Crucial Warning: BOOTLOADER LOCK HAZARD: In Mi Flash Tool, always verify that the bottom-right option is set to "clean all" (flash_all.bat). Do not select "clean all and lock" (flash_all_lock.bat) when flashing software from a different regional branch than your handset's factory hardware tag (for example, installing European EEA software onto a Chinese Redmi 13R 23124RN87C or Indian POCO M6 23128PC33I). Locking the bootloader on mismatched regional software triggers an instant boot verification failure ("This MIUI/HyperOS version cannot be installed on this device") and forces the handset into recovery mode.
Download Firmware for Xiaomi Redmi 13C 5G / POCO M6 5G / Redmi 13R 5G (air)
Fastboot Firmware (Factory Images) 5 packages
air_eea_global_images_OS2.0.216.0.VGQEUXM_20260918.0000.00_15.0_eea_6128e68b2b.tgz
Official European Economic Area (EEA) Fastboot release for UK and European handsets with Google Mobile Services and EEA regulatory compliance.
MD5: 6128e68b2bcc1c24ccd071841006ea1d
air_global_images_OS2.0.208.0.VGQMIXM_20260729.0000.00_15.0_global_a4ba522e3a.tgz
International Global Fastboot package for unbranded handsets worldwide. Includes full multi-language support.
MD5: a4ba522e3a04a97f93e6fae327222869
air_in_global_images_OS2.0.208.0.VGQINXM_20260804.0000.00_15.0_in_35b733efaa.tgz
Official Indian market Fastboot package unified for Redmi 13C 5G and POCO M6 5G handsets with Indian telecom carrier profiles.
MD5: 35b733efaa26e8635ed5862c4982f126
air_tw_global_images_OS2.0.205.0.VGQTWXM_20260703.0000.00_15.0_tw_1d350786d2.tgz
Official Taiwanese regional Fastboot package featuring Traditional Chinese localization and local carrier bands.
MD5: 1d350786d23300274974f344a89c8de7
air_images_OS2.0.210.0.VGQCNXM_20260804.0000.00_15.0_cn_1cd5903d26.tgz
Official China mainland Fastboot factory release for Chinese domestic models. Does not include Google Play Services out of the box.
MD5: 1cd5903d264b2853588c6c0bebd421df
Recovery Firmware (OTA Packages) 5 packages
air_eea_global-ota_full-OS2.0.216.0.VGQEUXM-user-15.0-195c8f3aac.zip
Official European Economic Area Recovery package. Install via stock recovery sideload or the on-device system updater.
MD5: 195c8f3aac8814093a13bc575c98dcae
air_global-ota_full-OS2.0.208.0.VGQMIXM-user-15.0-07ccb8ab17.zip
Official International Global Recovery package. Install via stock recovery sideload or the on-device system updater.
MD5: 07ccb8ab17fc2c8a6000161b53baa0b9
air_in_global-ota_full-OS2.0.208.0.VGQINXM-user-15.0-93391672cc.zip
Official Indian market Recovery package for Redmi 13C 5G and POCO M6 5G. Install via stock recovery or system updater.
MD5: 93391672cc79790a3fb5b241ed6696ce
air_tw_global-ota_full-OS2.0.205.0.VGQTWXM-user-15.0-1ef2be9e65.zip
Official Taiwanese regional Recovery package. Install via stock recovery or system updater.
MD5: 1ef2be9e65f101171a7554acea8fb587
air-ota_full-OS2.0.210.0.VGQCNXM-user-15.0-44d4eb6359.zip
Official China mainland Recovery package. Install via stock recovery or on-device system updater.
MD5: 44d4eb63590268035031a4d7999a3dd2
Custom Recovery (TWRP & OrangeFox) 2 packages
twrp-3.7.1_12-0-air-suchit-7x.img
Community TWRP touch recovery custom build for the air motherboard. Requires an unlocked bootloader. Flash via Fastboot mode directly to recovery partition.
