Along with the announcement of the new Xiaomi 14 series, the company introduced a new Android skin overlay replacing the old MIUI with HyperOS. However, the company has now issued a statement about the bootloader-unlocked device.
Xiaomi says it will not update any device with unlocked bootloaders regardless of whether they are running HyperOS or MIUI 14. Additionally, unlocking HyperOS devices will be more difficult.
At the moment, to unlock a Xiaomi phone, the company requires you to submit an application through their Windows app and wait a week until the bootloader is finally unlocked.
Chinese HyperOS users not only have to wait a week, they also have to achieve level 5 in the community forum. Users outside of China will have to wait for Xiaomi’s official announcement on how the new unlocking process will work.
Of course, if you lock your device again, you’ll get your next HyperOS update immediately.
Xiaomi is also introducing a new limit – only three devices will be allowed to be unlocked per year. This is again a China-specific limitation, but Xiaomi may decide to extend it to other markets as well.
Xiaomi cites security concerns when asked why it is imposing such strict measures and preventing users from unlocking their smartphones.
