How to get out of AndroidOne Unlocked screen (after all this procedure..)

JoyB · January 28, 2021, 3:32am

Hello guys, today I wanted to install MIUI 12 on my Xiaomi Mi A3. But to do that, I needed to first unlock the bootloader and have the TWRP installed. I had never done this before.

So after I backed up all my data, I followed a tutorial on how to unlock the bootloader. I did that.

Then, I followed this tutorial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWNausKm7mU, which has most of the steps every other similar tutorial has:
-download the adb folder with the fastboot exe
-place the TWRP image inside that folder
-connect the phone to the computer
-open cmd from the adb folder
-type: fastboot flash boot twrp.img

Despite that my system (Windows 10) recognized the Android device, after I entered the command, the message was < waiting for device>
So I searched for a solution on that. All tutorials say that it was a driver issue with the phone, and that I should install one directly from the Devices Manager. But my phone WAS recognized, I didn’t have any warnings or errors in my computer, and I still couldn’t fix the “waiting for device” message.

So here begins the problem. In some other video I saw that they entered the fastboot mode before plugging in the phone to the computer. So I did that, and with the phone in flashboot mode, I ran the command “fastboot flash boot twrp.img”, it showed success, but then I couldn’t get out of flashboot mode (I tried powering off, pressing VolumeUp + power, and pressing volume down + power). No matter what I did it kept in that flashboot screen.

In one of my attempts to turn it off, I used a command “fastboot reboot”. It finished, but nothing happened.

In another attempt pressing the combination of buttons, the fastboot image dissappeared, but this error showed up:

“android recovery
xiaomi/laurel_sprout/
some long code i dont remember
user/release-keys
use volume up down and power
cant load android system. your data may be corrupt. if you continue to get this message you may need to perform a factory data reset and erase all your user data stored on this device”

I selected “retry”(can’t remember the exact word) and the fastboot screen showed up again.

So I looked for a tutorial to get out of flashboot screen on Xiaomi Mi A3. I found this video: “How to Unbrick/Unroot Xiaomi Android Stuck on Fastboot!” from Max Lee(which took me to this forum) and I followed the instructions. I downloaded the firmware images: laurel_sprout_global_images_V11.0.23.0.QFQMIXM_20201124.0000.00_10.0_f3be5e451c
because I live in Argentina and I assumed my phone may be “global”, BUT I AM NOT SURE about that and I couldn’t check. I used MiFlash and the flash turned out with a success message.

It did remove the flashboot screen, BUT it never turned on the phone completly. It’s stuck on a screen that says: “AndroidOne Unlocked” like this one:

I can’t find how to get out of this screen. The “fastboot devices” command doesn’t list the phone neither.

Any help would be much appreciated, thanks!

gregoryaul · January 28, 2021, 10:47am

U will have to try edl mode volume up and down same time while plugging in the usb cable find the unbrick tool for your devic and flash the stock firmware again try that if you still have trouble let us know

JoyB · January 28, 2021, 12:48pm

Hello Greg, thank you for the help.

“edl mode volume up and down” -> this does nothing to the screen, I tried doing it before pluging in, and then simoultanously with plugging in.

Unbrick tool for my device -> what is this exactly? I couldn’t find more than the tools i already mentioned, thanks.

UPDATE: After this, I pressed volume down + power, and now I’m back again at FASTBOOT SCREEN.

gregoryaul · January 28, 2021, 12:56pm

Ok now I can try fastboot erase userdata or user-data try both

gregoryaul · January 28, 2021, 12:57pm

That will factory rest the device

JoyB · January 28, 2021, 1:08pm

I did this:

First:
Screenshot_5|554x211

Second:
Screenshot_6

But the screen remains in fastboot. What should i do to exit this screen? thanks

UPDATE: I tried with the power button. It restarts instead of keeping turned off. And when it starts, the AndroidOne Unlocked screens shows up again. From here, I can do volume down+power to enter fastboot mode again.
And that’s it, those are the 2 screens I can see, and I’m unable to keep it turned off.

I found this link: https://c.mi.com/thread-2926205-1-0.html
And it says:

"next thing is very important

before you flash the rom using mi flash tool you have to set the active slot to “a” otherwise the device will endup in bootloop
check the active slot
“fastboot getvar current-slot”

if the active slot is “a” you can continue to flash
if its “b” you have to change it to ‘a’
“fastboot set_active a”"

So I did “fastboot getvar current-slot”

My result was:
current-slot: b

It means I did everything on slot b? What should I do next?

gregoryaul · January 28, 2021, 6:39pm

Ok try that then reflash stock firmware sorry I’m at work

gregoryaul · January 28, 2021, 6:40pm

Yes switch to slot a then reflash stock firmware with miflash

gregoryaul · January 28, 2021, 6:44pm

U have a/b slot device you should boot twrp first then flash it in fast boot if that dosent work try flashing twrp to both slots a and b.

gregoryaul · January 28, 2021, 6:45pm

Let me ask dose twrp have 2 files one installer and 1 .img file??

JoyB · January 28, 2021, 7:08pm

I did this and now my phone is starting! I just connected wifi and i am configuring everything.

Thank you for the help!

Now I wonder, if there is a tutorial somewhere to follow to install twrp. I never got to see this screen for example:

I got into the fastboot loop.

Is there a trustable way to do that? What I really need to do is to install install MIUI 12 to see if that fixes a bug in Instagram stories (can’t upload more than 15 seconds), and over the internet many said that with MIUI 12 it is solved. To do that, the pre-requisite was to install twrp, but couldn’t find a good tutorial.

Is it too risky to do?

Thanks

gregoryaul · January 28, 2021, 7:12pm

Which method did u do boot twrp or flash both slots?
That’s great you got it fixed you may be able to find a twrp flashable miui firmware on xda forums, great place for info:grin:

JoyB · January 28, 2021, 7:15pm

I made a flash on slot a.

How could I boot twrp if i dont know if it’s installed? That’s what I’m not understanding.

Ok I will check that forum! Thanks!

gregoryaul · January 28, 2021, 11:47pm

I’m not sure but you did flash it once so it may have stayed in there some weird way phones do silly things sometime