How to distinguish the global version of the firmware from the Chinese one on Xiaomi. What is global firmware and what features are there? We explain Miui Weekly in detail

MIUI 9 global firmware will be released in November . But how to install it on a Xiaomi phone.

There are several update options that can be done both with and without the use of a computer.

New version of MIUI firmware

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First of all, it should be noted that MIUI is an open-source firmware source code, which is based on the Android operating system.

This firmware developed by the Chinese company Xiaomi Tech and designed for smartphones and tablets.

The international version of Miyuai - unlike the local Chinese one - has various Google services installed, as well as support for a large number of languages, including Russian.

Before installing miui9 on Xiaomi, you need to determine whether an update is available for your phone model.

An interesting fact is that miui9 firmware has appeared even for Xiaomi phones from five years ago, which cannot but please the owners of these devices.

Updating to version 9 can significantly improve the performance of mobile phones, which, in fact, corresponds to the slogan for this shell, the translation of which is lightning fast.

During use MIUI9 you understand that this is not an empty word - the devices on which it is installed really work very fast.

Any windows open quite quickly, smoothly and without any hiccups.

Compared with previous version- MIUI8 - there are much fewer glitches, and applications that were previously very slow and even crashed began to work surprisingly stably.

Differences between MIUI9 and MIUI8

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The ninth version has new nice features, one of which is the animation of icons after you exit the application.

There is also the ability to preview widgets before adding them to the home screen.

This function has become much more convenient than in previous shells, which is also good news.

Another feature that strikingly distinguishes MIUI9 from its predecessor is “picture-in-picture”, which allows you not only to perform various actions on the phone, but also to view existing video files at the same time.

Besides, in this system The screen recording function is initially built-in, and the presence of Mi Remote allows you to replace any control panel - be it an air conditioner, TV or fan - wherever there is an IR port.

In general, everything speaks in favor of confidently updating to MIUI9.

VIDEO: Differences between MIUI 8 and MIUI 9

Differences between MIUI 8 and MIUI 9

The main differences between the firmware

Let's figure out how to install MIUI9 on Xiaomi.

Determining the firmware version

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First, you need to decide whether your phone has a firmware version - global stable or global weekly.

This is necessary in order to find out whether it is possible to update or not.

It should be noted that currently only global weekly updates are available.

To find out the firmware version, go to settings mobile device and going down to the very bottom of this menu, click on the item “ About the phone».

In the window that opens there is an item “ MIUI version", opposite which the necessary information is located.

The difference between these versions is as follows - for the weekly version updates come every Friday, and for the global stable version - once a month, and sometimes once every six months.

If the firmware version installed on your phone is global stable, you should first switch to weekly in order to be able to quickly switch to Miui9.

You can also wait for a stable version to be released over the air.

In order to make the transition, it is necessary to perform a number of specific actions.

You need to go to the MIUI forum, the icon of which is present on the main or additional screen of your mobile device.

If the system notifies you that the application needs to be updated, " MIUI forum“- update it, especially since it won’t take much time.

Having found the point where it will be written - MIUI9 Global Beta ROM 7.8.24 Released: Full Changelog and Download Links! - click on it and in the window that opens, search and select your Xiaomi phone model.

For each model there are two possible installations available update - Fastboot and Recovery.

Firmware using a computer

Read also: Fastboot Mode in Android. What kind of animal is this? Step-by-step instruction

If you select the first option - Fastboot - you will need to download all the files necessary to install the update to your computer.

First of all, make sure that the bootloader on your phone is unlocked, which will allow you to install an update to the existing firmware.

If you decide to flash your phone using the function Recovery- you must perform the following steps.

Using a computer, you should log into the official MIUI website and select your smartphone model from the list of devices present.

After that, go to the section Developer ROM, which makes it possible to download everything necessary to install the weekly firmware MIUI9.

After that, click on the line Full ROM pack, located in the same section - Developer ROM - and download this pack to your phone.

