How to do everything you need on a Xiaomi smartphone: from basic settings to hidden functions

Xiaomi smartphones are not just devices for calls and messages, but real “pocket computers” with dozens of hidden features, POCO Or Mi can do more than it looks, like unlocking CPU performance, customizing unique control gestures, hiding sensitive notifications, or even emulating button presses without root permissions.

But how do you figure it out? Xiaomi's official documentation often keeps silent about the most interesting pieces, and forums are full of outdated tips. 2026 Years that are running on the latest versions MIUI 14/15 From simple tricks to advanced settings, there is everything that will come in handy for both beginners and experienced users.

Important: Some features may vary depending on the smartphone model (Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 Pro, Xiaomi 13T If you don't have the items mentioned on your menu, check the version. MIUI In Settings → About the phone and if necessary update the system.

1. How to unlock the hidden developer settings

The developer settings are the secret room of your Xiaomi, where you hide the tools to fine-tune the system. USB, Change the format of the sound and so on. But by default, this partition is hidden.

To activate it:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Find the MIUI version and tap it 7 times in a row.
3. A notification will appear: “You have become a developer!”
4. Return to the main settings menu – there will be a new section for developers.

Warning: changing the settings in this menu can cause the smartphone to work in an unstable way. Do not activate options that you do not understand the purpose of.

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If the "Developers" section disappeared after the update MIUI, Repeat the activation procedure again – sometimes the system resets this parameter.

2. Performance Optimization: How to Speed Up Xiaomi Without Root

Over time, even Xiaomi’s flagship models start to slow down, due to background processes, unnecessary animations and limitations. MIUI. Fortunately, there are several ways to return the smartphone to its former frolicity.

Method 1: Disabling animation

1. Activate Developer Settings (see previous section).
2. Go to For Developers → Scale of window animation and set the value off..
3. Repeat the same for Transition Animation Scale and Duration of Animation.

Method 2: Limiting background processes

MIUI He likes to keep apps in memory even when they're not in use:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Choose an app that eats resources (like Facebook or TikTok).
3. Limit background activity.

Method 3: Resetting the system cache

If the smartphone began to glittle after the update, cleaning the cache will help:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Power button + Volume up until the Mi logo appears.
3. From the recovery menu, select Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache (use volume buttons for navigation).
4. Confirm the action and restart the device.

3. Customize gestures and hidden control buttons

Xiaomi offers flexible controls, from classic buttons to full-screen gestures, but few people know that you can customize additional combinations that will make it easier to use your smartphone.

Navigation gestures

To enable full-screen gestures (like on iPhone):

1. Go to Settings → Display → Full-screen display.
2. Select Gestures and activate the option Full-screen gestures.
3. Set the sensitivity of swipes at the bottom of the screen (average value is recommended).

Hidden gestures

V MIUI There are undocumented combinations:

• 🔄 Double touch on the back panel: open Settings → Additionally. → Double-touch and assign an action (such as launching a camera or screenshot).
• 📱 “V” gesture: swipe your finger over the “V”-shaped screen to turn on the flashlight (on Redmi Note 11 and later).
• 🔒 Triple press of the power button: in Settings → The lock screen can be assigned to this action call SOS voice assistant.

Double touch on the screen is enabled|Swipe sensitivity adjusted|The "V" gesture for the flashlight is activated|The power button is set to SOS-->

4.How to Hide Notifications from Prying Eyes

Privacy is one of the biggest problems with smartphones today, unless you want someone to see the content of your notifications (like messages from Telegram or WhatsApp), the content of your notifications is not visible. MIUI There are a number of ways to hide it.

Method 1: Hiding the notification text on the lock screen

1. Go to Settings → Lock screen → Notifications on the lock screen.
2. Choose Not to Show Notice Content.
3. For individual applications (such as banking) click App Settings and turn off notifications completely.

Method 2: Private Mode (Second Space)

This feature creates a parallel system with separate applications and data, ideal for anyone who gives a phone to a colleague or friend.

1. Open Settings → Special Options → Second Space
2. Follow the instructions for creating a second space.
3. Set up a password and list of applications that will be duplicated.

Method 3: Hiding notification icons in status bar

If you are annoyed by the constant icons in the top panel:

1. Open the notification bar and hold the unnecessary notification with your finger.
2. Choose Disable Notifications or Hide the icon.

