Crucial Warning: CRITICAL ANTI-ROLLBACK (ARB 4) ADVISORY: Redmi Note 5 (whyred) enforces Anti-Rollback Protection index 4 on MIUI 10, 11, and 12. Never attempt to downgrade to early Android 8.1 / MIUI 9 firmware with an ARB index of 3 or lower, as doing so immediately trips the hardware fuse check and bricks the device into a dead EDL 9008 state. Furthermore, when flashing Global firmware on Chinese hardware (M1803E7CE), always select "clean all" (flash_all.bat) in Mi Flash Tool. Selecting "clean all and lock" will brick the device with the fatal error: "This MIUI version can't be installed on this device".
Download Firmware for Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro / Note 5 AI (whyred)
whyred_global_images_V12.0.2.0.PEIMIXM_20201224.0000.00_9.0_global_561698251e.tgz
Final official Global stable Fastboot release for Redmi Note 5 / Note 5 Pro. Full multilingual support and certified Google Play Services. Flash with "clean all".
MD5: 561698251e93a3b357fe62e2b7cbec64
whyred_images_V12.0.3.0.PEICNXM_20210509.0000.00_9.0_cn_59bb23dffc.tgz
Final official China mainland Fastboot release for Redmi Note 5 AI M1803E7CE. Domestic Chinese software with domestic services.
MD5: 59bb23dffc4d5e63605e085ffd17e15c
whyred_ru_global_images_V11.0.1.0.PEIRUXM_20191023.0000.00_9.0_global_f4bbfbdf80.tgz
Stable official Russian regional Fastboot firmware based on Android 9.0 Pie (MIUI 11.0).
MD5: f4bbfbdf80d7d52092d2d85c4493406f
xiaomi.eu_multi_HMNote5Pro_V12.0.3.0.PEICNXM_v12-9.zip
Community-developed Xiaomi.eu custom recovery ROM. Debloated, pre-integrated Google services, and European localization. Flash via TWRP or PBRP.
MD5: cc646ee5073995a90c8107afd76abd6e
PBRP-whyred-3.1.0-20220320-1757-OFFICIAL.zip
Official PitchBlack Recovery Project release for whyred. Features built-in ARB patchers, flashlight toggle, and full Treble / data decryption.
⬇️ Download via Direct Linktwrp-3.7.0_9-0-whyred.img
Official TeamWin recovery image for Redmi Note 5 / Note 5 Pro (whyred). Supports MTP, OTG backup, and decrypted data partition flashing.
⬇️ Download via Direct LinkFlashing Overview for Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro / Note 5 AI (whyred)
- Unlock the bootloader using the official Xiaomi Mi Unlock tool.
- Extract the .tgz archive twice using 7-Zip until the folder containing "flash_all.bat" is visible.
- Power off the phone and hold Volume Down + Power together until the Fastboot bunny screen appears.
- Open Mi Flash Tool, select the extracted folder, and choose "clean all" at the bottom right.
- Click "Flash" and keep the USB cable connected until the status column reports "success".
Expand preparation checklist for Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro / Note 5 AI (whyred)
- Verify your device codename is 'whyred' by running 'fastboot getvar product' from a command terminal while in Fastboot mode.
- Check the Anti-Rollback index by executing 'fastboot getvar anti'—if the result is 4, only flash packages with an anti index of 4.
- Ensure the handset bootloader is unlocked using the official Xiaomi Mi Unlock tool before flashing Fastboot packages.
- Install Qualcomm USB QDLoader 9008 drivers and Xiaomi Mi Flash Tool (version 2018.05.28 or newer) on a 64-bit Windows PC.
- Check that the 4000mAh battery holds at least 50% charge to prevent unexpected power drops during partition writes.
- Extract the downloaded .tgz archive twice using 7-Zip until 'flash_all.bat' and raw partition images appear in the root folder with no spaces in the path.
- Connect the device using an authentic microUSB cable plugged directly into a rear USB 2.0 motherboard port.
Compatibility & Bootloader Notes
Flashing Fastboot TGZ archives via Mi Flash Tool requires an unlocked bootloader through the official Mi Unlock tool. Hard-bricked handsets can be restored through Qualcomm Emergency Download (EDL 9008) mode using motherboard test points.
Ready to Flash This Firmware?
Full step-by-step instructions for Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro / Note 5 AI (whyred), 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 636 (SDM636) represented a major architectural leap over the previous octa-Cortex-A53 Snapdragon 625. Built on a 14nm FinFET process, the SDM636 introduced Qualcomm's semi-custom Kryo 260 microarchitecture in a 4+4 configuration: four performance 'Gold' cores based on ARM Cortex-A73 clocked at 1.8 GHz, paired with four efficiency 'Silver' cores based on Cortex-A53. This provided roughly a 40% jump in CPU compute performance, combined with upgraded Adreno 509 graphics and support for dual-channel LPDDR4X memory.
The Indian variant (MEI7S) launched with a dual rear camera setup comprising a 12 MP f/2.2 primary sensor (1.25µm pixels) + 5 MP depth sensor, alongside a high-resolution 20 MP Sony IMX376 front-facing camera with dedicated LED flash. In contrast, the Global (M1803E7SG) and Chinese (M1803E7CE) versions—marketed as the Redmi Note 5 AI Dual Camera—upgraded the primary rear sensor to a larger 12 MP f/1.9 module with 1.4µm pixels and Dual Pixel phase-detection autofocus (PDAF), paired with a 13 MP OmniVision OV13855 front camera.
Whyred was the pioneer device for Xiaomi's Anti-Rollback Protection. When upgrading from Android 8.1 Oreo to MIUI 10 / Android 9, the bootloader blows non-volatile hardware fuses (qfprom) inside the Snapdragon 636 SoC to set the anti-rollback counter to 4. During every boot cycle, the Qualcomm Primary BootLoader (PBL) compares the signed header index of the boot, recovery, and system images against the fuse value. If an older firmware with index 3 or lower is flashed, the PBL immediately halts boot and forces the phone into Qualcomm Emergency Download (EDL 9008) mode.
While both models share the Qualcomm Snapdragon X12 LTE modem (Cat 12 download up to 600 Mbps), the physical RF layout differs. The Global edition (M1803E7SG) features dedicated SAW filters and power amplifiers for European 4G LTE Band 20 (800 MHz), Band 4 (AWS), and Band 28. The Chinese domestic model (M1803E7CE) omits Band 20 hardware filtering, instead integrating dedicated RF front-ends for domestic Chinese TD-LTE bands (Bands 34, 38, 39, 40, and 41).