Xiaomi Mi 8, Mi 9T Pro/Redmi K20 Pro, Redmi Note 5 Pro, Redmi Note 9S, & Redmi Note 8/8T Android 11 update released unofficially

Android 11 was officially unveiled earlier this months and rolled out to the Pixel devices on Day 1. Less than two weeks later and already, there are Custom Android 11 build available for a number of popular devices.

This could be attributed in part to Project Treble but still, it is very impressive to see developers already rolling out ROMs that are as good as stable with minimal bugs.

In this post, we shall look at a number of devices that can be updated to Android 11 right now, albeit unofficially. It is also worth noting that these are very early builds of Android 11 for the said devices.

While some might be as good as stable, there are inherent bugs that will, no doubt, take time to fix so again, tame your expectations in this regard. Let’s dig in.

Android 11 for Xiaomi Mi 8 (dipper)

Android 11 is available for the Xiaomi Mi 8 as a port from the Google Pixel 3. This build brings the exact same software experience you would expect from the Google device.

This build brings with it the September 2020 Android security patch level along with all Android 11 features to the Mi 8.

Some of the issues to expect with this build include a broken Ok Google detection. The device also gets identified as the Pixel 4a. Personally, I don’t see this as a bug as this allows you to get access to Pixel-exclusive features.

Should you want to install this ROM on your device, below is the zip file. Please note that you’ll need an unlocked bootloader and a custom recovery to install this.

• Device: Xiaomi Mi 8
• Codename: dipper
• Channel: Unofficial
• Android: 11
  • Type: Recovery
    • Download: Link

Redmi Note 5 Pro (whyred)

Next up is the aging Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro. This device remains a favorite for people who love flashing and trying out different ROMs on their device.

Android 11 for this device comes to them courtesy of an unofficial build of LineageOS 18. As this device is a little old, we expect a few issues with this build, especially considering this is a very early build.

So what’s not working in this initial unofficial release? Well, the fingerprint sensor is broken and like many Android 11 ROMs we’ve seen, SELinux is set to permissive.

Many other core smartphone functions work fine. These include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Cellular and more. If you’d like to install this build on your device, below is the download link.

• Device: Redmi Note 5 Pro
• Codename: whyred
• Channel: Unofficial
• Version: LineageOS 18
• Android: 11
  • Type: Recovery
    • Download: Link

Redmi Note 9S

Users of the Redmi Note 9S can get Android 11 running on their devices as an early build of StatiXOS4.0. This build is still in Alpha stage and as such, might be a little unstable at the moment.

Some of the issues in this build include a broken proximity sensor. Although to be fair, this is an issue even on the official build of MIUI for this device.

Also not working is VoLTE. However, this could be fixed in the next release. A more serious bug is that the device runs very hot when charging. This might not be safe, or healthy for the battery.

Below is the download link to this ROM file. Note that you’ll need an unlocked bootloader and a custom recovery.

• Device: Redmi Note 9S (curtana)
• Channel: STATIXOS 4.0 Alpha
• Android: 11
  • Type: Recovery
    • Download: Link

Redmi Note 8/8T

Next up, we’re going to take a look at the first Android 11 custom ROM for the Redmi Note 8/8T. This build comes to us in form of Vanilla AOSP 11.0 so you know it is as barebones Android 11 as they come.

Again, all core smartphone functions are functional in this build. You can absolutely daily-drive this ROM if the following bugs aren’t deal breakers for you. Some of the said bugs include:

-WiFi Display
-ADB over USB
-Permissive SELinux
-SafetyNet

Below is the download link to this unofficial aftermarket Android 11 firmware for the Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 and Note 8T.

• Device: Redmi Note 8/8T
• Codename: ginkgo
• Channel: Unofficial Beta
• Version: Vanilla AOSP 11.0
• Android: 11
  • Type: Recovery
    • Download: Link

Android 11 for Redmi K20/Xiaomi Mi 9T

Perhaps one of the most community-supported devices from Xiaomi in recent times, the Redmi K20 already has a pretty stable Android 11-based custom ROM available in form of AOSP 11.

This build is as stable as they come. Every single aspect of the device works fine, except Selinux which is set to Permissive, an issue that seems to be affecting all Android 11 ROMs now.

Should you want to install this build on your K20/Mi 9T, here’s the download link.

• Device: Redmi K20/Mi 9T
• Codename: raphael
• Channel: Unofficial Stable
• Android: 11
  • Type: Recovery
    • Download: Link

It is very impressive just how fast the developer community has been able to roll out Android 11 ROMs for various devices. If this is any indication on the pace of adoption of Android 11, we’re set to see way more devices getting Android 11 builds soon.

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