How to Set Up Xiaomi 9A: A Complete Guide from First Enablement to Hidden Features

Xiaomi Mi 9A is one of the most popular budget smartphones of the brand, which is still relevant due to balanced characteristics and support for updates. However, out of the box the device does not work at full capacity: factory settings are often optimized for the “average” user, not for your specific tasks. This article will help not just turn on the phone, but to configure it correctly – from basic parameters to hidden MIUI functions, which even official instructions are silent about.

We’ll take a step-by-step approach from first starting and selecting a language to fine-tuning performance, battery and safety, focusing on the challenges Mi 9A owners face (such as slow running on MIUI 14 or overheating while charging), and give practical solutions. If you just bought a smartphone or want to “resuscitate” an old device, this is the guide for you.

First Installing and Basic Setup

When you first turn on the Xiaomi Mi 9A, the system will offer to go through the wizard of initial settings. Here it is important to take your time and choose the right options - it will be more difficult to change some of them.

First, select a language (we recommend Russian (Russia) – this ensures that the voice assistant and speech recognition work correctly). Then connect to a Wi-Fi network. If you have a dual-band router (2.4 GHz + 5 GHz), choose a 5 GHz network – it is faster and more stable on the Mi 9A, despite the fact that some “experts” advise 2.4 GHz for “better compatibility”.

• 🔄 Data recovery: If you are switching from another Xiaomi smartphone, select Restore from backup MIUI. For Android devices of other brands, use Restore from Google Account.
• 🔒 Screen lock: Set up a pattern lock or Password (fingerprint added later). PIN-code – it is easy to pick up when stolen.
• 📱 Permits for MIUI: Turn off all “advertising” permissions (such as Personalized Recommendations) and this will reduce the amount of spam in system applications.

Once you have completed the setup wizard, take your time to install apps. First, upgrade to Settings → About → About Phone → System Update. If a new version of MIUI is available, install it. The Mi 9A officially supports updates to MIUI 14 based on Android 12, but some firmware from third-party developers (such as Xiaomi.EU) offer Android 13.

Optimizing performance and battery

Xiaomi Mi 9A is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 processor and 4 GB of RAM. On paper, this is enough for everyday tasks, but in practice, many users complain about slowing down and fast battery discharge, the reason is aggressive optimization of MIUI, which “strangles” background processes and misallocates resources.

To correct this, follow the following steps:

1. Open Settings → Battery and Performance → Performance Mode and select Balanced (not Battery Saving!).
2. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Autostart and disable autorun for all unnecessary programs (especially for social networks and instant messengers).
3. In the same section, open Blocking and add frequently used apps (e.g. Telegram, YouTube) to the exceptions.
4. Activate Advanced Settings → Optimize MIUI (hidden function). To do this, type *.optimization in the Settings search and turn on the switch.

A critical mistake many users make: they turn on “Battery Savings” in the hope of extending the life, but in fact it leads to the opposite effect – MIUI begins to aggressively close the background processes, which is why applications are constantly rebooted and wastes even more power.

For additional battery optimization:

• 🔋 Turn off Adaptive Brightness in Settings → Display and set the brightness to 60-70% manually.
• ⚡ Enable Charging Limit to 80% (extends battery life). → Battery → Battery settings → Battery status.
• 📵 Turn off Bluetooth device search in the background: Settings → Connections → Bluetooth → Additionally.

Screen and multimedia setting

Xiaomi Mi 9A is AMOLED with 2340×1080 resolution and HDR10 support. By default, the colors are set to live shades, which is not everyone's favorite.

1. Go to Settings → Display → Color scheme and select Standard.
2. Activate Reading 2.0 for a comfortable viewing experience in the dark (blue light filter).
3. Turn on Always-on Display to display time and notifications. Path: Settings → Screen Lock → Always-on and Lock.

To improve sound (the speaker in the Mi 9A is one, but it can be "pumped"):

• 🎵 Turn on the sound amplifier in Settings → Sound. → Sound quality.
• 🎧 For headphones, activate the Equalizer and select the Bass or Rock preset (depending on your preferences).
• 🔊 Turn off Adaptive Sound – it automatically lowers volume in some apps.

