Xiaomi Mi A1 Finally Receiving Android 8.1 Oreo Update; Known Bug Wipes SMS Messages on Install

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 countries. 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 January this year. 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 required. This ROM will also require an unlocked bootloader.