Sorry, but I do not see the point for the discussion. We can share our ideas, but it seems that some posts are arguing against others.

I am not a teenager, lets say I am mid-age, but the BQ4.5 was my first smartphone! :astonished_face: I did not want to have an iPhone or an Android based one, nor a WindowsPhone. So when Canonical launched this phone I though it was the right time to buy one. I am not a tech-geek nor a developer but I like to go against the tide. I am also, alone at work, using an Ubuntu as desktop among all the MS machines.

Surprisingly Canonical dropped its development and I felt disappointed. But thankfully UBPorts took it soon up again.

It has served me for 7 years. Some errors raised, some drawbacks, a reflash, etc. but in my opinion, it is a reason to dive into linux and something to enrich the experience. That is why I bought it.

Everything has an end and I understand that the involved people have their limits and also their desires. Why not? For instance, the may want to focus in newer devices to explore new capabilities. And that is marvellous.

As far as I am concerned, I will still use my BQE4.5 as my daily drive. I can make a phone call, send SMSs (sorry I am not a fan of social networks such as Whatsapp, Telegram, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc), I can send an email (Dekko2), I can navigate offline (PureMaps, UNav), I can read all kind documents (DocumentReader, SimpleReader, Seabass2), I can navigate (Morph), I can sync my calendar, I can take pictures and videos (they are not very good really), see them, I can even control my PC remotely (CuteVNC), and much more. Brian posted a list of the main downloaded apps in the General section of the forum and some are mentioned above.

It is not the most powerful device, nor the faster. But it really works. It has all the needed features, although it takes 3 s more to launch an app Who cares for 3 s!

I will not have updates. OK. I am sure that behind the curtains the improvements of each OTA are HUGE, but for common users as me, I suppose I will not lack them too much.

If the battery fails or, as it actually happens, the centre of the screen does not respond to my fingers, it is a hardware issue, not related to UBPorts or the software, but to the natural (programmed?) obsolescence. As I said, I like to go against the tide, so I keep using the phone even if I can not click on the number 5 of the telephone app. But then, there is UT Tweak Tool, to change to windows mode and move it to the working part of the screen. There is always a solution.

If any has keep reading until now, congratulations. What I may do to secure I keep using it, would be to download such apps that I may use in the future and keep a copy of the code (it is downloaded and stored in the phone: /opt/click.ubuntu.com). If ever I need one and it is not available in any repository I could still use it. Because even though they will not have the latest features, they work. I am grateful to all the developers that have done it possible. :clapping_hands:

done.
wiped, reinstalled and working like a charm.

I use Notes with Evernote, so I can have the notes in my desktop too.
So 2.
No mind to drop Evernote if there is another way to sync with the desktop, but I would prefer it through a core app as the default Notes.

Hi @AmauryDBZ. Sorry, I am not a developer, so I cannot provide any hint. I usually use a trial and error approach. You can try uninstalling the package and reinstalling it again.
Actually for me, the first time it was not properly installed because I lost the wifi connection. I tried again and although I had some doubts (see posts above) it works.
My phone requires some time to connect to the satelites, but once it is done, Activity Tracker followed me.

Thanks @wally for your information.
I said 30 days, because apart from the 168 hour thing, one must have a Xiaomi account more than 30 days old. Which currently I had not.
I just bought it. Hope it works. I do not want to be stuck on Android.
With your information I kept searching and found that lots of people complain from no receiving the sms code. It seems a random issue between countries, attempts and the xiaomi unlock app version.
In this XDA forum, the last post is dated Apr 15, 2026 and a guy from Canada, finally, got the SMS. Hope you also are lucky this time.

@Flohack maybe I did not explain it clearly. My device is now booting properly without any fix.
I do not need to reinstall it.
I thought it may be an interesting information to those who are still struggling with the boot isuue.
Thank you anyway.

Well, actually I had not used "Pictures" but the translation to my language. It seems that for saving in the SD card, "Pictures" is mandatory.
Maybe I am wrong but at least now I can save wherever I want to.

Take a look to this and this old posts.
Maybe your issue is related to what they described.

