Hello,
I'm thinking of purchasing a Pocophone after using iPhones for the last 10 years - I've never used an Android device before. I'm really looking for a stock Android experience (I really dislike bloat and vendor customizations in general) and I am a bit confused by all the conflicting information regarding custom roms.
Basically I want to have the Pocophone with the Pixel Experience custom rom with the minimum amount of problems possible. Here's what I've gathered so far:
- I'd need to unlock the bootloader (takes three days) so I can replace it with TWRP.
- I then have to get into TWRP, wipe everything on the device and tell it to install the custom rom .zip file
My questions are:
- I already created my Mi account and downloaded the unlock tool from Xiaomi's website. Do I still need to wait three days after I get the actual phone?
- Do I need to do anything else in this process? I've read some stuff about vendor firmware, disabling encryption, formatting the device after installing the custom rom... is any of this necessary? What else do I need to know?
- If a new version of Pixel Experience is released and I want to update it, what is the process that I have to go through? Can I update/upgrade it without losing my data?
- I've read that some applications, such as Netflix, do not work and/or don't even show up on the play store. Is this true? How can you fix it?
Any and all clarification on this matter would be greatly appreciated.
lixoman100 said:
Hello,
I'm thinking of purchasing a Pocophone after using iPhones for the last 10 years - I've never used an Android device before. I'm really looking for a stock Android experience (I really dislike bloat and vendor customizations in general) and I am a bit confused by all the conflicting information regarding custom roms.
Basically I want to have the Pocophone with the Pixel Experience custom rom with the minimum amount of problems possible. Here's what I've gathered so far:
- I'd need to unlock the bootloader (takes three days) so I can replace it with TWRP.
- I then have to get into TWRP, wipe everything on the device and tell it to install the custom rom .zip file
My questions are:
- I already created my Mi account and downloaded the unlock tool from Xiaomi's website. Do I still need to wait three days after I get the actual phone?
- Do I need to do anything else in this process? I've read some stuff about vendor firmware, disabling encryption, formatting the device after installing the custom rom... is any of this necessary? What else do I need to know?
- If a new version of Pixel Experience is released and I want to update it, what is the process that I have to go through? Can I update/upgrade it without losing my data?
- I've read that some applications, such as Netflix, do not work and/or don't even show up on the play store. Is this true? How can you fix it?
Any and all clarification on this matter would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Yes. After binding the device with your mi account and apply for the bootloader unlock using the MiFlash tool, you need to wait for 72 hours. It will reflect on MiUnlock tool as well.
2. Just download the latest TWRP from here and flash it (Link: https://forum.xda-developers.com/poco-f1/development/recovery-twrp-3-2-3-decryption-t3853004) and no need to flash DFE (Disable ForceEncryption). Don't worry about it being unofficial. Even though it's unofficial, it is the best solution for us as of now.
A piece of advice: Never use a decrypted device if you are concerned about the security of your device. Infact, never flash anything suggested by anyone without cross checking the authenticity of the file. You will come across many users suggesting you to flash this and that when the fact is,they are afraid to try on their own and rather want you to be the guinea pig.
3. When a new update comes in, you will get notified automatically. Or there is an option on settings to check for new updates. Just download the update and dirty flash it on TWRP (Dirty flash is flashing without wiping any other partition except /Cache and /Dalvik). However, sometimes when a ROM gets some major changes, you should clean flash it in order to avoid any possible issue. But if it is required, it will be mentioned by the developer (which means you need to be active on XDA to see the developer's note).
4. Netflix doesn't show up only if the Play store (and the device in terms) is "Uncertified", however on PE, play store is already certified as it is using the fingerprint of Pixel 3 in order to pass safetynet. So, don't worry about it. If you still can't see certain apps on Play store after flashing PE, just download them from apkmirror and sideload them. APKmirror is a legit place and doesn't support pirated/cracked or malware apps.
Rowdyy Ronnie said:
1. Yes. After binding the device with your mi account and apply for the bootloader unlock using the MiFlash tool, you need to wait for 72 hours. It will reflect on MiUnlock tool as well.
2. Just download the latest TWRP from here and flash it (Link: https://forum.xda-developers.com/poco-f1/development/recovery-twrp-3-2-3-decryption-t3853004) and no need to flash DFE (Disable ForceEncryption). Don't worry about it being unofficial. Even though it's unofficial, it is the best solution for us as of now.
A piece of advice: Never use a decrypted device if you are concerned about the security of your device. Infact, never flash anything suggested by anyone without cross checking the authenticity of the file. You will come across many users suggesting you to flash this and that when the fact is,they are afraid to try on their own and rather want you to be the guinea pig.
3. When a new update comes in, you will get notified automatically. Or there is an option on settings to check for new updates. Just download the update and dirty flash it on TWRP (Dirty flash is flashing without wiping any other partition except /Cache and /Dalvik). However, sometimes when a ROM gets some major changes, you should clean flash it in order to avoid any possible issue. But if it is required, it will be mentioned by the developer (which means you need to be active on XDA to see the developer's note).
4. Netflix doesn't show up only if the Play store (and the device in terms) is "Uncertified", however on PE, play store is already certified as it is using the fingerprint of Pixel 3 in order to pass safetynet. So, don't worry about it. If you still can't see certain apps on Play store after flashing PE, just download them from apkmirror and sideload them. APKmirror is a legit place and doesn't support pirated/cracked or malware apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for all the detailed information. One last question, I've heard of problems of Pocophone not supporting Widevine L3 which caused Netflix (and others) to stream at a lower quality, and I've read somewhere that Xiaomi might be trying to get that problem fixed. Would this problem affect Pixel Experience if I had it installed on the Pocophone? If so, and Xiaomi fixed the issue in an update, would I be able to get the fix without reverting back to the stock rom?
lixoman100 said:
Thank you for all the detailed information. One last question, I've heard of problems of Pocophone not supporting Widevine L3 which caused Netflix (and others) to stream at a lower quality, and I've read somewhere that Xiaomi might be trying to get that problem fixed. Would this problem affect Pixel Experience if I had it installed on the Pocophone? If so, and Xiaomi fixed the issue in an update, would I be able to get the fix without reverting back to the stock rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be honest, I still don't believe when Xiaomi says they will make Poco widevine L3 supported. If they do something like this, it will be amazing. But till then, I won't believe them. And 540p is not that bad anyway. If the device had an AMOLED display, you would realize that 540p is actually quite good which doesn't consume lot of data and still gives a pleasurable viewing experience. And if Xiaomi manages to rollout supoort for WV L3, all other custom ROMs need yo depend on Xiaomi if they release the source code. Just like Xiaomi didn't release the source code of their face unlock feature. Hence, custom roms are using Google face unlock which is a disaster.
