How to improve the performance of Xiaomi Redmi Note 8: from software tweaks to upgrades to iron

Xiaomi Redmi Note 8, released in 2019, is still a popular budget smartphone due to the balanced characteristics: Snapdragon 665 processor, up to 6 GB of RAM and a battery of 4000 mAh. However, over time, even this reliable device begins to “brake”: The applications open long, the animations twitch, and the battery goes down in half a day, and the reasons are clogged memory, outdated firmware and optimization features. MIUI.

In this article, we’ll look at 10 proven ways to bring the Redmi Note 8 back to speed, from basic settings to radical measures like flashing or replacing components. MIUI 14 and Android 12, but they'll be good for older builds, and it's important that some of the actions will require super-user rights, but we'll be showing you alternatives for users without them.

So let's start with the simplest of things, and we'll gradually get to the advanced techniques that even service centers use, and are you ready to reclaim your smartphone as a young person?

1. Cleaning the system: remove garbage and cache

The first step to speeding up is to get rid of the "digital junk" that has been piling up for years. - Redmi Note 8 This is especially critical due to the limited amount of internal memory (32/64/128 Even if you didn't install games, the system itself creates gigabytes of cache, temporary files and duplicates.

Start with the built-in Cleanup tool (the broom icon in the app menu).

• 🗑️ Cash of applications (up to) 1-3 GB)
• 📁 Temporary files (.tmp,.log)
• 🔍 Photo and video duplicates (often up to 500MB)
• 📥 Downloads (APK, archives, outdated documents)

For deep cleaning, use third-party utilities like SD Maid or Files by Google. They'll find it:

• 🧹 Residual files of remote applications (in the folder) /data/data/)
• 🗃️ Empty folders and broken labels
• 📂 Google Play Services cache (can weigh up to 1GB!)

⚠️ Note: Do not manually delete files from folders /system or /vendor — This will lead to bootloops, and it requires root rights to clean them.

Once cleaned, restart your phone — the difference in the speed of opening apps will be noticeable immediately. 1-2 seconds faster, and switching between tabs will stop “hanging».

2. MIUI optimization: disabling animations and background processes

MIUI It's known for its heavy interface with lots of animations and background services, and even on the Redmi Note 8 with 4GB of RAM, it can take up to 50 percent of the RAM in idle memory, and fine tuning can help fix this.

First, turn off unnecessary animations:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and tap the MIUI version 7 times.
2. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers and set: The scale of the animation window → Disable Transition Animation Scale → Disable the duration of the animator → 0.5x

Then limit the background processes:

• 🔄 In the same Developer Menu, find the Process Limit and select Process Maximum 2 (this will reduce RAM consumption, but some applications will reboot when you return to them).
• 🚫 Turn off AutoRun for Unnecessary Applications: Settings → Annexes → Autostart control.

Critical moment: On the Redmi Note 8 s 3 GB RAM disabling animations gives an increase in speed to 15-20% Switching between tasks (tested with Geekbench) 5).

Disable animations in the developer settings|Limit the background processes to 2-3|Turn off auto-start for social networks and messengers|Remove widgets from the main screen|Switch to a lightweight launcher (for example, Nova Launcher)

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3. Firmware Update: Stability vs. Custom Builds

Xiaomi’s official updates for the Redmi Note 8 ended in 2022 (MIUI 13 is Android 12 based. But that doesn't mean your smartphone is doomed to outdated software:

For most users, the best option is to upgrade to the latest official version via Settings. → The phone. → If you're ready to experiment, consider LineageOS 20 (based on Android 13):

• 📱 Project Treble Support (Simplifies Installation)
• 🔋 Improved battery management (up to) +2 hours of autonomy)
• 🚀 AntuTu's growth on 10-15% nucleus-new

⚠️ Note: When installing custom firmware, be sure to unlock the bootloader through the Mi Unlock Tool and make a NANDroid backup. Not all builds work on the Redmi Note 8 codenamed ginkgo - check compatibility on the forum XDA Developers.

4. Overclocking and optimization of the processor

Snapdragon 665 Redmi Note 8 It has hidden potential: its Kryo cores 260 can be accelerated 10-15% without the risk of overheating (thanks to the efficient 11-nm It's going to take a lot of work:

• 🔧 Root rights (to be obtained through Magisk)
• 📊 Kernel Adiutor or FrancoKernel
• 🌡️ Temperature monitoring (CPU Monitor)

Safe settings for acceleration:

• 🔥 Increase the maximum frequency of the big core from 2.0 GHz to 2.2 GHz (no higher than the maximum frequency!).
• ⚡ Install Governor on Performance for Games or Ondemand for Balance.
• 💨 Optimize the I/O scheduler: Choose FIOPS maple.