MD5: aecbf1be5f0cd4fd519cec8b7002b2b8
OrangeFox-R12.0-Unofficial-air.img
Unofficial OrangeFox Recovery Project build for the air platform. Supports dynamic partition flashing and Android 15 storage decryption.
MD5: 4982f259cda734785ce3d6793ced9463
Flashing Overview for Xiaomi Redmi 13C 5G / POCO M6 5G / Redmi 13R 5G (air)
- Unlock bootloader with Mi Unlock
- Download and unpack Fastboot firmware twice
- Reboot device into Fastboot mode
- Load directory into Mi Flash Tool & set "clean all"
- Flash partitions and await reboot
Expand preparation checklist for Xiaomi Redmi 13C 5G / POCO M6 5G / Redmi 13R 5G (air)
- Verify your device codename is 'air' by executing 'fastboot getvar product' in a terminal while the phone is connected in Fastboot mode.
- Ensure the bootloader is officially unlocked via Xiaomi Mi Unlock before attempting Fastboot flashing.
- Install official Xiaomi Android USB and MediaTek Preloader drivers on a 64-bit Windows computer.
- Extract the downloaded .tgz package twice using 7-Zip directly into a short root folder without spaces or special symbols (such as C:air_fw).
- Confirm the 5000 mAh battery has at least 50% charge to avoid unexpected power loss during partition writes.
- Use a genuine USB Type-C cable plugged directly into a motherboard rear USB 2.0 port rather than a front-panel hub.
- Confirm that 'clean all' is highlighted at the bottom of Mi Flash Tool before pressing the Flash button.
Compatibility & Bootloader Notes
Flashing official Xiaomi Fastboot TGZ packages requires an unlocked bootloader. On Xiaomi HyperOS, bootloader unlock permission must be linked through the Xiaomi Community app before running Mi Unlock. In Mi Flash Tool, always select "clean all" (flash_all.bat). Never select "clean all and lock" when flashing cross-region software to prevent bootloader security lockouts.
Ready to Flash This Firmware?
Full step-by-step instructions for Xiaomi Redmi 13C 5G / POCO M6 5G / Redmi 13R 5G (air), 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 Redmi 13C 5G, POCO M6 5G, and Redmi 13R 5G share the exact same internal motherboard architecture, designated by the engineering codename "air". All three handsets feature the 6nm MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ (MT6835) processor, ARM Mali-G57 MC2 GPU, 6.74-inch 90Hz display, 5000 mAh battery, and UFS 2.2 storage layout. The primary physical distinctions are the rear shell cosmetics, marketing colors, and POCO's wide camera branding strip in India. Because the underlying hardware is identical, all variants execute software carrying the VGQ build identifier.
Model number 23124RN87G represents the international Global edition of the Redmi 13C 5G sold across Europe and global markets. Model 23124RN87I is the Indian domestic variant of the Redmi 13C 5G, while model 23128PC33I represents the POCO M6 5G sold in India with customized POCO rear shell styling. Model 23124RN87C corresponds to the Chinese domestic release marketed as the Redmi 13R 5G and Redmi 13C 5G.
Unlike the 4G Redmi 13C (gale) which uses older eMMC 5.1 storage, the 5G air platform pairs the Dimensity 6100+ with higher-speed UFS 2.2 flash memory. Under Android 15 and HyperOS 2.0, storage is organized using Google's dynamic partition scheme within a unified super partition block (super.img). Inside this dynamic container, logical partitions—such as system, vendor, product, and system_ext—are resized on demand during software updates without fixed partition size constraints.
Both twrp-3.7.1_12-0-air-suchit-7x.img and OrangeFox-R12.0-Unofficial-air.img provide touch-based custom recovery environments compiled for the Dimensity 6100+ air board. OrangeFox features built-in survival scripts for Magisk root injection and native handling of Android 15 dynamic super partitions, while TWRP provides a familiar classic interface. Both recoveries require an unlocked bootloader and formatting the userdata partition (Wipe > Format Data) to manage Android 15 File-Based Encryption (FBE).