The Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi introduced the Mi 5 as its 2015 flagship. The device was surprisingly a handsome mix of raw power and classy look. And Xiaomi is has been keeping up with software updates too, even though they didn’t involve much around the version change in Android OS — that’s to say, the device got the Nougat update via MIUI 9 only a while ago, back in August, even the same was released by Google about an year ago.

Just like other phones from Xiaomi, the Mi 5 runs a skinned version of Android called MIUI. Although MIUI offers a few nifty tricks, the company is quite sluggish when it comes to updating the software. To give you an idea, Xiaomi is still in the process of pushing the MIUI 9 update based on Android 7.0 Nougat for its handsets that are eligible for it. And considering the fact that they have not revealed their Oreo update plans, we can only imagine an ETA for that that would wall sometime in Q3 2018.

But don’t worry. Just because Xiaomi often enters late to the party, it doesn’t mean you have to suffer. If you own a Xiaomi Mi 5, the LineageOS community is there to help you out. The new LOS 15 update has been made available for the Mi 5, and by installing this, you can enjoy the new Android 8.0 Oreo in all its glory with all the new features such as Instant Apps, picture-in-picture, Notification badges, etc.

Check out: Best Android Oreo features

And LineageOS is also quite reliable. This update has been made available to a ton of smartphones and in fact, a few other Xiaomi smartphones such as the Mi 5s, Mi 5s Plus and Mi Mix, etc. have also received the update. You can also follow our full LineageOS coverage here.

However, it is worth noting that this is an unofficial build and hence you might face a few bugs occasionally. That said, it is expected that these bugs will be ironed out once the official update goes live.

And before we begin this installation process, we have listed a few important things below which you need to consider.

  • In order for this installation to work, your device needs to be running MIUI 7.7.6 Global dev or above.
    └You can download the latest dev fastboot package from here & install it before flashing the LOS 15 ROM.
    └Alternatively, you can also flash one of the latest custom packages containing firmware from here.
  • Next up, it is also important to note that GApps can be flashed on clean installation only.
  • And if you are currently on MIUI and your device is encrypted, then you need to wipe (format) your internal storage completely before proceeding with this installation.

And now that those things have been taken care of, we can proceed with the installation.

Xiaomi Mi 5 LineageOS 15 ROM [Android 8.0 Oreo]

Compatibility and Warning

This ROM is only compatible with Xiaomi Mi 5 (codename: gemini). Do not try this on any other device.

Warning: Do not try anything given on this page if you are not entirely aware of what you are doing. In case any damage occurs, we won’t be held responsible.

Downloads

Note: Check out the development page here at XDA for latest download link and changelog.

Note: You need to have TWRP recovery installed on your device for this. In case you do not have it, download the TWRP recovery for Xiaomi Mi 5 from here, and install it using the guide here.

Installation

  1. Download and transfer the Lineage OS ROM zip file and Gapps file that you downloaded above to your Mi 5.
  2. Boot your smartphone into TWRP recovery.
  3. Select Wipe from TWRP main menu and do a Swipe to Factory Reset on the bottom of the screen. [Clean install is recommended, wipe everything except internal storage.]
  4. Go back to TWRP main menu, tap on Install and select the Lineage OS .zip file that you transferred to your Mi 5 in Step 1.
  5. After selecting the .zip file, do Swipe to Confirm Flash on the bottom of the screen to begin the custom ROM installation process. This may take some time.
  6. Once your ROM is successfully flashed, you’ll see Wipe cache/dalvik option, select it and then do Swipe to wipe on bottom of screen.
  7. Now, install the Gapps file the same way you installed the ROM file.
  8. After flashing both Lineage OS and Gapps, reboot your smartphone.

Credit: bgcngm