Xiaomi’s subsidiary, Redmi, introduced a lot of great budget devices in 2019. One of the best devices in their low-budget segment must be Redmi 8 (along with Redmi 8A). Now, we decided to look out for the most common Redmi 8 issues online and brought them to you in the list below.
Note: All the issues mentioned in this article are individually reported cases, which doesn’t mean any of the problems will occur on other devices. If you’re looking to buy this phone, DO NOT consider these problems.
In this article:
Toggle1. Screen freeze
It would be unreasonable to expect that a device in this price segment can do miracles. The Redmi 8 is a budget device and there’s only so much processing it can do without showing signs of slowing down or freezing. With that said, your regular usage shouldn’t suffer, which seems to be the case with some users who reported screen freezing and hanging in apps.
Navigating through UI, browsing the internet/social media, or streaming videos on YT shouldn’t be a problem. Even on the 3GB variant of the Redmi 8. But it is for some.
If you are experiencing screen freezing on the Redmi 8 or having similar issues (lags and stutters in apps), make sure to try these steps:
- Navigate to Settings > My device > System and check for updates. Install an update if available.
- Enable Developer options (Settings > My device > All specs and tap 7 times on the Build number). Then navigate to Additional Settings > Developer options and disable MIUI Optimization at the bottom.
- Get back in Developer options and reduce Animation from 1 to 0.5.
- Reset the device to factory settings (the procedure is explained at the bottom of this article).
2. Video on Snapchat and Instagram not working
Probably the most reported problem on various forums concerning the Redmi 8. For some reason, video recording or video calling in certain 3rd-apps doesn’t work. This issue is especially prominent on Snapchat and Instagram, although there are reports about other apps as well.
We have a list of solutions but, unless the developer patches things indefinitely, we can’t say they’ll work for sure. Here’s what to do to fix video issues on Redmi 8:
- Navigate to Settings > Apps > Manage apps. Open Instagram or Snapchat and clear data and cache.
- Follow the same path as above and open Permissions. Make sure to grant all permissions.
- Reinstall the app.
- Install an older APK version of the app.
3. Slow Wi-Fi
Another big problem that’s bothering users is Wi-Fi speed. Many reports state that, when Bluetooth is enabled, Wi-Fi speeds plummet. There are some root-only solutions out there, but we don’t suggest using them if you don’t know your way around modding. Also, it’s important to say that this device doesn’t work on 5GHz wireless frequency so make sure to stick to 2.4GHz.
The best way to tackle this problem (besides disabling Bluetooth while using Wi-Fi, which is merely a workaround) is to follow these steps:
- Enable Airplane mode and disable it.
- Restart your phone and router.
- Reset Network Settings.
For even more solutions for Wi-Fi issues, check out this article.
4. Fast charging doesn’t work
Officially, the Redmi 8 supports 18 fast charging but the out-of-the-box charger is the 10W one. So, if you decide to speed up the charging process (which, truth be told, can take a lot of time with the stock charger), you should probably get an official 18W charger. Now, some users reported that fast charging doesn’t work.
The first thing we must stress is the importance of the proper charger. The charger should be 9V and 2 amp for the device to utilize fast charging. Additionally, make sure to keep your Redmi 8 up to date, as updates should deal with issues.
5. Missing Xiaomi apps
Global MIUI ROMs are no longer coming with Xiaomi Dialer, Contacts, and Messaging. They are replaced with Google’s alternatives for privacy matters. This might be an issue for some users who had their contacts, call logs, and messages backed up on Mi Cloud on their previous devices.
Luckily, you can sideload missing Xiaomi apps with ease and use them instead of Google’s Phone and Messages. Follow these steps to install missing Xiaomi apps on the Redmi 8:
- Navigate to APK Mirror with your browser. You can find MIUI Contacts and dialer and MIUI Messaging.
- Accept the installation from third-party sources when prompted.
- Make sure you are signed in with your Mi Account and check the Sync settings to ensure that all your messages, call logs, and contacts are back.
