Crucial Warning: Flashing via flash_all.bat reformats internal eMMC storage, permanently erasing all downloaded apps, saved media, user accounts, and local documents. Packages carrying the cancro identifier belong strictly to the Qualcomm-based Mi 3 and Mi 4. NEVER flash cancro firmware onto the Nvidia Tegra 4-based Mi 3 TD-SCDMA (pisces), as differing CPU architectures and boot ROM routines will cause an immediate hard brick. In addition, do not cross-flash with 64-bit devices such as the Mi 4i (ferrari), Mi 4c (libra), or Mi 4S (aqua).
Download Firmware for Xiaomi Mi 3 / Xiaomi Mi 4
Global Stable Channel (MI / Worldwide) 2 packages
cancro_global_images_V9.5.7.0.MXDMIFA_20180815.0000.00_6.0_global_bbfc0f3951.tgz
Final official factory Global Fastboot firmware release for unified Mi 3 and Mi 4 based on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with MIUI 9. Includes full Google Play Services and international languages.
MD5: bbfc0f395199b6aaf00bc1a94561e929
⬇️ Download (2 links)
miui_MI3WMI4WGlobal_V9.5.7.0.MXDMIFA_df826857ee_6.0.zip
Final official factory Global Recovery package for stock updater app or Mi-Recovery installation. Retains user data when updating across matching Android 6.0 builds.
MD5: df826857ee322e6404676ba3f20cf6fd
⬇️ Download (2 links)
China Domestic Channel (CN) 3 packages
cancro_images_V10.1.1.0.MXDCNFI_20181010.0000.00_6.0_cn_911b6abc33.tgz
Final official factory China Fastboot firmware release for Mi 3 and Mi 4 based on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with MIUI 10. Contains complete partition binaries for unbricking and clean flashing.
MD5: 911b6abc3354d346cb625d7af63f0cc7
⬇️ Download (2 links)
miui_MI3WMI4W_V10.1.1.0.MXDCNFI_5adf2b8422_6.0.zip
Final official factory China Recovery package for stock updater app or Mi-Recovery installation. Features official MIUI 10 domestic software build.
MD5: 5adf2b842203d35003f34c73eff6a99b
⬇️ Download (2 links)
miui_MI4LTECT_V10.1.1.0.MXGCNFI_282a6572ea_6.0.zip
Official factory China Telecom LTE variant recovery package specifically configured for the 2014716 CDMA2000 and LTE network baseband profile.
MD5: 282a6572ea7e44e8bc2bf3cfc9b2857a
⬇️ Download (2 links)
Community Multilingual & Custom Recovery 2 packages
xiaomi.eu_multi_MI3WMI4W_V9.5.1.0.MXDCNFA_v9-6.0.zip
Community xiaomi.eu multi-language recovery release built on official China stable base. Stripped of Chinese bloatware, preloads Google Play Services, and includes European language translations.
MD5: 4a5b40be7ef064cba653cb6351d1f3d0
twrp-3.7.0_9-0-cancro.img
Official Team Win Recovery Project (TWRP) custom recovery image for cancro. Supports repartitioned system layouts, Nandroid backups, and custom ROM installation.
MD5: 525f8796b1e9fa22a5fb7be3b89e76f1
Flashing Overview for Xiaomi Mi 3 / Xiaomi Mi 4
- Verify your phone is the Qualcomm cancro edition using fastboot getvar product.
- Extract the .tgz archive twice using 7-Zip until flash_all.bat and the images folder appear.
- Power off the phone and hold Volume Down + Power together until the FASTBOOT screen displays.
- Open Mi Flash Tool, select the extracted firmware root directory, and choose "clean all".
- Click "Flash" and keep the phone connected while partitions stream into eMMC flash storage.
Expand preparation checklist for Xiaomi Mi 3 / Xiaomi Mi 4
- Verify your device codename is 'cancro' by executing 'fastboot getvar product' from a command line while in Fastboot mode.
- Check that your Mi 3 is the Qualcomm variant (MSM8274AB / MSM8974AB) and NOT the Nvidia Tegra 4 model (pisces).
- Install official Qualcomm HS-USB QDLoader 9008 drivers and updated Android SDK Platform Tools on a 64-bit Windows PC.
- Ensure the battery holds at least 50% charge before beginning the flashing process to prevent shutdown during partition writes.
- Extract the .tgz archive twice using 7-Zip until flash_all.bat and the images directory appear in the root folder.
- Connect the phone via a quality microUSB 2.0 data cable directly to a rear motherboard USB port to avoid communication drops.
Compatibility & Bootloader Notes
Early Xiaomi Mi 3 and Mi 4 production batches on MIUI V5 and MIUI 6 shipped with factory-unlocked bootloaders. Xiaomi introduced bootloader locking with later MIUI updates. Bootloader unlock can be performed via the official Xiaomi Mi Unlock tool. Devices in unrecoverable bootloops can be recovered via Emergency Download (EDL 9008) mode; the Snapdragon 800/801 cancro platform does not require authorized server firehose credentials.
Ready to Flash This Firmware?
Full step-by-step instructions for Xiaomi Mi 3 / Xiaomi Mi 4, including prerequisites, error fixes, and screenshots, are on FlashGuideHub's Mi Flash Tool guide.
Can also be flashed via Fastboot: Open Fastboot Guide →
Frequently Asked Questions
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (MSM8274AB / MSM8974AB) and Snapdragon 801 (MSM8974AC) share identical pin-out assignments, memory bus interfaces, and the same 32-bit Krait 400 microarchitecture on a 28nm HPm node. Because their system-on-chip registers and peripheral bus layouts align, Xiaomi implemented a unified kernel source and partition table under the single codename cancro. The Linux kernel dynamically detects whether it is running on the 2.3 GHz MSM8974AB or the 2.5 GHz MSM8974AC and configures clock governors and GPU frequencies (450 MHz vs 578 MHz) accordingly.
Xiaomi released two distinct versions of the Mi 3: the WCDMA/CDMA model (cancro) powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon silicon, and the TD-SCDMA China Mobile model (pisces) powered by the Nvidia Tegra 4 processor. The Nvidia platform uses ARM Cortex-A15 CPU cores, a 72-core GeForce GPU, and an entirely different memory controller and APX bootloader protocol. Flashing Qualcomm bootloader binaries (emmc_appsboot.mbn) or partition tables onto the Tegra 4 board permanently corrupts the bootloader, dropping the device into an unresponsive APX mode that cannot communicate with Mi Flash.
Early MIUI releases on Android 4.3 and 4.4 utilized a dual-partition layout with two alternating system partitions (system and system1) to facilitate background updates. When Xiaomi upgraded cancro to Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, the expanded size of modern system libraries and Google services exceeded the capacity of individual 640 MB system partitions. Official Marshmallow Fastboot packages execute a repartition script (partition.mbn) that merges the dual system partitions into a single enlarged 1.2 GB system allocation, ensuring adequate space for the operating system.
The Xiaomi Mi 3 utilizes an eMMC 4.5 flash memory interface supporting the HS200 bus mode with maximum theoretical transfer speeds up to 200 MB/s. The Xiaomi Mi 4 incorporates an updated eMMC 5.0 controller supporting the HS400 dual-data-rate mode, doubling bus bandwidth up to 400 MB/s. During Fastboot partition flashing with Mi Flash Tool, write throughput is governed by the respective eMMC controller speed, resulting in slightly faster partition write completion times on the Mi 4.