Developer on Xiaomi Redmi 8: how to unlock the potential of the smartphone

Xiaomi Redmi 8, released 2019 It is still a popular device among Android enthusiasts, its low price, balanced specs (Snapdragon). 439, 4/64 GB, battery 5000 mAh) and custom firmware support make it the perfect platform for experimentation. But how do you turn a regular smartphone into a developer tool? This article will help you understand the nuances of unlocking the bootloader, installing the device. TWRP, rooting and setting up environments to create your own applications or modify the system.

It is important to understand: the transition to developer mode on Redmi 8 — It's not just about turning on a hidden menu in your settings, it's about a set of measures that includes unlocking the bootloader, working with fastboot, and ADB, And we'll go through each step in detail so that even a beginner can safely complete all the steps, and for experienced users, we'll provide relevant links to tools and firmware for Redmi. 8 (olive/olivelite) on 2026 year.

1.Preparation of the device: what to do before unlocking

Before you start to manipulate the system, make sure your Redmi 8 is ready for the procedures.

📱 Check the device model: go to Settings → The phone. → Model. Redmi 8 is very coded. M1908C3IG (global version and M1908C3IC (China depends on the choice of firmware.
🔋 Battery charge: at least 70%. Unlocking process can take up to 30 minutes, and a sudden shutdown will cause a failure.
🔐 Backup: Use Mi Cloud or third-party utilities (such as Swift Backup) to save contacts, messages, and files!
💻 Computer with Windows/Linux: You will need to work with Mi Unlock Tool and fastboot.

Critical detail: Xiaomi has tightened its bootloader unlock policy since 2023, requiring new Mi accounts to be linked to a phone number and wait 168 hours (7 days) after the device is linked to an account. If you bought a used smartphone, make sure the previous owner untied it from your account in Settings. → Xiaomi account → Delete the account.

Also prepare:

🔌 Cable USB: Original or certified (cheap cables may not transmit data to fastboot).
⚙️ Drivers: Download Mi for Windows USB Driver from the official Xiaomi website.
📂 Tool Archive: Platform Tools (includes adb and fastboot), Mi Unlock Tool latest version.

⚠️ Note: If your Redmi 8 was purchased in China M1908C3IC), You might need a Chinese phone number to unlock it, so it's easier to find global firmware and flash it through fastboot without unlocking it.

📊 Your experience with Android devices?

Beginner, just starting.

Used it. ADB/fastboot

I've been installing custom firmware.

Developing applications

2. Enabling the developer mode and debugging by USB

The first step is to activate the hidden Android features. On Redmi 8, this is done as standard:

Go to Settings. → The phone.
Find the MIUI version and tap it 7 times in a row, and the notification will appear "You became a developer!".
Return to the main settings menu and open a new Developer section (usually at the end of the list).

In the developer menu, activate:

🔌 Debugging by USB (necessarily!).
🔄 Unlocking OEM (It may be hidden - see spoiler below).
📱 Factory Unblocking (if any).

What to do if the item "Unblocking" OEM" no?

On some versions MIUI This is hidden. Try 1. Connect your device to the Internet via Wi-Fi. 2. Reboot your phone. 3. Re-enter the Developer menu. If there's no item, maybe your version of the device is yours. MIUI It does not support it – you will need to flash the global firmware.

Once activated, connect Redmi 8 to your computer. In the window on your phone that appears, select "Allow debugging by USB" and check the box "Always allow from this computer".

Check the connection by running in the command line (on the computer):

adb devices

If the device appears in the list, everything is set up correctly.

💡

If the adb device command doesn’t work, try reinstalling drivers manually through Windows Device Manager (Portable Devices section" → "Android").

3 Unlock the bootloader through the Mi Unlock Tool

This is the most important step. Unlocking the bootloader erases all data on the device and allows you to install informal firmware.

Step 1: Linking your Mi Account

1. Sign in to your Xiaomi account (or create a new one) on your phone.

2. Go to Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud and enable synchronization.

3.In the Developer Menu, find the item "Mi Unlock Status" and link the device to your account. Wait 168 hours (7 days) is a mandatory requirement of Xiaomi from 2023.

Step 2: Installation of Mi Unlock Tool

1. Download the latest version of the Mi Unlock Tool from the official website (Windows only!).

2. Install the program and run it on behalf of the administrator.

3. Sign in to the same Xiaomi account as on your phone.

Step 3: Unlocking

1. Turn off Redmi 8.

2.Put the Volume down. + Power to enter fastboot mode (screen with a hare in a hat-eared hat).

3. Connect the phone to the computer.

4. In Mi Unlock Tool, click Unlock and wait until the process is complete (usually.) 10-15 minute).

If it went well, you'll see the message "Unlocked successfully." Now the bootloader is unlocked.

