Xiaomi Mi A3: caution, Android 11 update bricks phone

There were reports of failed updates of Xiaomi's Mi A3 in various forums at the turn of the year. The problem manifests itself in the update process, among other things, that the smartphones no longer start as usual, but hangs at the boot screen.

Some users even report that they no longer get to see even this start screen. Android's Fastboot is also inaccessible, which would have at least made a full reset of the phone possible.

Here's how Xiaomi is helping affected users

The company stopped further distribution of the update in response to reports from its users. If the update continues to be offered by the smartphone, users should definitely refrain from installing it.

Those who have already installed the update and now have a smartphone that no longer works have been urged to send the device to one of the company's service centres. Xiaomi is offering a free repair, according to a message on its own forum. This applies regardless of whether the smartphone is still within the warranty period or not. It is not clear yet whether the data on the smartphone will be lost in the process or whether it can be salvaged by the service centre.

Xiaomi keeps struggling with update issues

As Android Police notes, this isn't the first time the company has had problems with Android updates. Last year, for example, they already had to temporarily pause the distribution of Android 10 for the Mi A2 Lite after reports of failed updates and unusable smartphones.

• These are the features Android 11 will bring to your phone

Owners of the Mi A3 also faced issues when updating to Android 10. Due to bugs in the operating system, such as a disabled fingerprint sensor, Xiaomi stopped distribution in March 2020. It was not until early May 2020 that the update reached European models of the Mi A3. It is currently unclear when a working version of the Android 11 update will be available for the device.

Via: Android Police Source: Xiaomi, XDA Developers, Reddit