How to completely disable the accelerometer on Xiaomi: 4 proven ways

The accelerometer in Xiaomi smartphones is responsible for determining the angle of the device, automatically rotating the screen and the operation of some applications (for example, games or fitness trackers). However, this sensor can cause inconvenience: accidental screen rotation, increased battery consumption or even conflicts with custom firmware, in some cases, users want to turn it off — temporarily or permanently.

In this article, we will analyze all possible methods of deactivation of the accelerometer on Xiaomi, Redmi and other devices. POCO — standardized MIUI to the hidden engineering menus and ADB-We will pay special attention to the models with MIUI 12-14, where the interface has changed dramatically, and we'll also look at the consequences of turning off the sensor and how to get it back if something goes wrong.

Why turn off the accelerometer on Xiaomi?

Before we proceed to the instructions, let’s understand in what situations users decide to deactivate this sensor:

• 🔄 False screen rotations – Xiaomi screens sometimes spin spontaneously, especially in pockets or bags.
• 🔋 Battery savings – the accelerometer consumes energy even in the background. 9A or POCO C31) It might be noticeable.
• 🎮 Conflicts with games/applications – some programs (e.g. emulators or software) AR-games) misinterpret sensor data, which leads to bugs.
• 🛠️ Testing or debugging – developers and enthusiasts sometimes turn off sensors to check the software under “clean” conditions.
• 🔒 Privacy – an accelerometer can be used to collect data about a user’s movement (e.g., in activity trackers).

It's important to understand that completely disabling the accelerometer will cause autorotation, pedometer and some games to fail, and if you just need to block the screen turn, just turn off the option in the notification curtain, and it doesn't affect the sensor itself.

Method 1: Disconnect via MIUI settings (without root)

The easiest method is to use the built-in MIUI tools. It is suitable for most modern devices (Xiaomi 11/12/13, Redmi Note 10/11/12, POCO F3/F4/F5, etc.) and does not require superuser rights. However, there is a caveat: you can not completely disable the accelerometer through the standard menu, but you can block its effect on the turn of the screen and some functions.

Follow the steps:

1. Open the Settings → Display.
2. Find the Autoturn option (or Screen Turn in some versions of MIUI) and turn it off.
3. For additional restrictions, go to Settings → Special Features → Physical buttons and check if there are options associated with motion sensors.

This method does not shut down the sensor completely, but minimizes its activity, and more radical methods will be needed to completely deactivate it.

Method 2: Use the engineering menu (#4636##)

The hidden engineering menu allows you to test and disable individual sensors, including the accelerometer, which works on most Xiaomi devices, but requires caution – wrong actions can disrupt the system.

Instructions:

1. Open the Phone app and enter the combination: ##4636##.
2. In the menu that opens, select Testing (or Testing on Russian firmware).
3. Scroll down to the Sensors section.
4. Find the Accelerometer string and tap it.
5. In some versions of MIUI, there will be a Disable button. Press it and confirm the action.

⚠️ Attention: On new versions MIUI (13+) The engineering menu can be blocked. If nothing happens after you enter the code, try using the ADB-method (described below) or check if the menu in your firmware is removed.

If the shutdown is successful, the sensor will stop responding to movement. To get it back, repeat the steps and press Enable.

Method 3: Disconnect via ADB (without root rights)

The method using Android Debug Bridge (ADB) is suitable for advanced users and allows you to disable the accelerometer without obtaining root rights.

What you need:

• 💻 A computer with installed Xiaomi drivers and ADB Tools.
• 📱 Included debugging by USB on the phone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times to tap the version number → return to Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB).
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your phone to your PC and open the command prompt (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux).


2. Enter a command to check the connection:




adb devices




(The name of your device should appear).




3. issue debugging rights (if requested by phone).




Enter a command to disable the accelerometer:




adb shell settings put global accelerometer_rotation 0




5. Reset the device:




adb reboot

When you restart, the sensor will be turned off. To get it back, use the command:

adb shell settings put global accelerometer_rotation 1

⚠️ Note: On some Xiaomi firmware (especially custom ones), this command may not work due to manufacturer limitations, in which case you will need to use pm disable to disable system services associated with the sensor, but this is risky without knowing the exact names of the packages.

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If ADB doesn’t recognize the device, try reinstalling drivers through the Mi Flash Tool or using alternative versions of ADB (e.g., from Google’s Platform Tools package).

Method 4: Completely disable through root and edit system files

This is the most radical method, requiring unlocking the bootloader and obtaining root rights, suitable for advanced users who are willing to risk the stability of the system, but allows you to disable the accelerometer at the kernel level.

What needs to be done:

1. Unlock the bootloader through the official Xiaomi tool (the process takes up to 7 days to wait for permissions).
2. Install custom recovery (such as TWRP) and get root rights through Magisk.
3. Using a root-access file manager (such as Root Explorer) go to /system/vendor/etc/ or /system/etc/.
4. Find files associated with sensors (for example, sensor_def.xml or sensor_list.conf).
5. Edit the file by commenting on or deleting the lines responsible for the accelerometer (usually containing an accelerometer or gsensor).
6. Save the changes, set the correct rights (e.g. 644) and restart the device.

Example of a line in sensor_def.xml, shutdown:

<sensor name="accelerometer" type="1" />

⚠️ Warning: Incorrect editing of system files can lead to bootloop ( looped reboot) or loss of functionality of other sensors.Be sure to backup through the system before making changes TWRP!

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Turning off the accelerometer through root is an irreversible process without a backup, and if the phone stopped working properly after the changes, the only way to get it back up is to restore the backup or reflash the device.

The consequences of turning off the accelerometer: what will stop working?

Before you deactivate the sensor, evaluate which features will become unavailable:

If you only use your phone to make calls, to chat with instant messengers, to watch content, the absence of an accelerometer may go unnoticed, but for gamers or fitness trackers, this will be a serious limitation.

How do you get the accelerometer back?

Depending on the method chosen, recovery works differently:

• 🔄 Standard settings MIUI: Just turn the autoturn back on to Settings → Display.
• 🛠️ Engineering menu: Repeat steps and press Enable for accelerometer.
• 💻 ADB: Adb shell settings put global settings accelerometer_rotation 1 and reboot the device.
• 🔧 Root Method: Restore the original files from the backup or reflash the device.

If after turning off the sensor, the phone began to work unstable (for example, lags or errors appeared), try resetting to factory settings via Settings → About Phone → Resetting. This will return all system parameters to the original state.

FAQ: Frequent questions about shutting down the accelerometer