How to Install MIUI 8 China Developer ROM on Redmi Note 3 Snapdragon (Fastboot Method)

Again, may of MIUI fans just couldn’t wait for the official MIUI 8 Global Stable or China Stable build. However, Xiaomi has announced and has made MIUI 8 China Developer build available for public download. Basically this shall be enough to taste the awesomeness of MIUI 8. For those who own Redmi Note 3 Qualcomm Snapdragon and want to install this currently available build, simply follow this step by step tutorial.

Requirements

• Redmi Note 3 Qualcomm Snapdragon (Kenzo) variant
• The device should have official unlocked bootloader already
• A computer (PC / laptop) running Windows 7/8/8.1/10 on 64-bit sytsem.
• A USB cable to connect your computer to PC.
• Download Qualcomm QDLoader USB Drivers package.
• Download USB ADB Drivers.
• Download Mi Flash Tool Beta version.
• Download Minimal Fastboot ADB files.
• Download MIUI 8 Fastboot ROM .tgz file.

Prerequisites

1. Unlock your phone bootloader following our previous guide – if you haven’t done so.
2. Install USB ADB Drivers (or Mi PC Suite) to make sure that your computer can recognize your device.
3. Install Qualcomm QDLoader driver into your computer – Read: How to install Qualcomm QDLoader.
4. Extract Minimal Fastboot Files .zip file as well.
5. Extract MIUI 8 Fastboot ROM .tgz file using either Winrar or 7zip.
6. Disable Drivers Signature enforcement. You can do that by pressing Windows button + i on keyboard to reveal theSettings page. From there you can choose Update & Security >> Recovery >>Advanced startup >> Restart now. Wait a moment for your computer to restart. Next, go to Troubleshoot >>Advanced options >> Startup settings >> Restart. Once your computer restarts, now choose Disable driver signature enforcement which is option number 7. Alternatively, watch the video below.
7. Extract the downloaded Mi Flash Tool Beta .zip file using either Winzip or Winrar and install it on your computer.
8. Enable Developer Options on your phone. Doing so is easy. Just go toSettings >> About phones >> tap on the MIUI Version 7 times. You can skip this step if you have it enabled previously.
9. Now enable USB Debugging. Go to Settings >> Additional Settings >>Developer Options >> enable USB Debugging.
10. Make sure you have created backup of your data as necessary.

Necessary video:

Disclaimer : We hold no responsibility of any damage or risks of bricked or bootloop device as a result of following this guide. Proceed responsibly and carefully.

Steps to Flash MIUI 8 Fastboot ROM

Step 1 – You have to firstly reboot your phone into Fastboot mode by pressing Volume Down (-) and Power buttons simultaneously until you have seen the Fastboot Bunny logo.

Step 2 – Then connect your phone into your PC using its USB cable.

Step 3 – Open up Windows Explorer and go to the location of where you have extracted Minimal Fastboot files. Hold down / press the Shift button on your keyboard and right-click anywhere in the folder, and then choose “Open Command Window from Here” option.

Step 4 – Now type this command :

adb version
adb devices
adb reboot edl

Typing adb devices should list your device serial number there or otherwise you may need to reinstall USB ADB Drivers. The last command, adb reboot edl, should bring your phone into Emergency Download Mode (EDL) mode.

What if I still can’t reboot into EDL mode? Read and try one of these :

1. How to reboot Redmi Note 3 into EDL Mode for bricked device.
2. How to unbrick Redmi Note 3 through EDL Mode – alternative method to reboot into EDL.

Step 5 – Assuming your phone is now in EDL mode, open up Mi Flash Tool Beta version that you have installed in the beginning.

Step 6 – Now click on the “Select” button and locate the “images” folder of MIUI 8 Fastboot ROM you have extracted.

Step 7 – Make sure “save user data” is selected in the settings of Mi Flash Tool (see pic above).

Step 8 – Click on the “Refresh” button to make sure your device name is displayed in the tool.

Step 9 – Finally, click on the “Flash” button to begin flashing MIUI 8 ROM on Redmi Note 3. Just wait till the process finished. Eventually, you’ll see the Success message.

Step 10 – Done! So the flashing process has been finished and you can now reboot your phone to turn it on. Simply press the Power button as usual until it turned on. The first time booting shall take longer than usual, just be patient.

Enjoy..

Anyway, the method above is applicable to upgrade Redmi Note 3 SD (Kenzo) from any MIUI 7 ROM builds (Global Stable, Global Developer, China Stable, or China Developer) to MIUI 8 China Dev ROM directly. However, if you have your phone running MIUI 7 China Stable build, you can simply download MIUI 8 China Dev ROM Recovery file (.zip) and install it directly from your phone’s Updater app.

Do not forget to share what you’ve got.

Credits and thanks belong to Feds64.