6. Can’t change fonts on Redmi 8
Due to some regional limitations, certain world regions do not support some features. For example, Face Unlock is not available in all regions. The same goes for Themes. Now, every region is supported by Themes but some are quite limited regarding content and customization features.
So, to circumvent these limitations, you should just change the region. That should allow you to change fonts. Alternatively, you can download and apply themes as MTZ files and apply them manually.
Follow these steps to change the region on your Redmi 8:
- Open Settings.
- Choose Additional options.
- Select Region.
- Choose Hong Kong or India.
7. Overheating issues
Some users reported overheating issues with the Redmi 8, especially when charging the device. It’s hard to determine, by touch, how hot the device is. It’s also important to know that, if reaches critical temperatures, the device will shut down to prevent fatal hardware damage.
For the time being, we have a few things to suggest to prevent overheating:
- Remove the protective case.
- Don’t use your device while charging.
- Turn on Airplane mode while charging.
8. Apps crashing
Others have had a hard time with app crashes, especially system apps that came pre-installed with the OS. This is, almost certainly, an issue with the current version of MIUI and updates should address it completely. So make sure to keep your device up to date.
For the time being, you can try to boot into safe mode and look for improvements. Clearing cache and data from apps that crash is not a bad idea as well. Finally, you might want to reset your device to factory settings. Just don’t forget to back up your data before resetting the device.
9. Contacts and Call history not syncing
This issue also lies in the lack of old Xiaomi apps like Contacts, Messaging, and Dialer. Without them, you won’t be able to sync your contacts, call logs, or SMS message history.
Just make sure to install APKs of the said apps, as explained above, and they should sync immediately.
10. Ghost touch issues
Ghost touch is the last thing anyone wants to experience on their smartphone. But, based on a few reports, we found out that Redmi 8 has ghost touch issues on some firmware versions. Now, we are usually blaming the software for occurrences like this, and those are resolved with updates.
However, just to be sure that your device doesn’t have a flawed display, make sure to follow these steps:
- Turn the “Double tap to wake or turn off screen” off.
- Remove the screen protector.
- Clear the screen with a wet cloth.
- Reset your device to factory settings.
11. Redmi 8 restarts on its own
Some users reported that the device tends to restart on its own, which, more time than not, points towards a hardware failure. Nonetheless, you can try and boot the device in safe mode and, if that fails, reset the device to factory settings from the recovery or system settings.
If that doesn’t help, make sure to contact the seller and ask for repair or replacement.
12. Battery draining fast
The Redmi 8 comes with a quite large 5000 mAh battery that provides remarkable Screen-on time. A large battery along with a relatively compact screen (by today’s standards, at least) should keep your phone off the charger for a couple of days.
On the other hand, it seems that some updates reduced battery life significantly for so many users. We expect that future updates will resolve the problem and optimize performance.
For the time being, try these steps to prolong battery life on the Redmi 8:
- Disable Automatic brightness and set the brightness manually.
- Open Developer options and disable Mobile Data always on.
- Prevent some secondary apps from working in the background.
- Disable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth overnight.
- Use Greenify or any other third-party application to limit the background processes.
- Update your device or reset the device to factory settings.
- Check our tips for preserving battery life on Android.
13. How to use Gcam on Redmi 8
Xiaomi and its subsidiaries sell devices with amazing hardware but there are still some things, especially in camera optimization and image processing, that still needs some polishing. This is, however, easy to overcome with a Gcam port.
Thanks to these ports, Google’s camera software with advanced color science and processing techniques heavily enhances the photo-shooting capabilities of any device.
So, we highly recommend trying Gcam ports on your device. Follow these steps to download and install Gcam on Redmi 8:
- In Google Chrome on your handset, navigate to the Gcam Hub and download one of the versions by tapping on it. Alternatively, you can get one of these ports.
- Allow installation of apps from third-party sources when prompted.
- You can download the configuration files for the second version and add them by following these instructions.
- Install Gcam and that’s it. You can tweak some options in Settings to your liking. Enjoy.
Check our article if you want to learn more about Gcam ports.
