Android 11 beta is available now for this Xiaomi phone – but you shouldn't download it

Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro (Image credit: Future)

The Android 11 beta is rolling out to Xiaomi phones, after being made available to Google Pixel and OnePlus phones several days ago. 

As announced on the MIUI Weibo account (MIUI is the name for the operating system on Xiaomi phones, which is a modified version of Android), the Xiaomi Mi 10 is now eligible for the Android 11 beta.

The Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro and Poco F2 Pro aren't eligible yet, despite Xiaomi saying the beta would also be coming to those phones, but it's likely that they'll get the update in the coming days.

Despite the announcement being made via MIUI's Weibo channel, the Xiaomi Android 11 beta doesn't use MIUI, instead packing 'stock' Android, according to XDA Developers, which reported the news, and hosts a link to download the software.

As with the OnePlus 8 Android 11 beta, though, it's likely not worth downloading the Xiaomi beta just yet, and we'll explain why.

Why you shouldn't download the Android 11 beta yet

The Android 11 beta for Google Pixel phones is a 'public beta', so it's for general phone users to download and test out, but the versions OnePlus and Xiaomi have put out are developers' builds, intended for people who'd want to make apps for the corresponding phones.

The OnePlus 8 and Xiaomi Mi 10 betas likely won't be as stable as the Google Pixel version, which means you could encounter problems, with the only fix being to reset your phone and lose any data you haven't backed up. Some of the builds even wipe your data in order to facilitate the installation, and the companies releasing them have advised caution.

Downloading the Android 11 beta to your Xiaomi phone, then, isn't advised – and since the builds aren't stable, using them may simply not be a very enjoyable experience for now.

We'd recommend waiting until a public beta for Xiaomi handsets is released, likely in the form of an official MIUI beta, or just waiting for Android 11's official launch later in 2020.

Tom Bedford
Contributor

Tom Bedford was deputy phones editor on TechRadar until late 2022, having worked his way up from staff writer. Though he specialized in phones and tablets, he also took on other tech like electric scooters, smartwatches, fitness, mobile gaming and more. He is based in London, UK and now works for the entertainment site What To Watch.


He graduated in American Literature and Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia. Prior to working on TechRadar, he freelanced in tech, gaming and entertainment, and also spent many years working as a mixologist. He also currently works in film as a screenwriter, director and producer.