you're in the US. For some reason the US site is a bit more expensive than the UK site. But both are quite a bit more expensive than the K20 Pro on AliExpress.
Once the global version is more readily available it might become more comparable in price. Maybe the AliExpress sellers will get hold of it soon. Goldway is a Hong Kong based seller on AliExpress so maybe they'll start selling it cheaper.

Robbo.5000 said:
eGlobalCentral are selling the global (Hong Kong from what I can tell) version. You're talking dollars so I'll guess you're in the US. For some reason the US site is a bit more expensive than the UK site. But both are quite a bit more expensive than the K20 Pro on AliExpress.
Once the global version is more readily available it might become more comparable in price. Maybe the AliExpress sellers will get hold of it soon. Goldway is a Hong Kong based seller on AliExpress so maybe they'll start selling it cheaper.
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Oh, got it. Thank you, I will search for that store, And no, I'm not from the US but it's the simplest way for me to refer to money (long story, lol). So I think I will have to choose the K20 if I want to keep my budget, my only concern was, will I be missing something special/important buying K20 Pro instead 9T Pro? I don't mind flashing ROMs so I'm ok with that. If the hardware is the same I will be ok with that. The link that you provided me before, is from a UK store? Because the price is better than the ones that I've found on the US site (I think so, searching on AliExpress is kinda confusing to me).

Saulor said:
Oh, got it. Thank you, I will search for that store, And no, I'm not from the US but it's the simplest way for me to refer to money (long story, lol). So I think I will have to choose the K20 if I want to keep my budget, my only concern was, will I be missing something special/important buying K20 Pro instead 9T Pro? I don't mind flashing ROMs so I'm ok with that. If the hardware is the same I will be ok with that. The link that you provided me before, is from a UK store? Because the price is better than the ones that I've found on the US site (I think so, searching on AliExpress is kinda confusing to me).
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Hardware both phones are identical. The only difference is that the Mi 9T Pro has a few more LTE bands unlocked. So you need to make sure that you won't need the extra bands.
The AliExpress store is Chinese. If you pay for the DHL shipping they guarantee no import duty sending to the EU/UK.

Robbo.5000 said:
Hardware both phones are identical. The only difference is that the Mi 9T Pro has a few more LTE bands unlocked. So you need to make sure that you won't need the extra bands.
The AliExpress store is Chinese. If you pay for the DHL shipping they guarantee no import duty sending to the EU/UK.
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That's what I was thinking but I preferred to confirm, and what about software matter? I mean will both phones have the same software/ROM development? or will it be different? I'm almost sure that the better choice for me (for the moment) is buying the K20 Pro instead the 9T Pro. The extra bands that the 9T Pro offers does not suppose any benefit to me here in my country.
Again thanks, you are so helpful.

Question guys, I'm also looking at buying on Ali. If I buy the one with the chinese rom, will it be as easy to switch to global like previous mi devices?
Or are there any additional requirements?
Thanks in advance!

teddy0209 said:
Question guys, I'm also looking at buying on Ali. If I buy the one with the chinese rom, will it be as easy to switch to global like previous mi devices?
Or are there any additional requirements?
Thanks in advance!
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Yes.
Wait 7 days for the bootloader unlock wait time.
Then flash an official fastboot ROM from a different region.
Just make sure you change the Mi Flash Tool flash option to 'flash all'
Good to go.

Robbo.5000 said:
Yes.
Wait 7 days for the bootloader unlock wait time.
Then flash an official fastboot ROM from a different region.
Just make sure you change the Mi Flash Tool flash option to 'flash all'
Good to go.
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Thanks for the feedback!
If I remember correctly, I waited about 36-72 hrs before. Some mods and beta testers say, status in forum affects it, but it's a shame they closed the forum in favor of the mi community. But as long as it can be unlocked, that's fine I guess.
Thanks again! ???