All these files are needed to first update a phone with the MIUI8 global stable firmware version to the global weekly version, and then install the update to MIUI9.

Transition from the Global version to the weekly version

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The first thing you should do is install the update file to the MIUI8 weekly version.

After launch, the decryption process will begin, which takes a decent amount of time, and upon completion, the system will remind you that all your data will be completely deleted during the update.

If necessary, you can easily make backup copies of them in advance.

After you click the " Clean and update" - the update process will start.

After its completion, you will need to select the system language and make the necessary initial settings phone, such as selecting a country, connecting the device to the network, and so on - everything you did when launching a new device.

By entering all the data that the updated system will require and then going to the phone settings, you will see that information about the installed weekly firmware will be displayed in the line with the MIUI version.

The products manufactured by Xiaomi for the domestic market differ from the export version. Let's figure out how to distinguish the global version from the Chinese one and what firmware versions exist.

Main differences

Types of firmware for Xiaomi

There are only 2 types of firmware:

  1. Global ROM
  2. China ROM

Global ROM

The global firmware has been translated into many languages ​​and is intended for the European market. Of course, it supports the Russian language and has a full translation of all menu items. Its name contains the words “Global” or “Global” and the letters MI. Example: " MIUI Global 9.2 Stable 9.2.2.0 (MAL MI EK)".

China ROM

This version is exclusively for the Chinese domestic market. As mentioned above, it only supports Chinese and English languages. There are many services installed here that do not work in other countries. The name contains letters CN. Example: “MIUI 8.2 | Stable 8.2.6.0 (MAD CN DL)".

In turn, these firmwares are divided into 3 types:

  1. MIUI Developer ROM
  2. MIUI Stable ROM
  3. MIUI Ported ROM

Let's take a closer look at them.

MIUI Developer ROM

Developer is translated as developer. This firmware includes all the innovations and functions that are not available to most ordinary users. It is needed precisely for testing all these innovations, so it often has many shortcomings and bugs. Updated every week. Its name is formed by the release date, for example: “MIUI9 7.10.8 "- released in 2017 on the 10th of the month (October) on the 8th.

MIUI Stable ROM

Stable version. Almost all functions here have already been tested and work perfectly. These are the firmwares installed in smartphones for sale. They do not have a clear update schedule. The title contains the word Stable or Stable.

MIUI Ported ROM

These are mostly custom builds from third-party developers. They are not official, but this does not mean low quality. Some are done very well and work without errors. As a rule, they are released for markets where there is no support for the global version. You can tell the difference by how the device is loaded: most often the logo of the team that worked on the firmware appears.

How to view the firmware version

To do this, go to Settings > About the phone > MIUI version

For new users Xiaomi smartphones and just newcomers to MIUI are often unclear about the types of firmware, their differences and why there are so many types of them at all. Therefore, many users simply do not update their devices or, on the contrary, wait for firmware updates that will never be updated. Questions on this topic take up the lion's share of all the questions we receive.

In this article we decided to conduct short review MIUI firmware and help you understand the whole variety of firmware, so that in the future you will know what it is “weekly”, “homemade” and what to expect from the firmware. So, let's remember our school notes. All MIUI firmware is divided into several types and subtypes.

BY ORIGIN

Initially, MIUI is presented in two versions: English-Chinese (China ROM) And global (Global ROM).

China ROM, "Anglo-Chinese" The version is focused on China and is equipped with various functions and software relevant only for China. Of the available languages, only English and Chinese are represented in it, as is clear from the name. We are not interested in her.

Global ROM, she's the same "Global", "Multilingual" in turn, is aimed at users outside of China and is not supplied with services for China, but on the contrary, they are installed Google services. There are many more languages ​​available, including Russian and Ukrainian.

