Xiaomi adapts its devices for different sales regions. In addition to releasing separate firmware for specific countries, in HyperOS and MIUI settings you can select the region by changing it to any of the available ones.
We have already looked at the features of Xiaomi Global versions and how they differ from Chinese smartphones. Today we will tell you which region to choose for Xiaomi, how to do it and how they differ in general.
Why regions are needed and wat the change affects
Division into regions is necessary in order for the devices to comply with the legal norms of a particular country, and to take into account the peculiarities of the local market.
The initial selection of the country is made automatically by the geo-position of the device, but no one forbids you to change the region to any other. You do not need to install new firmware.
If you change the region, the features of your smartphone or tablet will be automatically adjusted to the selected country. In this case, previously hidden features of the device may become available or, on the contrary, some previously available functions may disappear.
Changing the country in the settings allows you to get HyperOS and MIUI updates faster, increase the volume of headphones, change the amount of ads displayed on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices.
For example, if you activate the USA, you can get louder and better sound quality, smoother animations and faster Android OS.
Main regions list
Let’s take a look at the main firmware countries and their features. This will allow you to choose the best Xiaomi region to use, because it can be easily changed in HyperOS and MIUI settings.
Singapore: volume boost
The Singapore region is perfect for loud music lovers. If you select this city-state on your phone, you’ll remove the volume restriction on your headphones and speakers.
The sound will become brighter and richer due to automatically activated sound effects. You’ll get clean, clear treble and powerful, rich bass.
India: the best in customisation
Installing India will increase headphone and speaker volume and add additional sound effects. Customisation options will also improve, as new design themes and fonts will become available in the Themes app.
However, there are a lot of adverts in the Indian region – they appear even on the desktop.
UK: no adverts
This is an ad-free region. In the UK, adverts in smartphone firmware are banned by law, so if you set this country, all adverts will disappear from your Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO smartphone.
Some Xiaomi branded apps (like the GetApps app shop) are missing, including the Themes app, due to which you won’t be able to change the look of the operating system.
Otherwise, the firmware for this region does not differ from other countries: the same sound volume, normally working option to unlock by user’s face.
USA: OS performance
If you install the US on your smartphone, the Android system will become noticeably faster. Smoother animations will appear, convenient gestures for controlling the smartphone will be available.
Also the sound in the headphones and from the speaker will become louder and better quality.
Nepal: minimal adverts
Nepal offers an enhanced Themes app with new fonts as well as design themes, improved sound quality, smooth interface animations, few adverts.
This is one of the best regions to use on Xiaomi all the time. But if you want complete ad disabling, use the UK.
Indonesia: to be among the first to update
Phones and tablets in this country receive firmware updates more frequently. If your phone isn’t getting the HyperOS or MIUI update, changing to Indonesia might help.
It’s also characterised by decent headphone and speaker sound volume.
If you want to switch to Indonesia to get back the ability to record calls, you will need to install the Indonesian firmware – simply changing the region in the OS settings will not be enough.
Regions without adverts
If you need a Xiaomi region without advertising, choose the UK for constant use. But in this case, there won’t be any customisation options and the sound will be plain.
If you want not to sacrifice the ability to change the theme of the operating system, you can choose the Republic of Nepal. There is a minimal amount of advertising and interesting opportunities in the form of high-quality sound, smooth animation and an expanded Themes application.
The rest of the countries contain the standard amount of adverts, which can be disabled, but they reappear after every HyperOS or MIUI update.
You can select the countries described above and others to explore the possibilities of a particular region on your own.
How to change region on Xiaomi
Changing the region in Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO phones is done in the standard settings app. The instruction is relevant for both HyperOS and MIUI, as the same menu items are used to solve the problem.
How to change regions in Xiaomi and Redmi:
- Launch settings using the icon on the desktop.
- In the list of settings, find the ‘Additional Settings’ section and go to it.
- Tap on the ‘Region’ item.
- Find the desired region in the list (for example, ‘United States’) and tap on it to select it.
The country will change automatically. After that, the operating system will download the necessary applications from Google Play, and then the device will be ready for use.
If you can’t change the region (selecting the country doesn’t lead to anything), reboot the smartphone. If this does not help, you can use a Xiaomi factory reset.
Which region is better to set
Which Xiaomi region is better to choose depends on your preferences, requirements for the phone in general and its firmware in particular.
Summarising all of the above:
- Singapore, USA – for lovers of loud and high-quality sound.
- UK – if you need complete absence of advertising, but without interface customisation.
- India – advanced customisation options, but lots of ads.
- Nepal – reduced ads and enhanced customisation options.
- Indonesia – for those who want to be among the first to receive HyperOS or MIUI updates.
As you can see, there is no perfect solution, just compromises. You’ll have to decide which region to choose based on the features of each region as described above.