Rowdyy Ronnie said:
To be honest, I still don't believe when Xiaomi says they will make Poco widevine L3 supported. If they do something like this, it will be amazing. But till then, I won't believe them. And 540p is not that bad anyway. If the device had an AMOLED display, you would realize that 540p is actually quite good which doesn't consume lot of data and still gives a pleasurable viewing experience. And if Xiaomi manages to rollout supoort for WV L3, all other custom ROMs need yo depend on Xiaomi if they release the source code. Just like Xiaomi didn't release the source code of their face unlock feature. Hence, custom roms are using Google face unlock which is a disaster.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you again for all the information :good:
Have a nice day.
Related
Hey guys,
so I thought about getting a Redmi note 3 Pro since my wileyfox swift broke.
I am a person that "needs" his phone rooted for adaway and viper audio. I also like CyanogenMod a lot.
After reading through a lot of threds here I got kind of confused and I am really sorry for the dumb questions following.
So what exactly do I have to do to get my phone unlocked rooted and maybe install CM (if it is stable enough).
And there seem to be quite many MIUI Roms out there. what is the difference between all these "global", "eu" and stable or developer versions?
Thanks in advance.
EDIT: Also I read that I can change MIUI Roms with locked bootloader. Can someone explain this?
First the firmware
Global rom is intended for worldwide use (has google play store installed, and other google apps)
China rom is for the chinese and has mostly china specific apps / china app store
Developer rom is usually the latest MIUI version so it could be buggy and is intended for testing
Stable rom is been thoroughly tested and is thought to be the most stable and reliable rom.
Vendor rom is a very stable rom given to sellers to flash for international buyers, most users would never notice, however for enthusiasts it can cause problems getting the device unlocked since it's not identified by the unlock tool, causing users to have to go through a semi-difficult process getting it back to the stable or developer firmware so we can properly unlock it.
(if you do buy one I suggest you ask them to send one with the Chinese firmware since they are easier to flash and unlock)
then there is the eu/smiui roms which are built form the official source but they are 3rd party firmwares, just compiled by someone else maybe with additional features or tweaks.
For the bootloader there is several ways to unofficially unlock it but they are risky, I won't go into that since it should be only as a last resort.
to request xiaomi to unlock your device you go to this website
http://en.miui.com/unlock/
fill out the required information, sign up for an account (you need to use a phone number you can receive sms messages on), and in a few days they usually grant permission, remember your username / email and password since you will need it later when you unlock it., then download the unlock tool, boot your phone to fast boot and then press unlock on the tool, and it should unlock (unless you have the troublesome vendor firmware), if unlocked now you can install twrp / cm13 / root / xposed ..etc
--
you can flash the official miui roms with the locked bootloader
Just to add, if you get an international version of the phone (Special Edition, codename Kate) then the bootloader unlock process does not seem to work at all. I had to resort to an unofficial unlock after trying for over a week (and I'm not new to this).
I would wait. I rely on my phone and mine stopped charging after 10 days. Followed all the silly guides about flashing this, flashing that. Only time phone is recognised is in fast boot mode but no charge. Now my phone is dead and Xiaomi support is nowhere to be seen. They said they will contact me in 24h and its been 3 days.
If you really rely on your phone then please buy a phone that has real customer support. Best case scenario you have to send phone to China and worst case scenario you have to buy a new phone.
otyg said:
Vendor rom is a very stable rom given to sellers to flash for international buyers, most users would never notice, however for enthusiasts it can cause problems getting the device unlocked since it's not identified by the unlock tool, causing users to have to go through a semi-difficult process getting it back to the stable or developer firmware so we can properly unlock it.
(if you do buy one I suggest you ask them to send one with the Chinese firmware since they are easier to flash and unlock)
....
For the bootloader there is several ways to unofficially unlock it but they are risky, I won't go into that since it should be only as a last resort.
to request xiaomi to unlock your device you go to this website
http://en.miui.com/unlock/
....
....boot your phone to fast boot and then press unlock on the tool, and it should unlock (unless you have the troublesome vendor firmware), if unlocked now you can install twrp / cm13 / root / xposed ..etc
--
you can flash the official miui roms with the locked bootloader
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought for my parents 2 Redmi 3 for them to enjoy. I know vendors hinder with the Rom so I usually ask to keep the phone on its original chinese Rom when i buy for myself or for my wife.
However this time I made a mistake thinking that who needs OTA for my parents and i ordered it as it is.
Turned out all google services stops working in the next day whatever I do (reboots, resets, formats, etc...).
I tried flashing via updater app the global rom, it failed.
I tried flashing by rebooting to recovery, it didnt reboot to recovery.
I tried some other stuff which failed.
I downloaded xiaomi unlock tool, signed in, and tried to unlock the bootloader. It didn't work.
I read somehow on miui forums that it's probably a driver issue (something about disabling signature which i'm not familiar with).
Can you please help me?! What to do now? Steps or a guide would be awesome.
Thanks,
Considering this guide was written before the Mi 9T Pro was released, it's time to rewrite it and make it more relevant.
THE BASICS
GETTING PREPARED
-----------------------------------
If you want to tinker with your phone then you'll need some ground work.
If you don't yet have a Mi account, go to https://account.xiaomi.com/pass/register and create a new account. It is important, when unlocking the bootloader, to have your correct phone number registered on your account, so either choose to create the account using a phone number or add the phone number in the security settings of your Mi account afterwards. Make sure the number is verified by the OTP that will be sent.
