Xiaomi make some awe-inspiring smartphones overseas for many of our Asian friends, and the Xiaomi Mi4 is the flagship that runs Android KitKat out of the box. The lack of timely updates hasn’t bothered as many people as it would have out West, since the Mi4 comes with the MIUI 6 ROM. Still, nothing compares to opening the ports with root access, so if you too want to unlock the handset properly, follow the guide below.

REQUIREMENTS

• The guide only works for the Mi4 smartphone. Attempting to use this guide on a different device can brick it.

BEFORE WE BEGIN 

• Make sure you have a computer handy so you can copy and paste a file.
• You might need to update the drivers on the computer for the Xiaomi smartphone if you aren’t having success with the guide.

HOW TO ROOT THE XIAOMI MI4 RUNNING ANDROID 4.4.4 KITKAT

1. Download the Developer ROM from this page.
2. You should download the ROM to the desktop of a computer.
3. Connect the Mi4 handset to the same computer and transfer the same file over to the internal storage. Do not unzip the file.
4. Unplug the cable from the computer.
5. Navigate to Menu > Settings > About Phone and tap the System Updates option.
6. Tape the ‘choose Updates’ option.
7. Browse the internal storage SD card for the ROM you copied over earlier.
8. Wait for the new ROM to finish installing and then reboot the handset.
9. Navigate to Security >Permissions >Root access and allow for the rooting permissions.

That’s all you need. Now you are able to check out the apps you’ve been waiting for. That has to be one of the easiest devices to root. Ever.