BY TYPE

Developer ROM, she's the same “Weekly”, “Developer”, "Beta". The developer firmware is the most current and innovative, as it receives all the innovations first. This firmware is official from Xiaomi itself and primarily it was created for advanced users to test innovations. It is updated every week, usually on Friday, with the exception of Chinese holidays and the presence of serious bugs, when the developers delay the release of the update. However, don't be alarmed if you encounter an error; most likely, it will be fixed by next Friday. And many users use the weekly firmware without worrying about bugs.

The name of the developer firmware release is the date of its release. For example, latest firmware is now called MIUI 8 6.11.3, which means it was released on November 3, 2016. The first digit is the year, the second is the month, the third is the day.

Stable ROM, she's the same “Stable”. This firmware, like the Weekly one, is official and released by the MIUI development team at Xiaomi. It is the main assembly and is a kind of standard: it is stable, all functions are debugged and optimized, all bugs that are found in the weekly firmware are fixed. It is recommended to install it if you do not strive for all the innovations and associated bugs, but you need stable operation of the system without surprises. The name of stable firmware versions is not tied to the release date, but to the accumulated updates, so it is updated irregularly. Updates can come either once every two weeks or once every three months.

Ported ROM, she's the same “Custom”, “Unofficial”. Custom builds include various localized versions from third-party development teams, enthusiast builds, and firmware versions for smartphones from other smartphone brands. Custom builds are always based on the Stable or Weekly official builds. They can also be updated either once a week or at longer intervals. Many Custom builds are not updated over the air, so you will have to install them yourself each time.

Samopal ROM- this is a kind of subspecies, an offshoot from Custom firmware. We apologize for such a free interpretation of the names of these “versions” of the firmware, however, in Lately there are more of them and unscrupulous sellers they do not hesitate to install them on the smartphones of gullible customers. Basically, these are homemade firmware with disgusting translation, frequent errors and ubiquitous bugs. The stable operation of such firmware is absolutely not guaranteed and often spoils the impression of the device. It is always recommended to install assemblies of the first three types, or better yet, just Stable.

Other firmware versions. There are several other types of firmware that are no longer so common. TD ROM And WCDMA ROM- firmware created for a specific type of communication in a specific country. For example, the TD version was created for the same type of 3G connection only in China. Phones with TD ROM will work only within China, and in our region they will be of little more than zero use. Phones with WCDMA ROM created for 3G communications, widespread throughout the world. However, there are some varieties such as WCDMA HK, WCDMA Singapore, WCDMA Taiwan, WCDMA Malaysia, which also will not work outside these countries.

TO SIZE

Full ROM, aka “Full firmware package”. This is a complete firmware file that is usually used when installing software from scratch or for the first time. Also, installing firmware by downloading the full package often helps eliminate some errors that were previously in the device. Full version The firmware includes all applications and services, even those that did not change in the update. Usually full package updates weigh from 600 MB to 2 GB.

Incremental ROM, aka “OTA update”, “Renewal”. Includes only new files, as well as updates, fixes and additions. Typically, this is the kind of update that comes to devices via OTA (over the air). Such updates, as a rule, are not significant and weigh from 20 MB to 200 MB.

Thus, you receive both Developer firmware and Stable firmware in the form of an OTA update, and if you wish, you can download the full firmware package from standard application Updater of your device.

UPDATE

Official (global, English-Chinese / weekly, stable) firmware is always updated over the air, except in cases of incorrect installation or any other incorrect user actions that could lead to damage system files. In case your official firmware does not want to update, you need to install the firmware in manual mode. You can download official and some custom builds of MIUI from the official MIUI forum → here. Look for other firmware on non-specialized forums.

Custom firmware for the most part is not updated over the air, but requires manual installation. If your bootloader is correctly unlocked, some custom builds will receive over-the-air updates.

And, most importantly. Firmware updates occur only and only within one build. That is, you will not be able to update over the air to stable firmware if you have weekly installed and vice versa. But in some cases you can switch through your phone from weekly to stable and vice versa.

