Many owners of the popular smartphone Redmi Note 8 Pro eventually begin to feel dissatisfaction with the obsessive shell MIUI, Standard firmware is often overloaded with advertising modules and background processes, which reduces the overall performance of the device. G90T and return the speed of the first days after purchase.
The process of replacing the operating system requires carefulness and strict adherence to the algorithm of actions, you will have to face unlocking the bootloader, installing a custom recovery and direct firmware of the GSI (Generic System Image), despite the seeming complexity, the procedure is available even to users with basic technical skills, if the software is carefully prepared.
The result of these manipulations will be a device that runs on a stock Android without unnecessary visual noise, you will get a smooth interface, no system advertising and the ability to fine-tune each parameter. However, it is important to be aware of the risks: any action with the system partition can lead to data loss or, in the worst case, to the failure of the gadget.
Preparation of equipment and software
Before you start any manipulation with system partitions, you need to assemble a full set of tools. You will need the Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro smartphone itself with a charged battery of at least 60%. USB-cable, preferably original, to exclude the breakage of the connection at a critical moment.
On a Windows computer, you need to install the current ADB and Fastboot drivers. Without these components, PC-phone interaction in bootloader mode will be impossible. It is recommended to download the platform-tools package from the official Android developer site to ensure compatibility.
⚠️ Warning: Make sure that the device is debugging on USB, Otherwise, the computer will not be able to recognize the smartphone in debugging mode. → About the phone and 7 times click on the build number to activate the developer menu.
The critical step is to create a complete backup of all data, the process of unlocking the bootloader will completely destroy all information in the internal memory, photos, contacts and correspondence must be stored on a cloud server or external media in advance.
Unlocking the Bootloader bootloader
Xiaomi is blocking the ability to install third-party firmware at the bootloader level.Removing this restriction requires official unlocking through the Mi Unlock service. The procedure can take from a few minutes to 168 hours (7 days), depending on the security policy of the account.
First, link your Mi Account to your device in the developer settings menu. Then download the Mi Unlock Tool to your computer, log in to the same account and put your phone into Fastboot mode. Connect the gadget to your PC and press the unlock button in the program.
☑️ Checking before unlocking
Once successfully unlocked, an open lock icon will appear on the boot screen, which means that the path to install custom recap and GSI is open. Remember that from now on, the software warranty is removed, and some banking applications may stop working without additional security settings.
Installation of custom TWRP Recovery
The standard recovery mode does not allow you to install unsigned system images. You will need a TWRP (Team Win Recovery Project), adapted specifically for the Redmi Note 8 Pro (codenamed ginkgo), using the version for other models will lead to the “bricking” of the device.
Download the twrp.img image file and place it in the ADB tool folder. Put your smartphone into Fastboot mode and connect to your computer. Open the command line and enter a command to temporarily load the recovery without it constantly running:
fastboot boot twrp_ginkgo.imgOnce you download the TWRP menu, the first thing you do is back up the current system if you can. Then you need to patch it to support Android 10/11 encryption, otherwise the system won't start, and then you can move on to install the clean system image itself.
| Parameter | Meaning/Action | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Model of the device | Redmi Note 8 Pro | Codename ginkgo |
| Type of firmware | GSI (Treble) | ARM64, A-only |
| Loading mode | Fastboot / TWRP | An unlocked BL is required |
| File system | Ext4 / F2FS | Depends on the GSI version. |
Selection and preparation of the GSI image
The Treble project allowed for the creation of universal system images that work on different devices. For the Redmi Note 8 Pro, you need to choose images labeled A-only, since the device uses this partition scheme. AB This will cause an error in the loading.
The most stable are Andy Yan or LineageOS builds. Download an archive with the.img.xz or.img.gz extension and unpack it on your computer. The final file should have the.img extension and weigh about 1-1.5 GB.
Place the image file in the root folder of the smartphone’s internal memory or on SD-The card, if supported by your version TWRP. Make sure the file name does not contain Cyrillic characters or spaces so that the installation script is correct.
Process of installing a clean system
Once you have booted into TWRP, go to the Wipe section and clean the Dalvik/ART Cache, Cache, System, and Data partitions. Data formatting is necessary to remove the old encryption, otherwise the new Android will not be able to write its data.
Then select Install and click the Install Image button in the corner of the screen. Find the previously copied.img file and select the System Image section. Confirm the installation of the slider swipe.
⚠️ Note: Do not interrupt the firmware process or turn off the cable USB interrupting the entry to the System partition makes the device unusable.
After the procedure is complete, press Reboot System. The first boot of a clean system can take up to 5-10 minutes, during which time the applications are optimized and the user profile is created, so be patient and do not try to restart the gadget.
Setting up and solving typical problems
After the first run, you'll see the standard Android interface. However, because GSI is a versatile solution, there may be problems with camera or sound drivers.
If the camera or proximity sensor isn’t working, check for updates for your specific GSI build. Developers often release fixes for Xiaomi-specific hardware bugs. You may also need to flash the vendor partition to the current version of MIUI before installing the GSI.
To make banking applications work properly, you’ll need to hide root rights and unlocked bootloader status. Use MagiskHide modules or its modern counterparts to bypass security checks.