How to format Xiaomi Redmi Note 8: 3 proven ways

Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 is one of the most popular smartphones in the budget segment, but even it eventually begins to slow down, glitch or require complete cleaning before selling. Formatting (reset to factory settings) solves most software problems, but the wrong actions can turn the phone into a “brick.” In this guide, three official reset methods, nuances of data retention and unique errors that are characteristic of the Redmi Note 8 with MIUI 12-14 firmware.

It's important to understand the difference between soft and hard resets: the first one deletes user data through settings, but saves system files; the second one (via Recovery or Fastboot) reinstalls the firmware completely, which is true if the phone is not turned on or infected with viruses. We'll look at all the options, including hidden MIUI features that are not written in the standard instructions.

Preparation for formatting: what to do before resetting

Even if you format the Redmi Note 8 due to critical errors, don’t miss this step – it will save you from losing important data and problems with your Mi Account. About 30% of users experience a phone lock after a reset due to a tied Xiaomi account.

One is to back up. Redmi Note 8 has a built-in tool for this.

• 📱 Go to Settings. → The phone. → Backup and reset → Local backup
• 🔄 Select data to save: contacts, messages, photos (but not system applications – they can not be restored)
• ☁️ For reliability, copy the backup file (folder) MIUI/backup/AllBackup) PC-based

The second is to unplug the accounts, and once reset, the phone will require you to enter the username and password from the Mi Account if it was linked, to avoid being blocked:

1. Open Settings → Xiaomi account and click “Get out”.
2. Delete your Google account in Settings → Accounts → Google.
3. If you are using Mi Cloud, turn off sync in the same menu.

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If you forgot the password from Mi Account, restore it to account.xiaomi.com - after resetting, it will be more difficult to do this due to the link to the IMEI of the phone.

The third is to check the battery power. Recovery formatting can take up to 15 minutes, and if the phone runs out during the operation, there's a high risk of damage to the system partition, which will require a PC flashing.

2. Method 1: Soft reset via MIUI settings

The easiest and safest method, but it only works if the phone turns on and reacts to touch, is suitable for eliminating small glitches, removing viruses or preparing for sale.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset.
2. Select “Settings Reset” (not to be confused with “Network Reset”!).
3. The system will tell you what to remove: 📱 All data (including applications) 📁 Internal memory (optional if you need to erase the photo/video) 🔄 Network settings (if there were problems with the Wi-Fi/mobile-internet)

Confirm the action with a password / pattern lock.

Wait for the reboot (it will take 3-7 minutes).

Features for the Redmi Note 8:

• ⚠️ If the phone is stuck on the logo MI After reset, wait 10-15 minutes – the first download can be long.
• 🔧 On the firmware MIUI 13+ There's a "Delete Application Data" option that's separate from the full reset, useful if you just need to clear the cache.
• 📡 After discharge, it may disappear. IMEI (It can be restored through the engineering menu (#4636##).

3. Method 2: Hard Reset via Recovery Mode

This method is needed if:

• 📵 The phone is not turned on or got stuck on the screensaver.
• 🔄 A soft reset didn’t help (for example, after a failed update).
• 🦠 There is a suspicion of a virus blocking access to settings.

Recovery login algorithm for Redmi Note 8:

1. Turn off the phone (press Power + Volume up for 10 seconds).
2. Keep Power + Volume up until the Mi logo appears.
3. Let go of Meals, but keep Volume up until the Recovery menu appears.

From the Recovery menu (English or Chinese) select:

1. Wipe Data → Wipe All Data (complete reset).
2. Confirm your choice (usually by swipe or power button).
3. Once you have finished, select Reboot → Reboot to System.

Warnings:

⚠️ Note: Some Redmi Note 8 firmwares lose the vendor section after resetting via Recovery, resulting in a "No" error. OS If you see this message, you need to flash it through Fastboot.

⚠️ Note: If the phone was unlocked through the Mi Unlock Tool, resetting via Recovery may block the bootloader again, in which case you will have to re-unblock it via the PC.

Method 3: Full formatting via Fastboot (for experienced)

The most radical method that removes everything, including firmware, and establishes a clean MIUI. Requires a PC with installed drivers ADB/Fastboot original USB-cable (not cheap Chinese analogues!).

When you need a Fastboot:

• 🔧 The phone doesn’t even load in Recovery.
• 🦠 After a virus or a failed rooting.
• 📥 We need to downgrade the version. MIUI (downgrade).

Step-by-step:

1. Download the official firmware for Redmi Note 8 (Ginkgo model for global version or willow for Chinese).
2. Unpack the archive in a short-cut folder (e.g., C:\MIUI\).
3. Turn off the phone and press Power + Volume down to enter the Fastboot (a hare in a hat-eared hat will appear).
4. Connect the phone to the PC and open the command line in the firmware folder.
5. Enter the commands in turn: fastboot devices (to display the serial number of the phone) fastboot flash boot.img fastboot flash system.img fastboot flash vendor.img fastboot flash recovery.img fastboot erase userdata fastboot reboot

Process time: 10 to 25 minutes. If you have a "remote: partition table doesn't exist" error, you've downloaded the firmware for another model.

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Fastboot reset is the only way to bring your phone back to life if it doesn’t respond to buttons or shows a “No command” error in Recovery.

5. Typical errors after formatting and how to fix them

Even after a successful reset, the Redmi Note 8 can be unstable, and here are the most common problems and solutions:

If the phone does not see after the reset SIM-map, check it out:

• 📶 Is the card inserted correctly (on the Redmi Note 8 tray is on the right).
• 🔧 Network settings: Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Select the network (select "Automatically»).
• 📡 Update the firmware to the latest version – in older versions MIUI were modem bugs.

6. How to recover data after formatting

If you haven’t done a backup, the chances of returning the data depend on the type of reset:

• 📱 After a soft reset (through settings), you can recover photos / videos with programs like DiskDigger or Recuva (if you did not overwrite the memory).
• 🔄 After a hard discharge (through Recovery/Fastboot) Data deleted irrevocably – physically overwritten by zeros.

For recovery:

1. Connect your phone to your PC in MTP mode (if it is turned on).
2. Use 7-Data Recovery or Dr.Fone to scan your internal memory.
3. If the phone doesn’t turn on, remove the memory chip and connect it to the PC via a card reader (disassembly skills are required).

Important: Do not write new files to your phone after a reset, which reduces the chances of recovering old data.

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There is a unique bug for Redmi Note 8: once reset, the DCIM folder (with the photo) can remain in memory, but become invisible to the gallery.

7.Alternative cleaning methods without full formatting

If the goal is simply to speed up your phone, try these methods without resetting:

• 🧹 Cache cleanup: Settings → Warehouse → Clear cache (releases 1-3 GB).
• 🔄 Related: If the lags started after the update MIUI, roll back through Settings → The phone. → Updating the system → Three points. → Select the update package (you need an old firmware file).
• 🛠️ Developer Mode: Activate it (Settings) → The phone. → 7 times to press the version MIUI) and turn off animation in Developer Settings → Scale of animation (off.).
• 📦 Removal of System Applications: With the ADB You can remove unnecessary Xiaomi services (for example, pm uninstall). -k --user 0 com.mi.globalminusscreen to remove advertising service).

For Redmi Note 8, resetting graphics settings is especially effective:

1. Activate Developer Mode (see above).
2. Go to Developer Settings → Disable hardware overlay (reboot phone).
3. Install it on the same menu. GPU-acceleration → Wipe View.

Frequent Questions (FAQ)