INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Xiaomi Mi A1, the Chinese phone maker's one and only Android One-based smartphone, has finally started receiving its Android 8.1 Oreo
software update, and it includes the June Android security patch
While the update is rolling out over-the-air (OTA), users can also flash the Fastboot ROM
Notably however, the update is rolling out with a known bug at the moment, which wipes the phone's SMS history
However, users can easily avoid the issue by using a third party SMS backup app
File size of the update is said to be around 1.2GB.The update is rolling out in India and Philippines already, as per several users in these
To recall, the Xiaomi Mi A1 was launched in September 2017 with Android 7.1 Nougat, with the phone getting an Android 8.0 Oreo update in
Part of Google's Android One programme, the Xiaomi Mi A1 is guaranteed to get major Android updates till two years after launch
We can expect the smartphone to get the upcoming Android P update soon after its stable release later this year.As we mentioned, the Android
8.1 Oreo update for the Xiaomi Mi A1 that's currently rolling out will wipe your SMS messages history, something the company itself
acknowledges via a moderator on the announcement post
Users are also reporting the issue on Twitter and MIUI forums, and the issue appears when the Messages app is swiped up from Recents tab for
the first time after the update
There is currently no fix for the bug from Xiaomi, beyond backing up and restoring after the wipe
A trusted SMS backup and restore app can be found here
We have reached out for a comment and will update the story accordingly
Thus, we'd advise caution before pressing the update button.Elaborating on the changelog of the update, the latest OTA on the Mi A1 brings
the June security patch and a new power menu layout
With the update, the display shows a tint when power menu is open, Settings/ System UI theme adapts to colour of the wallpaper, audio
quality is claimed to be better, and the launcher gets an update
To download and install the OTA, go to Settings > About Phone > System Updates
You should automatically get the update; if not, click on Check for Updates
If, despite that, there are no OTA updates available, users can update their Google Play Services framework to v12.2.09 or higher, from here
You can alternatively download the Fastboot ROM with a file size of about 1.2GB, but completely wipes the smartphone - a backup will be
This ROM will also require an unlocked bootloader.
