Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 suddenly stopped loading and instead of the usual logo shows a black screen with the words Fastboot and a bunny face? Don't panic - it's not a breakdown, but a service mode that you can turn off yourself. In 90% of cases, the problem is solved without going to the service center, if you act on the instructions.
Fastboot (or Bootloader Mode) is a low-level tool for firmware, bootloader unlocking, or system recovery. On the Redmi Note 8, it activates when an update fails, rooting fails, firmware conflicts, or even after accidentally pressing a button combination. The main thing is not to try to "pull the battery" (it is non-removable) and not to press the Volume or Power button at random, so as not to aggravate the situation.
In this article you will find:
- 🔍 What is Fastboot and why the phone got into this mode
- 🛠️ 3 Ways to Get Out of Fastboot on Redmi Note 8, Including the PC-Free Method)
- ⚠️ What can you do to avoid turning your phone into a brick"
- 📱 How to prevent re-entry into Fastboot
What is Fastboot on Xiaomi and why is it needed?
Fastboot mode is a bootloader-level protocol between a smartphone and a computer that allows you to:
- 🔄 Install custom firmware (for example, LineageOS or Pixel Experience)
- 🔓 Unlock the loader (OEM Unlock) for rooting
- 🛠️ Restore the system after failures (via fastboot flash)
- 📱 Testing hardware (for example, checking the display or camera)
On Redmi Note 8 (codenamed ginkgo), Fastboot is activated automatically in several cases:
- 🔋 When the software is interrupted (for example, if the phone is discharged during installation) OTA)
- 🔧 After a failed attempt to obtain root rights through Magisk or SuperSU
- 🖥️ When connecting to a PC with an adb reboot bootloader command running
- 🎯 When accidentally pressing the combination Volume Down + Power (holding 10)+ seconds)
It's important to understand: Fastboot ≠ Brick. It's a regular mode, not a bug, but if you saw the screen saying, FASTBOOT MODE... USB NOT CONNECTED The phone does not respond to the buttons, which is a signal that the system cannot boot on its own.
Reasons to get into Fastboot on Redmi Note 8
On the Redmi Note 8, Fastboot mode is not only triggered by user command, but also by software failures.
| Reason. | How it happens. | Can we prevent it? |
|---|---|---|
| Interrupted update | The phone turned off during the installation of OTA (discharged, the user forced to turn off the power) | Charge your phone before upgrading to 50%+ |
| Firmware conflict | Unofficial firmware with errors or incompatible version of MIUI installed | Check the compatibility of the firmware with the Ginkgo model |
| Failure of the loader | Boot or Recovery section damaged after rooting | Partially – Use proven tools for root |
| Hardware failure | Memory problems (eMMC) or power controller | No – a diagnosis is required in the service |
A critical feature of the Redmi Note 8 is that this phone uses an eMMC 5.1 memory chip that is sensitive to abrupt power outages during data recording. If the Fastboot appears after a discharge of below 5%, there is a high probability of damage to the system partition.
How do you know if it's a firmware failure, not a hardware failure?
- Turn off your phone (hold the power for 20 seconds if it doesn't respond).
- Hold Volume Up + Power and hold for 10-15 seconds.
- If you see a menu with Mi Recovery, it's a software problem, and if the screen is black, you might have a hardware failure.
⚠️ Warning: If the phone overheats in Fastboot mode or discharges quickly, turn it off from charging immediately and don't try to stitch it.
How to remove Fastboot on Xiaomi Redmi Note 8: 3 working ways
The way you exit Fastboot depends on the reason you activate it, and we're going to go from the simplest to the most complex, and start with the first one, it works 60 percent of the time.
Method 1: Reboot buttons (without PC)
If the phone got into Fastboot by accident (for example, because of button pressing), try a forced reboot:
- Hold the Power button for 20-30 seconds (until the screen goes out).
- Wait 10 seconds, then press Power again for normal boot.
If this method does not work, try the combination:
- Hold Volume Down + Power and hold for 15 seconds.
- Release the buttons when the screen goes out and turn on the phone normally.
☑️ Preparing to exit Fastboot
Method 2: Mi Recovery (if the phone is loaded into Recovery)
If the first method didn’t help, but you can log in to Recovery Mode (see instructions above), reset:
- From the Recovery menu, select Wipe Data → Wipe All Data (use volume buttons for navigation, Power for confirmation).
- After reset, select Reboot → Reboot to System.
Important: This method will delete all the data on your phone (photos, contacts, messages) if you have Mi Account enabled and synchronization enabled, some of the data can be restored after you log in.
⚠️ Note: On the Redmi Note 8 with a bootloader locked, a reset via Recovery may cause you to request your Mi Account password after you reboot!
Method 3: Fastboot firmware (PC required)
If the phone doesn't leave the Fastboot and boot into the system, you'll need to flash it over the computer.
