How to restart Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro without the power button: the full guide

A situation where the smartphone freezes or requires a reboot, and the physical power button stops responding, can take any Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro owner by surprise. This device, popular for its performance, sometimes faces software glitches requiring a forced restart. Lack of response to the power key is often a critical obstacle, especially if the screen is locked or the system does not respond to touch.

Fortunately, Android engineers and the developers of the MIUI shell have provided several alternative ways to control the system. You don't have to bring the gadget to the service center right away if you just want to turn it off or restart the device. There are a number of software commands and system features that allow you to bypass the need for physical buttons. In this article, we will discuss in detail all available methods, from simple settings to professional debugging tools.

Before we get to the hardest part, we need to understand the cause of the problem, because sometimes the button doesn't work because it's stuck or contaminated, and other times it's a software conflict of drivers, and diagnosing the state of the buttons will help you choose the right solution, and if the mechanism is physically damaged, the software methods will be your only salvation before you visit the master.

Use of built-in on and off timer

The easiest and most affordable way that many people forget is to use standard operating system settings. The MIUI shell on the Redmi Note 8 Pro has an advanced task scheduler that allows you to automatically control the power of the device, which is ideal if the phone is working but the button is not responding, or if you need to schedule a nighttime restart to clean up RAM.

To activate this feature, go to the settings menu. Find Settings → Battery and Performance (or simply Battery depending on the firmware version). In the upper right corner of the screen, there is often a gear icon or a three-point menu where the "On/Off Planner" item is hidden. Here you can set the exact time when the phone should turn off and on on on itself.

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Set the turn on time 1-2 minutes later than the turn off time so that the device has time to fully restart without your participation.

Importantly, for this feature to work, the device must be on at the time of setting up. If the phone is already off and not turning on, this method will not help, but it is great for regular freezing prevention. Automatic reboot on a schedule is a great way to keep the system on top without constant manual intervention.

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The power scheduler is the only regular way to fully reboot without using physical buttons, available from the settings menu.

Reboot through the menu of special features

There's a hidden, but very useful, menu for people with disabilities that can be a lifeline in our situation called the Assistive Touch, which adds a floating button to the screen that duplicates the basic functions of physical keys, including the power button.

To activate this tool, follow the Settings → Advanced Settings → Special Features. In the list, find the "Special Features Menu" item and turn it on. Once activated, a translucent button will appear on the screen. When you click on it, you will see virtual buttons: "Block", "Loud", "Screenshot" and, most importantly, a power button with "Switch off" and "Reboot" options.

• 📱 Quick access: Allows you to turn off the screen and lock the device with one touch.
• 🔄 Reboot function: Emulates a long press of the power button, calling the standard action selection menu.
• ⚙️ Customizability: Additional shortcuts can be added for frequently used system functions.

This is especially useful when the touchscreen is working normally, but the physical button is completely out of order. The virtual button can overlap part of the image, but its transparency and position can be adjusted, and this software solution becomes indispensable when the hardware parts of the smartphone break.

Control via computer and debugging via USB

If the phone's screen is gone and doesn't respond to touch, and the power button doesn't work, a computer comes to the rescue, and this method requires a USB cable and PC-mounted drivers for Xiaomi, the main tool here being ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a console utility for interacting with the smartphone operating system.

Important condition: the phone must have USB Debugging enabled in advance. Unless you have previously activated this feature in the Developer Menu, this method, alas, will not work without access to the screen. However, if debugging is enabled, the reboot process takes seconds. Connect the phone to your computer, open the command line in the ADB folder and type in the adb reboot command.

If the phone is completely getting stuck and does not respond to normal ADB commands, you can try a more rigid method of rebooting through the same console. the adb reboot bootloader command will send the device to bootloader mode, from where it can be rebooted programmatically or using a combination of volume buttons (if they work), a deep level of access to the system that requires caution.

⚠️ Attention: Use of teams ADB Introducing incorrect commands can lead to unpredictable system behavior or loss of data if you decide to perform a reset.

Use of assistant applications

For users who don't want to mess with the developer's settings or the scheduler, there are specialized apps from the Google Play store. Software like Power Button to Volume Button or Assistive Touch allows you to reassign button functions or add a virtual analogue of the power button to the screen, such utilities run on top of the system and require appropriate permissions.

The way these applications work is simple: they create a button over all windows that mimics the physical key, and some of them allow you to set up a long press of the volume button to call the off menu, which turns the audio buttons into a functional analog of the on button.

But remember, installing third-party software always carries risks: deep-access applications can consume extra battery power or conflict with other programs, and if the phone is already stuck, it may not be possible to run the installed application, so it is better to use such solutions proactively, installing them in advance while the phone is working.

Battery discharge method

When all software methods are exhausted, the screen is not on, and the power button is dead, the most primitive but effective way remains to wait for the battery to drain completely. Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro has a battery capacity of 4500 mAh, so the process can take from a few hours to a day, depending on what state the processor is in at the moment of freezing.

Once the battery drops to a critical minimum, the system will force the device to shut down, at which point all processes will stop and RAM is cleared. After that, just plug the charger in. Most modern smartphones, including Redmi models, either turn on automatically when connected to the network after full discharge or show a charging indicator, after which they can be turned on by other methods (if the button has started to “cry” after cooling).

This method requires no technical knowledge, but it is extremely inconvenient because of the time involved. If the phone is stuck in a bootloop cycle, the battery can run out faster, in which case monitoring the temperature of the device is important to prevent overheating during endless cycles of onset.

Hardware reset via Recovery (if volume buttons are running)

Although the main issue is the lack of an on button, sometimes the situation is solved by a combination of keys, if the power button responds to an extra long press or if its function can be replaced. In Recovery mode, the navigation is carried out by volume buttons, and the choice is confirmed by the power button. If the power button does not work at all, logging into Recovery may not be possible in the standard way, but there are nuances.

Some versions of MIUI allow you to enter recovery mode via the update menu (Settings → About Phone → System Update) by selecting three dots and Recovery Mode. If this path is available, you will be taken to a menu where you can only control volume buttons. However, to confirm the selection of Reboot, you usually still need a power button.

There is a hypothetical possibility that in some modified firmware or under certain conditions, the system may automatically reboot the timer inside Recovery, but you shouldn't rely on it. The emphasis here is that if the volume buttons work, you can at least navigate the menu, even if there's nothing to confirm the action, in which case hardware repair becomes inevitable.

⚠️ Warning: Attempting to log into Recovery or Fastboot mode without understanding the consequences can result in an accidental Wipe Data reset if you accidentally confirm an action or the system interprets your actions as a reset command.

Prevention and detention

The problem of the broken power button on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro is often mechanical. The button plume can move away, oxidize or break. To extend the life of the remaining functions and avoid frequent reboots, try not to press hard on the body in the button area. Using cases with a protective sideboard also helps reduce mechanical load.

If none of the software methods worked and the phone needs to be rebooted, there is a short-term option to open the battery contacts. For the Redmi Note 8 Pro, this requires removing the back cover (which is difficult because of the adhesive layer) or using special tools, which is an extreme measure that should be resorted to only in a desperate situation and with the ability to do so.

In conclusion, the most reliable way is to use virtual MIUI tools, such as a scheduler or a feature menu, which do not require a PC connection and are safe for data. If the problem persists, this is a sure sign that the power button module needs to be replaced at an authorized service center.

⚠️ WARNING: If your phone is on warranty, self-opening the case to turn off the battery or change the button may result in a loss of warranty obligations.