14. Call recording option is missing
The aforementioned switch from Xiaomi apps to Google apps in global ROMs left a lot of people mad. Mainly because the once-stock Dialer has a call recording feature that Google’s Phone app doesn’t.
And, as explained above, you can get the APKs of all major apps, including the Dialer. Once you sideload the Dialer app and make it your default Dial app, you should be able to record calls without any issues.
15. Repetitive sound when locking the device
If the sound is repetitive, this is probably a bug. However, there’s a Screen Locking sound that you can disable in Additional Sound settings. This should prevent any sound when the device is unlocked or locked.
Follow these instructions to disable the Screen Locking sound on the Redmi 8:
- Open Settings.
- Choose Sound & vibration.
- Scroll to the bottom and open Additional settings.
- Toggle off the Screen locking sounds.
16. The notification is not available on the Lock Screen
Other users have had issues with Lock Screen notifications. Based on reports, even after enabling notifications to fully show on the Lock Screen. Now, there’s hardly anything we can do but suggest checking all apps individually, besides the general settings.
Follow these steps to ensure that notifications are shown on the Lock Screen:
- Open Settings.
- Tap Notifications.
- Choose Lock screen notifications.
- Tap Format and select Show notification content.
- Make sure that all apps are allowed to show content based on the list below.
- After that, you can navigate to Settings > Apps > Manage and open apps individually.
- In there, you would select Notifications and roam through various options and sections. Besides global, each app has independent settings for various sections (e.g. Instagram has Instagram Direct, Direct Requests, Comment Likes, etc.). Make sure that Screen lock notifications are at “Show notification content” for each section.
17. Can’t change the Lock Screen wallpaper
MIUI has certain limitations when it comes to tweaking Lock screens from 3rd-party apps. The safest way to change the Lock Screen wallpaper on MIUI 10 or MIUI 11 is to navigate to Settings > Wallpapers and select the wallpaper from there.
Once you’ve done that, just choose the Lock Screen and your wallpaper should be set. This way, you can set both standard and live wallpapers.
18. Gyroscope issues
Issues like this are quite rare but massive manufacturing of handheld devices eventually leads to flaws. Now, all you can do before replacing the device is to test it with the CIT menu. The problem might lie in a third-party app that’s utilizing the gyroscope.
Follow these steps to check the gyroscope with CIT on Redmi 8:
- Open Settings.
- Tap My device.
- Select All specs.
- Tap on the Kernel version 3 times to open CIT.
- Scroll down and open Gyroscope.
- Here you can test whether the gyroscope on your Redmi 8 behaves as it should or if it is broken by looking at the XYZ coordinates.
19. Common troubleshooting steps for the Redmi 8
Enter Developer options
- Open Settings
- Select My device
- Tap All specs and tap 7 times on the Build number.
- Then navigate to Additional Settings > Developer options.
Boot the device into Safe Mode
- Turn the device off.
- Press and hold the Power button and then, once the Xiaomi logo appears, release the Power button and press and hold the Volume Down button.
- To exit Safe mode, just reboot your device again.
Wipe cache partition
- Power off your device.
- Press and hold the Power button + Volume Up until the MI welcome screen appears. Let go of the Power button and keep holding the Volume Up button.
- Once you get into Recovery mode, use the Volume buttons to get to the Wipe Cache Partition option. Press the Power button to confirm the selection.
Reset the device to Factory Settings
Quick note: If you’re not entirely sure what you’re doing, check our article about resetting an Android phone to factory settings.
- Backup all important data to Google Drive, your PC, or external storage.
- Open Settings.
- Choose My device.
- Open Backup & reset.
- Choose Erase all data (factory reset).
- Tap Erase all data and confirm the selection when prompted.
Side note: If you find MIUI too much bloated (too many unnecessary system apps), learn how to debloat it and make it both faster and cleaner while significantly improving battery life. Check our article on debloating with detailed instructions.
Editor’s note: This article was initially published in March 2020. We made sure to revamp it for freshness and accuracy.