Make sure you have adb and fastboot tools installed on your PC. These are part of the Android development tools. You can either install the official Android SDK Platform Tools which can be found here https://developer.android.com/studio/releases/platform-tools
Or you can install only adb and fastboot from this xda members project, called minimal adb and fastboot. https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2317790&p=42407269
If you want to know more about these tools then read the minimal adb and fastboot post, you'll find a couple of links that explain both tools in detail.
Install the Mi Unlock Tool. You can find this in the guide I've linked to in the bootloader unlock section below.
Install the Mi Flash Tool. This can be found in the guide I've linked to in the MIUI fastboot flashing section.
Install the drivers for the phone. This is done automatically the first time you connect the phone to PC, so go ahead and connect your phone to your PC and wait until it says the phone is ready for use. At this point the computer should identify the phone correctly as a Redmi K20 Pro.
UNLOCKING THE BOOTLOADER
-------------------------------------------------------
I'll point to 2 guides, both on the new, official Mi Community Forums.
https://c.mi.com/thread-2262302-1-0.html
This first guide is somewhat incomplete, but it does give some good extra information about the bootloader unlocking and has direct links for the Unlock Tool and previous versions. Sometimes using an older version of the tool will resolve unlocking issues.
https://c.mi.com/thread-1857937-1-0.html
This second guide is more complete, but not so well written. Again there is some useful extra info included.
CUSTOM RECOVERIES
---------------------------------------
If you want to flash a custom ROM or root the phone, then you'll need to install a custom recovery. Your only realistic option here is TWRP, however TWRP comes in many flavours. (Before anyone corrects me and says what about Orange Fox? This is, underneath it all, still a heavily modified version of TWRP) For a brief overview of what TWRP is, I'll point you to the official TWRP page which answers that very question https://twrp.me/faq/whatistwrp.html
I should point out that MIUI will check on every boot whether the recovery partition has been modified. If it thinks it has, then the boot process will automatically restore the system recovery. In order to keep TWRP you will need to either flash a custom ROM, or make MIUI stop restoring system recovery on boot up. The most common way to keep TWRP with MIUI is to install Magisk.
If you are planning on using custom ROMs, then I would recommend the official TWRP, or the current 'dev' version from the official maintainer both are found here.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/k2...icial-twrp-xiaomi-redmi-t3944363/post79823568
If you plan on sticking with MIUI, then there are a number of TWRP options that have additional functionality specific to Xiaomi devices - e.g. MIUI debloat scripts.
Many of these tend to be from Chinese, Russian and Indian developers, where Xiaomi phones are most popular. A selection of them can be found here.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/k2...irmware-10-3-8-0-9-6-13-t3939647/post79726515
Personally I don't use MIUI so haven't used these much, however OrangeFox seems to have some unique extra functions, like being able to survive OTA updates. So I would guess OrangeFox should be the one to recommend for those that choose to stick with MIUI.
ROOT
----------
Magisk has become the main choice for rooting, so use it. If you have problems with root and you're using something other than Magisk, you're going to struggle to get any help.
Magisk also does so much more than root. Check out the very good official documentation here for all you need to know.
It includes flashing instructions, which is the same whether you stick with MIUI or have a custom ROM. https://forum.xda-developers.com/ap...v7-universal-systemless-t3473445/post68966662
INSTALLING THINGS
From here I will assume you have some basic knowledge. I will not list every single step/command. The instructions won't be high level but at mid level giving enough details for those with basic knowledge. Many links in the previous post should give most of the knowledge needed, so there's no need for me to repeat things too much.
Where fastboot commands are given, I will assume you know how to use them i.e. you will open a terminal/command prompt/power shell window and also navigate to the appropriate directory if required.
I will assume you have checked the phone is connected with the
Code:
fastboot devices
command
INSTALLING TWRP
------------------------------
- Put the phone into fastboot mode (power and vol-) and connect to a PC
- On the PC
Code:
fastboot flash recovery TWRP.img
here you will need to replace TWRP.img with the actual file name of the TWRP image file, including the full path details if necessary.
At this point you have successfully installed TWRP, but if you boot into MIUI it will be lost. From here you need to boot immediately into TWRP in order to perform further steps to persist the TWRP installation.
- Whilst still connected to the PC
Code:
fastboot reboot
- Now as soon as you send the above command press and hold volume up on the phone
- Keep holding volume up until TWRP boots.
Now you are ready to do the next step. Depending on what you are doing this is likely to be flashing a custom ROM, installing Magisk or installing Orange Fox.
Reserved 2 - coming soon ish
Reserved 3 - hopefully not too long to wait
Thanks a lot for your time! New to this, because usually i buy Global phones, first time i buy a 100% Chinese one...
Interested in what ROM's you would recommend!
Indian K20 Pro has NFC Chip?
I thought they removed the NFC hardware from the device
Kalp3sh S1NGH said:
Indian K20 Pro has NFC Chip?
I thought they removed the NFC hardware from the device
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Initially that was what many people thought. But after people have flashed the Chinese ROM on an Indian phone, they have found that they've got a working NFC chip.
Sealed Chinese ROM works well after switching the language to English.
1) Update to the latest MIUI
2) Make sure Google Services is enabled
3) Install Google Play from APKMIRROR
4) Install Calendar Sync (make sure set it to autostart)
4) Install Contact Sync (make sure set it to autostart)
5) Install Google Pay, Google, Gmail, Drive, Google Keep, Photos etc
5) Install an English keyboard (I don't think you will like Sogou keyboard)
6) Delete all other bloatwares.
You can almost remove almost all bloatwares without ADB or root, except those of Xiaomi's.
Kalp3sh S1NGH said:
Indian K20 Pro has NFC Chip?
I thought they removed the NFC hardware from the device
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Robbo.5000 said:
Initially that was what many people thought. But after people have flashed the Chinese ROM on an Indian phone, they have found that they've got a working NFC chip.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There seems to be conflicting evidence here. Indian users have reported that they got a working NFC after flashing an official China ROM, but there's a new teardown of an Indian phone which appears to show that the NFC chip is missing.
It may be that some Chinese built phones were shipped over to India to cope with the initial demand, but that's a pure guess.
Robbo.5000 said:
There seems to be conflicting evidence here. Indian users have reported that they got a working NFC after flashing an official China ROM, but there's a new teardown of an Indian phone which appears to show that the NFC chip is missing.
