Xiaomi Mi 5X is the most popular choice for MIUI fans who want to taste the awesomeness of dual-camera features at very affordable price. Of course for those who have spare budget can have Mi 6 which is better and it has great hardware specifications planted under the hood. However, unfortunately since Mi 5X is not available globally yet (at the time we write this post), users outside China can only have either the China-version of MIUI or the fake-version of its Global Stable.
Anyway, in this page you will learn how to install TWRP custom recovery on Mi 5X (codename tiffany) and therefore you can flash any cool tweaks like SuperSU to gain root access, Magisk to obtain systemless root, Audio mods like Beat by dr.Dre, and even install custom ROM. Installing custom ROM can be so fun for some users. Nevertheless, improved and modified version of MIUI like the one created by Xiaomi.eu will also be very helpful for novice users to replace their fake MIUI ROM.
Prerequisites
- A Xiaomi Mi 5X device (Codename Tiffany).
- A compatible USB data cable type C. Make sure it is a USB data cable and not USB charging cable only;
- A Windows-based laptop / PC. We strongly suggest you to use Windows 8/8.1/10 with 64-bit system;
- Your phone should have enough juice. Just make sure it has at least 65% battery power remaining;
- Download Minimal ADB & Fastboot Driver;
- Download Cofface TWRP for Tiffany;
- A spare time of your life which is not more than 30 minutes.
Attention: Please read thoroughly the article before really implementing the steps. Make sure you understand what you are going to do prior doing it. We hold NO responsibility of any risks of broken device so please proceed with caution. Do not forget to create backup of all your important data and files including Contact, Call logs, messages, photos, apps, and so on.
Also please do not hesitate to click on any image(s) to click its larger version.
Steps to Flash TWRP Recovery
Step 1 – Extract and install Minimal ADB & Fastboot driver into your computer. It is recommended to firstly disable Windows Driver Signature Enforcement mechanism prior installing the driver. You can re-enable that Windows feature again once you have installed the driver.
Necessary reading: Windows Driver Signature Disabler and Enabler tool.
Step 2 – Now install Minimal ADB & Fastboot driver software into your computer.
Step 3 – Grab your phone and enable Developer options and OEM Unlock options in your phone.
Step 4 – Next, you need to firstly unlock the bootloader of your device. The unlocking mechanism is basically easy but you have to wait for official permission from Xiaomi developers team. Please read and follow our previous guide on how to unlock your phone bootloader.
Read: How to properly unlock MIUI bootloader – a complete guide.
Step 5 – At this point we assume you have already unlocked your device bootloader. Open up Windows Explorer in your computer. Find and extract the Cofface TWRP .zip package file that you have downloaded earlier. Winzip, WinRAR, or 7zip will come in handy for this task.
Step 6 – Once extracted, rename the file from “cofface_recovery_tiffany_twrp.img” into “recovery.img” in your computer.
Step 7 – Next, grab your phone again, and turn it off completely. Reboot your phone into bootloader mode (which also known as fastboot mode) by pressing Volume Down (-) and Power buttons together simultaneously until you see the Bunny Fastboot logo.
Step 8 – Connect your Mi 5X device which is already in Fastboot mode into your computer using its USB cable.
Step 9 – Now back to Windows Explorer. Go to the location of where you have extracted the TWRP flash-able image file (Step 6 above).
Step 10 – Hold down the “Shift” button on your keyboard and right-click on anywhere inside that folder. Next, choose “Open command window from here” or “Open Powershell Window here“.
Step 11 – Now in command prompt / powershell window, type following command to check the status of your device whether it has been connected successfully or not:
fastboot devices
Your device will be displayed there. Otherwise, you may try either reinstalling the ADB & Fastboot driver or try installing Mi Flash tool.
Step 12 – Finally, issue the main magic command below which is the main magic spell to flash TWRP into your phone:
fastboot flash recovery recovery.img
The flashing process should take only few minutes (not more than 3 minutes).
Step 13 – Once done, you can now reboot your device into normal mode by issuing this command:
fastboot reboot
That’s it. Now you can disconnect your phone from your PC.
Give it a try
At this point your phone should have already been turned on in normal mode. In order to enter TWRP Recovery mode, you will need to firstly turn it off again by pressing power button as usual. Once it has been off, press and hold Volume Up (+) and Power buttons together simultaneously until it reboot into TWRP. That’s it. Enjoy!
Have you ever tried TWRP before? Well, then you should love it like I do. Do not hesitate to share your experience in the comment section below and let us know how you go installing custom recovery on your device.