Fast charging on Xiaomi Redmi Note 5: how to configure and speed up the process to 18 watts

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 is one of the most popular mid-range smartphones, but many owners face the problem of slow charging. Even with the original charger, the battery can charge for 4000 mAh 3-4 hours, although the manufacturer promises support for Quick Charge 3.0. What’s the matter? The fact is that fast charging on this model is disabled by default in the MIUI firmware – and it needs to be activated manually.

In this article, you will learn how to check your Redmi Note 5’s compatibility with fast charging, what settings to change in MIUI, which charger to choose for maximum speed (up to 18 watts), and why sometimes even after all the manipulations, the smartphone charges slowly. We will also break down common myths – for example, that “fast charging spoils the battery” – and give clear safety recommendations.

1.Redmi Note 5 Compatibility Check with Fast Charging

Before setting up a fast charger, make sure your Redmi Note 5 supports it. There are two versions of this model:

• 🔋 Redmi Note 5 (codenamed whyred) is the standard version with Snapdragon 625 processor and Quick Charge 3.0 support (up to 18 watts).

To find out the exact model:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Go to About Phone → General Information.
3. Find the Model line -- if it says M1803E7SG or similar code with whyred, it's standard. Vince code refers to the Pro version.

If your smartphone doesn’t support Quick Charge, trying to enable fast charging software won’t work, in which case you just need to optimize standard charging (this is discussed in the last section).

2.What charger is needed for fast charging?

Even if the smartphone supports Quick Charge 3.0, the original charger from the Redmi Note 5 kit delivers only 5V/2A (10 W) – this is not enough for a full fast charge. To accelerate the process to 18W, you will need:

Important: Even if you use a Quick Charge 3.0 charger, the cable should support high current, the best option is the original Xiaomi cable labeled AWM 2835 or certified analogues from Anker, Baseus.

3. Step-by-step instruction: how to enable fast charging in MIUI

By default, Xiaomi disables fast charging on the Redmi Note 5, “to save the battery.” To activate it, follow the following steps:

Use a charger with Quick Charge 3.0 (18 watts)

Connecting an original or certified cable

Recharge the battery to 20-80% (optimal range for the test)

Disable battery optimization in settings-->

1. Open Settings and go to Battery and Performance.
2. Slap the icon. ⚡ in the upper right corner (or select Battery Settings).
3. Find the Quick Charge option and switch the slider to the On position. ⚠️ Attention: if this option is not available, then your version MIUI is hiding it.
4. Connect your smartphone to the Quick Charge 3.0 charger. The lock screen should show the inscription “Fast Charge” or “Quick Charge”.

If after turning on the option, the smartphone still charges slowly, check:

• 🔌 Charger: shall support QC 3.0 (see table above).
• 📱 Battery temperature: If the smartphone overheats, MIUI automatically reduces the charging current. The optimal temperature is 20-35 °C.
• 🔄 Background Processes: Close all applications before charging (especially games and navigators).

Alternative method: Enabling fast charging via engineering menu

If MIUI does not have the option of Fast Charging, you can activate it via the Engineering Menu, which works on most firmware versions, but requires caution.

Instructions:

1. Open the phone app and enter the combination: ##4636##
2. In the menu that opens, select Battery Information.
3. Scroll down and find the fast_charge string. Slip it. ⚠️ Attention: If this line is not there, don't change the other parameters, it could cause battery failure.
4. In the window that appears, select Enable (or enter 1 if manual input is required).
5. Reboot your smartphone and check the charging speed.

If after these manipulations fast charging did not work, the reason may be:

• 📵 Outdated firmware: Update MIUI to the latest version (see Section 6).
• 🔧 Modified firmware: Custom builds (e.g., LineageOS) may not support QC 3.0.
• 🔋 Worn battery: If the capacity has dropped below 70%, the smartphone automatically limits the current.

💡

If the engineering menu doesn't open, try typing code through the MTK Engineering Mode app (available on Google Play), which works on MediaTek processors, but the Redmi Note 5 is equipped with Snapdragon, so the method with the combination ##4636## is more reliable.

5. Why can fast charging not work?

Even after setting up the Quick Charge correctly, it sometimes fails to work.

If none of these methods worked, check the battery status:

1. Install the AccuBattery app from Google Play.
2. Run a battery health test.
3. If the capacity is below 70%, consider replacing the battery.

💡

Fast charging automatically shuts down at a battery temperature above 40°C or below 5°C. This is damage protection and cannot be avoided without risk to the battery.

6. MIUI Update to Support Fast Charging

On older versions of MIUI (below MIUI 10), the Quick Charge option may not be available or not work properly.

Instructions:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → System update.
2. Click Check for updates.
3. If a new version is available, download and install it. The recommended version is MIUI 12.5 or later.
4. After the update, restart your smartphone and check for the Quick Charging option in the battery settings.

If the automatic update does not find new versions, you can install the firmware manually:

• 🌐 Download the latest stable version MIUI for the Redmi Note 5 from Xiaomi’s official website.
• 📁 Place the firmware file (.zip format) in the root directory of internal memory.
• 🔄 Go to Settings. → The phone. → Update system, click on three dots in the upper right corner and select Select firmware file.

⚠️ Warning: Do not install beta versions of MIUI or firmware from third-party developers (e.g. xiaomi.eu) unless you are sure of their stability.

7. Myths about fast charging: what is true and what is not?

There's a lot of rumors going around about Quick Charge technology.

Myth 1: “Fast charging ruins the battery”

✅ Part of it is true. Any charge (even standard charging) wears out the battery, but modern Xiaomi smartphones use algorithms that minimize harm. For example, after 80% of charging automatically slows down. The main thing is not to keep the smartphone on charging for days.

Myth 2: “You can use any high-power charger.”

❌ Not true. If the charger doesn't support Quick Charge 3.0, the smartphone just won't charge faster, and even cheaper uncertified charges can damage the battery.

Myth 3: “Fast charging only works with the original cable”

✅ True, but not always. The original Xiaomi cable is optimized for high currents, but quality analogues (like Anker or UGREEN) are also suitable.

Myth 4: “If you turn on fast charging, your smartphone will warm up.”

✅ True, but it's normal. When you charge 2-3A, heating is inevitable, but the Redmi Note 5 has a cooling system that prevents overheating. If the temperature is above 40 °C, MIUI will automatically reduce the current.

8. Optimize standard charging if Quick Charge doesn't work

If your Redmi Note 5 doesn’t support Quick Charge or you don’t want to take risks with the engineering menu, you can speed up standard charging from 5V/2A to 5V/3A (15W).

• 🔌 Use a charger with an output of 5B/3A (e.g., Xiaomi MDY-08-EM or Baseus 18W).
• 📵 Turn off Wi-Fi, mobile data, and GPS while charging.
• ❄️ Charge your smartphone in a cool place (like on a table, not under a pillow).
• 🔄 Turn on Airplane Mode, and it will reduce the processor load.

Calibration of the battery will also help:

1. Discharge your smartphone to 0% (until it turns off).
2. Charge to 100% without interruption.
3. Repeat the cycle 2-3 times.

These methods will not give speed Quick Charge, but will reduce charging time by 20-30%.

FAQ: Frequent questions about fast charging Redmi Note 5