It may be that some Chinese built phones were shipped over to India to cope with the initial demand, but that's a pure guess.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just installed MIUI MS because I was facing some deep sleep issues on the stock ROM.
And there is a setting for NFC but if I enable it, it just turns back off. So maybe my particular device doesn't have the NFC chip.
Hello, in your provided link(second link in bootloading ) it is stated that you don't need TWRP to change ROM. So if I buy a Chinese version of K20 pro and I don't want a custom ROM, just MIUI 10 stable ROM ( I've seen a stable version released in Xiaomi.eu if I understand correctly) from a trusted source, do I need to follow your guide or can I just flash rom or even do it via updater app? This would make it much more easy. Thanks in advance
NoobRookie said:
Hello, in your provided link(second link in bootloading ) it is stated that you don't need TWRP to change ROM. So if I buy a Chinese version of K20 pro and I don't want a custom ROM, just MIUI 10 stable ROM ( I've seen a stable version released in Xiaomi.eu if I understand correctly) from a trusted source, do I need to follow your guide or can I just flash rom or even do it via updater app? This would make it much more easy. Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Xiaomi.eu is a custom rom you need twrp to flash it.
NoobRookie said:
Hello, in your provided link(second link in bootloading ) it is stated that you don't need TWRP to change ROM. So if I buy a Chinese version of K20 pro and I don't want a custom ROM, just MIUI 10 stable ROM ( I've seen a stable version released in Xiaomi.eu if I understand correctly) from a trusted source, do I need to follow your guide or can I just flash rom or even do it via updater app? This would make it much more easy. Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are on an official MIUI stable ROM and checking for an update says you have the latest version, but you know there is a newer version, then you can manually update by following that guide, using the section for updating via the updater app.
If you want to install anything that's not official MIUI, then you need to install that with TWRP.
One last dumb question:if I buy the factory sealed version of the phone with Chinese Rom, will I be able to change it to Global official Rom when it comes out? Or will I just get OTA updates and that's it, no possibility of changing official roms?
NoobRookie said:
One last dumb question:if I buy the factory sealed version of the phone with Chinese Rom, will I be able to change it to Global official Rom when it comes out? Or will I just get OTA updates and that's it, no possibility of changing official roms?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes you can change ROMs. You can flash an official Indian ROM using the Mi Flash Tool. See this post about flashing the Indian ROM https://forum.xda-developers.com/k2...king-flashing-india-rom-t3955129/post80025306
Nobody will know for sure that you can flash an official global ROM until its released, but best guess is that you would be able to.
Well I'm reading this from a galaxy note 4... a sh*t ton has changed, or at least it is very different with non-global phones.
If I understand correctly, the best, most safest way is to buy chinese factory sealed version so you can unlock the bootloader in case you lock it.
Which colour do you guys prefer, I like blue but I watched Frankie Tech video(s) and the red colour looks sick. Oh if you buy blue version will camera light also be blue lol. Gonna check out the other colour in another video.
Btw great guide, will try to stick with this note 4 for one more year as it just works fine!
Can anyone in UK confirm their experience with the signal/bands/carrier.
Windroid-user said:
Well I'm reading this from a galaxy note 4... a sh*t ton has changed, or at least it is very different with non-global phones.
If I understand correctly, the best, most safest way is to buy chinese factory sealed version so you can unlock the bootloader in case you lock it.
Which colour do you guys prefer, I like blue but I watched Frankie Tech video(s) and the red colour looks sick. Oh if you buy blue version will camera light also be blue lol. Gonna check out the other colour in another video.
Btw great guide, will try to stick with this note 4 for one more year as it just works fine!
Can anyone in UK confirm their experience with the signal/bands/carrier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's more a case of Xiaomi doing things different. They have an awkward bootloader unlock process. It needs to be done through their unlock tool, where you need to log in to a Mi account to use it, and that Mi account must already be bound to the phone you want to unlock, and you must have already registered, on the phone, to unlock the phone, using the same Mi account.
I've got the blue phone and yes the lights around the pop-up are blue.
I've not used it in the UK, but it should be fine on EE, Three and Vodafone.
O2 may be hit and miss depending where you are. Originally O2 only used band 20, which is missing from the phone, but a while back they added extra bands, this was in major cities and large towns. I'm not sure if O2 have rolled out these extra bands across more of the country since then.
Robbo.5000 said:
It's more a case of Xiaomi doing things different. They have an awkward bootloader unlock process. It needs to be done through their unlock tool, where you need to log in to a Mi account to use it, and that Mi account must already be bound to the phone you want to unlock, and you must have already registered, on the phone, to unlock the phone, using the same Mi account.
I've got the blue phone and yes the lights around the pop-up are blue.
I've not used it in the UK, but it should be fine on EE, Three and Vodafone.
O2 may be hit and miss depending where you are. Originally O2 only used band 20, which is missing from the phone, but a while back they added extra bands, this was in major cities and large towns. I'm not sure if O2 have rolled out these extra bands across more of the country since then.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply. I have done a bootloader unlock before with the Sony xperia z3 using the official website, but there was no need to have an account linked to it kind of like apple icloud nightmare. Thanks for the info luckily I don't use O2 only Vodafone and three so far (8gb for £9 with three! Secret/hidden deal, no cashback bull). I would probably also go with blue.
That being said... the only benefit of stock China rom is OTA updates compared to "global" rom? I know there are custom roms but want to try out stock first, least bugs and only fair to give it a chance. Just want to build up my knowledge on this before I decide to say goodbye to my note 4. Also the actual global rom is on its way as far as we know?
Windroid-user said:
Thanks for the reply. I have done a bootloader unlock before with the Sony xperia z3 using the official website, but there was no need to have an account linked to it kind of like apple icloud nightmare. Thanks for the info luckily I don't use O2 only Vodafone and three so far (8gb for £9 with three! Secret/hidden deal, no cashback bull). I would probably also go with blue.
