How to update Redmi 2 to MIUI 8 Lollipop ROM and get VoLTE

Redmi 2 is a hugely successful mobile phone by chinese manufacturer Xiaomi. It comes with a decent camera, sleek user interface and decent performance at an unbelievable price. Xiaomi originally promised to receive updates to upcoming versions of Android through newer MIUI versions. Though the latest OTA to the device delivered MIUI 8, the core, however remains stuck with Android KitKat 4.4.4. In this guide, we will show you how to upgrade to the new Lollipop (and then Marshmallow) based MIUI 8.

You can get Android Lollipop based MIUI 8 by manually installing appropriate ROM on your device. Lollipop bases MIUI 8 is a great improvement over the previous version. You get VoLTE support (Reliance Jio users watch out!), cloned apps, storage spaces, RAW photography, screen-casting, performance improvements and lots more. This is a tested method of bringing Android Lollipop 5.0 update to Redmi 2 using official out-of-the-box tools, without the need to unlock bootloader, or install a custom recovery.

Redmi 2 hardware is perfectly capable of running Android 5 Lollipop and later versions. In fact, Redmi 2’s cousin, the Redmi 2 Prime, which is essential the same phone with a larger internal memory received Android Lollipop. And as you might have guessed, the reason Xiaomi hasn’t pushed the Lollipop update is the internal memory capacity. Most users fill their memory with personal data, this leaves no space for updates.

Before proceeding with this guide, make sure you have backups of your personal data. The easiest way to make a backup is to use the locally installed “Backup and reset” application from device settings and making a local backup of all files to the external SD card. For more peace of mind, copy the newly created “/storage/sdcard1/MIUI/backups” folder to your computer’s hard drive.

Also make sure you have about 2 GB of free space of your device. You can also download the update package to your external SD card, in this case, you will need about 1 GB of free space on your internal storage.

This method works only on stock Mi Recovery. If you have a custom recovery like CWM or TWRP installed, you need to revert back to Mi Recovery.

Though we have tested the steps on few test devices successfully. We give no guarantees that this will be 100% safe. We are not to be held responsible for any loss of data or brick of device arising after performing the steps written in this guide. Proceed at your own risk. However, if you face any problem, state it in the comments and we will try our best to help you.

Steps to Update Redmi 2 to MIUI 8 Lollipop ROM

1. Get the update package from MIUI Website. Select Redmi 2 Prime Global to get the Lollipop package (LHJMIDG firmware)
2. Download the update to your mobile device. Verify download size after download as a broken update package may soft-brick your phone.
3. We also advice you to keep the original ROM (available on the same page) and the MiFlash tool handy.
4. The downloaded package has a long mangled name. Rename the package to something like “update.zip”
5. Open the “Updater” app on your Redmi 2, click on the three dots button on the top right corner and select “Choose update package”
6. Browse to the downloaded ROM package (now called “update.zip” or whatever you renamed it to).
7. Your phone will now restart and start updating using the stock MiRecovery. The process will take a while so grab a coffee!
8. After the update is complete, your phone will be updated to the latest MIUI 8 Lollipop ROM. Hooray!

Known issues

1. The first startup after updating feels very very sluggish. It is because of architectural changes between KitKat and Lollipop. An entirely cache rebuild is necessary. A reboot should fix this issue. If it does not work for you, then you have to manually clear ART cache by rebooting into recovery from the “Updater” app.
2. You will need to update Google Play Services. The prompt for updating should arrive as soon as the device restarts after updating

We have been using the ROM for a while and beside this, all other services work fine. Calls, bluetooth, WiFi, apps and camera, all appear to be working perfectly. Jio users will no longer need Jio4GVoice app after installing the update. Call quality on VoLTE is excellent and incoming and outgoing works smoothly unlike the Jio4GVoice app.

If you face any issues, let us know in the comments.