Modern Xiaomi smartphones provide users with extensive personalization options, allowing them to turn the device into a unique tool for work and entertainment. The lock screen is the first interface with which the owner of the gadget interacts, so its functionality directly affects the usability. Many users wonder how to change the standard set of elements to get quick access to the desired applications without unnecessary actions.
In the MIUI shell and the new HyperOS, the lock screen control system is constantly changing, which sometimes causes confusion. The standard set of buttons often includes a camera and a flashlight, but the needs are different for everyone.
In this article, we will take a look at all the available customization methods, hidden menus and possible system limitations, which features can be activated through standard settings, and where you will need to use special codes or third-party software, understanding these nuances will allow you to fully control the appearance and behavior of your smartphone.
Standard configuration options in MIUI and HyperOS
Start with the basic settings that the manufacturer provides without the need to obtain root rights. In recent firmware versions, Xiaomi has significantly redesigned the lock screen interface to make it more flexible. Access to the basic parameters is through the system settings menu, where you can change the wallpaper, clock font and set of shortcuts.
To access the configuration, you need to go to Settings → Lock Screen, where the user finds options for controlling notification display, unlock style and, most importantly, quick access buttons. The system allows you to choose which applications will be launched when you swipe or click on corner elements.
⚠️ Note: In some regions and on global firmware versions, the set of available options may differ from the Chinese version due to localization and privacy policies.
It’s worth noting that the functionality of the buttons depends on the Android version and the specific device model.The flagship Mi and Xiaomi models often get interface updates earlier than the budget Redmi or POCO lineup. So if you don’t find some option, it may just not have made it to your device yet.
System constraints prevent you from assigning arbitrary actions to lock buttons, such as launching a specific contact or macro. However, the basic set, including a camera, flashlight, calculator and voice recorder, covers the needs of most users.
Removing and Replacing Camera and Flashlight Buttons
One of the most common tasks is to remove the standard camera and flashlight icons that take up space on the screen. In older versions of MIUI, this was impossible without third-party launchers, but modern updates have given users more freedom.
To change configuration, go to Settings → Lock screen → Shortcuts (or “Buttons”). Here you will see a list of available slots, usually two: the bottom left and the bottom right. Click on the appropriate item, the system will prompt you to select the application from the list of preinstalled or installed programs.
- 📷 Camera – the standard button for quick start shooting.
- 🔦 Flashlight - Instant flash on in lighting mode.
- 🧮 Calculator is a useful tool for quick calculations.
- 🎙️ Recorder – recording sound with one touch.
If you want to remove the buttons completely, some firmware versions have a No or Hide option, but more often than not, the system requires at least one shortcut to be active, in which case users often choose the least used feature to minimize the risk of accidental launch.
It’s important to understand that replacing a button doesn’t turn off the feature completely, but only changes the way it’s called from the lock screen. For example, if you remove the flashlight button, you can still activate it through the notification curtain or the Google Assistant voice assistant.
☑️ Check before changing the settings
Using themes to radically change the interface
If standard tools are not enough, Themes comes to the rescue, a powerful tool built into the system that allows you to completely change the visual style of the lock screen, including the location, shape and functionality of the buttons. Some themes offer unique widgets and animations that are not available in stock firmware.
To install a new theme, open the Themes app and search. Type in queries like “Minimalist,” “iOS style,” or “Custom Lock Screen.” Notice the preview: often developers show you what buttons will look like and where they will be placed after installation.
| Type of topic | Features of buttons | Compatibility |
|---|---|---|
| Stock (Classic) | Standard round icons, fixed position | All models. |
| Minimalism | Thin lines, lack of unnecessary elements, hidden buttons | MIUI 12+ |
| iOS Style | Large widgets, lower arrangement of elements as in the iPhone | HyperOS, MIUI 14 |
| Anime/Gaming | Dynamic buttons that respond to touch, bright graphics | Depends on the topic. |
When installing a theme from a third-party source or even from an official store, you may need to apply certain rights. After selecting a theme, click “Apply” and select “Apply Lock Screen.” The system can warn you that the theme is from an unreliable source – this is Xiaomi’s standard protection that can be ignored if you are confident in the author.
Some advanced themes allow you to customize the behavior of buttons through built-in editors, but be careful: complex themes with animations can consume more battery power and slightly increase the response time of the system when the device wakes up.
Hidden functions and engineering codes
For advanced users who are not comfortable with standard functionality, there are hidden menus and engineering codes, which allow accessing deep system settings that are usually hidden from the eyes of the average user, and can activate experimental lock screen functions.
One way to access these additional options is by using the Activity Launcher app, which allows you to run hidden activity in the system, and look for activity related to com.android.keyguard or miui.lockscreen, and you can find switches for old lock styles or additional buttons inside.
Another method is to type in special codes in the dialer, for example, code ##6484### opens an engineering menu where you can check the operation of buttons and sensors, although direct editing of the interface is rare there, and it may be more effective to find codes for a particular model, since Xiaomi often changes them in different versions of the software.
⚠️ Note: Making changes through the hidden activity menu (Activity Launcher) can lead to unstable system operation or resetting.
It is also worth mentioning the possibility of using ADB Android Debug Bridge: You can connect your smartphone to your computer and send commands to change your system configuration files, for example, you can try to disable certain locking services, but this requires high skill and carries risks.
Third-party customization applications
When built-in tools are scarce, users turn to third-party apps from the Google Play Store, which completely replace the standard lock screen, offering limitless options for customizing buttons, widgets and notifications, the most flexible, but also the most resource-intensive way.
Popular apps like Hi Locker, Lock Screen - Notifications & Security or KLCK Kustom Lock Screen Maker let you create your own layouts. You can place the anywhere button on the screen, assign it any action, change transparency and animation.
- 🎨 Design – complete freedom in the choice of graphics and arrangement of elements.
- ⚡ Functional – launch any applications, sites and actions.
- 🔋 Battery – increased energy consumption from the constant operation of the application in the background.
These applications require extensive permissions, including over-the-box and notifications, to operate, and without that, they can’t intercept the screen, and MIUI can aggressively unload them from memory, so they need to be added to startup and excluded from battery optimization.
Using third-party loxcrins can conflict with security features such as a fingerprint scanner or face unlock.In some cases, biometrics may not work properly or require double tapping, which reduces usability.
Problems and their solution in setting up
Users often face a variety of difficulties in setting buttons, such as the inability to apply the theme, resetting the settings after rebooting, or incorrect display of items, and understanding the causes of these problems will help to quickly resolve them.
One of the common problems is the “glue” of settings after a system update. Xiaomi regularly releases security patches that can reset modifications to system files or block vulnerabilities used for customization.
If the buttons are no longer responsive to touch, try clearing the theme or security cache of the app, and restarting the device in safe mode helps to avoid conflict with third-party software, sometimes the problem lies in a corrupted theme file that needs to be deleted and downloaded again.
⚠️ Warning: If after setting the theme or setting up, the lock screen stopped turning on (black screen), try restarting the phone.If that doesn't help, you may need to reset to factory settings via Recovery Mode.
Another common situation is the incompatibility of themes. The theme created for MIUI 12 may not show correctly on HyperOS. Always pay attention to the requirements of the theme and the date of its last update. Old themes may contain errors that only appear on newer versions of Android.