How to turn off animations on Xiaomi phone: the complete guide

Many Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphone owners have noticed over time that the MIUI or HyperOS shell interface is beginning to seem less responsive. Often this is not due to a lack of processor power, but to the excessive amount of visual effects that the system draws every time it acts, and turning off or reducing these effects is a proven way to instantly improve the subjective speed of the device.

In this article, we will look at all the available ways to manage visual effects, from standard interface settings to hidden menus for advanced users, learn how to properly activate the developer mode and which parameters to change to achieve the best result without losing functionality.

Before you make changes to system settings, you should understand that completely disabling animations can make the interface dry and sharp. However, a competent zoom setting allows you to find a balance between visual smoothness and the speed of the system's response to your touches.

Why to turn off animations and transitions to MIUI

Modern smartphone interfaces are full of micro-interactions: folder opening, window fading, icon movement. On flagship models with powerful processors, this works perfectly, but on budget devices or older models, these effects can create delays. Windows and transition animation requires computing resources of a graphics accelerator.

By removing unnecessary motions, you not only speed up work, you also save battery power. The screen consumes energy every time it changes the image, and the constant redrawing of frames in animations increases the load. This is especially true for devices with a high-speed image. AMOLED-screens where each pixel is illuminated independently.

Also, for people with vestibular impairments or hypersensitivity to motion on the screen, a static interface may be more comfortable, and reducing the dynamics helps focus on content rather than design.

• 🚀 Increase the speed of opening applications and menu.
• 🔋 Reducing the load on GPU battery-saving.
• 👁️ Reducing visual noise for people with sensitive vision.
• ⚡ Eliminating micro-freezes on older smartphone models.

⚠️ Warning: Disabling all effects completely can cause the settings menu to disappear instantly, and you may accidentally miss the desired item if you are not careful when clicking.

It is important to note that Xiaomi in the latest versions of HyperOS introduces new rendering engines that are optimized better than the older versions of MIUI. Therefore, on new devices, the effect of the shutdown may be less noticeable than on smartphones three to four years ago.

Activation of the developer mode on Xiaomi

To access the advanced animation settings, you need to activate the hidden “Developers” menu, which is hidden from the eyes of the average user by default to prevent accidental changes in critical system settings.

The activation process is standard for all Android devices. You don't need root rights or a computer connection. All actions are done directly in your smartphone's settings menu.

First, open the Settings app and look for About Phone. At the top of the screen, you'll see the current version of the system. Next to the "MIUI Version" or "OS Version" is the build number.

You need to quickly click on this build number 7-10 times in a row. After 3-4 clicks, the system can show a countdown ("Push 3 times left"). Once the limit is reached, you will see a pop-up notification: "Now you are a developer!".

Once activated successfully, go back to the main settings menu, scroll down to the bottom and find the Additional (or Advanced Settings) section, and a new Developer Item will appear inside.

If you can't see this item, check if it's on. There's a switch at the top of the developer menu. Make sure it's activated. Now you can control the depth of the system.

Customize the scale of animation through the developer menu

This is the most effective way to fine-tune the speed of rendering the interface, and in the developer menu, we're interested in three specific parameters that directly affect how quickly windows open and screens cross.

Inside the Developer section, scroll down to the Drawing block, where you'll find three settings: "Window animation scale," "Scale of transition animations," and "Scale of animator duration."

By default, they're all set to 1x. That's standard speed. You can change them to 0.5x, which will double the animations, keep them smooth, or you can turn them off to remove the effects completely.

It's recommended to set a 0.5x value for all three parameters. It's a middle ground that makes the interface lively but very fast. A complete shutdown (Disabled) can cause some interface elements to just blink when opened, which looks unnatural.

Note the scale of the animator's duration, which is the time it waits for the animation to be completed before it's taken over, and changing it often produces a more noticeable increase in speed than changing the scale of the windows.

Use of special facilities for simplification

There's a feature on the Android operating system that's designed for people with cognitive impairments or learning difficulties, but it's also useful for speeding things up, called "Animation Removal," and it's in the special features section.

To find this option, go to Settings → Advanced Settings → Special. Features. In the list of available services, find Delete Animation. Activate the switch.

This is a global technique that can override the settings made in the developer menu, and it forcibly removes most of the decorative effects, making the interface as utilitarian as possible, and it's especially useful if the standard scale settings don't work.

• 📱 It works on top of system settings MIUI.
• ⚙️ Does not require activation of the developer mode.
• 🚫 Remove almost all movements in the interface.
• 👴 Perfect for older users.

⚠️ Note: Enabling this feature may conflict with some live wallpaper or widgets that rely on system animations for their work.

It is worth noting that on some versions of HyperOS, the location of this item may differ, and if you do not find it in the main settings, try searching for the settings by entering the request “Delete animation”.

The impact of the design theme on the speed of the interface

Not everyone knows, but the theme you choose in the Themes app also affects the number of animations you use. Some third-party themes contain heavy graphic elements that can slow down even a powerful smartphone.

The standard Classic theme or Basic theme is usually optimized best. If you’re using a complex theme with a live lock screen, dynamic icons, and lots of effects, try switching to standard design.

To check the impact of the topic, follow the following steps:

1. Open the Topic app.
2. Go to the profile (human icon) → Topics.
3. Choose a Classic theme or Basic theme and apply it.
4. Restart the device and estimate the speed of operation.

Often users forget that a “heavy” theme can cause lags. Even with system animations disabled, the theme can add its own effects when unlocked or swiped, which cannot be turned off through the developer menu.

💡

Use static (non-live) wallpaper for your desktop and lock screen. Dynamic wallpaper consumes CPU resources all the time, even when you're not actively interacting with your phone.

Comparison of Methods: What to Choose for Your Xiaomi

Each of these methods has its advantages and disadvantages, and it depends on your smartphone model and your personal preferences. Let's compare their effectiveness.

For owners of flagships (Xiaomi 13/14 series, Redmi K60/K70) a complete shutdown of animations may be unnecessary. They are better suited to the scale of 0.5x, which will retain the premium feel of use, but remove unnecessary delays.

Owners of budget models (Redmi Note series, POCO M/C) are recommended to take a more aggressive approach. The combination of disabling animations through the developer menu and using a light theme will give maximum performance gains.

Remember, software optimization is only part of the equation, and if your phone is heavily loaded with background processes or full of memory, even turning off animations won't save you from the brakes.

💡

The combination of 0.5x animation scale and lightweight theme gives the best balance between speed and visual user interface pleasantness.

Frequent questions and problem-solving

During the setup process, users often encounter questions that need clarification, and the following are the answers to the most popular of them.