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Second Space not only hides data, but also allows you to use two accounts in the same application (for example, two WhatsApp accounts).

5 Update and Firmware: How to Bring the Brick Back to Life

Sometimes, after a failed update or firmware experimentation, Xiaomi turns into a brick — it doesn't turn on, it hovers on the logo or it reboots all the time — and 90% of the time, it can be repaired on its own.

Method 1: Update through Recovery

If the phone is switched on but is not working properly:

1. Download the latest version of MIUI for your model from the official Xiaomi website (file with the extension.zip).
2. Move the file to the root folder of the phone (not to the folders!).
3. Press Power + Volume Up to Enter Recovery.
4. Select Install update.zip and confirm the installation.

Method 2: Fastboot firmware (for bricks)

If the phone does not respond to buttons or freezes while booting:

1. Install the Mi Flash Tool on your PC.
2. Download Fastboot firmware for your model (.tgz file).
3. Turn off the phone and press Power + Volume down to log into the Fastboot.
4. Connect your smartphone to your PC and in the Mi Flash Tool, select the downloaded firmware file.
5. Press Flash and wait until it is completed (don’t turn off USB!).

Critical information: Fastboot firmware erases all data on your phone, including photos and contacts.If you have access to recovery, backup through Backup first → Backup to SD card.

Battery Optimization: How to Prolong Battery Life

Battery is one of the most vulnerable spots in Xiaomi smartphones, and in 1-2 years, capacity could decrease by 20 to 30 percent, and autonomy could decrease by half, but there are ways to slow this down.

Setting up the battery mode

MIUI It offers several energy consumption profiles:

• 🔋 Balanced: Optimal for most users.
• 🚀 Performance: maximum power, but fast discharge.
• 🌿 Charge savings: limits background processes (useful at night).
• 🛡️ Ultra mode: disables everything except calls and SMS (activated at 5% charge).

To change the mode, go to Settings → Battery → Battery Mode.

Calibration of the battery

If the smartphone suddenly turns off at 20-30% charge, calibration will help:

1. Charge your phone to 100% and don’t turn off charging for another 1 hour.
2. Turn off charging and use the phone until it is fully discharged (before it is turned off).
3. Charge again to 100% without interruption.

Disabling unnecessary functions

Some features strongly plant the battery:

• 📡 5G: If you don’t need high-speed internet, switch to 4G In Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks.
• 📍 Permanent. GPS: Turn off geolocation for applications that don’t need it (Settings) → Confidentiality → Permits → geodata).
• 🔍 Autobrightness: Manual brightness setting saves up to 15% charge.

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If the battery is swelling (as seen from the screen raised), DO NOT try to calibrate or charge it. Contact the service center immediately - it is life-threatening!

7. Xiaomi's Secret Codes: Diagnostics and Hidden Menus

Like all Android devices, Xiaomi smartphones support service codes that provide access to diagnostics, tests, and hidden settings, which work on most models, but some may differ.

Basic codes

Warning

⚠️ Attention: code ##7780## performs reset to factory settings, and *2767*3855# — Full reset with internal memory formatting. Do not enter them unnecessarily!

8. backup and data transfer to the new Xiaomi

When buying a new Xiaomi smartphone or before resetting, it is important to save all data. MIUI It offers built-in backup tools, but they're not always reliable.

Method 1: Backup copy through MIUI

1. Go to Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Local Backup.
2. Select data to save (contacts, messages, applications).
3. Click Create a backup and wait until it is completed.
4. The copy file will appear in the MIUI/backup/AllBackup folder.

Method 2: Transfer data to the new Xiaomi

Use the Mi Mover function to do this:

1. Install Mi Mover on both phones from Google Play.
2. On the old phone, select Send, on the new phone, Receive.
3. Connect your devices to a single Wi-Fi network or via hotspot.
4. Select data for transfer (photos, contacts, applications) and confirm.

Method 3: Manually copying important data

Some files (such as saving games or settings of applications) are not copied through MIUI. In this case:

• 📁 Connect your phone to your PC and copy folders DCIM (Photos), Downloads (downloads), Android/obb (game-play).
• 📇 Export contacts to.vcf file via Contacts → Settings → Imports/exports.
• 🔑 Save passwords from your browser (for example, through Google Password Manager).

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Don’t rely on cloud backups alone! Store critical data (photos, documents) on a physical medium or in a trusted cloud (Google Drive, Yandex Disk).

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi setup