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Xiaomi isn't closing down its bootloader unlock service, labels rumors 'Fake News'
Xiaomi has revealed it is not closing down its bootloader unlocking service, contrary to rumors that began spreading earlier today. The company rebuked the speculation in a tweet from its MIUI account, referring to it as “fake news.”
According to XDA Developers, word started spreading via Telegram and Reddit that Xiaomi would soon abandon its unlocking portal. Xiaomi then posted the aforementioned tweet, along with a link to its MIUI forum page. The page contains a tutorial for unlocking the bootloader and flashing the MIUI 10 ROM.
We are providing Unlock Bootloader service and here’s the unlocking tutorial: https://t.co/OJwO72LUJp Don’t believe in fake news. pic.twitter.com/ISmPeOdLB7— MIUI (@miuirom) November 22, 2018
A Twitter user subsequently shared a screen grab that appears to show a message from Xiaomi saying the service would be shut down on December 1. Xiaomi reaffirmed this was untrue.
Xiaomi’s smartphones are often favored in the ROM community (where bootloader unlocking is core aspect) because they provide a low-cost way to access powerful hardware. Add to this that Xiaomi supports bootloader unlocking itself and you’ve got a recipe for a highly attractive platform for modders.
That being said, Xiaomi has come under fire recently for the wait times it has enforced for those wanting to unlock their bootloader through the service. This was previously 15 days (though reports said it could be far more) before it was changed last September to 72 hours.
Still, we can rest easy for the moment — it looks like miui.com/unlock/ is sticking around.