Part of POCO guides, Evolution X guides, 2026 guides.

I want to start with the two things that ruin this install, because they have nothing to do with the flash itself. The first is your IMEI. Back it up before you touch anything. The second is your lock screen and fingerprint. Remove both. People skip that step, then report sensor problems after first boot, and it is almost always this.

That done, the flash is short. This is an Android 16 build on a QPR1 base, the build is signed and SELinux stays enforcing. That combination is what makes it reasonable to run as a daily driver instead of a weekend experiment.

What you need

• The ROM zip. There is a Vanilla build and a GApps build. Pick one. Do not flash both.
• The vendor_boot.img for this exact device.
• A PC with working ADB and fastboot, drivers included.
• The recommended 3.0.0.8 firmware base in place before you start.
• IMEI backed up, fingerprint and lock screen removed.
• A cable you trust, a battery above 50%, and a backup of your files.

A note on vendor_boot before you flash

Where your phone came from decides which vendor_boot you use. If you are moving off 2.0.0.X firmware, use the vendor_boot that ships with this build. Do not grab one from somewhere else because it looks newer. The 3.0.0.8 base is the recommended starting point for this release, and the flash guide goes through it properly.

Step 1 - boot to fastboot

Power off, then hold Volume Down + Power until fastboot appears. Connect the phone and confirm it is seen:

fastboot devices

Step 2 - flash vendor_boot to both slots

fastboot flash vendor_boot --slot=all vendor_boot.img

Both slots, not one. The phone boots from whichever slot it likes, and the recovery has to match on both.

Step 3 - reboot and catch recovery

Run fastboot reboot and hold Volume Up the moment you do. There is a real window here and it is easy to miss. If you miss it, the phone carries on into the Android setup and you start the step again. Annoying, not damaging.

Step 4 - wipe properly

In recovery, do a factory reset, then format data. Both. Format data is the one people try to skip, and it is the one that prevents strange app behaviour on first boot.

Step 5 - sideload the ROM

Go to Apply update, then Apply from ADB, and from the PC:

adb sideload your-rom.zip

Let it finish without moving the cable.

Step 5b - Magisk or GApps, only if you want them

Recovery offers this while it is still in sideload mode. Magisk first: rename the .apk file to .zip and sideload that. GApps only if you downloaded the Vanilla build. If you took the GApps build, skip that part entirely.

Step 5 - step 5 done? Then boot it

Reboot to system and leave it. First boot on a QPR1 base takes a few minutes and may restart once on its own. Let the setup wizard finish before you start restoring anything. If something is going to break, it is better breaking on an empty phone.

Where people get stuck

• Missing the Volume Up window. The phone boots into the system and the whole thing starts again.
• The wrong vendor_boot. Coming from 2.0.0.X, use the one provided with this build rather than a newer-looking one from elsewhere.
• Skipping the lock screen and fingerprint removal. This is the classic cause of fingerprint trouble after first boot.
• Jio users. There are special instructions in the flash guide for you. Read those before starting, not after.

What it is like to use

Evolution X on this base feels close to stock Android with the extras you would otherwise look for separately. The customisation is there, but nothing feels bolted on. Because the build is signed and SELinux is enforcing, apps that care about system integrity behave more like they do on a stock phone.

One honest paragraph

Unofficial means exactly that. The maintainers credited on this build do good work, but you are running something that is not from your phone's maker, and the first day will have small rough edges. Do the IMEI backup. Do the fingerprint removal. Come at it with a proper backup and the whole thing is uneventful.

If you would rather not hand-install ADB and the fastboot driver on Windows, the free Rom Flasher tool does that part for you. It is free, and the link sits in the downloads section.

Full description from the video

Evolution X 11.5.3 (UNOFFICIAL) on the POCO X7 Pro (Rodin) — the full install from Fastboot to first boot, plus a quick tour, stability and a performance pass at the end.

The flash itself is short work once your vendor_boot is right, so this video follows the real order: boot to fastboot, push vendor_boot to both slots, reboot, catch recovery with Volume Up, wipe, then sideload. It's an Android 16 build on a QPR1 base, SELinux stays enforcing and the build is signed, which is the part that makes it usable as a daily driver instead of a toy.

Two things to sort out before you download anything. Back up your IMEI, and remove your fingerprint and lock screen. That second one isn't optional — it's the usual reason people report sensor problems after first boot.

📱 Device : POCO X7 Pro (Rodin)

🧩 ROM : Evolution X 11.5.3 (UNOFFICIAL, Android 16 / QPR1)

📦 Build : 23 Jan 2026

👤 Credited : Maintainer @orubensgoncalves · @rthedream (base device tree & fixes)

🛠️ What You Need

• ROM zip — the Vanilla build or the GApps build, pick one
• vendor_boot.img for this exact device
• A PC with working ADB and Fastboot
• The recommended 3.0.0.8 firmware base before you start
• IMEI backed up, plus fingerprint and lock screen removed

📝 Steps

1. Boot the phone into Fastboot and connect it to the PC.
2. Flash vendor_boot — fastboot flash vendor_boot --slot=all vendor_boot.img
3. fastboot reboot, then hold Volume Up straight away to land in recovery.
4. Factory reset, then Format data.
5. Apply update → Apply from ADB, then sideload the ROM zip.
6. Optional: flash Magisk (rename the .apk to .zip) or GApps while recovery offers it.
7. Reboot to system and let first boot finish.

⚠️ Where People Get Stuck

• Missing the Volume Up window — the phone boots into system instead of recovery and you start again.
• Using the wrong vendor_boot. Coming from 2.0.0.X firmware, use the vendor_boot provided with this build; 3.0.0.8 is the recommended base.
• Skipping the lock screen and fingerprint removal, which is the classic cause of fingerprint trouble later.

Jio users should read the special instructions in the flash guide before starting. Both the guide and the changelog are linked below.

Common questions

More for POCO X7 Pro