That being said... the only benefit of stock China rom is OTA updates compared to "global" rom? I know there are custom roms but want to try out stock first, least bugs and only fair to give it a chance. Just want to build up my knowledge on this before I decide to say goodbye to my note 4. Also the actual global rom is on its way as far as we know?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At the moment there is an official Indian ROM, which is more or less the same as a global ROM, the jury is still out as to whether OTA works OK when flashed on a Chinese phone. It 'should' be OK, but there hasn't been an update to the Indian ROM yet, so nobody has been able to find out for definite.
MIUI isn't without it's bugs. The week I used it there were a couple of issues, and there's a thread just for collating bugs on the Indian ROM.
The global version of the phone, the Mi 9T Pro, should be released in the next couple of months. It's been seen on a Dutch online shopping site in the last week. It was only showing the 2 6GB models, but I've been expecting that, as the Mi 9 never came with 8GB RAM globally. It's €480 for 6/128 GB, so a huge mark up on the Chinese price. Once that's released then official global ROMs will become available
Hello very friendly helping people!
Im a 10 year iPhone user, but over time i came to hate all the restrictions and so i got myself a K30 Ultra and later today it should finally arrive!
Unfortunately i found out that it doesnt check the Google SafetyNet thingy and i can't use Google Pay with it. That kinda sucks, I never thought about stuff like this on iOS, but I'm confident there is a solution for it.
I found out about rooting my device, but it somehow isn't possible because of the Mediatek chip. But then I also found out that apperenty there IS a way to use the program/thingy that makes the phone pass SafetyNet (Magisk) without the need of a custom ROM.
I'm sorry if im confusing words like rooting im very noobish about all this.
So here are my questions in short form:
1. Can I make Google Pay Work in any way on my Redmi K30 Ultra?
2. Does this also affect my banking apps (I'm using DKB and Kontist) and can this be solved, too?
3. Could you link me some guides how to do it?
4. Is there any danger doing it (like deleting my phone if it doesnt work) and is there a possibility to safe my device on the PC or something like this to be safe?
5. Are their any safety concerns doing "it" (not sure what the solution will be) and should I install an anti virus program on the device? I just read about the cerberus trojan and its kinda scary. I think iOS systems were always pretty safe against those.
6. Anything else i need to know?
Thank you so much! I appreciate it a lot that there is a place where i can go to get help on those things! <3
Google Pay and any other banking apps refuse to work when a rooted Android gets detected by them. BTW: SafetyNet API doesn't purely check whether the device's Android is rooted, as the API is designed to check the overall integrity of device's Android.
jwoegerbauer said:
Google Pay and any other banking apps refuse to work when a rooted Android gets detected by them. BTW: SafetyNet API doesn't purely check whether the device's Android is rooted, as the API is designed to check the overall integrity of device's Android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey, thanks for your post!
Are you implying that there is no way around that and its doomed to forever not work on my device?
To clarify things: SafetyNet is run by an app that has implemented this API, it's not run by Android OS itself. Yes, Magisk allows you to lever out this test by manipulating device's fingerprint so you will possibly be able to use Google Pay etc.pp
FYI: Any app not having SafetyNet API implemented easily can check whether Android got rooted / tampered or not. The app simply runs functions like
Code:
isRootNative
isDetectedDevKeys
isDetectedTestKeys
isFoundBusyboxBinary
isFoundDangerousProps
isFoundHooks
isFoundResetprop
isFoundSuBinary
isFoundWrongPathPermission
isFoundXposed
isNotFoundReleaseKeys
isPermissiveSelinux
isSuExists
isMagiskSUExists
isFoundMagisk
isFoundRootCloakingApps
what can't get prevented by Magisk.
jwoegerbauer said:
Yes, Magisk allows you to lever out this test by manipulating device's fingerprint so you will possibly be able to use Google Pay etc.pp
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, perfect. Would you be able to link me to a guide that shows me how to install Magisk on my device? It has a Mediatek chip so a custom ROM isn't possible (as far as I understand).
Mirardt said:
Ok, perfect. Would you be able to link me to a guide that shows me how to install Magisk on my device? It has a Mediatek chip so a custom ROM isn't possible (as far as I understand).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How to install Magisk without a Custom ROM is explained here.
If a Custom ROM like TWRP isn't officially made public for your device then you have to compile TWRP at your own.
This is TWRP and Magisk for the latest firmware on the K30 Ultra. https://mifirm.net/downloadtwrp/166
---------- Post added at 07:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:37 PM ----------
Google Pay on a rooted device with Magisk installed /is/ possible, my Galaxy Note 9 with Dr. Ketan's ROM works with Google Pay and I believe it's due to the CTS Profile fix which is available in its ROM Tool app. So there's going to be some way to make it work with the K30 Ultra.
JaboJG said:
This is TWRP and Magisk for the latest firmware on the K30 Ultra. https://mifirm.net/downloadtwrp/166
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh wow how cool is that, that is custom for the K30 ultra
And do I install that with the guide linked above or do I need some certain skill and experience to do that. It says it isn't tested yet. If I do a mirror of my phone before nothing really bad can happen right?
Google Pay on a rooted device with Magisk installed /is/ possible, my Galaxy Note 9 with Dr. Ketan's ROM works with Google Pay and I believe it's due to the CTS Profile fix which is available in its ROM Tool app. So there's going to be some way to make it work with the K30 Ultra.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice!!!
Yeah the only think that failed SafetyNet Test is the "CTS profile match". But I can't use those roms for my K30 ultra, right, so I just do it with Magisk?
Thanks so much!!
You need to unlock your bootloader with the Mi Unlock tool then flash TWRP over fastboot, and in TWRP make the appropriate backups and flash Magisk. There's many guides and it's relatively straight forward.
K30 Ultra is basically a brand new phone, it's like a month old. It'll be a while but keep an eye on XDA Forums, on the internet, and on YouTube. Somebody will eventually describe or figure out how to fix the CTS Profile.
I think I'm not gonna modify mine and I'll just wear my Apple Watch to use it for contactless payments.
JaboJG said:
You need to unlock your bootloader with the Mi Unlock tool then flash TWRP over fastboot, and in TWRP make the appropriate backups and flash Magisk. There's many guides and it's relatively straight forward.
K30 Ultra is basically a brand new phone, it's like a month old. It'll be a while but keep an eye on XDA Forums, on the internet, and on YouTube. Somebody will eventually describe or figure out how to fix the CTS Profile.
I think I'm not gonna modify mine and I'll just wear my Apple Watch to use it for contactless payments.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Alright, so I read 12384 guides and had a very tiny sense of it. The Mi Unlock tool stopped me, though, and now I'll have to wait another 6 days.
As I understood it, my data will be erased, but can be just be restored by MIUI if backed up before. I'm gonna let you know how it worked after I'll do it in about a week.
Probably I won't have to patience to wait. Google Pay is a really nice to have, but neither voLTE, nor voWifi works on my device, so I for sure have do hack that some weird way, because i have no mobile network at all at home and absolutely need voWifi.
Thank you very much for your kind help! <3
No problem at all.
I'm not sure if Wifi-Calling (voWifi) works with my carrier as I've turned it on with the carrier and in the phone, and it doesn't seem to be making calls over wifi. Not a big deal for me though as I've got Unlimited calls with my carrier.
Please let us know if and when you do flash the TWRP as I'd like feedback before flashing it myself.
Do your banking apps refuse to work or is it only google pay that fails due to the safetynet fail?
JaboJG said:
No problem at all.
I'm not sure if Wifi-Calling (voWifi) works with my carrier as I've turned it on with the carrier and in the phone, and it doesn't seem to be making calls over wifi. Not a big deal for me though as I've got Unlimited calls with my carrier.
Please let us know if and when you do flash the TWRP as I'd like feedback before flashing it myself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, me too, but I have a very bad connection in my flat so I do need voWifi anyway. I will let you know and hope I won't brick my device. But as I understand it, bricking the device just by flashing twrp is very unlikely, right?
MerlijnD said:
Do your banking apps refuse to work or is it only google pay that fails due to the safetynet fail?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only Google Pay, both of my banking apps work perfectly. I couldnt scan the security bar code though, some internal google app wouldn't allow it. So i had to put in both the (very long) idendification and security numbers in manually.
Alright thanks. Another thing im interested in is if Snapchat works when safetynet fails. Did you do any tests regarding that?
MerlijnD said:
Alright thanks. Another thing im interested in is if Snapchat works when safetynet fails. Did you do any tests regarding that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not using Snapchat, but I just installed it and it starts without problems. Didn't made an account though.
So I'm gonna be able to flash twrp and Magisk in exactly 14 hours and have some questions i would really appreciate an answer to <3
Using this: https://mifirm.net/downloadtwrp/166
1. The thing i want to flash first is twrp and it is the file called "recovery.img" in the downloaded folder, is that correct?
2. Just flashing twrp is "relatively" safe and if I do a backup and the device bricks by installing Magsik after, i can recover it through twrp, correct?
3. Should I not install todays new security update to MIUI or does that not matter at all?
edit: 4. Do I need/want to have "USB debugging", "Install via USB" and "USBebugging (Security Settings)" enabled or just "OEM unlocking"?
Thank you so much! I'm very nervous since i didn't read any experiences of rooting the K30 Ultra before and I'm scared of killing it.
Hey Mirardt, good luck. Let us know how you get on!
1. Yeah, you'll use fastboot to flash the recovery.img for TWRP.
2. Do a full backup with TWRP and you should be safe.
3. Doesn't matter, it's just the September Android security update.
4. Yeah turn on USB Debugging and connect your phone to your computer - it will ask you if you want to allow this computer to debug your phone, choose accept and always (or something similar to those words.) Do this before flashing TWRP.
Mirardt said:
So I'm gonna be able to flash twrp and Magisk in exactly 14 hours and have some questions i would really appreciate an answer to <3
Using this: https://mifirm.net/downloadtwrp/166
1. The thing i want to flash first is twrp and it is the file called "recovery.img" in the downloaded folder, is that correct?
2. Just flashing twrp is "relatively" safe and if I do a backup and the device bricks by installing Magsik after, i can recover it through twrp, correct?
3. Should I not install todays new security update to MIUI or does that not matter at all?
edit: 4. Do I need/want to have "USB debugging", "Install via USB" and "USBebugging (Security Settings)" enabled or just "OEM unlocking"?
Thank you so much! I'm very nervous since i didn't read any experiences of rooting the K30 Ultra before and I'm scared of killing it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
JaboJG said:
Hey Mirardt, good luck. Let us know how you get on!
1. Yeah, you'll use fastboot to flash the recovery.img for TWRP.
2. Do a full backup with TWRP and you should be safe.
3. Doesn't matter, it's just the September Android security update.
4. Yeah turn on USB Debugging and connect your phone to your computer - it will ask you if you want to allow this computer to debug your phone, choose accept and always (or something similar to those words.) Do this before flashing TWRP.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey Jabo, nice, I'm gonna do just that! Just for clarification, I use Mi Unlock Tool first, THEN twrp, then backup, then magisk?
I'll let you know and thanks for the good luck!
edit: so the command would be "fastboot flash recovery recovery.img", right?
I'm VERY sorry for the noobish questions.
I'm going to quickly use this thread to ask how to actually unlock the K30 Ultra Bootloader. I did everything the guides said, but Mi Unlock still doesn't recognize the phone when it's plugged in. Any Advice?
Hey guys (especially JaboJG). quick update: Flashing twrp and Magsik both just worked perfectly. no brick. Thanks for your help!!
The only issue is that it didnt help in passing Google Safety Check. I tried almost everything there is and will post my logs of MagiskHide Props in their thread soon.
Also, now some apps don't work anymore because they detect the root. I hope we will find a fix.
macrett said:
I'm going to quickly use this thread to ask how to actually unlock the K30 Ultra Bootloader. I did everything the guides said, but Mi Unlock still doesn't recognize the phone when it's plugged in. Any Advice?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No idea, sorry. It just worked for me.
Hey guys, I just bought my RN10 and am waiting for it to arrive. My plan is to turn it into a DeGoogled phone (Custom ROM + MicroG) to use as a daily driver.
As someone who has no experience doing such a thing, but who has been familiarizing oneself with the topic and keeping up with this thread for a bit; I have a few questions that I was hoping I could get some help with:
1.
Is the 168 Hour waiting time a guarantee, or are there some of you who didn't have to wait that long?