This thread was really good, now i understand why my global phone came unlocked... I definitely want to lock and unlock my bootloader to get my device associated to my mi account (and prevent a bricked phone) . Does anybody know how is the right way to do this?
Thanks

thiagodark said:
Thia thread was really good, nos i understand why my global phone came unlocked... I definitily want to lock and unlock my bootloader to get my deviced associated to my mi account (and prevent a bricked phone) . Does anybody know how is the right way to do this?
Thanks
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Download the official fastboot ROM for your phone. I assume it's a Chinese K20 Pro, so make sure it's a Chinese ROM.
Flash the ROM with the Mi Flash Tool and leave the flash option as 'clean all and lock'.
You must make sure that the ROM is for the same region as the phone before doing this.
After doing this follow the standard unlock process.

Question How can I change global redmi note 12 pro+ (without BL unlock)

Help me please?
How many method is there to change global in xiaomi?

Since your question is not explicit, you cannot change version (Global to EEA or others, etc.) or downgrade without unlocking the bootloader.
To summarize you can only update the installed version.

Now I am using this phone with china version. I bought it from china. But I don't like this version and I don't want to unlock bootloader. so I am finding other methods like hardware method(redmi 8a). But I am not a phone repairman.
Is there any other methods for rubypro? I really want to know.
(note: sorry for my eng skill)

William_Moe said:
Now I am using this phone with china version. I bought it from china. But I don't like this version and I don't want to unlock bootloader. so I am finding other methods like hardware method(redmi 8a). But I am not a phone repairman.
Is there any other methods for rubypro? I really want to know.
(note: sorry for my eng skill)
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Click to collapse
The price of the motherboard and the labor will cost you relatively expensive and provided you find the part.
Edit:
Anyway you bought a Chinese version with soc Mediatek and:
Few or no development for the Mediatek soc
Impossible to re-lock the bootloader with a rom of a different version than Chinese.

NOSS8 said:
The price of the motherboard and the labor will cost you relatively expensive and provided you find the part.
Edit:
Anyway you bought a Chinese version with soc Mediatek and:
Few or no development for the Mediatek soc
Impossible to re-lock the bootloader with a rom of a different version than Chinese.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks bro.

William_Moe said:
Now I am using this phone with china version. I bought it from china. But I don't like this version and I don't want to unlock bootloader. so I am finding other methods like hardware method(redmi 8a). But I am not a phone repairman.
Is there any other methods for rubypro? I really want to know.
(note: sorry for my eng skill)
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Click to collapse
Since you have china version even if you installed global rom on locked bl , it will stuck in mi recovery and won't boot

santoshhh000 said:
Since you have china version even if you installed global rom on locked bl , it will stuck in mi recovery and won't boot
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Nope, xiaomi Eu rom provided roms for the 3 models.
Community-funded MediaTek Support
We have launched a community-funded initiative to support select MediaTek Dimensity devices. The details are in the "About" section of the Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/xiaomieu
xiaomi.eu

NOSS8 said:
Nope, xiaomi Eu rom provided roms for the 3 models.
Community-funded MediaTek Support
We have launched a community-funded initiative to support select MediaTek Dimensity devices. The details are in the "About" section of the Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/xiaomieu
xiaomi.eu
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You tagged wrong person i guess

santoshhh000 said:
You tagged wrong person i guess
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If you install a golbal stock rom on a Chinese device and re-lock the bootloader, the phone is bricked.
You can't do this on a locked bootloader.
Global stock roms work on Chinese device and Xiaomi Eu rom as well.

NOSS8 said:
If you install a golbal stock rom on a Chinese device and re-lock the bootloader, the phone is bricked.
You can't do this on a locked bootloader.
Global stock roms work on Chinese device and Xiaomi Eu rom as well.
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Didn't i said the same... He will be stuck in miui recovery with a message "This MIUI version can't be installed on this device""
And u can't unlock bl (In this device case as we have mtk exploit still working we can flash via sptool)

the OP concerned the change of version not an update. who will download a global rom for it installed on a Cn rom with a locked bootloader?

NOSS8 said:
the OP concerned the change of version not an update. who will download a global rom for it installed on a Cn rom with a locked bootloader?
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I know that I already replied regarding it