How to Downgrade from HyperOS 4 to HyperOS 3 on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO (Anti-Rollback Safe)

Short answer: you can go back from HyperOS 4 to HyperOS 3 only with a Fastboot ROM and an unlocked bootloader, and the phone is wiped in the process. Before you flash anything, check that the HyperOS 3 ROM’s anti-rollback (ARB) index isn’t lower than your phone’s. If it is, the downgrade can hard-brick the phone. The Recovery method (“Choose update package”) doesn’t allow downgrades at all.

Before you start: should you downgrade?

Many early HyperOS 4 problems are fixed within weeks. Xiaomi is already working through a list of known bugs (see what Xiaomi is fixing in HyperOS 4). If your phone runs a Pilot build, the stable build that follows usually fixes the worst issues. Downgrade only if a bug blocks you every day (calls, banking app, camera) and you accept a full wipe.

You’ll need:

• An unlocked bootloader. Unlocking also wipes the phone, and Xiaomi’s waiting period applies: see how to unlock the bootloader on HyperOS. China-market phones face much stricter unlock rules and often can’t be unlocked at all.
• A Windows PC with ADB & Fastboot, the Xiaomi USB drivers and Mi Flash Tool.
• The last HyperOS 3 Fastboot ROM for your region (a .tgz file). You’ll find it on your phone’s page in our firmware hub. Not sure which region you have? Paste your version into the version decoder.

Step 1: Back up

Everything on the phone is erased. Back up photos and files to a PC or cloud storage, and export chats from WhatsApp or Telegram separately. A local backup made on HyperOS 4 may not restore on HyperOS 3, because system backups usually only restore on the same or a newer version. Treat app data as lost.

Step 2: Check anti-rollback

1. Boot into Fastboot (Power + Volume Down) and connect the phone.
2. Run fastboot getvar anti. The number is your phone’s current ARB index. If the command returns nothing, the phone doesn’t use the index.
3. Extract the HyperOS 3 ROM and open flash_all.bat in a text editor. Look for a line with anti and a number, or for CURRENT_ANTI_VER.
4. The ROM’s number must be equal to or higher than the phone’s. If it’s lower, stop: that ROM can’t be installed safely.

Full explanation with examples: Xiaomi anti-rollback: check the index before you downgrade.

Step 3: Flash HyperOS 3 with Mi Flash

1. Extract the .tgz with 7-Zip to a short path without spaces, for example C:\rom.
2. Open Mi Flash, click Select and choose the extracted folder (the one with flash_all.bat in it).
3. Click Refresh. Your phone should appear with its serial number.
4. At the bottom, choose Clean all. Never choose Clean all and lock for a downgrade: if anything goes wrong, a locked bootloader leaves no way back.
5. Click Flash and wait for “success” (5–10 minutes). The first boot can take another 10 minutes.

Command-line alternative: run flash_all.bat from the ROM folder with the phone in Fastboot. It does the same as “Clean all”.

Step 4: After the downgrade

• Turn off automatic updates under Settings → About phone → HyperOS version → three dots → Settings, or the phone may download HyperOS 4 again.
• Relocking the bootloader (fastboot oem lock) is only safe with an untouched official ROM of your phone’s original region. If in doubt, leave it unlocked.
• When a fixed HyperOS 4 build comes out, you can update normally again. Our HyperOS 4 tracker shows new builds for every region.

FAQ

Can I downgrade from HyperOS 4 without unlocking the bootloader?

No. With a locked bootloader, the phone only accepts the same or a newer version through Recovery. Xiaomi doesn’t publish official rollback packages for HyperOS 4.

Will I lose my data?

Yes. Both unlocking the bootloader and flashing the Fastboot ROM with “Clean all” erase the phone completely.

Does HyperOS 4 raise the anti-rollback index?

On some models a new major version raises it, on others it doesn’t. That’s why you have to check both numbers for your own phone and ROM before flashing, as described in step 2.

Can I go back to an older HyperOS 3 build instead of the last one?

Pick the newest HyperOS 3 build for your region. Older builds are more likely to have a lower ARB index and, just as important, older security patches.