I own a BQ E4.5 of the first batch and it is updated with the last OTA (OTA-21).
Apart from the centre of the screen not responding to finger touch it works great . This is a common failure for this device, according to some other posts I have read in the forum.
I only use one of the SIM cards, so I cannot say both work, but one at least if working properly.
So does the SD card, where I store the photographs of the camera and the maps for OSMServer.
However, yours maybe is a failure of, unfortunately, your devices @mardy @SaimonC.

Can anybody confirm this issue please?
It is getting more and more difficult to find spare parts for my BQ Aquaris E4.5. (Yes I am still sticking to it ).
I have found a second hand Poco X3 very affordable, but besides being a hassle to wait 30 days (because I have yet not a Xiaomi account), unfortunately I think is quite improbable that I visit China just to get a China region Xiaomi account.

Hi,
I am back again. I didn't want to bother you with my long posts until I made it. Still working on it, though.
@wally, as I said, my phone sent the SMS but get no response. I hadn't yet updated anything. I was chatting with the Xiaomi customer service and told me two things:

• Clear data/caché from "Settings" --> "Apps" --> "Manage apps" --> "Xiaomi SIM Activaton Service".
• Change "Settings" --> "Additional settings" --> "Languages and input" to other language, in my case to "English (UK)".

You can try it. I don't know if both are necessary, but were simple to accomplish and so did I. Tried again, SMS sent and paid, and MIXiaomi account was linked to my phone number.
Next step, was linking the account to "Settings" --> "Additional settings" --> "Developer options" --> "MIUnlockStatus". For this to work I had to turned off the "Find Device" option: "Settings" --> "MIAccount" --> "Xiaomi Cloud" --> "Find Device" --> Off. And it did the trick.
This is all like a puzzle, a jigsaw, an escape room ...
Still no luck, though. The device is still "deactivated".
Again Xiaomi customer service said that this matters are part of the "Xiaomi Community" and that I should asked there. I found an interesting post, that maybe everybody is aware of, but me. I asked it here before, but it seems that, yes, the unlock request must be made within this app. I made a Google account just to download the "Xiaomi Community" app. In the left lower icon, "ME, go to "Set up" and "Change region" to "Global". Go back to "ME" and "Unlock bootloader" will now be visible. Click on it and mine says "Account must be registered over 30 days".
I have mi fresh Xiaomi account, my fresh Google account and one week still to go ...

@wally I have read more carefully your first post and I think we are stuck in the same step.
At first I undertood you did not receive the SMS for linking the phone with the Xiaomi account. With all I have read lately I think I got the big picture.
I phoned Xiaomi support and I heard them typing looking for a generic and unrelated answer that I had already found by myself. Not a very high service standard.
For the SIM activation, MiAccount app sends a SMS. I checked with my carrier that esch try a SMS is sent (and of course, charged), alternatively, to a local mobile number and a local landline. I phoned these numbers and the former does not exist and the latter is disconnected or out of reach. I mailed Xiaomi asking about these numbers. I presume they will say that I must update MIUI, but I am reticent in case it makes more difficult to unlock the bootloader.
If they do not provide another way or phone number to send manually the SMS, I think I will have no other option than to update hoping that the correct phone numbers are also updated.

Well, 143 hours passed ... and unfortunately still no luck .
The MiUnlock app stops the process at 99%.

First the "Device Verified" ticks green. OK.

But at the end an error message shows: "This device is not activated. Activate it and try to unlock again".

My MI Account is linked to the phone and previously had verified it: "Congratulations! You can be assured the phone you have purchased is the official international version.".

My guess is that I do not have a SIM with a data plan, just calls. For linking the device to the account there was a statement: "Make sure your device can connect to the internet using mobile data." So I borrowed another SIM card, but typed my phone number to get the SMS.

Yesterday I tried to do the same, but still ""This device is not activated ...".

