Many owners of Xiaomi Redmi and Poco smartphones face a strange situation: the screen stops turning when the device changes position, or the character in the game does not respond to the tilts of the case. Often in search of a solution, users stumble upon the term “accelerometer”, but do not fully understand how this sensor is related to their daily use of the gadget. The accelerometer in the Xiaomi Redmi phone is not just an abstract concept from a physics textbook, but a critical component that ensures basic interactivity of the interface.
Without the right sensor, you can’t use navigation, play racing simulators, or just watch horizontal video. In this article, we’ll go through the device’s operation, diagnostics, and calibration methods that are available to the average user without going to the service center.
Principle of operation and purpose of the sensor
The accelerometer is a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) that measures the projection of the apparent acceleration. In simple terms, it determines where your Xiaomi Redmi is relative to the surface of the earth and how fast it is changing in space. Inside the chip is a tiny inertial mass, the displacement of which is recorded electronically and converted into a digital signal.
The function of this component goes far beyond just turning the screen around, and it's the accelerometer that controls the racing simulators, where you have to tilt the phone to turn the car, and it's also used in pedometers to measure the steps you've walked, analyzing the characteristic vibrations and jerks you're walking.
It's important to understand that in modern smartphones, the accelerometer often works in conjunction with a gyroscope. If the first one measures linear acceleration, the second one is responsible for the angular speed of rotation. VR-Glasses and games with augmented reality, but the basic orientation of the interface still takes on the accelerometer.
⚠️ Warning: Mechanical impacts, phone drops from height or strong vibration can damage the sensitive elements of the MEMS sensor, which will lead to its malfunction or complete failure.
Modern algorithms allow software to filter noise, but the physical damage to the crystal inside the case is no longer programmatically fixable, which is why it is so important to treat the device with care, especially if you are actively using it for navigation or games.
The main functions of the accelerometer in MIUI
In the MIUI shell, which is installed on all Redmi smartphones, the motion sensor is integrated deep into the system, users may not even notice its operation until a failure occurs, and the main tasks that this sensor performs can be divided into system and user.
System features include adaptive brightness (coupled with a light sensor) and energy-saving control. For example, when you hold your phone to your ear during a call, it is the accelerometer and proximity sensor that signal the system to turn off the screen so that you don't accidentally hit the break button with your cheek.
User functions are more visible and varied, and here are the main ones:
- 🔄 Screen autoturn: instant reaction to changing the orientation of the device from portrait to landscape.
- 🎮 Control in games: Phone tilts are used as a steering wheel in Asphalt, PUBG Or need for speed.
- 🚶 Fitness tracking: step counting and activity analysis in the Health app».
- 🎵 Shaking: Activating shaking functions, such as turning on a flashlight or changing track.
Some features can be hidden in special features, such as gesture control, which allows you to open applications or make screenshots of movements that are also tracked by this sensor, and if you notice that the pedometer stopped working or the auto-brightness began to behave strangely, the problem may lie in the calibration of the accelerometer.
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To quickly check the sensor, open the gallery and try to turn the phone. If the picture does not turn, check if the autorotation is blocked in the notification curtain.
Diagnosis and check of health
Before you start to complex manipulations with the engineering menu, you need to make sure that the problem is really in the sensor, not a software failure or a third-party application.In smartphones Xiaomi Redmi has built-in engineering test that allows you to check all the main modules of the device.
To run a diagnosis, you need to open the Phone app and type a special code, which is a universal method for most Redmi Note, Redmi Pro and Pocophone models.
##6484##Once you enter the command, you will open the CIT (Customer Information Test) menu, and in the test list, look for the "Accelerometer" or "Gyroscope" option, and you will click on it, you will be taken to the check interface, and you will be asked to put the phone on a flat horizontal surface and press the calibration or start button.
If the sensor is in good condition, you will see the changing coordinates of X, Y, Z. In the horizontal position, the values on the X and Y axes should be close to zero, and on the Z axis, close to the value of gravitational acceleration (about 9.8 m/s2 or 1g). If the values "jump" or show zero at any position, the sensor is faulty or requires calibration.
What if the code doesn't work?
Calibration of the accelerometer on Xiaomi Redmi
If the diagnostics show an abnormality, but the sensor is physically intact, the situation can often be corrected by calibration, which is the process of "training" the system to correctly determine the position of the phone, and in MIUI this feature is built right into the CIT menu, which was discussed above.
Calibration is simple, but it requires precision. You'll need a flat, hard surface. A countertop or floor will work best. Don't calibrate on the sofa or carpet, because the soft surface will distort the readings.
Step-by-step:
- Enter the engineering menu using the code ##6484##.
- Select the Accelometer test.
- Place the phone with the screen up on a flat surface.
- Press the "Calibrate" button.
- Wait for the “Pass” or green indicator to appear.
- Repeat the procedure for other positions if the system requires it (screen down, vertically).
Once the test is completed, be sure to restart the device, so that the new calibration parameters can be applied to all system processes. 2-3 Time to achieve the ideal result.
☑️ Checklist before calibration
There is also third-party software that can help if the built-in menu is not available. Apps like GPS Status & Toolbox have reset and calibration features for A-GPS sensors and accelerometers. However, built-in MIUI tools tend to be more stable and reliable.
Comparison with a gyroscope and magnetometer
Users often confuse the accelerometer with the gyroscope, thinking they are the same device. While they can be combined in a physical chip, they are functionally different sensors. Understanding the difference will help you better customize your smartphone to your needs.
| Characteristics | accelerometer | gyroscope | Magnetometer |
|---|---|---|---|
| What measures | Linear acceleration | Angular velocity | Magnetic field |
| Main objective | Definition of position in space | A precise turn in 3D | Point of the world orientation |
| Use of the | Stepper, turnaround. | VR, AR, games. | Compass, navigation. |
| precision | Medium | Tall. | Depends on the interference. |
Redmi's budget models may sometimes lack a gyroscope, and its functions are partially taken over by an accelerometer, but with less accuracy. GPS-satellites found.
If your phone doesn’t have a gyroscope, in games like PUBG Mobile, you won’t be able to use the device’s tilt aiming mode, which puts you at a disadvantage compared to players who have the sensor.
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The lack of a gyroscope doesn’t make the phone unusable, but it limits the possibilities in VR and first-person shooters, and the accelerometer is found in 99% of modern smartphones.
Typical problems and ways to solve them
Even after calibration, problems can arise. Often users complain of cursor shaking or spontaneously rotating the screen. This can be caused by a software conflict. Check if you have an application that intercepts sensor control (for example, some launchers or screen recording applications).
Another common cause is a thick or magnetic case, and magnetic latches on the covers can be magnetometers, which, when combined with the accelerometer, causes orientation failure, remove the case and check the sensor again.
If software methods don't work, the plume may have gone away. In Redmi models with a fixed battery, this is less common, but after a fall, contact may be broken, in which case only disassembling and reconnecting the sensor plume, which is usually located on the main board or a separate charging board (depending on the model), will help.
⚠️ Note: Disassembly of the Xiaomi Redmi smartphone cancels the warranty. If the device is warranty, if you suspect a hardware malfunction, immediately carry it to an authorized service center.
Also worth mentioning is the problem of sticking values: sometimes after a long game, the phone forgets where it is up and where it is down, helps reboot or turn the sensor on and off for a short time in the settings. Some versions of MIUI have a feature called Calibration in advanced screen settings, which is worth trying before resetting to factory settings.