Guide to Unlock Bootloader of Xiaomi Mi 11X Pro

Xiaomi has been doing quite well with their premium tier smartphones in India especially with the Mi 11X series. The Xiaomi Mi 11X series has been based on the Redmi K40 series phones that are sold in the China market. After the success of the Mi 10T series, it was the right moment for the brand to make headways in the sub-INR 30,000 categories. The Xiaomi Mi 11X Pro packs both quality hardware and software and promises to deliver an exciting experience overall. Judging by the current hype and sales figures, Xiaomi has already done business worth IN 300+ Crores.

For now, this Mi 11X series is only available in India and Xiaomi might bring these phones to other markets. Xiaomi and its sub-brands have always been popular among buyers for their aggressive price to performance factor. In this guide, we will go through the Bootloader Unlock process on the Xiaomi Mi 11X. Unlocking the bootloader is the very first step in getting the phone modded.

But before we get into the guide, let us have a closer look at the Mi 11X Pro. As mentioned above this is a rebranded Redmi K40 Pro Max. It’s got a large 6.67-inch E4 spec AMOLED panel from Samsung with a peak brightness of more than 1100 nits and a rather small 2.4mm punch-hole that houses the selfie camera. The phone also gets support for a 120Hz refresh rate and is powered by the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 Soc. The phone is available in multiple storage options with up to 8GB RAM and 256GB storage.

On the optics front, the phone has a triple-rear camera module with the flagship Samsung-made 108-megapixel shooter, assisted with an 8-megapixel ultra-wide lens, and a 5-megapixel macro sensor. On the front there is a 20-megapixel selfie shooter, that is housed in a punch-hole cutout. All this is juiced by a rather moderate 4,520mAh battery which comes with support for up to 33W fast charging.

Let’s now figure out what a Bootloader is and why Xiaomi chooses to lock it.

What is a Bootloader and Why it is locked on Xiaomi phones?

The Bootloader is a piece of code that restricts you from adding new code blocks to the OS. This is the first barrier that you need to cross, to start your journey with a custom ROM or any sort of tinkering. Currently all the major smartphone brands are pushing products with their bootloaders locked.

Xiaomi used to sell phones with unlocked bootloaders but this decision was reversed when the grey marketers started shipping Xiaomi phones out of China with malicious apps and OS jeopardizing the brand’s image and potential user experience. The other reason for a locked bootloader is that it helps in making sure that a custom ROM is not easily flashed onto the phone. Hence making it difficult to sell off these stolen phones.

How To Unlock Bootloader of Xiaomi Mi 11X Pro

We would strongly recommend sticking to the instructions mentioned line by line, so you don’t end up with a bricked smartphone.

Requirements

• Download and Install ADB and Fastboot tools on Windows/Mac from here.
• Download the latest Xiaomi USB Drivers on the PC from here.
• Download the latest Xiaomi Mi Unlock tool from here.
• You need Mi Account to get the authorization for bootloader unlocking, request that from here.
• Make sure the device is at least 65% charged.
• Back up all the important data as the process will fully reset the phone.

Steps To Unlock Bootloader of Xiaomi Mi 11X Pro

1. Enable Developer Mode by heading to the Settings > About phone and Tap the MIUI version 7 times to enable developer mode.
2. Now, Enable OEM Unlocking by going to the Settings> Additional Settings > Developer Option.
3. Agree to the Mi Unlock Status in Settings >Additional Settings > Developer Option > Agree.
4. Move to the Mi Unlock Site and click the “Unlock Now” button.
5. Now, log in with your Mi Account, and if you don’t have one, you can then Signup on the same page.
6. Enter your mobile number for an OTP.
7. You will have to wait for some time to get the application accepted. It may take up to 72 hours to get the authorization, so patience is the key.
8. Once the application is approved, you will receive an OTP.
9. Download the Mi Unlock Tool and extract the files to a folder.
10. Now, boot the phone into the fastboot mode – to do this turn off the phone and then press and hold Volume Down + Power button for a few seconds to boot the device safely into the fastboot mode.
11. Connect the phone to the PC.
12. Open the MiFlashUnlock from the folder that you extracted and log in with the same ID as on your Xiaomi Mi 11X Pro and enter your mobile number and start the process.
13. Once done, reboot it from Mi Unlock Tool.

If everything is done correctly this Unlocking process won’t take much more than a couple of minutes and you have successfully unlocked the bootloader of Xiaomi Mi 11X Pro.