Most users want to receive the latest news on their phone, enjoy the new features that have been released, and this is where Developer ROM comes to the rescue. This firmware is radically different from the boring purely Chinese versions. But how to install developer (weekly) firmware on Xiaomi on your own, how long will it take and what will be the result?

Developer firmware: what is it?

Developer ROM is developed by MIUI, and is intended for use on Xiaomi devices. Its name speaks for itself - weekly. This is the main advantage of the firmware, because it was made primarily for testing. Updates come out strictly every week and add more and more to your smartphone useful functions, but bugs are not excluded.

A factory version like this is quite rare to find on phones. Most often, it requires a separate installation after purchasing the device. And this, of course, should be done if you are not afraid of minor problems at work operating system. After all, what are unexpected innovations? This is a developer firmware that allows its users to receive interesting and amazing updates before anyone else.

These are the most contrasting versions of MIUI. perfectly tuned, it contains a minimum of errors, malfunctions and useless functions. But the real problems are with the updates. No one guarantees a stable release of improvements, so changes in firmware sometimes have to wait up to two months.

In Developer ROM everything is completely different: constant progressiveness, current new products and required release of updates. But the quality may suffer, no one excludes possible problems, ranging from ordinary freezes to quite serious bugs.

A small summary from our website: stable firmware means comfort, reliability and peace of mind, and weekly firmware means bursting loud new products, but lack of stability. Both versions are unique and perfect in their own way, and best MIUI selected individually each user.

How to install developer firmware

As we already understood, weekly updatedecent option, but how to switch to it? Since it is official, it is not required in most cases. But Developer ROM is an ideal environment for installing custom firmware, and it already requires an active bootloader, which you can read about working with in our separate article.

  1. We begin preparations for installation, for this purpose there must be important materials, otherwise we risk losing them forever.
  2. Now let's go to official siteMIUI, select the model of your device, then click “Developer ROM” and “Download”. The download of the file begins, the average size of which is 1 gigabyte.

Note! The site must be in English or Chinese, which indicates its authenticity. Found a Russian-language server? Most likely it's a fake. For convenience, you can simply use Google translator manually.

  1. Once the download is completed successfully, . Standard way transfer the downloaded archive to the phone folder called "downloaded_rom".
  2. After this, you can safely disconnect the device from the PC.
  3. Now open “Settings”, look for the “System Updates” item or immediately go to the “Updates” application from the main screen.
  4. Click on the ellipsis, indicate the path to the downloaded file and click “OK”. Made. After these steps, the installation of the developer firmware should automatically begin.

Unfortunately, it is not always possible to install new firmware using this method. If the notification “The firmware file has not been verified” appears, then you should download an earlier version and try again. Doesn't work again? Then, alas, the method through “Settings” does not suit your smartphone and the only solution is to “implant” the Developer ROM into the operating system using special program MiFlash.

Another very important fact: if you initially have stable firmware on your smartphone, use the above method to update it to weekly impossible! Only the official Chinese version and, in some cases, global firmware are suitable.

Video instruction

Tired of constant custom firmware, due to which the operating system does not work correctly, tired of Chinese versions with the absence of Google and a small selection of languages? In this case, the ideal solution would be Global ROM. But how to install global firmware on Xiaomi, do it quickly and not harm your phone? How to permanently reflash a device? Let's figure it out.

The difference between stable firmware and global firmware

Multilingual version known throughout the world for being manufactured for use outside of China and targeting most countries. It's already in there absolutely all services are installedGoogle, may be present social network Facebook, Twitter. The significant diversity of languages ​​is pleasing; there is both Russian and Ukrainian. In a word, they are inventing it specifically for foreign users, and several companies can work on such firmware.

Stable version is manufactured by one specific developer, in our case it is Xiaomi. Use is also permitted on the territory of the Middle Kingdom. The name of the firmware speaks for itself: coordinated work, optimized functions, minimum bugs, but there is a downside, and quite a significant one - interruptions in the release of updates. If Global ROM suffers from this quite rarely, then for Stable ROM this is a typical situation. Updates can come out, for example, five times a week, which has a negative impact on the smartphone, or they can take up to two months.

Determining the installed firmware on the smartphone

Your smartphone may already be equipped with high-quality firmware. You can find out this yourself without any problems. To do this, go to “ Settings", scroll the page to the very bottom and see the item " About the phone" We get into a new window, where we pay attention to the section “ VersionMIUI».

Now let's look at the information we received:

We see "MIUI Stable" means you have stable firmware. But it could also be Chinese, which negatively affects the performance of the smartphone, since most of the available factory applications are intended for use in China. Problems arise with the language: only English or Chinese.

If we want to avoid such firmware, pay attention to the adjacent word. It contains letters CN, for example, "MAD CN DL"? In this case, this is the Chinese version, which will bring much more discomfort to the user than benefits.

We see " MIUI Global"and the letters MI means you already have global firmware, which according to certain criteria is the best in the world. But it is also divided into several subcategories, as we read below.

Types of global firmware

There are three types of Global firmware:

  • Stable ROM: stable global firmware, present on almost all modern phones. It is factory-installed; smartphones with this version can be purchased at any store. It works perfectly, allows the installation of r, very rarely problems with the operating system have been noticed. An ideal solution for users who do not like to carry out lengthy operations on a smartphone and have a beginner/intermediate level of technical knowledge. Updates don't come out often, but they do appear.

It should not be confused with regular stable firmware, which can work independently, without the support of Global. The stable version described above is precisely a subcategory of the global one, but not a separate type.

  • Developer ROM: version made primarily for developers. It is updated weekly, has only the latest features and innovations, but is not without bugs. This is precisely its main drawback. This firmware ideal for testing in companies, but we do not recommend it to ordinary users.
  • Ported ROM: unofficial firmware, developed by third parties. Sometimes small companies do it, but maybe one person, then a similar version is called copyright. Of course, this subcategory has its advantages, it can work great and delight the owner, but you should switch to Potred ROM with caution. No one can rule out virus infection, theft of important data, Mi account hacking, etc.!

Installing new firmware with a locked bootloader on Xiaomi

Installing global firmware – the process is not easy, but if you approach it with care and caution, the result will please you. In fact, you can do this with a locked bootloader. We will try to carry out this procedure without third party applications and computer use. All we need is a smartphone and Internet access.

  1. Download the desired firmware from the official MIUI website in .zip format. You can download directly from your phone, if the Internet speed allows, or use.
  2. Now open it on your device system application“Update”, we see three dots near the upper right corner, click there.
  3. The message “Open a new firmware file” appears. Specify the path to the downloaded zip archive.
  4. The smartphone reboots and begins the installation process.

This method seems very simple and fast, but it does not always work. In addition, if the phone initially has the official Chinese firmware, you won’t be able to install Global through “Settings”. Only official versions receive a favorable result, that is, no custom or original products will pass. Unfortunately, the Stable ROM will not be updated to the Developer ROM.

Install the firmware using MiFlash (unlocked bootloader)

This the most optimal, proven and high-quality method. Here you can no longer do without an unlocked bootloader.

Preparing and working with a computer

Before proceeding with the operation and connecting your smartphone, you should perform several steps on your PC:

  1. Be sure to disable driver authentication. The downloaded MiFlash program will install several of its drivers, and to prevent Windows from conflicting with them and slowing down its work, you need to remove this function from it. Everything is done as follows: hold down “Shift” on the keyboard and click “Restart” through “Start”. The computer does not turn off; instead, after a few seconds we find ourselves in a new blue window with advanced system settings.