⚠️ Note: If the Mi Unlock Tool gives you a "Couldn't unlock" or "Device not supported" error, check: - The tool version (should be the last). - Account binding to the device (sometimes you need to repeat the binding). - Internet connection (the program checks the status of the account online). If nothing helps, try using fastboot oem unlock-go manually (see next section).

Linking your Mi Account to your device|Wait 168 hours (if you have a new account)|Download the Mi Unlock Tool for the latest version|Install fastboot drivers|Charge your phone at least 70 times%-->

Installation TWRP and obtaining root rights

After unlocking the loader, you can install a custom Recovery TWRP (Team Win Recovery Project, which will allow you to create backups, sew modified images and get root access.

Step 1: Download TWRP for Redmi 8

Official version TWRP for Redmi 8 (Olive can be found on twrp.me. Download a file with the.img extension (e.g, twrp-3.7.0_9-0-olive.img).

Step 2: Installation via fastboot

1. Transfer the phone to fastboot mode (Loudness down) + Nutrition).

2. Connect to the computer and execute the command:

fastboot flash recovery twrp-3.7.0_9-0-olive.img

3. After successful firmware, perform:

fastboot boot twrp-3.7.0_9-0-olive.img

This team will temporarily load TWRP, So you can backup before further manipulation.

Step 3: Getting root rights

Download the latest version of Magisk (for example, Magisk-v26.4.zip) GitHub.

1. V TWRP Select Install and specify the path to the file. Magisk.zip.

2. Swipe for confirmation.

3. After installation, restart to the system.

Check for root by installing the Magisk Manager app or by running in the terminal:

su

If a request for rights appears, the root is installed successfully.

TWRP version	Compatibility	Features
3.7.0_9-0	MIUI 12-14, Android 10-12	Encryption support, touch interface
3.6.2_11-0	MIUI 11-12, Android 9-10	Stable, but without support for new versions MIUI
3.5.2_9-0	Android 9	Outdated, possible bugs with new firmware

💡

Installation TWRP Magisk is a mandatory stage for developers, as it allows you to modify system files, test custom cores and create full system backups.

5. Firmware custom software: from MIUI up to LineageOS

With the unlocked loader and TWRP You can experiment with alternative firmware. Let's look at the popular Redmi 8 options:

Official MIUI firmware

If you need stable work without custom modifications, you can flash the global version. MIUI fastboot:

fastboot flash boot boot.img


fastboot flash system system.img




fastboot flash vendor vendor.img




fastboot flash dtbo dtbo.img




fastboot reboot

You can download official images on the Xiaomi website (choose the version for olive).

Custom firmware

For developers, the following are of interest:

📱 LineageOS: "clean" Android without unnecessary applications Xiaomi. 8 Android-based 11-12.
🔧 Pixel Experience: firmware with the interface and features of Google Pixel.
⚡ Havoc-OS: customizable firmware with many settings.
🛡️ DivestOS: Focused on privacy and security.

Example of LineageOS installation:

Download the firmware (lineage-20.0-20260310-olive.zip) and GApps (e.g, OpenGApps-arm64-11.0-nano).
Reboot to TWRP.
Run Wipe → Advanced Wipe and mark Dalvik, Cache, System, Data.
Install firmware, then GApps.
Reboot to the system.

⚠️ Note: Castom firmware may not support all of Redmi 8's features. For example, LineageOS sometimes doesn't run VoLTE or dual camera. 4PDA or XDA.

💡

Before you install the full backup in the TWRP (Backup, including Boot, System, and Data, will allow you to return the original state if something goes wrong.

6. Set up the Android development environment (ADB, Android Studio)

Now that your Redmi 8 is ready to experiment, it's time to set up the development tools.

Installation of Android Studio

1. Download Android Studio from the official website.

During installation, tick the following boxes:

📦 Android SDK
🖥️ Android Virtual Device
🔧 Performance (Intel HAXM) (emulator)

3. Open after installation SDK Manager and download:

📱 Android 10.0 (Q) and Android 11.0 (R) (for Redmi 8).
🔧 Android SDK Platform-Tools (includes adb and fastboot).

Connecting Redmi 8 to Android Studio

1. Enable Debugging by USB (see section 2).

2 Connect the phone to the computer.

3. In Android Studio, open Device Manager – your device should appear in the list.

4. For verification, perform at the terminal:

adb shell getprop ro.product.model

The answer has to come back: Redmi 8.

Application assembly and debugging

Now you can:

📲 Testing applications directly on the device.
🐞 Debugging code through Logcat.
🔄 Profiling Performance with Android Profiler.

