Xiaomi last week announced the launch of the Redmi Y1 as well as a stable version of its MIUI 9 ROM for the global market. An updated version of MIUI has started rolling out for Mi Max 2 and Redmi Note 4 and users of these two smartphones can get the update via OTA or manually flash their device. The company says it is launching in phases and some may have to wait a little longer to receive an OTA update notification.

Xiaomi smartphone users can check if the MIUI 9 update is available for their device by clicking on the Updater app. If the latest MIUI 9 is available for your device, the app will show the available updates or alternatively users can also grab the update file and manually flash their device to the latest version of Xiaomi’s thorny Android UI.

To manually update to the latest operating system, users need to make sure that their device is at least 60 percent charged. They should make sure that all the necessary files are backed up before their device starts flashing.

How to update MIUI 9 Global Stable ROM:

1. Xiaomi smartphone users running stable ROM should first check the OTA update from the Updater app. If it is not available, they should download the recovery rom from Xiaomi’s website. Once downloaded, users can upgrade to the latest version of MIUI by selecting the update package in the Updater app and allowing the phone to be installed and rebooted to MIUI 9.

2. For those who are running Global Beta ROM on their smartphones, Xiaomi MIUI 9 recommends using Fastboot method to upgrade to stable ROM. To fastboot, users need to make sure that their bootloader is unlocked and if not, they must first unlock the bootloader using tools provided by their company. They must first download and install the Mi Flash tool on their PC.

3. Once the bootloader is unlocked, Xiaomi users must download Fastboot ROM for their device. Then turn off your phone, press and hold the volume down and power buttons simultaneously to enter the fastboot screen. Then connect your phone to PC via USB cable and click Refresh on Mi Flash tool. This process will show the device ID.

4. Now take out the Fastboot ROM in a folder on your PC and then select “Clean All” in the bottom right corner. Then click on ‘Select’ and browse to the folder where you extracted the Fastboot ROM and click on Flash. This step will start flashing the phone and will take about 3-5 minutes depending on the PC and smartphone.

5. Once done the smartphone will reboot with MIUI 9. When flashing, users must make sure that they do not remove the device and wait for the device to reboot automatically.

In India, Xiaomi is rolling out MIUI 9 in three batches with Redmi Note 4 and Mi Max 2 being the first to get the update. It will be released in mid-November for Mi Mix 2, Redmi Y1, Redmi Y1 Lite, Redmi 4X, Mi 5 and Mi Max. All other devices will be updated sometime in December. Xiaomi supports most of its devices, including the Mi 2, which launched in 2012.

Xiaomi MIUI 9 is based on Android Nougat and was announced for the Chinese market in July. With MIUI 9, Xiaomi has tweaked the operating system to support faster app launches, new icons, new animations for launching and exiting apps, and split-screen multitasking. The update brings smart photo editing tools where users can remove unwanted objects and support for Indian calendar cards. Xiaomi MIUI 9 users can activate silent mode by triggering the volume button, and reading mode is now automatically turned on or off at sunset and sunrise. The update also fixes some familiar bugs along with other stability improvements.