In my "Mi Unlock Status" the account and the device show, but there is another field for the SIM that states "Not verified". I change the phone recovery number to match that of the borrowed SIM card with the hope that it will change the state. Nope. I activate "Find my device" (I read it somewhere it was necessary) and let Xiaomi know where I am without wifi and the SIM data on. No luck. I also read somewhere that I also have to sync calls and messages with their cloud but it failed in all my attempts. I am not paranoid, but all this requisites and opening the File Manager app and read a message asking permission to share data or receive personalized ads its giving me the creeps. I need UBports right now .

I know that there is not any official information and all the requisites I see online seem different or, even, contradictory. I think that I will have to borrow the SIM card a bit longer, do some stuff with it and wait until Xiaomi recognizes I use it in this device. How long do you think it could take?

It was the cable. I used another one. Clicked on the gear at the top right side of the window. I clicked on "install driver" "check" button. A new window popped and ask to replug the phone. I did so and a spinning wheel indicated some activity and the phone was connected. I tried to unlock, the phone was verified, and i got a message asking to wait 143 hours. Next week if I am lucky I can be back on ubuntu-touch.
The first time I opened the MiUnlock app, I had to login in my account. I did so with and email and a verification code send to that account. Afterwards it asked to register the phone number and I got a SMS to that number almost instantly. SoI had no problem with that SMS verification.

Account set and paired to the phone.
@chromiumos-guy Honestly I didn't understand a word
@kln_nurv The last link provided by @wally states "At the end of 2024, Xiaomi will start to check the regions in which your Mi account is used. For example, if your phone or tablet is designed for the Chinese domestic market, you will only be able to unlock the bootloader with a Chinese account.
If you try to unlock the bootloader of a Chinese phone from a global account, you’ll get an error: ‘The place where the account is registered does not match the place where the phone is sold’."
I hope Global accounts don't have the weird limitations you mentioned.
The MiUnlock version from the Ubports devices site didn't work properly in my laptop, so I downloaded the last version from the last link provided by @wally. I can launch the app but cannot connect to the phone. "Mi Unlock not connected to the phone. Possible driver issue or incorrect application folder name. Also possible bad smartphone-PC connection due to poor quality cable." I guess it is the cable.
I realized that i skipped "Submitting an application through the Mi Community app.". Is it necessary?

Thanks @moem.
What a shame. All is to misleading.
So I guess I will link the phone to the Xisomi account, etc, etc. However my SIM card has not data. It has only calls. I rely on wifi. Why must it has data? This requirement is quite strange for an ignorant like me. Does not feel trustworthy.
Will keep you posted.

@wally this thread recommends GMT+8.
Today I got the phone. It's huge. I miss my 4.5" screen. Why do they make only big phones?
Anyway. It is a officially (xiaomi) refurbished phone. MIUI Global 12.0.8 Stable 12.0.8.0 (RJGEUXM) and Android 11 (RKQ1.200826.002). I have not update anything.
I created a Xiaomi account, but have not yet linked it to the phone. Digging in it, I switched and option called "OEM unlocking" (or something similar, my phone iz not in english). That's it? Is it alteady unlocked without any waiting nor SMS code required? Am I so lucky?
There are some USB options, but think I enabled the "USB Debugging" option.
There also is a "MyUnlockStatus" option but since requires some permissions I haven't accept them in case
As mentioned in the device description I downloaded MIUI Build V12.0.9.0.QJGMIXM. I have to learn how to flash it to the phone though. Would it be enough?

So, can one create a Syncthing shared folder and sync it between devices?

@wally In this other Reddit post a guy says that "... Xiaomi only allows 2000 people per day (unlock requests) which is ridiculous. Took me 3 more days of randomly opening the app & requesting an unlock. It finally happened. Very randomly."
I don't know if its true, but it can explain why some people get it and others don't without any reason.

Thanks @wally for your information.
I said 30 days, because apart from the 168 hour thing, one must have a Xiaomi account more than 30 days old. Which currently I had not.
I just bought it. Hope it works. I do not want to be stuck on Android.
With your information I kept searching and found that lots of people complain from no receiving the sms code. It seems a random issue between countries, attempts and the xiaomi unlock app version.
In this XDA forum, the last post is dated Apr 15, 2026 and a guy from Canada, finally, got the SMS. Hope you also are lucky this time.