Xiaomi’s smartphones, including the popular Redmi 9T, feature a MIUI shell that offers users a variety of tools to make navigation easier, one of which is a feature known as touch assistant, floating menus, or “balloon,” which is designed to replace or augment physical control buttons, allowing faster access to frequently used applications and system functions.
For owners of the Redmi 9T with its large screen of 6.53 inches, the use of touch assistant becomes especially relevant, as reaching the upper corners of the display with one hand can be difficult. By activating this tool, you get a floating button that can be moved around the screen and customized to your needs, which greatly improves the ergonomics of the device in everyday use.
In this guide, we will take a closer look at how to activate this tool, what hidden features it provides, and how to properly configure it so that it does not interfere, but helps with your smartphone. Understanding the principles of how MIUI system widgets works allows you to turn a standard device into a personalized gadget, fully adapted to your habits.
What is a Touch Assistant and Why You Need It
The Touch Assistant is a software widget in the MIUI shell, which is a translucent floating button on the screen, and its primary purpose is to duplicate basic navigation functions (return, menu, home) and provide quick access to tools that are hidden deep in the settings in the standard Android menu. Unlike the buttons at the bottom of the screen, this element can be dragged to any convenient area, which is especially important for ergonomics when using large smartphones.
The tool goes far beyond simple navigation, and users can assign short taps, long taps, or double taps to actions ranging from launching the camera or screenshots to calling a quick settings menu or switching between running apps, making the Redmi 9T more responsive and manageable, allowing complex operations to be performed in one touch.
In addition, the touch assistant is often used by people with disabilities, as it simplifies interaction with the touch screen without requiring precise finger movements throughout the display area. For those who often work in one-hand mode, the ability to move the control button to the bottom third of the screen is critical for comfort.
How to enable and activate the function
Activation of the touch assistant in Xiaomi Redmi 9T takes only a few seconds and does not require obtaining superuser rights or installing third-party software.All the necessary settings are built into the system menu, but their location may not be obvious to beginners who first encountered the MIUI shell.
To turn on, follow the path: Settings → Additional settings → Touch Assistant. In the window that opens, you need to move the switch to the active position. Immediately after that, a semi-transparent round icon will appear on the screen that you can drag and drop. If the icon does not appear, check whether the Do Not Disturb mode for this element is turned on or is hidden by the display settings.
☑️ Activation of the assistant
Importantly, once activated, the button can overlap in some applications, in which case it can be temporarily hidden by dragging it to a special curl zone (usually the side of the screen), or adjust transparency. MIUI 12 and later, installed on the Redmi 9T, allows you to flexibly control the behavior of the widget so that it does not interfere with watching videos or games.
⚠️ Warning: If you don't see the button after you turn on, check the Advanced Mode settings. Some firmware versions have the option of hiding the assistant when unlocking the screen or in full screen mode.
Set-up of actions and gestures
The main strength of the touch assistant lies in its customizability. The feature settings menu (Settings → Additional settings → Touch Assistant → Menu settings) opens up a vast list of actions that can be tied to different types of touch, which allows you to create a unique scenario for using a smartphone that is not like standard Android.
You can assign different teams to:
- 📱 Single tap: for example, returning to the home screen or opening the notification curtain.
- ⏱ Long press: Launching Google’s voice assistant or activating a flashlight.
- 👆 Double-click: Create a screenshot or lock the screen.
Special attention should be paid to the section "Menu", where you can add up to 9 shortcuts of applications or system functions that will appear when you press the button. QR-It's the code or the particular application you use most. 9T A powerful tool for productive work.
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Set a long-press camera opener – it’s faster than unlocking your phone and looking for an app icon.
Working with floating window and applications
One of the advanced features of the touch assistant in MIUI is the ability to quickly access and manage a list of running applications. By clicking on the corresponding item in the assistant menu, you will see a list of newly opened programs, which allows you to instantly switch between tasks without swiping at the bottom of the screen.
In addition, some versions of the shell allow the use of an assistant to control windows in split-screen mode. Although Redmi 9T does not always support full multi-window mode for all applications, the basic functions of switching and closing background processes work steadily, which helps to free up RAM and speed up the device.
| Action. | Standard setting | Recommended alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Single tap | Assistant menu | Back (for convenience) |
| Long press. | Voice input | Camera. |
| Double-push | Screenshot. | Screen locking |
| Swipe button | No. | Volume control |
Using these features is particularly effective when watching videos or reading when hands are busy, and getting to the volume buttons on the Xiaomi body is inconvenient. You can swipe up or down the "ball" itself to change the sound level, which is a very useful ergonomic feature.
Secret Testing Menu
Compatibility issues and bugs
Despite its usefulness, the touch assistant may conflict with some applications, especially those that use its own controls on top of the screen, such as floating-window instant messengers or game overlays.
A common problem is sticking or disappearing after a system update. If you find that the touch layer is not working properly when the assistant is on, try clearing the cache of the system application "Security" or resetting the assistant itself to factory settings. In rare cases, rebooting the device in safe mode helps to detect conflicting software.
⚠️ Attention: In full-screen games, the touch assistant may accidentally activate, interfering with viewing. it is recommended to add games to the exception list or set up automatic hiding in landscape mode.
It is also worth remembering that a constant active zone on the screen, even translucent, theoretically can contribute to uneven burnout of pixels on the screen. AMOLED-The Redmi, though, is 9T fitted IPS-However, periodically hiding the widget will prolong the life of the display.
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If the assistant interferes with the game, use the Do Not Disturb mode or Game Turbo to automatically turn it off.
Alternatives and gesture management
For users who don’t have enough or feel too bulky, MIUI offers alternative navigation methods, primarily gesture control, which completely removes the bottom navigation bar, freeing up useful screen space and making use of bangs or cutouts more harmonious.
Gestures allow a swipe from the bottom up to open the app menu, a swipe from the bottom with a delay to switch between tasks, and a swipe from the edge to go back. For many Redmi 9T owners, the combination of gestures and a minimalist touch assistant (for screenshots only) is the perfect balance between modernity and convenience.
There are third-party apps from Google Play, such as Assistive Touch, that offer more functionality, design themes, and complex macros. However, using third-party software requires more battery life and may run less stable than Xiaomi’s built-in system solution.