Introduction

The Mi A1 is a popular smartphone from Xiaomi that was launched in 2017. It was one of the first devices in the Android One program, which promised timely updates and a stock Android experience. The phone was initially launched with Android 7.1.2 Nougat and later updated to Android 9.0 Pie. However, Xiaomi did not release an official update to Android 10 for the Mi A1. But, thanks to the custom ROM community, you can still enjoy Android 10 on your Mi A1. In this article, we’ll guide you through the process of installing a custom ROM based on Android 10 on your Mi A1.

Why Install a Custom ROM?

There are several reasons why you might want to install a custom ROM on your Mi A1. Firstly, it allows you to enjoy the latest version of Android even if the manufacturer has stopped providing updates. Secondly, custom ROMs often come with additional features and customization options that are not available in stock ROMs. Lastly, custom ROMs can improve the performance and battery life of your device.

Requirements

Before we proceed, here are the things you’ll need to install a custom ROM on your Mi A1.

• A Mi A1 device
• A computer running Windows, Linux, or macOS
• A USB cable
• A custom recovery (TWRP)
• A custom ROM based on Android 10
• GApps package
• A backup of your data

Step-by-Step Guide

Now, let’s get started with the installation process.

Step 1: Unlocking the Bootloader

The first step is to unlock the bootloader of your Mi A1. This process will wipe all the data on your device, so make sure to take a backup of your important files. To unlock the bootloader, follow these steps:

1. Enable Developer Options on your Mi A1 by going to Settings > About phone > Software information > More > Build number. Tap on Build number 7 times to enable Developer Options.
2. Go to Settings > Developer Options and enable OEM unlocking and USB debugging.
3. Connect your Mi A1 to your computer using a USB cable.
4. Open a command prompt or terminal on your computer and run the following command: adb devices This will check if your device is properly connected to your computer.
5. Next, run the following command to boot your device into bootloader mode: adb reboot bootloader
6. Once your device is in bootloader mode, run the following command to unlock the bootloader: fastboot flashing unlock This will initiate the bootloader unlocking process on your device. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.
7. Once the bootloader is unlocked, your device will reboot automatically.

Step 2: Installing TWRP Recovery

The next step is to install TWRP recovery on your Mi A1. TWRP is a custom recovery that allows you to flash custom ROMs and other modifications on your device. To install TWRP recovery, follow these steps:

1. Download the latest TWRP recovery image for your Mi A1 from the official website.
2. Connect your Mi A1 to your computer using a USB cable.
3. Open a command prompt or terminal on your computer and run the following command: adb devices This will check if your device is properly connected to your computer.
4. Next, run the following command to boot your device into bootloader mode: adb reboot bootloader
5. Once your device is in bootloader mode, run the following command to flash TWRP recovery: fastboot flash recovery [twrp_filename.img] Replace [twrp_filename.img] with the filename of the TWRP recovery image that you downloaded in step 1.
6. Once the recovery is flashed, run the following command to reboot your device: fastboot reboot Your device will now boot into TWRP recovery.

Step 3: Installing the Custom ROM

Now that you have installed TWRP recovery, you can proceed with installing the custom ROM based on Android 10 on your Mi A1. To install the custom ROM, follow these steps:

1. Download the custom ROM and GApps package for your Mi A1 from a trusted source.
2. Copy the custom ROM and GApps package to your device’s internal storage.
3. Boot your device into TWRP recovery by pressing and holding the Volume Up and Power buttons simultaneously.
4. In TWRP recovery, select Wipe and swipe to factory reset your device.
5. Go back to the main menu and select Install.
6. Select the custom ROM zip file that you copied to your device’s internal storage and swipe to flash it.
7. Once the custom ROM is flashed, go back to the main menu and select Install again.
8. Select the GApps package zip file that you copied to your device’s internal storage and swipe to flash it.
9. Once the GApps package is flashed, go back to the main menu and select Reboot > System.
10. Your device will now boot into the custom ROM based on Android 10.

Conclusion

Installing a custom ROM based on Android 10 on your Mi A1 can breathe new life into your device. It allows you to enjoy the latest version of Android, additional features and customization options, and improved performance and battery life. However, the process of installing a custom ROM can be risky, so make sure to take a backup of your data and proceed with caution. If you follow the steps mentioned in this article carefully, you should be able to install a custom ROM on your Mi A1 without any issues.