How to accelerate Xiaomi Redmi Note 8T in 2026: from basic settings to deep optimization

Why Redmi Note 8T is starting to brake and how to fix it

Have you noticed that your Xiaomi Redmi Note 8T has become slower to work: apps take a long time to open, animations twitch, and the battery goes down in half a day? This is a typical problem for 2019 smartphones that originally featured a Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 processor and 3-4 GB of RAM. Over time, the MIUI system becomes a waste, background processes load the CPU, and Android updates only make things worse.

The main reasons for the slowdown:

• 📱 Cache clogging and temporary files (up to 5-7 GB of garbage per year of use)
• 🔄 Background activity of applications (especially social networks and instant messengers)
• 🔋 Battery degradation (when worn out) >30% of the system artificially limits productivity)
• 🤖 Outdated firmware with bugs or unoptimized updates MIUI 12/13

The good news is that 90 percent of the performance issues with the Redmi Note 8T are software-solved — without replacing iron or expensive repairs. In this article, we’ll look at the simplest (cache cleaning) to the most advanced (custom firmware transition) that will bring your phone back to its 2019 performance, starting with basic steps that don’t require root rights.

1. Cleaning the system: remove garbage and cache

The first thing you need to do is to free up memory space and reset the accumulated cache. Even if you have only 10 to 15 apps installed, MIUI can generate gigabytes of temporary files, for example, the cache of Google Play Services often takes up to 1 GB, and the data of messengers (such as Telegram or WhatsApp) is even larger.

How to clear the cache without losing data:

1. Go to Settings → Storage → Cleaning.
2. Click on “Clean up garbage” (the system will automatically find unnecessary files).
3. Open the App Cache section and clean it manually.
4. For deep cleaning, use the SD Maid app (available from the Play Market).

Pay special attention to /DCIM/.thumbnails folder – it stores thumbnails of all your photos and videos, which can take up to 500 MB. Also check the /Android/data folder: many games (for example, PUBG Mobile or Genshin Impact) leave gigabytes of cache here even after deleting.

⚠️ Warning: Don’t cache apps like Google Maps or YouTube too often, which will cause you to re-download your data the next time you run and increase your traffic consumption.

2. MIUI optimization: disabling animation and background processes

MIUI is known for its heavyweightness, with beautiful animations and visuals eating up 15-20% of performance, and turning them off will give a noticeable boost in speed, especially on weak smartphones like the Redmi Note 8T.

How to speed up the interface:

• 🎨 Turn off animation: Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (Tap 5 times to activate Developer Mode → Additionally. → For developers → The scale of window/transition animation (select No animation»)
• 🔄 Limit background processes: Settings → Annexes → Application management → Background Process Limitation (select Standard Limitation»)
• 📵 Turn off auto-run of unnecessary apps: Settings → Battery and productivity → Autostart control

Another hidden resource eater is the home screen widgets, such as the MIUI weather widget constantly updating data in the background, and the Google Discover widget loads news, remove all unnecessary widgets and leave only the most necessary ones (such as the clock or weather with a rare update).

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If after disabling the animation interface seems too sharp, set the value of “0.5x” instead of “No animation” – this will smooth the transitions, but will not slow down.

3. Application Management: What Can Be Safely Removed

Xiaomi preinstalles dozens of system applications on the Redmi Note 8T, many of which duplicate Google features or are simply useless. They can not be removed by standard means, but can be disabled or frozen.

List of safe applications to disable:

How to disable system applications:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select an unneeded app (such as Mi Browser).
3. Click “Disable” (if the button is inactive, first click “Stop”).

⚠️ Note: Do not disable applications called com.android. or com.xiaomi. unless you are sure of their purpose - this can lead to unstable system operation.

4. Firmware Update: Should I upgrade to MIUI 14 or caste?

Official updates to the Redmi Note 8T have stopped on MIUI 12.5 (Android 11), but enthusiasts continue to release unofficial firmware. The update can both speed up the phone and finally finish it off - it all depends on the version chosen.

The following are the Redmi Note 8T (willow):

• 🔄 Official. MIUI 12.5 (Android 11) - Stable but outdated.
• 🆕 MIUI 14 (unofficial port) – requires unlocking the bootloader, may contain bugs.
• 🤖 LineageOS 20 (Android 13) – lightweight, but without branded features Xiaomi.
• ⚡ Pixel Experience – pure Android with updates until 2026.

If you're a beginner, you'd better stay on the official firmware and optimize it (see the previous sections). Pixel Experience is a good fit for power users, because it lacks the heavy MIUI interface and is 20 to 30 percent faster.

• To install custom firmware, you need an unlocked bootloader (the procedure takes 7-14 days due to Xiaomi restrictions).
• Certain functions (e.g, IR-Blaster or wide-angle camera may not work properly.

5. Battery Optimization: Why a Dilapidated Battery is Braking Your Phone

If your Redmi Note 8T suddenly starts to brake at a charge level below 30%, it is not the processor that is to blame, but the worn-out battery. When more than 30% of the battery is degraded, the power controller artificially restricts performance to prolong the running time.

How to get productivity back:

• 🔋 Calibrate the battery: completely discharge the phone, then charge to 100% without interruptions.
• ⚡ Turn off battery optimization for critical applications: Settings → Battery and productivity → Optimizing the battery → Select the application → «No restrictions»
• 🔄 Replace the battery if wear exceeds 40% Original battery for Redmi Note 8T worth ~1 500 ₽, Replacement takes 20-30 minutes.

Also check the performance mode settings:

1. Go to Settings → Battery and Performance → Performance Mode.
2. Select “High Performance” (instead of “Balanced” or “Charge Saving”).

⚠️ Warning: Continuous use of High Performance will increase battery consumption by 15-20%, only if necessary (e.g. for gaming).

6. Radical methods: reset to factory settings and root

If none of these things worked, there are radical measures: a complete reset or root rights, a reset that would return the phone to a “clean” state, and root would open access to deep optimization (such as removing system applications or overclocking the processor).

How to reset Redmi Note 8T without losing data

1. Create a backup through Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset.
2. Move your important files to your PC or cloud (Google Drive, Mi Cloud).
3. Perform reset: Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset → Reset settings.

The advantages of root rights for acceleration:

• 🧹 Complete removal of system applications (including MIUI Bloatware).
• ⚡ Overclocking the processor through Kernel Adiutor (up to 2.2 GHz instead of the standard 2.0 GHz).
• 🔧 Optimize the kernel with FrancoKernel or ElementalX.

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Root rights void warranties and increase the risk of a phone being hacked, only use them if you understand the consequences!

To obtain root rights to the Redmi Note 8T, you will need:

1. Unlock the bootloader (see spoiler above).
2. Install custom recovery (TWRP).
3. Switch Magisk through fastboot.

7. Alternative methods: cloud phones and lightweight OS

If your Redmi Note 8T is still slowing down, consider the following:

• ☁️ Cloud Phone (e.g. Shadow or Blacknut) – running heavy applications on a remote server.
• 📱 Lightweight OS like PostmarketOS or Ubuntu Touch – suitable if you only need calls / messengers.
• 🔄 Using the phone as a "secondary" - for example, only for music, navigation or reading.

Cloud services allow you to run PUBG Mobile or Photoshop even on a weak phone, but require stable Internet (from 15 Mbps). Lightweight OS, on the contrary, refuse Android applications, but work 2-3 times faster.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the Redmi Note 8T acceleration