-----
I plan to root the device, to pass SafetyNet, get Aurora Services, get Bromite Webview, maybe install oandbackupx, etc...
2.
What is your experience with Aurora services and Bromite Webview?
Do these (+ magisk and microG) need reinstalling after updates?
What is your preferred backup solution? I plan to back up to an SD card.
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I will try out some ROMs at first to see what works best for me, before I settle on one. But I am not sure if I can just use my backups from say CrDroid in DotOS for example.
These are the ROMs I am leaning towards (in order of preference): DotOS, CrDroid, and LOS:
3.
What should I be aware regarding backups when trying these ROMs? Can I use backups in different ROMs? Does it apply to oandbackupx or just TWRP ones of data partition?
Would you say they are stable enough for daily driving? (I am aware there are some minor bugs like video recording - not a problem for me)
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I am aware that TWRP is in alpha for the RN10 bc of the A/B partitioning system, and that it will be a long time for a stable version to come out.
Once I set on a ROM, I will wait until a stable version is released before I do updates.
4.
What should I be aware of when using TWRP? (specially this alpha version)
-----
I use Ubuntu in my system, and I wonder what is the best approach to Unlock the Bootloader and install custom ROMs there.
5.
Is anyone in this thread also using Linux? What is your experience?
What do you guys think of XiaomiTool V2? Is it reliable?
Or would you guys recommend doing these procedures via fastboot and adb? (android-tools-fastboot & android-tools-adb)
1.
there is no way around 1 week waiting. if you are unlucky you might have to wait another week. this might happen when you didn't use the phone enough in this week period, or if you reset the mi account.
also, from this unlock faq: https://c.mi.com/thread-2262302-1-0.html
If you're facing "User Portrait Scores Too Low Or Black", please create or use a new Mi Account to unlock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what that means can only be speculated. in worst case this means, if you cover your camera so it is black, or if you have low light conditions in your drawer where to phone lies, or at the moment you press the unlock button, you can't unlock your phone.
or if the front camera can't recognize a face with its AI, so the portrait score is too low, it also might not unlock your phone. or if internet is blocked so it can't send the data home.
imho, this is a privacy nightmare, but there are no details anyware and everybody just seems to accept this insanity.
2.
I don't use aurora services, but webview browser work very well and magisk+microG does work if you get it installed once (this can be tricky because you have to find the right versions and variations that work together). if you choose a ROM that allows signature spoofing it isn't so much trouble, otherwise it gets more tricky. The rest works pretty easy with latest Magisk and MinMicroG (other microG variants I had trouble with).
You always have to reflash: 1) custom 3rd party recovery (like twrp), 2) Kernel, 3) magisk if you flash another ROM. this is always the same on every custom ROM.
3.
nandroid backup and restore is messy with TWRP currently. best way is to do backup with oandbackupX as root and/or a nandroid /data backup without encryption pin. backing up system is useless. in case of restoration install fresh ROM, start it up once for setting up encryption of /data, then restore /data partition.
you can't move /data partition between ROMs, you have to backup your apps with oandbackupX or the like.
nandroid backups on ext. SDCard currently don't work. better make space on your internal memory.
4.
TWRP is currently buggy or features not working correctly. don't expect anything that worked before in non virtual A/B environments to work perfectly fine here. upgrading was always tricky due to A and B slot changes, but thats not all a problem of TWRP but of the ROMs too.
Just read the older posts in the threads of CrDroid and LineageOS and TWRP and you will learn a lot what works and what doesn't work.
5.
Just install a virtual PC with windows 10 and use everything related to Xiaomi software in there. (most things are windows only). you can bridge your usb connected phone to the virtual PC.
There is no need for XiaomiTool V2 if you are on custom ROMs. just use fastboot/adb commands as needed.
1.
I plan to cover the front camera and not register the fingerprint scanner until I get a custom ROM on it. So I will discover if that is the case or not and let you guys know here.
2.
What is the best way to install microg? magisk module or flashing it via TWRP? I am under the impression one can go both ways about it.
having to flash the kernel is news to me. is there any post in this sub that I can read more about it?
3.
Okay, I will stick with oanbackupX for the time being then, and read about nandroid.
And could you further clarify what you mean by SD cards not working? Is it only for backups or at all? Does that apply to oandbackupX?
4. thanks I will read those posts. hopefully a stable is out soon though.
5.
I have a notebook that I am not sure is capable enough of running a Win VM. So i would really prefer to do these things on my Ubuntu install if I can. Plus it would be a peace of mind knowing i have all it needs and I am not dependent on having Windows machines near me should I have an emergency with the phone.
Is there any issue with XiamiTool V2? Would it not work to do the things i am trying to do?
Thanks in advace for your reply, they are very clarifying in getting me started on this!
best of luck with unlocking. hope you won't need another week. remember both cameras are eligible for face recognition and brightness measurement.
the way of installing microG may be different for each variation, ROM and phone (remember virtual A/B devices, read-only system, etc.). best way is to read the official installation manual that the microG variant provides. on virtual A/B devices you flash almost everything in Magisk with magisk-modules so you get a systemless patched system. the only thing you flash in recovery, beside kernels and other recoveries maybe, is actually magisk.
about kernels, just read the threads about the two released kernels so far.
well, you might be lucky if you try running the xiaomi software using wine, but it might not work. blame Xiaomi for not releasing all the wanted tools for all OS's.
for unlocking keep in mind that you don't change your setup, keep the same virtual PC, tool, data, etc. in place and don't change anything, they collect also PC data (os, hardware, ip - keep IP the same on PC and phone while unlocking!) for the unlocking process (also a privacy nightmare).. if you want to mitigate that you have to build much more around it than just a virtual pc, though.
I didn't use Xiaomi Tool so I can't really answer that. I think the software is outdated and it's main purpose is to remove some but not all bloatware on non rooted stock rom devices. you can do everything without that tool.
keep in mind that these are unofficial tools and there are many of them, and there are many fake ones uploaded to sharehosters which might be infected with malware. it's hard to find the right sources (but check the official sticky posts in this forum for links) and if you get all these tools by googling around chances are high you get some modified versions with malware.
