Q1. My Aquaris M8 tablet has become very slow and laggy. Will flashing the firmware make it faster?

Yes, it will restore the tablet to its original factory performance. A clean firmware installation removes all the software clutter, cached data, and corrupted files that accumulate over time and cause the device to slow down.

Q2. The battery on my tablet drains a lot overnight, even when I'm not using it. What causes this?

This "idle drain" is a known software issue, often caused by apps or system services preventing the tablet from entering a deep sleep state. Flashing the stock ROM is a reliable way to fix this by restoring the original, optimized power management settings.

Q3. My tablet keeps disconnecting from Wi-Fi. Can this be fixed?

Yes, if the problem is software-related. Reinstalling the official firmware restores the Wi-Fi drivers and radio firmware to their factory state, which can fix bugs that cause an unstable or weak connection.

BQ Aquaris M8 Tablet Firmware (Stock ROM, MT8163)

The BQ Aquaris M8 is a mid-range 8-inch tablet from 2016, designed primarily for media consumption and web browsing. It runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow and is powered by a MediaTek MT8163 quad-core processor. While it was a solid device for its time, many users have reported specific software issues that have developed over the years. The most common complaints include significant performance degradation leading to lag and stuttering, poor battery life with notable drain in standby mode, and unstable Wi-Fi connectivity. For users facing these issues or recovering from a failed update, flashing the official stock firmware is the best way to restore the tablet’s original performance and stability.

ℹ️ Important Note:
This tablet is powered by a MediaTek chipset and requires the SP Flash Tool to install the firmware. This process will completely erase all your personal data. Ensure you have backed up your important files before you begin.

⚠️ Prerequisites: Before You Begin

Click Here for the Essential Pre-Flashing Checklist

Backup Your Data: All your personal information, apps, and files on the tablet’s internal storage will be permanently wiped.
Charge The Battery: To prevent the tablet from shutting down during the update, ensure the battery is charged to at least 50%.
Windows PC & USB Cable: You will need a Windows computer and a standard micro USB cable to perform the flash.

📱 Quick Device Specifications

Device: BQ Aquaris M8 Tablet
Chipset: MediaTek MT8163
Display: 8.0″ HD IPS (1280×800)
Operating System: Android 6.0 Marshmallow
RAM: 2GB
Storage: 16GB
Battery: 4500 mAh

🛠 Required Tools & Downloads

File / Tool	Download Link
SP Flash Tool	Download Tool
MediaTek USB VCOM Drivers	Download Drivers

⬇️ BQ Aquaris M8 Stock ROM / Firmware

Android Version	Build Number	Chipset	Download Link
6.0 Marshmallow	2.1.1	MediaTek MT8163	Download (MediaFire)

Quick Steps to Flash BQ Aquaris M8 Firmware

Download and install the MediaTek VCOM drivers. Extract the firmware ZIP file (BQ_Aquaris_M8_..._MT8163.zip) and the SP Flash Tool on your PC.
Launch flash_tool.exe. Click the “Scatter-loading” button and select the MT8163_Android_scatter.txt file from the extracted firmware folder.
Ensure the flashing mode in the dropdown menu is set to “Download Only.”
Power off your tablet completely. Click the green “Download” button in SP Flash Tool, then immediately connect the powered-off tablet to your PC via USB cable.
The flash will start automatically. Once you see the green checkmark pop-up, you can disconnect the tablet and power it on.

For a more detailed, step-by-step guide on this process, please refer to our main tutorial:
👉 Full Tutorial: How to Flash MediaTek Firmware with SP Flash Tool

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. My Aquaris M8 tablet has become very slow and laggy. Will flashing the firmware make it faster?: Yes, it will restore the tablet to its original factory performance. A clean firmware installation removes all the software clutter, cached data, and corrupted files that accumulate over time and cause the device to slow down.
Q2. The battery on my tablet drains a lot overnight, even when I’m not using it. What causes this?: This “idle drain” is a known software issue, often caused by apps or system services preventing the tablet from entering a deep sleep state. Flashing the stock ROM is a reliable way to fix this by restoring the original, optimized power management settings.
Q3. My tablet keeps disconnecting from Wi-Fi. Can this be fixed?: Yes, if the problem is software-related. Reinstalling the official firmware restores the Wi-Fi drivers and radio firmware to their factory state, which can fix bugs that cause an unstable or weak connection.

🔧 Device Troubleshooting

An official update (OTA) failed and now the tablet is stuck on the BQ logo: This is a common failure. The only way to recover is to manually flash the full stock firmware using this guide, which will overwrite the corrupted files from the failed update.
SP Flash Tool shows a BROM ERROR or the tablet is not detected: This is a driver issue. Ensure the MediaTek VCOM drivers are correctly installed (you may need to disable Windows Driver Signature Enforcement). Use a good quality USB cable and a main USB port on your PC. Make sure the tablet is completely powered off before connecting it.
I get a “PMT changed for the ROM” error in SP Flash Tool: This error means the partition layout on the tablet is different from the one in the firmware file. To fix this, change the flashing mode in SP Flash Tool from “Download Only” to “Firmware Upgrade” and try the process again.