is in Chinese and I use Google translate to read few things here and to be frank, I love the phone and will keep maximising how interesting it will be. I saw an update alert in the settings to download and install an update as shown in the picture below but I keep seeing people who write about unlocking bootloaders and tweaking their phones. Apart from installing custom ROMs, themes, etc; what else is in this hype of unlocking bootloaders? Hope it is safe to update from OTA? Though I use to be tech zealous about custom in my previous Android phones but I've come to just love and stay in peace with the official ROM of this device and wouldn't want altering any of it's official settings.

Not all phones have a locked bootloader, majorly network based phones are those that have their bootloader locked like the verizon, AT&T, Sprint etc.

To me it is safer and faster to unlock bootloader and install custom rom or even a stock rom utilising custom recovery mode. Ota too is safe but slow and risky especially in nigeria with crappy network access.

Phones are now ever so smart that if you unlock bootloader and try to install a rom not meant for a particular phone, the installation will always terminate, I have experienced it in galaxy Note 2 before.

The only warning I have is to ensure you read about the particular rom (Resurrection remix, lineage OS etc) and that particular version bug whether it is stable or not before installing.

A bugged OS can damage your phone or render it useless for life

nurey:
Not all phones have a locked bootloader, majorly network based phones are those that have their bootloader locked like the verizon, AT&T, Sprint etc.

To me it is safer and faster to unlock bootloader and install custom rom or even a stock rom utilising custom recovery mode. Ota too is safe but slow and risky especially in nigeria with crappy network access.

Phones are now ever so smart that if you unlock bootloader and try to install a rom not meant for a particular phone, the installation will always terminate, I have experienced it in galaxy Note 2 before.

The only warning I have is to ensure you read about the particular rom (Resurrection remix, lineage OS etc) and that particular version bug whether it is stable or not before installing.

A bugged OS can damage your phone or render it useless for life

My brother it is like I've grown too old with installing all these custom ROMs, I can remember when they made me mad that I had to subscribe to weekly and daily updates, if you can remember the cynogen or so days, Android especially this Oreo is so smooth, customisable and sweet. I'd prefer staying off tweaking anything in my phone for now that xiaomi is still updating it till they stop. One thing with all these custom ROMs in those days was that something or one of its features must be broken and you'll always be panting for an update that will fix the bug. Am just too busy now to go through those again.