Part of Xiaomi guides, LineageOS guides, 2023 guides.

LineageOS has been the safe pick in custom ROMs for years, and that is exactly why it lands on tablets like the Pad 5. Nothing on the screen is trying to sell you anything. The interface is AOSP with the rough edges smoothed off, and after a day of use the tablet starts feeling like hardware instead of a shop window.

I flashed it clean and lived with it, and this is what actually changed.

What it looks like

The home screen is bare in the good sense. A launcher that just shows your apps, an app drawer that does not push a store in your face, and quick settings that are a grid of toggles rather than a wall of suggestions. On a tablet this reads as calm. There is less on the screen, and nothing moves that you did not ask to move.

First boot lands you in a plain setup flow. No Xiaomi account nagging, no recommendation folder waiting on the second page. It feels like someone cleared the desk before you sat down.

What changed after the switch

• Speed. The tablet is quick in a way bloated stock software rarely manages, especially at the first couple of app launches after boot.
• Gestures. Navigation is responsive and predictable — swipes register where you expect them to.
• Split-screen. Everyday apps and split-screen use on the big display both behave. The screen is the reason you bought this tablet, and LineageOS lets it do its job.
• Battery. Daily use is normal for this hardware. Nothing alarming either way — it is not a magic battery win and it is not a drain.
• Clutter gone. The system apps that exist are the ones you would install anyway.

What you give up

This is the part the review has to be honest about. Moving away from MIUI costs you the pieces that only work with Xiaomi software:

• The pen and keyboard niceties. The stock software had features built around those accessories. LineageOS does not carry them over.
• Xiaomi's camera processing. The camera works, but it is not the same camera you had.
• The MIUI layout. If you learned where things live in MIUI, you are relearning now.
• Google apps. They are not included. Flash a GApps package after the ROM if you want the Play Store.

If you bought the tablet for the pen, the keyboard or the camera, this build feels like a step backwards. If you bought it for the screen and the price, it fits like a glove.

What is broken

Nothing in my daily use was broken in a way that stopped me. The friction is all "missing" rather than "malfunctioning" — features that did not come across, not features that fail. That is a different kind of disappointment than a crash, and it matters when you decide.

Who should install it

Install it if you want the tablet lean, plain and free of the software pile, and you do not care about the pen or the camera pipeline. Skip it if those extras are why the Pad 5 is in your bag. The honest test: open your last ten photos and think about how you took them. If most were shot on this tablet, do not switch.

Before you start

• A PC. Unlocking and the fastboot flashing both need one.
• The driver. Get ADB and fastboot working first — the free Rom Flasher tool brings the driver install down to a couple of clicks.
• Platform Tools for the fastboot commands.
• A backup. Coming from MIUI, this is a clean flash. Your data is not staying.
• The recovery and vbmeta this build needs. Signs of a mismatched recovery show up mid-write, which is the worst time to find out.

Going back is easy, which is the reassurance here. A MIUI fastboot package flashes straight over LineageOS whenever you decide you have had enough.

Full description from the video

LineageOS on the Xiaomi Pad 5 — a stripped-back AOSP build for anyone who wants the tablet lean, plain and free of the usual software pile.

LineageOS has been the safe pick in custom ROMs for years, and that's exactly why it ends up on tablets like the Pad 5. Nothing on that screen is trying to sell you anything. The interface is AOSP with the rough edges smoothed out, and the tablet starts feeling like hardware instead of a storefront. The trade-off is real: the moment you move away from MIUI, you give up the parts of it that only work with Xiaomi software.

📱 Device : Xiaomi Pad 5 (Mi Pad 5)

🧩 ROM : LineageOS

🧰 Type : AOSP-based custom ROM

🔬 What Was Tested

• Clean flash and first boot on the Pad 5
• The launcher, app drawer and quick settings after setup
• Everyday apps and split-screen use on the big screen
• Gesture navigation and general touch response
• Battery behaviour during normal daily use
• Whether anything from MIUI survived the switch

📊 Verdict

It does the basics very well. Nothing felt bolted on, and the tablet is quick in a way bloated stock software rarely manages. What you give up is the extras — the pen and keyboard niceties, Xiaomi's camera processing, the familiar MIUI layout. If you bought the tablet for those, this build feels like a step back. If you bought it for the screen and the price, it fits like a glove.

❓ Common Questions

• Do I need a PC? Yes. Unlocking and fastboot flashing both need one.
• Are Google apps included? No. Flash a GApps package after the ROM if you want the Play Store.
• Will it wipe my data? Coming from MIUI, yes — plan for a clean flash and back up first.
• Can I go back to MIUI? Yes, a MIUI fastboot package flashes straight over it.

Common questions

More for Xiaomi Pad 5