I'd recommend doing things manually and learning step-by-step how to do things.
Oh damn, I will definitely cover the back camera after I test it then. Thanks for the heads up.
regarding flashing the kernels, I understand it now. I thought I had to reflash the stock kernel every time. silly me
keep IP the same on PC and phone while unlocking!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you mean keep the phone connected to the same wifi as the PC during the waiting period? bc otherwise I don't think that is possible at all, given that one must turn off wifi and use carrier data to add the Mi account to device.
I am not sure I understand what you mean :\
And the main purpose of the tool is to unlock bootloaders, install custom ROMs, etc. But you are right, latest version is one year old and I would like to avoid it if I can. Also there are 'official' links to download it from the Github page or the tool website.
I'd recommend doing things manually and learning step-by-step how to do things.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you, I will likely do the bootloader unlock procedure on Windows and then install TWRP via fastboot/adb on my Ubuntu laptop, and move on from there. I believe it is possible to do that much on linux right?
regarding the IP, I have the suspicion that they (xiaomi) rate the IPs that you use and for some they might block the unlocking attempt. VPN, TOR and other proxies might be suspicious to them and they might block them (this is not necessarily true for all VPNs, TOR nodes, regions, etc., though). There should be no problem with your default ISPs IP address however, but you'll let your pants down using them.
First unlocking on your phone has to be with mobile data, but you could also use VPN,Tor,etc. there, thats why I'm saying it. Some people I've talked to went as far as buying burner sims just for the unlocking process because they are afraid of what china does with their data.
there should be no problem at all if you use normal mobile data for phone Mi account and your default ISP ip on the computer with the unlock tool. They just spy monitor your phone for that week (until you delete the crap) and if the score is good you are good to unlock the phone. nobody besides them knows exactly what they do but you get a clue when you read their Terms of Service. if your ip address varies geographically very much in this week it might also look suspicious, or if the ip-range is used for many different unlocks. all that obviously plays a role in the score at the end.
ok, I didn't use any other tool for unlocking the bootloader than the original and official xiaomi unlock tool. all the rest can be done without additional tools.
the only things you might need is actually MiFlash (to reset/reflash factory ROMs), MIFlash unlock for unlocking the bootloader, and the latest fastboot+adb versions for all the rest.
fastboot+adb requires the correct phone drivers to work on windows, it might be the same on linux. if they are also available for linux it should be ok. for fastboot try the official general android drivers provided by google, they might also be available for linux (or are already implemented)
I was planning on getting a burner for this. but given the covid restrictions in where I am at, it is gonna be a hassle.
I think Xiaomi does most of that because of the people who buy their phones from China, unlock them, put a custom rom and resell them. I think I should be in the clear though, I wanna get a custom rom working asap, so I wont try using tor and vpn and risk it.
I really don't plan on reflashing the stock rom ever again, unless I absolutely need to. I think i read that there are some cases where one must reflash the stock rom in between custom rom installs(?), but I hope that it is not the case for me. I only plan to try dotos and crdroid, maybe los.
and I would think there is a way to get the drivers for Linux, given that xiomitool v2 does get drivers from somewhere and its available on Linux. I gotta do some digging here though
Hi, I just changed the battery on my H930 (Italy) and it's back to life. I kindly wanted to know, starting from the already unlocked Bootloader and from an LG Pie, if there is a custom rom, even if not very recent, without any bugs, which retains all the main functions (in particular Hi-Fi DAC, NFC, photos, Wi-Fi, bluetooth ,etc). Furthermore, I would need to use payments with Google Pay and therefore bypass the related checks. If someone can give me a hand of help ... eternal gratitude!
Stock Pie ROMs have been known to be poorly setup by LG. Since they have discontinued their development, these will not be fixed.
In the USA, custom ROMs don't work with VOLTE or VOWIFI... which is why I always recommend stock for USA phones to retain this capability. I don't know if Italy/Europe has any of these issues.
For these reasons, I have always recommended stock Oreo ROMs here in the USA, as these were the most stable and worked well. I have since left my V30 phone but it still has Oreo on it (and still works). For US users, I often recommend US998 ROMs as these work for most carriers (including international). So I might suggest that one to start.
As for GPay, they have gotten quite advanced with root detection. I would recommend skipping root if you can, of course. If you cannot, then I did use Magisk Hide in the past and it worked for me, but that was a few years ago, so I don't know if that works anymore. I would advise NOT using Xposed, as this was being detected as well... besides which Xposed was causing problems anyway, so I found it was not worth the hassle.
I thank you for the valuable suggestions, I guess I will keep it a few more years with Pie and with Magisk Hide I will try to remove the root. Actually I don't remember rooting it. Is it possible that "security reasons" that don't allow me to load cards depend on unlocking the bootloader?
Yes, just unlocking the bootloader can be part of the detection, even if it's not rooted. You often have to go the next step to root and then use Magisk Hide to make it "safe" from there.
Note, at least on older versions, you had to start with the TWRP install of an older version of Magisk. Once installed, then you can update it (usually) without much problem. I recall doing that myself. I believe the TWRP install required Magisk 18.x, and then I had updated to 20.x. You can check the WTF thread to see what that requires, as those instructions should still be valid.
Another option is relocking the BL, of course.
Also note, I know that at one time I had seen where once you fail the security check, you had to clear data for Google Services or something, and maybe even GPay. Otherwise, it "remembered" that you had failed, and would not recheck. By deleting data, it would force it to recheck, so you may need to do this after doing Magisk Hide. Note that you ay need to hide services as well. Again, I'm saying this based on older info... I don't know if things have changed since then.
clalos33 said:
I thank you for the valuable suggestions, I guess I will keep it a few more years with Pie and with Magisk Hide I will try to remove the root. Actually I don't remember rooting it. Is it possible that "security reasons" that don't allow me to load cards depend on unlocking the bootloader?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, unlocking the bootloader will cause the security check to fail because you've broken the front door down. You can now do other things like root and make changes to your phone. They know this, so the assumption is if you unlocked the bootloader you are now attempting to take control of your own phone, and they don't want that.
Thank you again for your helpful suggestions. In consideration that I do not plan to use custom rom I will try to lock the Bootloader