How to enable Direct Share on Xiaomi Redmi: a complete guide with pictures

The Direct Share feature on Xiaomi Redmi smartphones allows you to instantly send files, links or text to specific contacts without having to choose an app to share first. This saves time and simplifies everyday phone use. However, many users are unaware that this feature is hidden in MIUI settings and requires manual activation.

In this article, we will discuss how to enable Direct Share on all modern Redmi models (Redmi Note 10 to Redmi 13 Pro+) running MIUI 14/15. You will learn not only the standard activation method, but also alternative methods for cases where the function is not displayed in the menu, and we will also discuss why Direct Share may not work and how to fix it.

What is Direct Share and Why is it Necessary?

Direct Share is an advanced Android data sharing feature that has been integrated into the system since Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Instead of the standard Send Through dialog with a list of all installed apps (Telegram, WhatsApp, Bluetooth, etc.), it shows specific people you’ve recently spoken to.

Advantages of the function:

• ⚡ Saving time: one click instead of 3-4 actions to select the application and contact.
• 🎯 Accuracy: The system analyzes your latest interactions and suggests the most relevant recipients.
• 🔄 Support for all types of files: Works with photos, documents, links and text snippets.
• 🔒 Privacy: Data is not transferred through Xiaomi servers – the exchange takes place directly between applications.

On Xiaomi smartphones, the feature is implemented through the MIUI shell, but by default it is often disabled, due to the fact that Xiaomi optimizes the system for the Chinese market, where other exchange services are popular (for example, WeChat), but for European and Russian users, Direct Share can become an indispensable tool.

Supported Redmi models and MIUI versions

Direct Share is available on all Redmi smartphones running MIUI 12 and later, but it is most stable on the following versions:

If your model is not listed in the table, check the MIUI version in the settings along the Settings path → About Phone → MIUI version. Direct Share may require a firmware update to activate. Note that some Redmi with global firmware (MIUI Global) has the feature disabled due to regional restrictions.

⚠️ Note: On smartphones with custom firmware (such as LineageOS or Pixel Experience), Direct Share may not work properly or at all. MIUI.

Standard way to enable Direct Share

To activate Direct Share on Xiaomi Redmi, follow the following steps:

1. Open Settings and go to the Additional → Special Features section.
2. Scroll down and find Direct Share (or Direct Exchange on Russian firmware).
3. Activate the switch at the top of the screen.
4. Return to the main settings menu and open Apps → Application Management → Settings (cog in the upper right corner) → Show Direct Share.
5. Select the apps you want to enable the feature for (e.g. Telegram, WhatsApp, Mi Share).

After activating a file or text in any application (such as the Gallery or the Browser), a "Send" section with a contact list will appear in the context menu, and the system will automatically suggest the most frequent recipients based on your exchange history.

Long-click file in Gallery |Send item in menu |Display of contacts from Telegram/WhatsApp|Successful sending of test file-->

If the function does not work after turning on, try the following steps:

• 🔄 Reboot your smartphone.
• 📱 Update the applications you plan to share files through.
• 🔧 Clear the cache of the Android System WebView system application in the application settings.

Alternative Incorporation Methods (if Standard Incorporated Does Not Work)

If your Redmi does not have Direct Share in your settings, try one of the following ways:

Method 1: Through ADB (for power users)

This method requires connecting your smartphone to your computer and using Android Debug Bridge (ADB).It is suitable for firmware where the feature is hidden but technically supported.

adb shell settings put global direct_share_enabled 1


adb shell settings put secure direct_share_blacklist ""

Once you have completed the commands, restart the device. If Direct Share doesn't show up, check if the feature is locked at the firmware level.

Method 2: Change the firmware region

On some global firmware MIUI, the function is disabled for certain regions to unlock:

1. Go to Settings. → Additionally. → Region.
2. Choose India or Indonesia (Direct Share is usually available in these regions).
3. Restart the phone and check for the feature in the settings.

⚠️ Note: Change of region may affect the performance of some services (e.g. Google Pay or banking applications.

Method 3: Use of third-party launchers

Some alternative launchers (like Nova Launcher or Action Launcher) have built-in Direct Share support even on firmware where it is disabled: Set the launcher from Google Play, assign it to the default launcher, and check for the feature in the context menu.

Configure contacts for Direct Share

After the function is turned on, you need to configure a list of contacts that will be displayed in the exchange menu.

1. Open the Contacts app and select the contact you want.
2. Click Edit and scroll down to the Additional section.
3. Activate Show in Direct Share (or similar).
4. Save the changes.

The system will offer these contacts primarily when sharing files, and to speed up the process, add the most frequent recipients to your favorites, which will increase their priority in the Direct Share list.

You can also set the priority of applications:

• 📌 Go to Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
• 🔍 Find an app (like Telegram) and open its settings.
• 🔄 Enable the option to Show in Direct Share.

On the smartphones Redmi with MIUI 15 has the ability to configure individual chats in messengers (for example, specific conversations in Telegram) as targets for Direct Share.

Solving common problems

If Direct Share doesn’t work or doesn’t work properly, follow these tips:

If the problem persists, try resetting the app settings:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Reset app settings.
3. Confirm the action and restart the phone.

💡

To speed up the appearance of contacts in Direct Share, pre-send them a message via the messenger. the system analyzes the latest interactions and increases the priority of active chats.

Security and confidentiality

Many users worry that Direct Share may violate privacy because it analyzes their interactions with contacts.

• 🔐 All data is processed locally on the device – the information is not sent to Xiaomi or Google servers.
• 📊 The system only takes into account the latest actions (usually 7 days) and does not store the history longer than necessary.
• 🚫 You can disable the function at any time or reset its data in the settings.

To limit the access of applications to the function:

1. Go to Settings → Privacy → Special Access → Direct Share.
2. Turn off permission for unnecessary applications.

If you use Redmi to work with sensitive data, it is recommended to disable Direct Share for corporate messengers (such as Slack or Microsoft Teams) to avoid accidental leakage of information.

💡

Direct Share does not share your data with third parties, but for maximum security, regularly clear your sharing history in your privacy settings.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Direct Share on Xiaomi Redmi