How to reduce battery consumption on Xiaomi Redmi Note 8: expert analysis

Xiaomi Redmi Note 8, which hit the market as a budget hit, still remains in the ranks of millions of users. However, as time passes and new versions of firmware are released, owners often notice that the autonomy of the device is markedly reduced. This is a natural process of aging of the lithium-ion battery combined with increased software requirements. Owners begin to look for ways to extend the life of the gadget without buying a new one.

To make matters worse, the MIUI shell, known for its customization capabilities, has a lot of background processes by default, which consume energy even when the screen is off, and understanding how the system manages resources is the first step to solving the problem, and it's not always the physical wear of the battery that's to blame, it's often the software settings.

In this article, we will discuss effective optimization methods that will help to return the device to its former abruptness. We will not use questionable optimization applications, but turn to native functions of the system.

Diagnostics of the state of the battery and system

Before you start taking any drastic measures, you need to understand the current state of the device. Android and MIUI tools provide detailed statistics. Go to Settings → Battery and carefully study the discharge schedule, and you can see which apps consume the most power over the past day.

It often turns out that the lion's share of the resource is taken by social networks or navigators that you haven't actively used, which indicates that background processes are not working properly, and you should also pay attention to the temperature of the case, and if the phone is significantly warmed in standby mode, then some process is eating up the resources of the processor.

You can use a hidden engineering menu to get a deeper diagnosis ##6485## In the "Caller" app, in the list that opens, find the parameter. MB_06 (If it says "Good", it means that the battery is in good physical condition and the problem is solved software, and if the status of "Bad" or "Replace", no settings will help.

⚠️ Warning: If the phone is warming even when it is off or discharges quickly to 0% immediately after decharging, it is a sign of chemical breakdown of the batteries.

Don't ignore system updates, but don't rush to install them in the first days after release. New firmware versions often contain optimization errors that are fixed in subsequent patches. The critical factor of wear is working in extreme temperatures: don't leave your phone in the sun or in the cold.

Optimization of display and interface settings

The screen is the main consumer of energy in any modern smartphone, and the Redmi Note 8 is no exception. The IPS LCD matrix installed in this model is quite high-quality, but requires competent control of backlighting. The first step is to turn off adaptive brightness if it works incorrectly, and set a comfortable, but not maximum level manually.

The second important aspect is the time to go to sleep: set the timer for 15 or 30 seconds, which will prevent the screen from working if you accidentally put the phone in your pocket without locking it, and it is also worth rethinking the use of live wallpaper and animations.

Shell MIUI It allows you to flexibly customize visuals. Go to Settings. → Advanced settings → For developers (if the menu is hidden, click 7 times on "Version" MIUI" Find the animation scales and reduce their value with 1x before 0.5x. This will not only speed up the interface, but also reduce the processor’s time when drawing frames.

The dark topic is another effective tool, although it is not IPS-The savings on screens are not as great as on AMOLED. However, using darker tones in the interface reduces eye strain and slightly reduces power consumption with backlight. → Screen.

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Use static black wallpaper instead of live wallpaper – this is the easiest way to reduce the load on the GPU and battery.

Management of Background Processes and Applications

One of the main reasons for rapid discharge is the uncontrolled operation of applications in the background: social networks, messengers and marketplaces constantly update content and track geolocation. Xiaomi has a powerful built-in tool to control this process.

Go to Settings → Applications → App Management. Select a heavy app (like Facebook or Instagram) and find Battery. Here you can select No Limits, Battery Savings or Background Activity Limits. Most apps, except instant messengers, ideally limit background activity.

Also worth checking is the autorun list. Go to the Security app (standard for MIUI) and select Permissions → Autorun. Leave only those programs that are critical to you when you arrive on the program. The rest will only run when you open them.

Keep in mind geolocation. Many applications require access to GPS all the time, even though they only need it when in use. Go to Settings → Privacy → Location Access. Set the "Only in Use" mode for most applications or deny access completely.

Set up network connections and communications

Networking is a process that puts a lot of stress on your smartphone's radio module. If you're in a sensitive area, the Redmi Note 8 starts to switch between towers all the time, which causes a surge in power consumption, and in these situations, it's better to temporarily turn on the air mode.

Using a 4G/5G mobile network also consumes more power than Wi-Fi. If you are at home or in the office, try to connect to a wireless network. However, if the Wi-Fi signal is weak, the phone will spend more energy maintaining a connection than on the mobile Internet, in which case Wi-Fi is better to turn off.

Bluetooth and NFC are technologies that we often forget to turn off, and while they're not consuming very much in standby mode, constantly searching for devices or trying to connect can wake up the processor, and turn them off through the notification curtain if you're not using them right now.

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Weak cellular signal is one of the biggest enemies of autonomy, and in deaf areas, you'd better switch to air mode.

Use of MIUI energy saving mode

The MIUI shell offers several levels of energy saving that can be activated manually or automatically. Standard mode simply limits background activity and synchronization without affecting basic functions. It can be enabled through the notification curtain or in the battery settings.

Ultra (or Full) turns a smartphone into a simple caller, shuts down all apps except your phone and SMS, changes the subject to black and white, and severely restricts functionality, a last resort when you have to live through the evening at all costs.

There is also a Battery in Pocket feature (although newer versions of MIUI often conceal it or replace it with smart control), more relevant is setting up the schedule for power saving, for example, you can set the automatic setting of restrictions from 23:00 to 07:00 so that the phone does not waste charge at night on background processes.

⚠️ Warning: In strict energy saving mode, notifications from messengers and mail may not arrive. Make sure you add important contacts to exceptions or a whitelist.

For advanced users, a developer mode is available where you can limit the number of background processes. Go to For Developers → Background Process Limit. Setting a value of "No More than 2 Processes" can save you a lot of charge, but remember that when you switch between applications, they will reboot.

Extension of battery life (physical aspect)

Even with perfect software optimization, physical battery wear is inevitable. Chemical reactions inside the battery lead to a decrease in capacity. To slow this down on the Redmi Note 8, it is important to follow the rules of operation.

Lithium-ion batteries don't like extremes. Deep discharge to zero and charge to 100% followed by a long stay on charge is stressful for the battery. Try to keep the charge in the range of 20% to 80%. Modern power controllers at Xiaomi are smart enough, but the habit of keeping the phone on charge all night is not useful.

Temperature is the second enemy. Don't charge your phone under your pillow or in the sun. Overheating during charging accelerates the degradation of the chemical elements. If you use a case that does not remove heat well, it's best to remove it while you're charging fast.

Use original or certified cables and power supplies. Cheap counterparts often lack the necessary protection controllers, which can lead to voltage surges and damage to the charge controller in the phone itself.