[Android Stick & Console AMLogic based Computers] omidj@:
Hi everyone, I recently bought a Xiaomi Mi box3c and was very disappointed with custom rom and the interface that it came with on it. So surfing the web there are a few tutorials on how to change it and I tried a few but they are not that great either, till finally someone patched the stock android TV Lean back Launcher for it, it took some tinkering but I got it working, this may not be the best way but this is how I did it form the start. This is not my work, I just followed instructions and I have gathered them here. As I am lazy Im not gonna provide pictures for every step but it’s pretty straight forward.

For using some the apps during the process you will need usb mouse cause not every apps supports Mibox remote configuration

As I am a new poster I am not allowed to post any links so change every dot word to an actual . for the links.

1. Turning on the Box and Changing to English

1.1 Download this apk provided by Xiaomi veterans on forum, it’s a shortcut to the stock android setting

drive dot google dot com/open?id=0B16bkj0QSkYnc0k2UUFTU05vSHM​

1.2 copy the apk to a normal usb flash drive and connect to mibox and install the apk

1.3 Run it and now you can change the language as in any android device.

2. Downgrading Firmware

All of the root options available for this device are for the older firmware so you need to downgrade the device. (it’s much easier than it sounds.)

2.1 Download the original firmware for MDZ-16-AA from this link: (both are the same thing)

yadi dot sk/d/Yvr1jYflm6GZR​

androidfilehost dot com/?fid=745425885120695554​

2.2 Extract the contents of the downloaded zip file to a formatted usb tick (Fat32). (There should be two files: xiaomi_update and update.zip)

2.3 Put the USB flash drive in your Mi Box and boot in recovery

(How to boot into recovery: Unplug power > press and "hold back + ok" button while plugging the power back in. The remote should be nearby and facing the box. Do not let go of the buttons until it booted in recovery. for some devices its "home + menu" button instead of the previous one.

2.4 the flashing should start and finish automatically. don’t connect the device to WIFI after this step until you have disabled the intelligent update.

(Credits to passerby on xiaomi.eu forums for the guide)

3. Rooting the device

I tried almost all of the rooting apps, none of them worked for me but I have seen people insisting that permroot works for them so I put the link for that, using it is pretty straight forward, download, install on device and try to root with it.

but in case that doesn’t work Kingoroot Windows app will definitely work. this is how to root with kingoroot. For this method you need a USB type A --> USB type A cable.

3.1 First download the kingoroot desktop app from their website

3.2 Install the app on your windows desktop

3.3 Go to your mibox device setting (mibox setting not android stock from part 1) and in Security setting and Enable USB/ADB debugging, device will restart for this setting to change.

3.4 connect your mibox to your desktop and wait for the device to be installed and recognized by windows. (If you are using windows 10 it will detect the device by itself)

3.5 Run the kingoroot app on the windows and let it detect the device, as soon as it detects the device root option will appear, click on root option it and wait

3.6 Kingoroot will try to install an app on your mibox, allow it and then this will continue and finish the rooting process.

3.7 Disable USB/ADB debugging, so you can connect USB Flash drives to the device again.

3.8 Check for the root stastus with rootchecker.

(Credits to passerby on xiaomi.eu forums for the guide)

4. How to flash TWRP to device

4.1 download the TWRP App from this link:

dl dot twrp dot me/twrpapp/me.twrp.twrpapp-18.apk​

4.2 Download the android ROM and TWRP image together from this link:

goo dot gl/q5DGED	password : Mibox2015​

4.3 open the zip file and copy this image file to your USB Flash drive

MDZ-16-AA-AndroidTV-V1\TWRP-RECOVERY\twrp-mdz-16-aa.img

4.4 Connect the USB flash drive to the box and copy the image to device storage

4.3 Install the TWRP app on the device using the USB flash drive

4.4 Run it and select first two boxes.

4.5 Go to flash TWRP option and wait for app to ask permission from SU, grant permission.

4.6 Select TWRP flash and select flash from image. Select the image that you copied to device storage.

4.7 Boot into recovery (by this time you have root access and it’s better to boot to recovery with one of the reboot apps ex. Quick Reboot)

(Now you have TWRP, but the problem is every time you reboot the box, the stock rom overwrites the TWRP files and it goes back to Default recovery, to solve this we need to replace the Rom itself too)

5. Replacing the Rom

5.1 While still in TWRP page, make a small boot backup just so TWRP makes a folder in storage of your device.

5.2 Reboot the device from TWRP (reboot system)

5.3 Now using a File manager (I used X-plore) copy the Rom folder to the same backup folder that was created by TWRP in your storage.

Copy This folder:

MDZ-16-AA-AndroidTV-V1\TWRP\BACKUPS\11608V180037788\2014-12-31--18-01-42_6.9.7.949

To this folder: (Which is already should be there created by TWRP)

Internal Storage\TWRP\Backups\ (your device’s Serial number)\

5.4 Repeat steps 4.6 & 4.7 again to Flash TWRP again, after booting to TWRP go to restore and select file (2014-12-31--18-01-) to restore, swipe to restore and wait for 10-15 minutes

5.5 After restore is done don’t reboot, go back to TWRP main page, go to Wipe then advanced wipe, select Dalvik, Cache and Data to be wiped. After wipe is done reboot system

5.6 When android system boot is complete, go to setting down below and change the language to English and its done.

I hope it helps :D