Xiaomi device owners are facing an unusual predicament lately – out of nowhere, their WhatsApp accounts are being banned for “suspicious activity.” Seemingly overnight, Xiaomi, Redmi, Poco, and Mi phone users are locked out of WhatsApp without explanation. Their accounts are banned before they can even get up and running on a new Xiaomi phone.
Understandably, this is causing massive confusion and frustration for those impacted. Xiaomi users are left scratching their heads with no evidence of wrongdoing, wondering what triggered these baseless bans. If you’re one of the unlucky users struck by this issue, read on as we explore solutions to get your account unbanned and regain access to all your WhatsApp chats and contacts.
The Problem
A wave of wrongful WhatsApp account bans has hit Xiaomi smartphone users recently. Reports are pouring in from owners of Xiaomi, Redmi, Poco, and other Xiaomi sub-brand devices who have suddenly found their WhatsApp accounts banned without explanation.
People are switching to new Xiaomi phones, installing WhatsApp, and then immediately getting banned from the app. WhatsApp displays that their account is “banned due to suspicious activity.” But users claim they have done nothing wrong or suspicious at all.
The bans are happening across regular WhatsApp, WhatsApp Business accounts, WhatsApp Beta, and dual SIM versions. Users are understandably upset and confused about why their brand-new devices would trigger instant bans when they haven’t even started using WhatsApp yet.
WhatsApp’s Stance
WhatsApp has not provided specific details on why these bans are happening to Xiaomi devices. Their customer support states that the bans are due to “suspicious activity” detected on the accounts.
Despite users insisting they have done nothing wrong, WhatsApp appears to be automatically flagging Xiaomi devices as suspicious. The company has not acknowledged if this is a technical glitch or intentional behavior.
When pressed for more details on the reason for the bans, WhatsApp refuses to provide any evidence of suspicious activity. They only reiterate that their systems have detected violations of their Terms of Service.
This lack of transparency from WhatsApp frustrates blameless users who suddenly lose access to their account’s chat history, groups, and contacts. With no explanation about what activity triggered the ban, Xiaomi owners are left confused about how to avoid repeat blocks in the future.
Impact on Users
The false WhatsApp bans are affecting users across a wide range of versions and devices. Multiple reports indicate the bans are occurring not just in the main WhatsApp app but also in WhatsApp Business, WhatsApp Beta, and dual-SIM versions.
Users of Xiaomi phones, Redmi phones, Poco phones, and other devices from the Mi lineup are all experiencing erroneous bans after installing WhatsApp. It does not seem to be isolated to any particular device model or just one variant of WhatsApp.
People using single and dual-SIM Xiaomi phones have complained of sudden bans for no reason. Those relying on two different WhatsApp accounts on their dual-SIM devices have been impacted.
WhatsApp Account Banned on Xiaomi: How to Unban it
In summary, the blanket bans have appeared across standard WhatsApp, specialty versions like Business and Beta, and dual-SIM devices from multiple Xiaomi brands. No Xiaomi owners are safe from potentially having their WhatsApp access revoked unfairly at this time.
Proposed Fix 1: Enable Two-Factor Authentication
Enabling two-factor authentication (2FA) on your WhatsApp account adds an extra layer of security that seems to prevent repeat bans for many Xiaomi users.
To turn on 2FA and hopefully stop the recurring account bans:
1. Wait for your current ban period to end, usually around 6 hours.
2. Uninstall and then reinstall the WhatsApp app on your device.
3. Open WhatsApp and go to Settings > Account > Two-Step Verification.
4. When prompted, Turn on the 2FA toggle and enter a 6-digit PIN.
5. WhatsApp will ask you to confirm the PIN and may send a verification code via SMS to complete the setup.
Your WhatsApp should remain unbanned once you have enabled two-factor authentication on your account. Many Xiaomi users have reported this quick fix effectively stopped repeat bans of their accounts.
Proposed Fix 2: Switch to a Custom ROM
Since the bans mainly impact Xiaomi devices running Chinese firmware, the culprit could be the firmware itself. Switching to a custom ROM may solve the problem.
You have two options for switching to a custom ROM:
Xiaomi EU ROM
One option is to stay within the MIUI ecosystem but use the Xiaomi EU ROM. This is an unofficial ROM based on China firmware but without ads and with extra features added.
Flashing the Xiaomi EU ROM will give you the MIUI experience on your Xiaomi device without the Chinese firmware that could be causing WhatsApp bans. Many users report this fixes the false ban issue.
AOSP-Based ROMs
Alternatively, you can move away from MIUI entirely by flashing an AOSP-based custom ROM like Pixel Experience or LineageOS. These ROMs will give you a clean, stock Android experience.
Since these ROMs do not use the problematic Chinese firmware, they should also resolve any WhatsApp ban problems. Users switching to custom AOSP ROMs report no more bans after flashing.
So, if you want to keep using WhatsApp on your Xiaomi device, installing a custom ROM like Xiaomi EU or LineageOS is worth trying to avoid frustrating account bans. Just flash the ROM, reboot your phone, and messaging should be smooth sailing again.
Why This is Happening
The cause behind these false bans on Xiaomi devices is not entirely clear. However, the leading theory points to the Chinese firmware pre-installed on Xiaomi phones sold in China.
WhatsApp is owned by Facebook, which is banned in China. So WhatsApp may automatically treat devices with Chinese firmware as suspicious. The bans could be an attempt to prevent Chinese users from accessing WhatsApp through Xiaomi devices.
Other potential factors include:
- Device IDs – Xiaomi devices may share specific identifiers that WhatsApp flags as problematic.
- Phones Numbers – Many Xiaomi users affected seem to have Chinese(+86) phone numbers. WhatsApp may assume they are mainland China users trying to bypass the Facebook ban.
- IP Addresses – Bans often trigger when activating WhatsApp over Chinese IP addresses. WhatsApp may blacklist ranges of Chinese IPs.
- Xiaomi Account Linking – Linking your Xiaomi account to WhatsApp could appear suspicious to WhatsApp.
While unconfirmed, the Chinese firmware explanation seems most plausible for why false bans keep hitting Xiaomi devices. Switching firmware removes any identifiers associated with mainland China that WhatsApp deems risky.
Conclusion
In closing, Xiaomi device owners have been plagued by false WhatsApp bans due to “suspicious activity” detections. Despite no wrongdoing by users, accounts are getting repeatedly banned and unbanned in a frustrating cycle.
Enabling two-factor authentication seems to prevent repeat bans for many affected Xiaomi users. Flashing a custom ROM can also solve the issue by replacing the Chinese MIUI firmware. While the reason behind these false flags remains unclear, a few simple fixes get accounts back up and running.
If you’ve been affected by the recent Xiaomi WhatsApp bans, try the solutions outlined here. With some effort, you can securely message friends and family on WhatsApp without interruptions. Don’t let an unfair ban keep you from connecting. Protect your account and start chatting again today.