This guide will teach you how to unlock bootloader on Xiaomi Redmi 4. Xiaomi Redmi 4 is also known as Xiaomi Redmi 4X in China. The phone is available in India as the Xiaomi Redmi 4 and it will soon be available in other countries as well. The phone is a budget friendly one and comes with amazing specifications at a low price. It has a 5.0-inch 720p display and a big 4,100 mAh battery which can last for 2 days on a single charge.
The phone comes in 3 variants, a 16 GB, 2 GB RAM or 32 GB, 3 GB RAM or 64 GB, 4 GB RAM. The Xiaomi Redmi 4 comes with a 13 MP, f/2.0, camera which takes excellent photos even in low light. There is a 5 MP, f/2.2 camera at the front. Both cameras make [email protected] videos.
There are many benefits of unlocking the bootloader on your device. It opens doors to the system files and then you can install a custom recovery. It then enables you to root your phone and install custom ROMs on your device. Custom ROMS are fun and some of them provide some exciting features that the stock ROM does not.
Disclaimer: All the tools, mods or ROMs mentioned below belong to their respective owners/developers. We (TeamAndroid.com) or the developers are not to be held responsible if you damage or brick your device. We don’t have you on gun point to try out this tutorial 😉
There are some other interesting posts on Team Android, We think you might like the following posts:
- Install Android O: How to Install Android O Developer Preview on Computer.
- Custom ROMs: For a complete collection of custom ROMs on Team Android, visit our Custom ROM section!
If you are planning to root your phone in the future, you might be interested in reading the benefits of rooting your phone.
Xiaomi Redmi 4 USB Drivers
You will need to connect your Android phone with the computer. For that, please make sure you have installed the USB drivers for properly. If not, you can download the latest Huawei official drivers from our Android USB Drivers section here:
Download Xiaomi Redmi 4 USB drivers!
Backup and Other Important Tips
Done with the USB drivers? Perfect. The tutorial is on the next page, but first, please take a look at the following tips and important points you need to take care of. These are important, as we don’t want anyone losing their personal data or apps.
Always backup your important data that you might need after you install a new custom ROM, an official software update or anything else. Make a backup for just in case, you never know when anything might go wrong. Read: How to Backup Android Apps, Text Messages, WhatsApp, Call History.
Xiaomi users can also back up data using Xiaomi Mi PC Suite to your computer. Mi PC Suite helps you to move data across different Android devices i.e moving Xiaomi Mi 5 backup data to Samsung Galaxy S8.
If you already have a custom recovery (ClockworkMod, TWRP etc.) installed on your phone, we strongly recommend a backup using that as it creates a complete image of your existing phone set up. [Tutorial: How to Backup Android Phone using TWRP]
A few more optional tips that you should remember:
1. Having problems connecting your Android phone to the computer? You need to enable USB debugging mode. See here: How to Enable USB Debugging — for Gingerbread, Ice Cream Sandwich, Jelly Bean, KitKat, Lollipop, Marshmallow and Nougat.
2. Make sure your Android device is charged up to 80-85% battery level. This might help you: How to Check Battery Percentage. Why? Because, if your phone goes off suddenly while installing a custom ROM, flashing an official firmware update or installing mods etc. — your phone might get bricked or go dead permanently. No one wants that, right?
3. Most of the tutorials and how-to guides on Team Android are for factory unlocked Android phones and phones. We recommend not to try our guides if your phone is locked to a carrier, unless we have specified the carrier name or device model.
4. [IMPORTANT] Copy all the backup files from your SD card to your computer as internal memory will be wiped clean while unlocking the bootloader.
If you are a developer and would want to unlock the bootloader, we recommend doing that before you set up the Google Play Store, install apps or anything because the security feature in Android clears out everything from your phone when unlocking bootloader of the phone.
Now, let’s proceed with the tutorial below to unlock Xiaomi Redmi 4 bootloader.
How to: Unlock Bootloader on Xiaomi Redmi 4
Here is the complete and easy guide to unlock bootloader on Xiaomi Redmi 4. We’d recommend you to first go through all steps before actually performing it on your Xiaomi Redmi 4 phone.
Step 1 – Download Mi Flash Unlock Tool
Step 2 – Extract the folder on your desktop and open the .exe file. (MiFlashUnlock.exe)
Step 3 – Create a Mi account if you don’t have already.
Step 4 – Login with your Mi account you just created.
Step 5 – Now the unlock process will start on your phone automatically and you’ll receive the message “You don’t have the permission to Unlock the device”.
Step 6 – Click on “Go” button or go to this link to get the unlock permission.
Step 7 – Now click on “Unlock Now” button and login with your Mi account you just created.
Step-8 – Now wait until you get an OTP (one-time password) on your phone. It may take up to several days till you get the SMS. (Most of the time the SMS arrives in just a few hours).
Step-9 – Now open the MI Flash Tool again on your computer and this time you’ll have the permission to unlock your Xiaomi Redmi 4.
Step-10 – Unlock your Xiaomi Redmi 4 using the unlock tool.
That’s it, the bootloader of your Xiaomi Redmi 4 is now unlocked. You can now install a custom recovery like TWRP and enjoy custom ROMs on your phone.
