Stable - stable Developer - developer Ported - portolt Global - global China - Chinese
Yet some users are still confused by all this. After all, many users have problems with their newly purchased Xiaomi device that comes with a preconfigured MIUI ROM and have no idea exactly which one. That's why I'd like to provide a comprehensive guide, with the aim of giving users an idea of the different MIUI versions available for their devices.
How many different MIUI ROMs are there?
There are usually five types of MIUI ROMs for a Xiaomi device:
If you buy a Xiaomi device from an official source, it usually comes with MIUI Global Stable. Unless you've bought it directly from a Chinese webshop, in which case you'll have the MIUI China Stable ROM on your device.
What is Alpha ROM? What are the supported devices?
The Alpha ROM is a special version of MIUI, of which there is only China ROM, which is fresher than the Developer (Beta) ROM. In other words, it has more new features. However, the Alpha ROM can only be installed on some Xiaomi devices. Here is the list:
Xiaomi Mi 2 / 2S
Xiaomi Mi 3
Xiaomi Mi 4
Xiaomi Mi Note
Xiaomi Mi 5
Xiaomi Mi Max
Here are the MIUI China versions in descending order of available fresh features.
Alpha ROM > Developer ROM > Stable ROM
Here is the download link for the MIUI 8 Alpha ROM:
How can I identify the current MIUI version on my device?
There are several solutions, two of which I will show you.
1. It's easy to tell the difference between Global and China ROMs if you check the Theme App Store. The Global ROM has a full English menu, while the China ROM contains Chinese words and even the system language is English.
The left is Global ROM, the right is China ROM
2. With a little background knowledge, you can easily identify the current MIUI version by going to Settings > About phone on your device
The left is the China stable ROM, the right is the Global stable ROM
The left is the China developer ROM, the right is the Global developer ROM
Stable version format is 8.X.X.X, where 8 stands for MIUI 8 and X.X.X stands for a particular version of MIUI 8. Developer version format is X.X.X.X. For example 6.7.14 which indicates the year, month, day, i.e. this developer version was released on 14 July 2016.
In addition, we can identify what type of MIUI Stabil version we have by checking the 7 letters in the MIUl version. Let's look at these 7 letters in the case of the Stabil version in the image above, "KHDCNDG" and "KHDMIDG". Letters 4 and 5 indicate the edition, where CN = China and MI = Global.
What is the difference between Chinese and Global / Stable and Developer ROMs?
I'll compare them in a table so you can see the differences better.
Note 1: Alpha ROM is not included as it is only available for some devices
We prefer Global ROM because it comes with Google apps pre-installed, including the Play Store. Although you can install these manually afterwards. Of course, there can be problems with Google services if they are not installed properly. The MIUI China Developer ROM is rootable by default, meaning no external apps or devices are required, provided the bootloader of the device is open. Although the chance of bugs is higher for Developer ROMs than for Stable ROMs, it is still safe to use in everyday life, as the chance of serious bugs is not as common as you might think. If you can live with the bugs you can try to install Developer ROMs.
How to convert from Global Stable to Global Developers / Chinese Stable / Chinese Developers and back?
The safest method is to use Fastboot mode. This means you need a Fastboot ROM to switch from one MIUI ROM to another.
You can also install the Fastboot ROM using the following programs: Mi Flash Tool or SP Flash Tool. Qualcomm devices use Mi Flash Tool, while MediaTek devices use SP Flash Tool.
Here is a list of Qualcomm and Mediatek based Xiaomi devices:
Demonstration of the Fastboot method for Mi Flash Tool:
The simple explanation is that the device is not officially available in the Xiaomi Global Market. However, there are exceptions, such as the Redmi 3, as many non-Chinese users have purchased it and a huge demand has been made to MIUI developers to bring the MIUI 8 Global ROM to the Redmi 3.
Here is the list of devices supported by the official MIUI Global ROM:
Redmi 1
Redmi 1S
Redmi 2 / Prime
Redmi 3 / Prime
Redmi 3S / Prime
Redmi Note 3G
Redmi Note 4G
Redmi Note Prime
Redmi 2. Note
Redmi Note 3. (Qualcomm)
Xiaomi Mi 2 / 2S
Xiaomi Mi 3
Xiaomi Mi 4
Xiaomi Mi 4i
Xiaomi Mi 5
Xiaomi Mi Note
Xiaomi Mi Max
Xiaomi Mi Pad
What is a modified MIUI ROM?
A tampered ROM (also known as an unofficial ROM or fake ROM) is one that has been modified by someone so that different features or settings are available. For example, a Chinese ROM may contain pre-installed Google apps and some bloatware. Typically, other vendors install such ROMs on devices for sale to customers outside China because, for example, Google Apps are a must-have for them.
How do I know if my device has a modified MIUI ROM?
Externally, they look the same as the official MIUI ROM. The easiest way to check is to go to Settings > About phone > MIUI version. The official MIUI download page you will see that they are not there. In the first picture you can see that it is the Global Stable ROM, but the 7-letter number shows that it is a Chinese ROM. The second picture is a strange version, with the number 7.0.22.2.
If you're not sure how to check, simply take a screenshot of your phone from the "About Phone" menu and post it in the forum, someone will be able to help you.
How can we avoid buying a phone with a modified ROM?
The answer is very simple. (1) buy only from official sources. Before you buy, it is recommended that you find out where you should buy from. If you are lazy to search and read up, simply ask here on the forum. Our dedicated team will be happy to answer your questions.
If your country is not on the Xiaomi Global Market list and you have limited access to official sources, it's worth double checking that the device you're buying is genuine.
Can I install an official MIUI ROM on a modified ROM?
Of course. You can easily install the official MIUI ROM on them using the right methods... Then read this handy guide if you want to switch to the official MIUI ROM:
