How to uninstall the update on Xiaomi Redmi Note 8: 3 working methods (without the risk of “bricking”)

Why users want to roll back the Redmi Note 8 update – and when it’s really needed

MIUI updates for Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 (codenamed ginkgo) often bring not only new features, but also unpleasant surprises: from sudden battery drain to critical bugs in the camera or network. According to the 4PDA and Mi Community forums, up to 30% of users experience problems after major updates - especially when switching to MIUI 12.5 or Android 11 (for this model).

Typical symptoms that require a rollback:

• 🔋 The battery runs down in 3-4 hours with moderate use (after updating, miui.analytics background processes can consume up to 40% of the charge).
• 📶 Mobile network or Wi-Fi disappears (especially after updates with modem firmware change).
• 🎮 Lags in games (PUBG Mobile, Genshin Impact due to optimizations MIUI energy-saving".
• 📸 The camera gives out artifacts or doesn’t start (a frequent problem when updating drivers) gc2385/s5k3p9).

If symptoms appear immediately after installing the update, the rollback makes sense. But take your time: sometimes it helps to reset the cache via Recovery or disable the "MIUI optimization" in the developer settings. The rollback of the firmware on Redmi Note 8 is possible only within one version of Android (for example, from MIUI 13 to MIUI 12.5 based on Android 10).

Method 1: Recovery (without data loss)

The safest method is to use an official OrangeFox or standard MI-Recovery, which is suitable if:

• 📥 You have saved a previous firmware file (.zip) on your phone or SD-map.
• 🔓 The bootloader is not blocked (checked by the command fastboot oem device-info).
• 🛡️ No critical errors in the current firmware (phone switched on).

Step-by-step:

1. Download the full firmware (not downloaded) OTA!) For the Redmi Note 8 from miuirom.xiaomi.com (select the stable version, not the developer version). MIUI 13 on MIUI 12.5 file fits ginkgo_global_images_V12.5.3.0.RCOMIXM_20220328.0000.00_10.0_global_....
2. Transfer the archive to the root of internal memory or to the root of the memory. SD-map (file name should not contain Cyrillic alphabet!).
3. Turn off the phone, then press Power + Volume up to enter Recovery.
4. From the Recovery menu, select Install update.zip to System One (or similar in custom recovery).
5. Confirm the installation and wait until the completion (the process will take 5-10 minutes).

⚠️ Note: If E:footer is wrong appears in Recovery, the firmware file is corrupted or not intended for your model. In this case, try re-downloading the archive or using the Fastboot method.

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Before rolling back, check the current firmware version in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version. If it ends in R (for example, V13.0.1.0.SCOMIXM), then the phone runs on Android 11 – rollback on Android 10 is possible only through Fastboot with the bootloader unlocked.

Method 2: Recoil from Fastboot (for power users)

This method requires an unlocked bootloader and is suitable if:

• 🔧 Recovery method failed or phone not turned on.
• 📉 You need to downgrade the Android version (for example, from 11 to 10).
• 🛠️ You are ready for a complete data reset (including internal memory!).

Instructions:

1. Unlock the bootloader through the Mi Unlock Tool (requires Mi Account binding and waiting 7-14 days for new accounts).
2. Download the Fastboot firmware for Redmi Note 8 (.tgz file) from Xiaomi or from the 4PDA forum.
3. Unpack the archive in a folder on your PC and launch the script flash_all.bat (Windows or flash_all.sh (Linux/Mac).
4. Connect your phone in Fastboot mode (clip Power + Volume down when the device is off).
5. Wait for the firmware to be completed (about 10-15 minutes) and the phone will reboot automatically.

⚠️ Note: When you run through Fastboot, all data will be deleted, including photos and apps. If the phone was enabled Mi Account protection, after firmware you will need to enter the username / password from the account, otherwise the device will be blocked!

Method 3: Reset to factory settings (if the update "broken" the system)

If the phone is working, but after the upgrade, critical lags or errors appear, sometimes hard reset helps, and this method does not roll back the firmware, but returns the system to a "clean" state, removing conflicting settings.

How to reset:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Select "Erase All Data" (factory reset).
3. Confirm the action and wait for the reboot (it will take 5-7 minutes).

⚠️ Note: On the Redmi Note 8, resetting through the Settings menu does not delete data from the memory card, but erases all applications, accounts and settings. If you have problems after reset, start rolling back via Recovery or Fastboot.

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Resetting to factory settings does not cancel the firmware update, but eliminates up to 60% of software bugs caused by settings or cache conflicts.

Frequent update rollback errors and how to avoid them

Even experienced users have problems trying to roll back, and here are the most common mistakes and solutions:

If the phone stopped seeing after the phone rolled back SIM-maps, check the cards. IMEI In the engineering menu (#4636##) if the number is zero, you will need to restore it using Maui software. META (instructions 4PDA).

How to Prevent Automatic Upgrades After a Recoil

After a successful rollback, the Redmi Note 8 may offer to upgrade again.

1. Open Settings → About the phone → System update.
2. Click on the icon. ⚙️ (gear) in upper right corner.
3. Turn off the option of Automatic Download Updates.
4. Install an ad blocker (such as AdGuard) to disable update notifications.

For reliability, you can disable the update service via ADB:

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.android.updater


adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.updater

⚠️ Warning: Disabling updates deprives you of important security patches.If the rollback was caused by a bug in a particular version MIUI, Watch for the release of patches on forums 4PDA or Mi Community.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions About Updates