Why is the Redmi 8 sensor not performing well?
The sensitivity of the screen on Xiaomi Redmi 8 is one of the most common pains of users, and the sensor does not respond to light touch, but instead works from the accidental touch of the palm, not only because of factory settings, but also because of wear of the protective glass, MIUI updates or even hand moisture, for example, after installing a film with a thickness of 0.3 mm and above, many people notice that the swipe has to apply an effort, as if the screen “sticks”.
On the other hand, Redmi 8 with MIUI 11 firmware and below lacks the built-in sensitivity option in the settings menu — it was only added to MIUI 12+. This means that owners of older versions will have to use workarounds, from calibration through the engineering menu to third-party applications. But don’t rush to download the first software: some “optimizers” of the sensor contain advertising modules that will only make things worse.
In this article, we will discuss all working methods, from official to "surgical", and also find out why after replacing the display, the screen can become hypersensitive (spoiler: poor-quality plume is to blame) and what to do if the sensor only bugs in specific applications, such as PUBG Mobile or TikTok.
Method 1: Built-in MIUI settings (for firmware 12+)
If your Redmi 8 is running MIUI 12 or later, you're in luck because the developers have added a hidden sensitivity control option, which you can find through the function lab, but the path is not obvious.
- Open the Settings. → The phone.
- Tap 5-7 times on the MIUI version until the notification “You are a developer!” appears.
- Return to the main settings menu and select Additional → Functions Lab.
- Activate the Sensor Sensitivity Switch (could be called Touch Sensitivity in English firmware).
- Move the slider in the range from 1 (minimum) to 5 (maximum).
⚠️ Warning: Reboot your phone after you change the settings. In some cases, the new settings only apply after you turn off/on, rather than simply restarting through the menu.
Make sure there are no greasy spots or moisture on the screen |
Remove the case (it can press the body and distort the touch)|
Turn off the "For left-handed" mode in the special features settings |
Try another charging cable (low-quality wires cause interference)
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If the option is not available even after the developer mode is activated, then your version of MIUI does not support it, in which case move on to the following methods.
Method 2: Calibration of the sensor through the engineering menu
The Engineering Menu (#3646633##) is a powerful tool for diagnosing and tuning hardware components. On Redmi 8, you can recalibrate the sensor through it, which often solves problems with "missed" touches or spontaneous taps. Importantly, do not change the other settings in this menu without understanding their purpose!
Instructions:
- Open the Phone app and enter the combination: ##3646633##.
- Go to the Hardware Testing → Touch Screen section.
- Select Touch Screen Calibration (also known as TP Calibration).
- Follow the instructions on the screen: you usually need to alternately touch the crosses in the corners of the display.
- After completion, save the settings and restart the phone.
What to do if the engineering menu is not opened?
⚠️ Warning: If the sensor gets worse after calibration (e.g., dead zones), go back to the engineering menu and select Restore Default to reset the settings.
Method 3: Third-party applications for fine-tuning
When built-in methods don't work, third-party utilities come to the rescue.
- 🔧 Touchscreen Calibration is a simple calibration tool with visual test. Plus: it doesn't require root rights.
- 📱 Pointer Location - displays touch coordinates in real time, useful for diagnosing blind spots on the screen.
- ⚙️ MTK Tweaks – MediaTek devices only (not suitable for Redmi 8, but mentioned for comparison).
Check reviews before installing: some apps contain aggressive ads or request unnecessary permissions (such as access to SMS).We recommend Touchscreen Calibration – its interface is intuitive, and the setup process takes no more than a minute.
Touchscreen Calibration|
Pointer Location|
Other (I'll write in the comments)|
I don't use third-party utilities.
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⚠️ Warning: If after installing the application, the screen began to lay or artifacts appeared (for example, "shadows" from touching), immediately delete it and clear the system cache in Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
Method 4: Hardware causes of sensor malfunction
If the software methods fail, the problem may be hardware, and the most common hardware reasons are:
| Reason. | Symptoms | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Damaged display plume | The screen only reacts to a strong press, there are vertical stripes. | Replacement of the plume in the service center (cost) ~1500–2500 ₽) |
| Poor quality protective glass | Touching is "sticky," especially around the edges. | Install glass with oleophobic coating (thickness ≤ 0.2 mm) |
| Moisture under the screen | The sensor is triggered spontaneously, on the display you can see the divorces. | Dry your phone in rice for 24+ hours or take it to the service |
| Wear of the display module | Dead zones, uneven sensitivity | Replacement of the screen (the original module for Redmi 8 is worth it) ~3000–4000 ₽) |
💡 Useful tip: Before visiting the service center, check if the problem is due to overheating of the processor. CPU Monitor and monitor the temperature during heavy use, if it exceeds 60.°C, the sensor may "glutch" due to thermal throttling.
Method 5: Sensitivity adjustment for games
Gamers on Redmi 8 often find that in dynamic games (such as Call of Duty Mobile or Free Fire), the screen does not have time to perform fast swipes.
- Enable Game Turbo Mode: Go to Settings → Special Features → Game Turbo. Activate the option and add the game to the list. In the game settings, enable Enhanced Sensor Response.
Use third-party overlays:
Apps like Octopus or Game Guardian allow for sensitive touch emulation, but they require root rights and can lead to a ban on online gaming.
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If you have delays in touching, try turning off frame sync in your graphics settings, which will reduce input lag by 10-15 ms.
Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
When setting sensitivity, users often make critical errors that only exacerbate the problem.
- 🚫 Use cleaner applications like Clean Master, which remove the cache of the system services that handle touch.
- 🚫 Resetting to factory without backup, it'll delete the sensor's calibration data, and it'll have to be reconfigured.
- 🚫 Install custom cores without understanding the consequences. Some cores conflict with the Redmi 8 display drivers.
⚠️ Note: If you notice that after the update MIUI So you're less responsive, so try to roll back to the previous version of the firmware. To do that, download the version you want from en.miui.com and run it through Recovery.