- 🖥️ Windows computer 10/11 (or Linux/macOS adb-mounted)
- 🔌 Cable USB (Preferably original from Xiaomi)
- 📥 Firmware for Redmi Note 8 (download from the official Xiaomi website)
- 🛠️ Mi Flash Tool (or fastboot from Platform Tools)
Step-by-step:
- Download and unpack the firmware for ginkgo (for example, ginkgo_global_images_V12.5.1.0.RCOMXM_...).
- Connect your phone to your PC in Fastboot mode (the phone screen should have the inscription FASTBOOT).
- Launch the Mi Flash Tool, select the firmware folder and press Refresh – the program must detect the device.
- Select Clean All (complete clean) or Save User Data (less secure).
- Press Flash and wait for the process to end (5-10 minutes).
If the Mi Flash Tool is not loading device drivers, install the drivers manually:
- Download the Google Platform Tools.
- Open Device Manager on PC, find Redmi Note 8 with an exclamation point.
- Update the driver by specifying the path to the folder with Platform Tools.
💡
If the Mi Flash Tool can't see the phone, try another one. USB-port (preferably) USB 2.0 on the back of your PC) or disable the antivirus – it can block firmware utilities.
What you can’t do on the Redmi Note 8
Some actions can turn a temporary problem into an irreversible brick.
- 🔋 Turning off power while running firmware damages the eMMC memory partitions, and the phone may stop turning on altogether.
- 🔧 Using unofficial firmware without unlocking the bootloader will lead to an Anti-Rollback error and locking the device.
- 📱 Press buttons at random in Fastboot – some combinations (for example, Volume Up) + Power can run hardware tests after which the phone will not boot.
- 🔄 Trying to flash firmware from another model (for example, from the Redmi Note 8 Pro) is guaranteed to kill the device.
Feature Redmi Note 8: this phone has anti-Rollback protection (banned rollback to older versions) MIUI). If you try to flash a version older than the one that was installed (for example, with a MIUI 13 on MIUI 12), the phone will lock with an Anti 4 error and can only be unlocked through an authorized Xiaomi service.
⚠️ Note: If you see on the Fastboot screen the inscription This device is locked, it means that the bootloader is locked, and it is impossible to flash custom firmware without official unlocking (Mi Unlock Tool).
How to prevent re-entry into Fastboot
To make sure that Redmi Note 8 is no longer stuck in Fastboot mode, follow these rules:
- 🔋 Don’t update your software at low charge – always keep your battery level above 50%. On the Redmi Note 8 with eMMC, an interrupted update is almost guaranteed to crash.
- 🔧 Don’t use informal rooting tools like KingRoot or iRoot. These often damage the bootloader. For Redmi Note 8, it’s safer to use Magisk. + Officially Unlocking through Mi Unlock.
- 📱 Don’t press volume buttons when booting – accidentally holding Volume Down while on can trigger Fastboot.
- 🛡️ Enable backup in Settings → System system → Backup. This will help you recover your data after resetting.
If you're actively experimenting with firmware, install TWRP Recovery (an unofficial version for ginkgo) to:
- Backups of the system before changes
- Restore your phone from the backup if something goes wrong.
- Install firmware without the risk of getting into Fastboot
Important: Installing TWRP requires an unlocked bootloader. On the Redmi Note 8, you need to:
- Link the device to Mi Account in Settings → Xiaomi Account.
- Wait 7 days after the binding (compulsory requirement of Xiaomi).
- Use the official Mi Unlock Tool utility.
💡
On the Redmi Note 8, you can’t roll back to the old MIUI after upgrading to MIUI 12.5+ due to Anti-Rollback protection.
Frequent errors when leaving Fastboot and their solutions
Even following the instructions, users are faced with errors, and here are the most common ways to correct them:
| Mistake. | Reason. | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| fastboot: error: Failed to boot into fastbootd | Problems with drivers or cable | Try another one. USB-Port, reinstall drivers, use the original cable |
| This device is locked | bootloader locked | Unlock through Mi Unlock Tool (account binding required) |
| Invalid sparse file format at header | Firmware file damaged | Download the firmware again, check the checksum (MD5) |
| The phone is not defined in the Mi Flash Tool. | Qualcomm HS-USB QDLoader 9008 drivers are missing | Install drivers manually through Device Manager |
If the phone is loaded into MIUI after firmware but is constantly bootlooped, reset via Recovery:
- Press Volume Up + Power to log in to Recovery.
- Choose Wipe Data → Wipe All Data.
- Reboot to the system.
Case in point: A user flashed Redmi Note 8 through Fastboot, but forgot to turn off the OEM Unlock option in the developer settings. After the reboot, the phone required the Mi Account password, although the user did not remember it. Solution: link the phone to the account before the firmware or use the official unlock tool.