Scrolling on Xiaomi smartphones is a small thing, but the comfort of the device depends on its setting. Some are used to the classic swipe from the bottom up, others want to return the old scrolling with a pinch, and others suffer from too slow or sharp animation. In this article, we will analyze all the ways to change the scrolling, from standard MIUI settings to hidden parameters for experienced users.
It is important to understand that on different models (Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Xiaomi 14) and MIUI versions (14, 13, 12.5), the menus may differ slightly, but the principles remain the same. We will take into account the nuances for global and Chinese firmware, and also tell you how to circumvent the restrictions if the desired option suddenly disappeared after the update. If you want not just to change the direction of the scrolling, but to optimize it for your habits, read on.
1. Standard scroll settings in MIUI
To start with, basic features that are available without installing third-party apps, MIUI has built-in options to change the direction of scrolling (like in the app menu) and the speed of animations.
Open Settings → Display → Additional display settings. Here you are interested in two parameters:
- 🔄 Scroll direction: Switches the logic of swipes in the application menu (top down or bottom up). MIUI 12 and is saved in new versions.
- ⚡ System animation: affects the smoothness of scrolling lists — 1x (by default, but can be accelerated to 0.5x or shut down completely.
On some models (e.g. Xiaomi 13T), these settings can be hidden deeper: Settings → Special features → System settings → Animation speed. If there is no point, then your version of MIUI does not support it (more on this below).
⚠️ Warning: Turning off animation (off) will speed up scrolling but make the interface less smooth.On weak devices (Redmi) 9A) This can lead to slowdowns when opening heavy applications.
2. Change scroll through navigation gestures
With the release of MIUI 10, Xiaomi began to actively promote gesture control, which radically changed the logic of scrolling. If you are uncomfortable with how the swipe on the screen now works, you can return old behavior or customize gestures to suit yourself.
Go to Settings → Display → Full-screen mode and select one of the options:
- 📱 Gestures with buttons: saves the bottom bar with the buttons "Back", "Home", "Recent", but adds swipes on the sides of the screen for navigation.
- 👆 Gestures without buttons: full screen mode, where scrolling down the center of the lower edge returns to the main screen, and swipe left / right - back.
- 🔙 Classic buttons: returns three virtual buttons, like in older versions of Android.Scrolling works on standard logic.
If you’ve opted for buttonless gestures but scrolling in apps (like Google Chrome or Telegram) has become uncomfortable, try turning off the random touch sensitivity option in the same menu, which will reduce the number of false positives when reading long articles.
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To quickly return the classic navigation buttons, download the Nacho Notch app from Google Play – it adds a virtual bar on top of the gesture interface.
3. Hidden settings for experienced users
Not all scroll options are available in the standard menu. MIUI there's a hidden parameter window_animation_scale, This is the speed of animation between windows (including scrolling lists) and you need to activate the developer mode to change it:
- Go to Settings. → The phone.
- Tap 7 times on the MIUI version (you will be notified “You became a developer”).
- Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
- Find the animation block and change the values: window_animation_scale — window animation (includes scrolling) transition_animation_scale — screen-walking animator_duration_scale — animation
Optimal values for smooth but fast scrolling are 0.5x or 0.75x. If you put 0x, the animation disappears altogether, but this can break the display of some applications (for example, in TikTok or games).
What to do if there is no “Developers” item
4.Scrolling problems after MIUI update
Many users complain that after upgrading to MIUI 14 or HyperOS, scrolling became jerky, too slow, or even stopped working in some applications, due to system optimizations that do not always work correctly on older models (Redmi Note 8, POCO F1).
Here are the typical problems and their solutions:
| Problem. | Reason. | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Scrolling 'slows down' on Chrome or Instagram | Conflict with the new renderer MIUI | Turn it on. GPU-Accelerate in browser settings or roll back to the old version of the application |
| Swipe Up does not open the app menu | Failure of gestures after update | Reboot your phone or reset your gesture settings to Settings → Display → Full-screen mode |
| Scrolling works “backwards” (top down instead of bottom up) | Resetting localization settings | Check the region in Settings → Additional → Language and region (should be “Russia” or “Europe”) |
Critical information for owners of POCO F3 and Xiaomi 11T: if after upgrading to MIUI 14 scroll began to “jump” when reading in Google Play Books or Moon+ Reader, the problem is in the new algorithm for smoothing the display.
⚠️ Note: If the scroll “stutters” only in a specific application (for example, in VKontakte), the problem is not in the scroll. MIUI, Try to clear the cache or install an alternative client (for example, Kate Mobile instead of the official one). VK).
5.Apps for fine-tuning scrolling
If built-in options aren't enough, you can use third-party tools to change swipe sensitivity, add inertia, or even create custom gestures.
- 🎛️ Fluid Navigation Gestures: Replaces standard gestures MIUI It's more flexible, with swipe zone and scroll speed, works without root, but requires permission.
- ⚡ Swiftly Switch: adds smooth swipe between apps along the bottom edge. MIUI 12-14.
- 🔧 MacroDroid: allows you to create an automatic rule that will change the scroll speed depending on the application (for example, slower in the app). PDF-Reader, quicker on Twitter).
Before installing, check compatibility with your model. For example, Fluid Navigation Gestures may conflict with MIUI signature gestures on the Xiaomi 13 Pro, and Redmi 10 will work without problems. All apps from the list are available on Google Play, but some features (for example, changes to system animations) will require ADB permission.
Turn off battery optimization for utility |Give permission to "Overlaid on top of other applications" |Check compatibility with your version of MIUI |Create a backup of gesture settings-->
6. Hardware restrictions: when nothing helps
Sometimes the scroll problems are not related to the software, but to hardware features of the device.
- 📉 Low screen refresh rate: on Redmi 9C (60Hz scroll will be less smooth than on the Xiaomi 12 Pro (120Hz), even with the same settings.
- 🔋 CPU Trottling: If the phone overheats, the system artificially slows down animations to reduce load. → Battery → Battery status.
- 🛠️ Damaged display or touchscreen: If the scrolling only jumps in a certain area of the screen, it could be a physical malfunction##.
If you suspect a hardware problem, try the following steps:
- Install the Throttling Test CPU app from Google Play to check if the system is limiting performance.
- Turn off Adaptive Brightness and Automatic Performance Adjustment in the battery settings.
- If scrolling gets stuck in games or heavy apps, try lowering the screen resolution to HD+ in Settings → Display → Resolution.
On older models (Redmi 5, Mi A2), scrolling problems may be related to wear and tear on flash memory, in which case only a replacement module or a switch to a newer device will help.
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If scrolling gets worse after a phone drop or moisture gets in, don’t try to solve the problem software--it’s almost always a hardware fault that requires repair.