Example of configuration for games (PUBG Mobile, Genshin Impact):

echo 2208000 > /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/scaling_max_freq


echo performance > /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/scaling_governor




echo 1 > /sys/module/msm_thermal/core_control/enable

⚠️ Note: Overclocking reduces the battery life 5-10% For long-term use, watch the temperature: CPU heats up 65°C, return the standard settings. 8 temperature — 75°C (automatic shutdown).

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Before overclocking, check the state of the thermopaste: if the smartphone overheats even in normal mode, replace it with Arctic MX-4 (worth ~300 That'll add to it. 3-5°C temperature reserve.

5. Memory optimization: SWAP zoning

3/4 GB RAM on the Redmi Note 8 — The main bottleneck of performance. When memory is scarce, Android begins to kill background processes, which leads to constant reboots of applications:

1.Page file (SWAP)

Create. SWAP-section on the memory card (class recommended) A2 or UHS-I):

1. Connect your phone to your PC and format your microSD in ext4.
2. Create a swap file (for example, 1 GB): su dd if=/dev/zero of=/sdcard/swapfile bs=1M count=1024 mkswap /sdcard/swapfile swapon /sdcard/swapfile
3. Add a line to /etc/fstab for automatic mounting.

2. Memory zoning (LMK)

Set up LowMemoryKiller, an Android engine that kills processes when there is a lack of RAM. Optimal values for 4 GB:

echo "18432,23552,28672,35840,55296,80640" > /sys/module/lowmemorykiller/parameters/minfree

It's important: SWAP MicroSD slows down the work on 10-15% compared to the built-in memory, but allows you to keep in the background 2-3 It's better to use zoning for games (LMK).

6 Hardware improvements: what can be replaced independently

If software methods don't help, consider upgrading hardware. In Redmi Note 8, you can replace:

The simplest and most efficient way is to replace the heat paste and the battery, like a new battery. BM47 5,000mAh from Xiaomi (article) MBJ425648) Increases the time of operation from 4 to 6 hours in game mode:

• 🔧 Setting screwdrivers T3-T5 mediator.
• 🔥 Hazel for softening glue (temperature) 60-70°C).
• 📱 Download the disassembly manual on iFixit (repairability rating — 6/10).

⚠️ Note: When replacing the storage device with UFS 2.1 you need to reflash the phone from scratch - the old data will not be transferred. H9HKNNNCPMMUJR Samsung KLUDG4U1EA-B0E1.

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Replacement of eMMC with UFS It gives the greatest increase in the speed of downloading applications (from 2.5 to 0.8 seconds on Facebook), but requires experience soldering chips.

7.Alternative launchers and lightweight applications

Standard launcher MIUI It consumes up to 300MB of RAM and it's constantly rebooting. Replace it with lightweight RAM:

Also replace the “heavy” applications with lighter versions:

• 📱 Facebook → Facebook Lite (saves 150MB of RAM)
• 📷 Instagram → Instagram Lite or Barinsta
• 🎵 Spotify → Spotify Lite or SoundCloud
• 📺 YouTube → NewPipe (without advertising and background playback)

Example: Facebook Lite runs on Redmi Note 8 in 1.2 seconds (vs. 3.5 for the standard client) and consumes 2 times less battery.

8.Reset to factory settings: when nothing helps

If all previous methods failed, the last chance is hard reset, which will delete all data but return the phone to a "clean" state, and in our experience, resetting helps in 80% of freezes and lags associated with:

• 🔄 Update conflicts (for example, after transition from MIUI 12 on MIUI 14)
• 📦 The damaged system files (/data or /cache)
• 🤖 Viruses or malware (especially if installed) APK source)

Resetting instructions:

1. Backup important data (Settings) → Additionally. → Backup).
2. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
3. Choose Delete all data and confirm.
4. After the reboot, set your phone up as new (don’t restore the backup – it will bring back old problems!).

⚠️ Note: On the Redmi Note 8 with the bootloader unlocked, a reset can result in an anti-rollback (device lock) if the firmware is newer than the one it originally was. MIUI In Settings → About the phone and compare with the official table of antirollback on the Xiaomi website.

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After reset, do not install applications immediately - let the system work 1-2 This will help to determine if the lags are connected to a particular software.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions