Flashing CyanogenMod 13 Marshmallow on Redmi Note 3 Snapdragon

Redmi Note 3 is one of lucky MIUI devices getting MIUI 8 update but unfortunately it is still based on Android 5.1. We believe some of its users out there are eager to have Android 6.0 Marshmallow running on their devices. However, the only possible way to have a taste of Marshmallow Android running on that “beast” is through custom ROM. We are really sure that you have heard CyanogenMod in your life. It is a well-known custom ROM for many Android devices.

In this page, you can follow a step-by-step tutorial on how to install CM13 Android 6.0 custom ROM on Redmi Note 3 Qualcomm Snapdragon (Kenzo) properly. We hope this will help you who want to taste the awesomeness of Android 6.0 as well as to help you who want to have a distinctive experience of using CM 13.0. Known for its sleekness, lightness in performance, and speed, CyanogenMod 13 is really worth its predicate. Thanks to Feds64 who has discovered and briefly explained on how to flash this custom ROM.

Requirements

A Redmi Note 3 Snapdragon (Kenzo) device.
A Windows computer either PC or laptop.
A USB Cable to connect your phone to PC.
Download MiFlash tool Beta.
Download TWRP v3.0.0-0 AlkaUpdate build.
Download ADB USB Drivers (optional)
Download Minimal Fastboot files.
Download CM13 for Redmi Note 3 Kenzo.
Download Google Apps for Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

Prerequisites

Unlock your phone’s bootloader. Please use official unlock permission. Read : How to unlock Redmi Note 3 bootloader.
Flash any version of TWRP on your phone. No need to root, just flash the TWRP. Read : How to install TWRP on Redmi Note 3 – just follow the steps till you have TWRP installed.
(optional – if you haven’t done it yet) Make sure you install either ADB USB Driver or Mi PC Suite on your computer to make sure it can recognize your device and communicate with it properly.
Install Mi Flash Beta tool on your computer. Make sure you install it while you are logged in your PC as Administrator.
Extract Minimal Fastboot files using either Winzip or Winrar on your PC.
Extract TWRP v3.0.0-0 Alkaupdate and transfer the .img file into your computer. Put it at your Download folder for easier access.
Also transfer CM13 .zip file and GApps .zip file into your phone. Put it in the Download folder of your phone, the same location of where you put TWRP .img file.

Warning : Installing custom ROM may void your phone warranty. Also, neither us nor Feds64 is responsible for any damage on your device caused by this guide. Please process carefully and responsibly. Furthermore, flashing CM13 will make your bootloader locked again.

p.s: Click on image to view larger version.

Replacing TWRP

In this stage, we are going to replace your installed TWRP with the new one that supports EFS folder.

Step 1 – At this point, we assume that your phone has TWRP installed and copied all necessary files in the Download folder of your phone’s internal storage.

Step 2 – Now reboot your phone into TWRP Recovery. There are two ways to achieve it :

Turn off your phone and reboot it by pressing Power button and Volume Up (+) button simultaneously. Or,..
On your phone, launch the Updater app (usually located in Tools folder) >> tap on the three dots (…) at the top right-hand corner >> Reboot to Recovery Mode >> Reboot now.

Step 3 – Your phone shall reboot into TWRP. Now in TWRP interface, choose Install >> Install Image >> locate the recoveryAlkaUpdate.img file.

Step 4 – Now select Recovery partition and then Swipe to flash. Do not forget to Reboot afterwards.

Step 5 – Your device shall now reboot into normal mode.

Creating Full Nandroid Backup

Step 1 – Reboot into TWRP recovery again. You knew how to do it, right? Just follow Step 2 above.

Step 2 – You will now see the newly flashed TWRP which is in Chinese. Now change the language to English by following this direction :

Step 3 – Go back in the main menu and choose Backup.

Step 4 – Select all the partitions to backup and then do the “Swipe to backup” action. Just sit tight and wait till the backup process is fully complete.

Step 5 – Once done, simply choose Reboot System. Once it is in normal mode again, copy the newly created backup file into your PC. Just connect it using USB cable and copy the backup file.

Flashing CyanogenMod 13.0

Step 1 – Copied your backup already? Now disconnect it from your PC and reboot into TWRP recovery again. You know how to do it.

Step 2 – In TWRP, choose Wipe >> Advanced Wipe and tick following options to wipe :

Dalvik / ART Cache
System
Cache
Data

Step 3 – Then now do the “Swipe to wipe” action and wait till the wiping process finished. Once done, go back to main menu.

Step 4 – From the main manu of TWRP, choose Install >> Download folder >> choose CM13 .zip file >> Add more Zips >> then choose Opengapps .zip file.

Step 5 – Finally, do the “Swipe to confirm flash” action, wait till the flashing process completed thoroughly, and then Reboot your phone.

Step 6 – That’s it. Upon rebooting your phone shall now have CyanogenMod 13.0 Android 6.0 Marshmallow running on it. Do not forget to firstly setup fingerprint screenlock.

Please note that at this point your phone’s bootloader is locked. Luckily, you can unlock it again easily using Mi Flash Tool.

Can I Revert Back to MIUI Stock ROM?

Yes you can. Simply copy the backup file again to your phone’s internal storage and flash it using TWRP. Just choose the Restore option from TWRP main menu and proceed accordingly.

Again, the bootloader will be locked again after reflashing stock MIUI ROM on your phone. However, you can use MiFlash Unlocking tool again to unlock the bootloader again.

So, what do you think? Is CM13 better than stock MIUI?