Xiaomi Mi 5X owners: you can (unofficially) turn your phone into an Android One device

Last week, Xiaomi announced its very first device for the Android One program, the Mi A1. What’s basically a rebranded Xiaomi Mi 5X, the new Mi A1 sports most of the same specifications as the Mi 5X, only it drops Xiaomi’s MIUI Android skin. In its place is a bare-bones Android experience, complete with Google services and a promised Oreo update. It looks to be a very compelling option for anyone looking for a stock Android device without breaking the bank.

If you’re a Xiaomi Mi 5X owner jealous of that delicious stock Android on the Mi A1, you’re in luck. A developer from the MIUI forums named heli0us published their Android One port for the Mi 5X. The ROM enables current owners to, for all intents and purposes, turn their Mi 5X into a Mi A1. After flashing the ROM, the phone identifies itself as a Mi A1 and comes with the August 1 security update.

Due to the difference in partition layouts in the Android One and MIUI versions of the device, you probably won’t get OTA updates, but you should be able to flash them yourself. As of right now, it seems that everything in the ROM is working. The developer reports that they’ve seen no issues on their device, but you should always keep in mind that when you’re dealing with unofficial software ports, things do tend to break. Also, be sure to back up your data before you begin the flashing process as you’ll be required to wipe the data partition and start over from scratch.

You can head over to the MIUI forums for more information and instructions.