How to unlock Xiaomi MI A3 bootloader (Android One)

Adimorah Jude

4 years ago

The Mi A series is different from other Xiaomi phone lines because they are on the Android One program. The A-series run pure stock Android while other Xiaomi phones run MIUI on top Android operating system. Therefore, how to unlock the Xiaomi MI A3 bootloader is different from how to do it on Xiaomi phones running MIUI custom ROM. In this post, you will learn how to unlock Xiaomi MI A3 bootloader in a few minutes.

Unlocking bootloader on any device, not just on Mi A3 comes with a lot of possibilities. After unlocking your device bootloader, you can root the device, install custom ROM, download and run a restricted app on your device. It also gives the user the ability to tweak system settings and make their device just like they want it. But while unlocking your bootloader helps you achieve all this, completing the process will automatically void your device warranty. Again, it makes the phone less secure and vulnerable to malware attacks, which can lead to data loss.

Nevertheless, if you must Unlock Xiaomi MI A3 bootloader, we advise you wait for the warranty period to elapse before proceeding with the unlocking process. And make sure you backup your data and store it on an external drive as unlocking your device bootloader wipes all the files and data on your Xiaomi MI A3 device.

Pre-requisite to unlock Xiaomi MI A3 bootloader

Because unlocking your device bootloader will wipe all your data, including the ones you store on your external storage, make sure you remove your external storage and do a proper backup of your files.

To successfully unlock the Xiaomi MI A3 bootloader, you will need ADB and Fastboot tools. You can follow this link to download the tools.

There’s a need to install Xiaomi MI USB drivers for the system to detect your phone. You can visit this link to learn how you can download update MI USB drivers.

Make sure that your device is at least 50% charged before you start the unlocking process.

How to unlock Xiaomi MI A3 bootloader (steps)

The first thing is to enable Developer Options. To do this, go to Settings> About Phone> tap on the build number 5 times till it says “You’re now a developer”

Now, go back to Settings> Developer Options> enable USB debugging and OEM unlock. Make sure you enable those two options so that your PC will detect your device.

Now boot your phone into Fastboot by pressing and holding the power key + Volume down key at the same time until Mi Bunny with Fastboot written under appear.

Connect your device to your computer using a USB cable.

Now open the CMD or command prompt on the folder where you extracted the contents of ADB and Fastboot tools by pressing SHIFT + Right-Click combination at the same time.

Next, type “adb reboot bootloader” on the CMD command and press enter.

Enter “adb devices” to check if your device is connected or not.

A message will pop-up “Always allow from this computer” on your smartphone. Press OK to continue.

Now to unlock Xiaomi MI A3 bootloader, enter “fastboot flashing unlock”

Again, you need to reboot your device into fastboot mode, just enter the “adb reboot bootloader” command

Now to completely unlock the device, enter the following command “fastboot flashing unlock_critical“

The unlock process will start and once it is done, your phone will reboot

And that’s all on how to unlock Xiaomi MI A3 bootloader. If you get everything right, your device will boot with Android one logo and unlocked text underneath.