Xiaomi recently unveiled its new skin HyperOS to replace the outgoing MIUI, but so far it’s only available in China and that too on the latest Xiaomi 14 and Xiaomi 14 Pro. While the skin promises an improved user experience dressed up in a more modern feel, one thing that still feels archaic about HyperOS is the restrictions on unlocking the bootloader.
Like MIUI, HyperOS still needs you to apply for permission to unlock the bootloader on your Xiaomi 14 and 14 Pro. Given the skin is expected to replace MIUI across the globe, this will still be applicable to the global ROM. Not that this is new, I’ve always had to wait for days before being granted permission to unlock the bootloader on my previous Xiaomi phones, all the way from the first Redmi 5 I owned to the last model, the Redmi Note 10 Pro running MIUI 14.
Explaining to Android Authority, Xiaomi says this move is meant to “protect” the device, which is ironic considering how easy and fast it is to unlock the bootloader on Google’s Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, the maker of the underlying Android OS on Xiaomi 14 and 14 Pro.
To protect the device’s security, avoid data leakage, and provide users with a more secure and stable user experience, bootloader unlocking will be disabled by default on Xiaomi HyperOS.
It doesn’t end there. In addition to applying and waiting for roughly 7 days, although some say the wait times can go as far as 90 days, Xiaomi will also require HyperOS users to reach “level five” on the company’s forums before they can qualify to apply to unlock their phone’s bootloader. Furthermore, once you unlock the bootloader, you’ll have two more unlocks remaining per year, which is another ludicrous limitation you won’t encounter with any Google Pixel phone. But that’s not all, there’s even more bad news for current and future Xiaomi users.
According to the company, anyone whose device has an unlocked bootloader will no longer receive Android updates. This means even if you’re using the stock HyperOS, you can forget about updates on your device as long as the bootloader is unlocked. Heck, you won’t even get updated from MIUI to HyperOS if your device currently has an unlocked bootloader, which is absurd if you ask me.
Previous operating systems, such as MIUI 14, still retain the ability to unlock, but users will no longer receive any Xiaomi HyperOS updates if they leave their devices in an unlocked state.
On the contrary, the Google Pixel 8 and older Pixel phones will still receive official Android updates even with an unlocked bootloader. And as noted, you also don’t have to wait 7 days to unlock the bootloader on your brand new Pixel 8, so be careful with your next buy in case you intend to get into modding or installing custom ROMs on your phone in future. You can check out the rest of the article here.
Featured image: Xiaomi
Hillary Keverenge
2119 Posts
Tech has been my playground for over a decade. While the Android journey began early, it truly took flight with the revolutionary Lollipop update. Since then, it's been a parade of Android devices (with a sprinkle of iOS), culminating in a mostly happy marriage with Google's smart home ecosystem. Expect insightful articles and explorations of the ever-evolving world of Android and Google products coupled with occasional rants on the Nest smart home ecosystem.
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