The menu offers three items: “ Continue” – that is, return to work; " Diagnostics» – the same internal settings; And " Switch off"- a standard restart or shutdown of the operating system occurs. Click on " Diagnostics" Now " Extra options" We see a list of options. The mouse no longer works in this section, so use the F7 key to select "Disable mandatory driver signature verification". Made.

  1. Download the firmware directly. The best way to do this is to use the official MIUI website. It must have .tgz permission. If the first letter is missing, simply rename the format.

Launching the MiFlash program

  1. Download it from the official source, unpack the archive into the “Android” folder located on system disk C.
  2. Do the same with the previously downloaded firmware.
  3. Run the utility and agree to the installation of additional drivers by clicking “Next”.
  4. Wait a while until the files are successfully extracted. It is possible to monitor the process in real time. As soon as you receive a notification about the successful completion of the process, you can exit the program window using the “End” button.

Preparing and working with the phone

Now we begin to carry out necessary actions with a smartphone. This is the last step to flash the firmware.

  1. The device must have root rights. How to get them - read our article of the same name. Also at the time of flashing the charge should not fall below 40-30%, since the processes put a lot of stress on the battery, and it discharges faster, and the forced shutdown of the phone in the midst of “implantation” new firmware may have a negative impact on all future work.
  2. Turn off the smartphone, and after a minute turn it on fastboot mode . To do this, hold down the power key and the volume rocker towards decreasing the sound.
  3. We connect the smartphone to the computer. Please note that the cord is in perfect condition, there are no broken wires, scratches or cracks, otherwise the connection may not occur. The best thing use factory USB cable, included with the phone.
  4. Let's launch command line on PC, but be sure to administrator mode. Next, go to the directory that appeared as a result of installing the program.
  5. We check the coordinated operation of the phone and computer. If the message “Waiting for connection” is displayed, it means that the contact has not occurred. In this case, you should update drivers, check the serviceability of the wire.
  6. Now with the help of a special command fastboot oem We transfer the device to “Emergency boot mode”. Don't be scared, there's nothing scary or extreme. Synchronization between devices has been completed successfully.

Xiaomi phone firmware

And the finale of the procedure, which, oddly enough, has a minimum of actions, is simple and clear.

  1. Open the MiFlash program, click “Refresh” on the right side of the window and indicate the path to the folder where the previously downloaded firmware is located.
  2. Now we are asked whether we want to delete all data from the smartphone or save it. The first option is preferable, since then the chance of successful installation of the global version is much higher. We tick the selected item at the very bottom of the page.
  3. Click "Flash". And the independent process of flashing begins. Its speed depends on many factors: the speed of the phone, the health of the USB cable, etc. Time of up to an hour is considered normal.

The first startup after the firmware will take quite a long time, it can take up to half an hour, so don’t panic. If the download window hangs on your phone for more than 40 minutes, you should connect the device to charger And wait a few hours.

If you see that more than 2-3 hours have passed and the phone does not turn on, it means you installed the firmware incorrectly, describe your actions in the comments. If you do not want to understand the problem, you must immediately contact service center, since this is a signal of a malfunction.

As soon as the installation begins, do not press any buttons on your smartphone, even the volume rocker should not be touched. Also try to stop using the computer during this period.

On a PC, it is advisable to close all windows and minimize heavy system processes, if possible, disable antiviruses. It is strictly not recommended to carry out such an operation in an extremely hot season, because the temperature of the devices is already above the normal level, and to cool down they are often turned off. Forced shutdown of devices during flashing can lead to quite serious problems.

Video instruction

Answers to popular questions

Unfortunately, the power went out and the PC turned off during the firmware process. So what's now?

We warned about such situations in the article. Just try to turn it on Personal Computer without disconnecting it from the phone. If a little time has passed, the process will resume itself. But the personal computer may have already disabled these tasks. It will work in the same normal mode, but there may be problems with the smartphone that only an experienced technician can solve. As an option, we advise you to try to install new firmware in the last unfavorable case.