Installing LineageOS 18 on Poco F3 Downgrading Android 12 to Android 11

install-lineage-os-18-poco-f3.md

Installing LineageOS 18 on Poco F3 Downgrading Android 12 to Android 11

I tried installing LineageOS following the instructions here: https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/alioth/install

Problems:

• I had android 12 not 11
• The documentation provided does not describe how to downgrade Android 12 firmware to Android 11

Theres 3 modes that you need to understand the difference between:

• Fastboot - You can get into this mode by holding Volume Down and Power
  • As soon as phone buzzes let go otherwise you will accidentally press the restart phone option and have to do it over again
• Fastbootd - When the recovery .img is installed you holding Power + Volume Up (NOT VOLUME DOWN) you can enter a fastbootd mode which is different than fastboot and does not work the same
• Recovery - This is a mode that runs a seperate recovery image

To be able to unlock the phone from Windows I had to download this super sketchy custom version of MiFlask called MiFlash20210226 hosted here https://androidfilehost.com/?fid=7161016148664833693 This version has drivers included that windows doesnt seem to install by default when the phone is plugged in.

I had to wait a week before unlocking my bootloader. I didn't want to risk breaking something, or even worse telling the company to reduce my wait time and have them break something even more due to a language barrier or incompetence.

1. Download the latest version 11 firmware from https://xiaomifirmwareupdater.com/firmware/alioth/ It comes from india so it will take a long time

2. Install ADB and Fastboot. They usually come together in a package. https://wiki.lineageos.org/adb_fastboot_guide

3. Download the TWRP image from https://dl.twrp.me/alioth/twrp-3.6.0_11-0-alioth.img.html

4. Unlock bootloader on Windows using tool provided and shutdown

5. Hold volume down and power until it vibrates, let go as soon as it vibrates and you will be put into fastboot mode

6. Use adb shell to get into the device and type ls to list your directory structure

7. Decide on a folder to put the .zip into i used /data

8. Put the firmware on the device using adb push firmware.zip

9. Boot into TWRP utility image usingfastboot boot TWRP_FILE_NAME.img

   1. WARNING: If you accidently flash TWRP to your device using fastboot instead of temporarily booting the image, you will need to download the latest factory image for your device and reflash the boot image.

10. Press Install and Select Folder you put .zip and install it

11. Press back and then reboot device back into fastboot

12. Add the custom recovery file using fastboot flash boot recovery_file.img

13. Shutdown phone and reboot into Recovery mode using Volume Up + Power

14. Tap Factory reset and wipe the devices user data

15. Return to the main menu and click Apply Update, then Apply from ADB

16. Install the android operating system using adb sideload operating_system.zip

17. If you want google apps download https://androidfilehost.com/?fid=17825722713688288529

    • WARNING: you must install the google apps before initializing the phone or it wont work
      • If you already booted the phone start over from step 13
    • To install google apps apply update and Apply From ADB again and do adb sideload addons.zip for each addon package you want

18. Restart the phone and it should boot into LineageOS. If it takes more than 5 minutes something is wrong and you will need to try again.