Xiaomi’s modern smartphones offer advanced privacy protection methods, with biometric identification taking the lead, and instead of entering complex passwords or graphic keys, device owners can use unique physical features like papillary finger lines or facial geometry, which not only speeds up access to the system, but also increases security, as it is much harder to copy biometrics than peeking a pin.
But the process of activating these features in the MIUI shell or the new HyperOS has its own nuances that often confuse users. Developers regularly change the layout of menus and item names, making it difficult to find the right settings. In this article, we will discuss in detail the step-by-step algorithm for enabling biometrics, examine the differences between models and answer frequently asked questions.
It should be noted that the quality of the scanners depends on the state of the sensor itself and the correctness of the initial calibration. Careless scanning during the adjustment stage can lead to the fact that the phone will recognize the owner only in 60% of cases, so it is extremely important to follow the instructions carefully, ensuring the cleanness of the sensor and the correct position of the hand or face during the procedure.
Preparation of the device for setting up biometrics
Before you go directly to scan fingerprints or faces, you need to make sure that the system is ready to work with sensitive data. First of all, the device must have a reliable basic method of unlocking: a digital pin code, a pattern lock or a complex password. Biometrics in Android is only a convenient addition, not a replacement for the main key, so without it, activation is impossible.
It is also recommended to check the battery charge, as the calibration process of the sensors may take time, and suddenly turning off the device in the middle of the procedure may cause a software failure of the safety module.It is advisable to have a charge level of at least 30-40%.In addition, make sure that the smartphone screen is clean and the finger you plan to use has no visible damage or contamination.
⚠️ Note: If your device has previously made changes to system files (root rights) or unlocked the bootloader, some banking applications may refuse to work with biometrics for security reasons.
To get started, go to the main settings menu. Usually, the gear icon is located at the top of the app list or in the notification curtain. Find the section that handles security settings and accounts. Different versions of the firmware may call it different names, but most often it's Passwords and Security or just Security.
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Before setting up your biometrics, wipe your fingerprint scanner with a soft dry cloth – greasy traces can reduce read accuracy by up to 40%.
Set up a fingerprint scanner
The most common and reliable way to protect biometrics is a fingerprint scanner. In Xiaomi smartphones, it can be located on the back, on the side in the on button or be built directly into the screen (underscreen scanner).
Once you log in to the Passwords and Security menu, select Fingerprint. The system will ask you to enter your current pin to verify your identity. Next, click Add Fingerprint. The screen will show you animations showing how to touch the sensor. Start putting your finger in the center, gradually shifting to the edges so that the system counts the entire picture.
The scanning process requires patience. Don't take your finger abruptly, wait for a vibration or a beep to signify a successful readout. MIUI allows you to add up to 5 different fingerprints, which is convenient for using different fingers or giving access to trusted people, although from a security perspective this reduces the level of protection.
☑️ Quality check of scanning
Special attention should be paid to the subscreen scanners, which are often found in flagship Xiaomi models, they are more sensitive to the quality of the protective film. If you use thick tempered glass, the sensor may not work stable, in which case the settings often have the option to increase sensitivity, which you need to activate.
Activation of Face Unlocking (Face ID)
The second popular method is to unlock the face. ID, complex 3D-Most of the Xiaomi smartphones are used 2D-It's faster and cheaper to implement, but it's less safe because you can fool the system with a good photo, even though today's algorithms are very sophisticated. AI Learned to recognize a living face.
To enable this feature, go back to the Passwords and Security menu and select Unlock by face. Click Add Face. Place your phone at eye level at a distance. 20-40 The screen will display the frame in which you want to place your face. Smoothly turn your head so that the camera captures the angle left, right, top and bottom.
It is important to consider the lighting conditions. If you set up the unlock in bright daylight, the phone may not recognize the owner at night in a dark room. Some Xiaomi models offer the option of Improved Low Light Recognition, which briefly increases the brightness of the screen for face illumination.
⚠️ Note: Do not use face unlock as the only method of protection for banking applications, as 2D-scanning is inferior to the reliability of the fingerprint.
Once the scan is completed, the system will suggest that you enable automatic screen unlocking when you detect a face, which is convenient, but consumes battery power, because the camera and the processor are constantly analyzing the image, and if autonomy is a priority for you, you should leave manual confirmation with a swipe or button.
Use of Mi Unlock and Second Space extensions
Xiaomi's ecosystem offers unique features that integrate biometrics into space, one of which is the Second Space, the analog of the second Android profile, which allows you to create an isolated environment with individual apps and photos, and biometrics works like a switch: one finger opens the main profile, the other (pre-configured) — hidden space.
Another important feature is Mi Unlock (in the context of account binding). Although it is a separate tool for unlocking the bootloader, biometrics can be used to confirm transactions in the Find Device service. If you lose your phone, find it or lock it remotely, you can only know the password from Mi Account, but logging into the account settings on the device itself is often confirmed by biometrics.
Newer versions of the HyperOS shell include Advanced Biometrics, which allows you to use your fingerprint to log in to third-party apps without entering a password every time, which works through the Android API, but requires the app developer to support this feature.
The hidden function of the scanner
Comparison of biometric protection methods
The choice between fingerprint and face unlock often depends on use cases, and to help you decide which method to make the main and which is the secondary, we have prepared a benchmarking table of characteristics.
| Characteristics | Fingerprint. | Face unlocking |
|---|---|---|
| Speed of operation | High (0.3-0.5 sec) | Mean (0.5-0.8 sec) |
| Working in the dark | Stable. | Requires screen lighting |
| Level of security | High-pitched | Medium (2D-scan) |
| Working with wet hands | Hard to do. | Doesn't matter. |
And you can see from the table that fingerprints are still a more versatile and safe solution, but face unlocking is a win-win situation when hands are busy or dirty, and the ideal strategy is to use both methods simultaneously, allowing the system to choose the most appropriate one in a given situation.
It’s also worth mentioning that the next generation of flagship models with subscreen scanners have nearly equaled the speed of the physical buttons, but older optical scanners can be slower than simple ones. 2D-camera, especially if the finger is dry or, conversely, too wet.
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The optimal security configuration is activation of both methods, where the fingerprint is used for payments and the face for quick access to the menu.
Solving the problems with biometrics
Users often experience a situation where the phone stops recognizing a finger or face, and the most common reason is sensor contamination or changing conditions (for example, you put on a mask, glasses or changed your hairstyle, which knocked down the algorithms). 2D-In the case of a fingerprint, try reconfiguring your finger, paying more attention to the edges of the pillow.
Sometimes the problem is a security software failure, so you can try to clear the cache of the relevant system application. Go to Settings → Apps → All applications, find Security or Security Components and select Clear Cache. This will not delete your data, but restart the services.
⚠️ Warning: Never attempt to remove the protective film from the underscreen scanner with sharp objects – this is guaranteed to damage the display matrix.
If the biometrics don't work after the system update, the calibration data may have gone wrong, in which case it's recommended that you completely remove the old prints and facial data, and then register them again, often returning the speed and accuracy of the sensors.
In rare cases, when the sensor does not respond to touch at all (no vibration), you may need to reset the settings to the factory.Be sure to back up the data to the Mi Cloud cloud or to your computer before doing so, as all files will be deleted.
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If the scanner stopped working after a fall, check if the sensor plume inside the case has left - in service centers this is a frequent malfunction.