How to change the notification curtain on Xiaomi smartphones: all ways to customize

Xiaomi’s notification curtain is not just an alert panel, it’s a powerful smartphone management tool that can help you interact with your device, whether you’re able to quickly turn on your mobile Internet, adjust brightness, or respond to messages, but not everyone knows that the look and feel of the panel can be flexibly customized to suit their needs, from changing theme to adding new switches.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can change the notification curtain on Xiaomi, Redmi, POCO and Black Shark smartphones, from basic settings in MIUI to hidden features that aren’t covered in the official instructions. We’ll focus on the differences between the shell versions (MIUI 12, 13 and 14), as well as the nuances for specific models like the Xiaomi 13 Pro or Redmi Note 12. If you want to make your curtain not only functional, but also visually unique, read on.

Why Xiaomi’s notification curtain is different than other Android smartphones

Xiaomi’s MIUI shell is known for its unique approach to the interface, and the notification curtain is no exception. Unlike pure Android, where the notification bar and quick settings are divided into two swipes, MIUI combines them into a single screen with customization, which gives users more freedom but also requires separate study.

The main differences of the curtains Xiaomi:

• 🔄 Joint Bar: Notifications and switches are on the same screen (unlike separate up/down swipes on Android stock).
• 🎨 Themes and Styles: Support for change of design through Themes, including animations and transparency.
• ⚡ Dynamic Switches: the ability to add/delete shortcuts manually or automatically (e.g., Game Mode only appears when a game is launched).
• 🔒 Security: Separate settings to block changes (useful if children use the phone).

Xiaomi also regularly updates the curtain logic, such as MIUI 14’s Smart Notifications feature, which automatically sorts alerts by importance, and MIUI 13’s feature includes gesture support for quick access to frequently used functions, which make the curtain setting even more flexible, but also requires updating knowledge.

Basic Curtain Setting: What Can Be Changed Without Root Rights

Even without deep knowledge and superuser rights (root), you can significantly change the appearance and functionality of the notification curtain. All the basic options are available through the standard MIUI settings.

1. Change the order of the switches: Drag the icons to the desired positions (for example, place the flashlight in the top row).
2. Add/remove shortcuts: Hide unnecessary switches (such as NFC if you are not using) or add new ones (such as Charge Saving).
3. Set up transparency: In some topics, you can adjust the degree of background blur.
4. Enable/disable prompts: display the names of the switches when getting stuck.

To access these settings:

1. Swipe down from the top edge of the screen to open the curtain.
2. Click on the icon. ⚙️ Settings (or edit depending on version) MIUI).
3. In the menu that appears, select the necessary options.

Important: On some models (for example, POCO F4 or black shark 5) The path to settings may be different. If you can't see the icon, ⚙️, Try to hold any switch in the curtain. 2-3 Seconds – this will open the editing menu.

Change the theme of the curtain: from standard to custom

One of the most notable ways to change the curtain is to apply a new theme. Xiaomi offers both built-in options and the ability to download custom themes from the official Themes store. Here's how it works:

Method 1: Standard MIUI Themes

The shell preinstalled several themes that change not only the curtain, but also the entire interface:

1. Open Settings → Themes.
2. Choose My Topics or Online Topics.
3. View the available options and click Apply.

Among the popular themes for curtains:

• 🌌 Dark topic: reduces eye strain and saves battery life (especially on the eye) AMOLED-screen).
• 💡 Bright theme: classic version with white background.
• 🎭 Transparent theme: blurs background behind curtain (not available on all models).
• 🔮 Dynamic theme: changes colors depending on the wallpaper (starting with the MIUI 13).

Method 2: Castomy themes from the store

If standard options are not enough, you can install a theme from third-party developers:

1. Open the Themes app (icon with brush).
2. Go to the Online section and find your favorite theme (use the Notifications Curtain filter).
3. Click Download, then Apply.

💡

Before installing a custom theme, check the reviews of other users – some themes may contain ads or work incorrectly on your smartphone model.

Important: On devices with an unlocked bootloader (for example, after firmware custom Recovery), some themes may not apply or cause crashes, in which case it is recommended to use only official themes from the Xiaomi store.

Additional switches: how to add hidden functions

By default, the Xiaomi curtain only displays the basic switches: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, flashlight and others. However, there are many additional shortcuts hidden in the system that you can add manually. Here's how to do this:

1. Open the notification curtain and press Edit (or hold any switch).
2. At the bottom of the screen, a list of Other settings or Add shortcuts will appear.
3. View the available options and drag the desired ones to the top of the screen.

List of useful hidden switches:

On some models (such as Xiaomi 12T or Redmi K50), the list of available switches may differ. If the right shortcut is not available, try updating MIUI to the latest version or installing it through Settings → Additional → Special features.

Advanced Customization: Hidden Settings and ADB-team

For users who want to get the most out of the notification curtain, there are hidden settings and ADB commands to change what is not available through the standard interface.

• 🔧 Change the number of switches (default 4, but can be increased to 6).
• 🎛️ Disable animations when opening/closing the curtain to speed up work.
• 🔒 Block changes to the curtain (useful for parental control).
• 📱 Set up gestures for quick access to certain functions.

This will require connecting your smartphone to your computer and using ADB (Android Debug Bridge) to increase the number of switch lines to 5:

adb shell settings put global qs_panel_num_tile_rows 5

Attention:

⚠️ Use of the ADB-commands can lead to unstable operation of the system if you enter the wrong settings. Before experimenting, make a backup copy of the data and make sure that your Xiaomi model is allowed to debug. USB (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI — Press 7 times, then return to Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB).

Other useful ADB-curtain-board:

• adb shell settings put global qs_panel_num_tile_columns 5 — increases the number of switch columns.
• adb shell settings put global qs_brightness_mirror 1 — double-slider.
• adb shell settings put global qs_show_brightness_auto 0 — hides the icon of automatic brightness.

💡

Changes made through ADB will reset after the MIUI update, and you'll have to re-enter commands to get them back.

Problems and errors in setting up the curtain: how to fix

When customizing notification curtains, users often face typical problems, and consider the most common and ways to solve them:

If none of the methods helped, try resetting the curtains to the factory:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the Notification Curtain (or SystemUI).
3. Press Warehouse. → Clear the data.

Attention:

⚠️ Cleaning up SystemUI data will reset not only the curtain settings, but also other system settings (such as navigation bar or lock wallpaper settings.

Comparing curtains on different Xiaomi models: what is available on your device

The functionality of the notification curtain can vary greatly depending on the smartphone model and the version of MIUI. Below is a comparative table of features for popular devices:

On Black Shark devices, the notification curtain often has a simplified interface due to the gaming orientation of the firmware. To get full MIUI functionality, you may need to firmware the standard version of the shell (but this will deprive you of game optimizations).

Nana POCO-devices (e.g., devices, POCO X5 Pro) the curtain may have branded design elements, but the functionality is not inferior to the standard MIUI. To enable additional options, go to Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI and click on the logo several times. POCO — This will open up the hidden settings.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions About Xiaomi Notification Curtain