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If the screen is Mi 9A It flickers at low brightness, turn off Automatic Contrast Adjustment in the display settings. AMOLED-Matrices in budget smartphones Xiaomi.

Security and confidentiality

MIUI has a reputation for collecting a lot of user data to minimize leaks and protect personal information:

1. Open Settings → Memory → Cleanup and turn off Use Analysis.
2. Go to Settings → Applications → Permissions Management and disable access to Locations, Microphone and Contacts for unnecessary applications.
3. In Settings → Google → Manage your Google Account, disable Interest-Based Ads.
4. Install an alternative launcher (like Nova Launcher) to get around the MIUI restrictions on changing the home screen.

To protect against viruses and fraud:

• 🛡️ Install Malwarebytes or Bitdefender (Integrated Security) MIUI frequently misses threats).
• 🔐 Include phishing protection in Settings → Annexes → Special access → Access to notifications.
• 📱 Find your device using Google Find My Device (in the MIUI This function is not stable).

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Disabling data collection in MIUI increases battery life by 10-15%, as background analytics processes are constantly consuming resources.

⚠️ Note: If you are using the Mi 9A To work with banking applications, disable Optimization MIUI Some banks (e.g. Sberbank) block access from devices with “non-standard” performance settings.

Hidden functions and engineering menu

The Xiaomi Mi 9A hides a lot of useful features that are not documented in the official instructions.

For experienced users: with the help of the engineering menu (#4636##) you can:

• 📡 Test the network (checking signal strength, switching between the two) 2G/3G/4G).
• 🔋 Calibrate the battery (if the phone shows an incorrect percentage of charge).
• 🎯 Customize the touch screen (sensitivity, response).

⚠️ Warning: Changing the settings in the engineering menu may result in a loss of warranty or unstable phone performance. For example, improper calibration of the battery can lead to its complete discharge to zero, after which the phone will not turn on without recharging external memory.

Camera Settings: How to Make a Photo Better

The camera in the Xiaomi Mi 9A is a weak point: the main module at 48 MP (with binning up to 12 MP) often gives blurry images in poor light.

1. Open Camera Settings → Photo resolution and select 48 MP (if you want maximum quality) or 12 MP (for better noise processing).
2. Turn off HDR automatically, it often over-lights the images. Turn it on only when shooting against the light.
3. In Camera Settings → Additional activate Save the Original (for editing in Lightroom or Snapseed).
4. For video, select 1080p@60fps resolution, which is the optimal balance between quality and file size.

For shooting in the dark:

• 🌙 Use Night Mode, but keep your phone absolutely still. 3-5 seconds.
• 📸 Install a third-party camera app (e.g. GCam with a port for Mi) 9A).
• 🔦 Turn off the flash - it only spoils the frame at close range.

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To avoid blurring when shooting moving objects, turn on Sport Mode in the camera settings. It increases the shutter speed, but requires good lighting.

Connecting to Xiaomi Smart Devices

Xiaomi Mi 9A can serve as a smart home control center, but you need to set it up correctly. First install the Mi Home app (not to be confused with Xiaomi Home – these are different programs!).

To connect devices:

1. Open Mi Home and select the region of Russia (important for proper server operation!).
2. Click Add Device and select a category (e.g. Lighting for Yeelight lamps).
3. Follow the instructions on the screen. Most devices will need to press a button on the case and hold it for 5 seconds.

To control devices from the lock screen:

• 💡 Add the Mi Home widget to the main screen.
• 🔌 Set up Automation to run time or location scenarios.
• 📱 Enable Device Notifications in the App Settings.

⚠️ Note: If Xiaomi smart devices don't connect to Mi 9A, Check that the phone is on Bluetooth 4.2+ and power saving mode is turned off for the Mi Home app, and make sure your router doesn't block the protocol. UDP port 8080.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi Mi 9A