Example of installation command APK:

adb install path/to/your/app.apk

💡

Using a physical device (rather than an emulator) allows applications to be tested in real-world environments, including camera, sensors, and mobile networking.

7. Useful tools and tricks for developers

Development on Redmi 8 is even more efficient with these tools:

ADB Fastboot: Extended Teams

A few useful commands to work with the device:

📱 Reboot to Recovery:
🔄 Reboot to fastboot:
📊 Viewing logisticians:
📁 Copying files:

Modification of system files

With root access, you can edit system files, for example, to turn off ads in the system. MIUI:

Install Root Explorer or Mixplorer.
Go to /system/etc/hosts.
Add lines to block advertising domains:

Creation of custom kernels

For experienced developers, you can compile your kernel for Redmi 8. The kernel source is available on Xiaomi's GitHub.

🐧 Ubuntu 20.04+ or WSL2 Windows.
🔧 Compiler aarch64-linux-android-4.9.
📝 Configuration file olive_defconfig.

Example of a command to assemble:

make -j4 ARCH=arm64 olive_defconfig


make -j4 ARCH=arm64

⚠️ Warning: An improperly assembled kernel can lead to a bootloop.Always test new builds on a backup device or in an emulator QEMU.

8. Solving common problems

Even with strict adherence to instructions, errors can occur. Consider typical cases and their solutions:

Problem.	Possible cause	Decision
Mi Unlock Tool gives you a 50% or 99% error	It has not been 168 hours since the account was linked.	Wait 7 days or use workarounds (see spoiler)
After the firmware TWRP phone doesn't load	Incompatible version TWRP or a damaged backup	Sweep through the official firmware through fastboot or restore the backup from TWRP
Adb devices cannot see the device	There are no drivers or USB debugging is not enabled	Reinstall drivers, check the developer settings
After the rut stopped working banking applications	SafetyNet is not being checked	Install MagiskHide Props Config and set up root cover

How to get around 168 hours in Mi Unlock Tool

Officially, this restriction cannot be circumvented, but some users successfully use: 1. Reset the time meter through changing the date on the phone (risky). 2. Use an old Mi Account tied to the device until 2023. 3. Calling for Xiaomi to reset timer (rarely helps). ⚠️ These methods can lead to the blocking of the account!

If the custom software has disappeared after the firmware IMEI If the mobile network is not working, restore the original modem and EFS backup TWRP Or run them through fastboot:

fastboot flash modem NON-HLOS.bin


fastboot flash fsg fsg.mbn

Files. NON-HLOS.bin and fsg.mbn can be extracted from the official firmware for your model.

FAQ: Frequent questions about development at Redmi 8

Can I unlock the bootloader on Redmi 8 without waiting 168 hours?

Officially, no. Xiaomi introduced this restriction in 2023 to combat device theft.The bypasses (see spoiler above) do not guarantee success and can lead to account locking.If the device was already tied to an account before 2023, the wait may not be necessary.

Which firmware is better to choose for development: MIUI custom-made?

It depends on the goals: MIUI: Suitable if you need stability and support for all features (camera, VoLTE, NFC). Easy to get OTA-LineageOS, Pixel Experience: Better for testing clean Android, customizing the interface and experimenting with the kernel. However, there may be hardware bugs. For beginners, we recommend starting with unlocked MIUI, And then switch to custom firmware.

How to return the phone to its original state after experiments?

There are two reliable ways: Through the Mi Flash Tool: Download the official firmware for your model (.tgz or.zip). Unpack it into a folder. Launch the Mi Flash Tool, select the firmware folder. Connect your phone in fastboot mode and press Flash. TWRP (If there is a backup: Load in TWRP. Select Restore and specify a backup folder. Restore Boot, System, and Data partitions. Once restored, reset to factory settings in the phone menu.

Can I get root on Redmi 8 without unlocking the bootloader?

No. On all modern Xiaomi devices (including Redmi 8), obtaining root rights requires an unlocked bootloader. Alternative methods (for example, through vulnerabilities) either do not work or are temporary and do not give full access to the system. If you need a root without unlocking, consider buying a device with an already unlocked bootloader (such as in the secondary market) or a model with official unlock support without waiting (such as a free bootloader, POCO F1).

Where to look for the latest firmware and modifications for Redmi 8 in 2026?

Official and Unofficial Firmware: Official MIUI: https://new.c.miui.com/global/miuidownload/index (Choose Redmi. 8 olive). TWRP: https://twrp.me/xiaomi/xiaomiredmi8.html. LineageOS: https://download.lineageos.org/olive. XDA Developers: forum with custom firmware and cores - section Redmi 8. 4PDA: Russian-speaking community – theme of Redmi 8. Before installing any firmware, check user reviews for the current date – some builds may be outdated or contain critical bugs.