How to open the menu on Xiaomi Redmi 9: 5 ways to do different things

Xiaomi Redmi 9 is one of the most popular budget smartphones, but even its owners sometimes have difficulty when trying to open a particular menu. It is not always obvious how to get into hidden settings, turn on developer mode or return the classic app menu after updating MIUI. In this article, we will analyze all possible ways from basic to advanced, including gestures, buttons and even engineering codes.

The Redmi 9 (M2003J15SC, M2004C3LGG, etc.) is that its MIUI interface is regularly updated, and the location of menu items can change. If you didn't find the right section the first time, don't panic: most likely, it just moved. We took into account all the firmware versions (from MIUI 11 to MIUI 14) and collected the current methods.

1. The main menu settings: how to open in a standard way

The easiest way to get into Redmi 9 settings is to use a desktop icon or notification bar, but even here, there are nuances that many people don't know about.

If the icon "Settings» (⚙️**) It's gone from the screen, and it can be returned:

  • 📱 Long pressing on the free space of the desktop → Widgets → Find the Settings icon and drag it back.
  • 🔍 Use System Search: Swipe down the screen (call the search bar) and enter “Settings».
  • 📲 In the notification panel (swipe top-down) click on the icon "Cog"** in the upper right corner.

On Redmi 9 with MIUI 12.5+ firmware, the Settings icon can be hidden in the Tools folder – check it if you don’t find the icon.

If the touch screen does not respond to touch, try an alternative method:

  1. Connect your smartphone to your computer via USB (in file transfer mode).
  2. In the address bar of the Windows Explorer enter \\192.168.x.x\ (IP-address of your phone on the local network).
  3. In the window open, find the folder. MIUI → debug_log And create a file there. settings_force_open.txt. After restarting the device, the settings menu will open automatically.

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If you have a shell installed from a third-party manufacturer (such as Lawnchair or Nova Launcher), the Settings icon may be called MIUI Settings or hidden in the application menu called System Tools.

2. Hidden Engineering Menu: Codes and Secret Combinations

To access the engineering menu (Engineer Mode) on Redmi 9 use special USSD-They allow you to test hardware, calibrate sensors, and even unlock some of the features hidden by the manufacturer.

Here are the basic working codes for the Redmi 9 (models powered by the MediaTek Helio G80 and Helio G35 processor):

Code.AppointmentNote
##4636##Menu of testing and statisticsItems "Battery Information" and "Network Use"
##6484##Touch screen testChecking multi-touch and display response
##64663##Module information Wi-Fi/MAC-addressUseful for authenticating the device
##2664##Display testChecking for broken pixels and color reproduction
##0*##LCD test (color stripes)It works without. SIM-map

⚠️ Note: Do not change the settings in the engineering menu unless you are sure of their purpose. For example, incorrectly configuring Band Mode in the Network section** can lead to loss of communication with the operator.

For Redmi 9 models on a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor (such as Redmi 9 Power), use the code ##4636##, but other sections will be available: Phone Information, Battery Statistics, and Network Usage.

What if the code doesn't work?
If the message “Communication interrupted” appears after entering the code or nothing happens, try: 1. Remove spaces and symbols “*” / “#” (sometimes they are added automatically). 2. Enter the code in the Phone application in dialing mode (not through contacts). 3. Reboot the phone and try again. 4. Check if the access is blocked by antivirus or security application (for example, Security from Xiaomi).

3. Gestures and hotkeys for quick access

MIUI on Redmi 9 supports control gestures that speed up access to menus, which many users are unaware of or accidentally turn off.

The main gestures for opening the menu:

  • 👆 Swipe down from the top edge of the screen → Opens the notification panel (long swipe – full panel, short – quick settings).
  • 👇 Swipe up from the bottom edge → Returns to the desktop (if Full Screen Gestures is enabled).
  • 🔄 Double press on the lock screen → Opens the camera (configures in Settings) → Lock screen).
  • 🖐️ Holding the Home button (if virtual) → Calls Google Assistant or the “Recent Apps” menu».

To customize the gestures for yourself:

  1. Go to Settings → System → Gestures.
  2. Select Full-screen gestures or Navigation buttons (depending on your preferences).
  3. Activate the Double-Tap option to wake up if you want to turn on the screen with a double tap.

🔹 Secret gesture: On the lock screen, swipe diagonally from the lower left corner to the upper right - a flashlight will open (does not work on all versions). MIUI).

Full-screen swipes|Classic navigation buttons|Double touch to wake up|Camera gestures|Don't use gestures.-->

4. How to open the recovery menu (Recovery Mode)

Recovery Mode on Redmi 9 is used to reset settings, install firmware or clear cache. You can access it in two ways: through hardware buttons or using the help of a cache. ADB-team.

📌 Method 1: Power and volume buttons

  1. Turn off the phone (hold the power button and select Turn off).
  2. Press the power button + volume button at the same time.
  3. Hold for 5-10 seconds until the Mi logo and recovery menu appear.

📌 Method 2: Through ADB (for advanced users)

adb reboot recovery

This command must be entered in the command line on the computer, pre-connecting the phone in debugging mode over USB (includes in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version – press 7 times to activate the developer mode).

⚠️ Note: In the Recovery menu on Redmi 9 with a locked bootloader (bootloader) some items (for example, Install) ZIP) Trying to flash custom software without unlocking it will lead to a device blink!

Charge your phone at least 50 times%|Make a backup copy of the data|Disable Google Account (if you plan to reset)|Make sure the power and volume buttons are working properly-->

5. Developer menu: how to turn on and what is hidden there

Developer mode gives you access to hidden Redmi 9 settings, such as OEM unlocking, USB debugging, and a simulation of additional displays. It turns on simply, but many users don't know where to look.

Step-by-step:

  1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
  2. Find the MIUI version and click on it 7 times in a row (you will be notified “You became a developer!”).
  3. Return to the main settings menu – there will be a new section Additional → For developers.

The most useful options in the developer menu for Redmi 9:

  • 🔓 Unlocking OEM — It is necessary for custom recovery (TWRP) and rooting.
  • 🖥️ Debugging by USB — It allows you to control your phone from a computer through ADB.
  • 📡 Do not turn off the screen while charging – useful for using the phone as a media player.
  • 🎯 Show touch – visualizes the touch points on the screen (for debugging).

⚠️ Warning: Turning on the option Do not turn off mobile Internet during a call may lead to increased battery consumption on the Redmi 9 due to conflict with energy-saving algorithms MIUI.

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Activation of the developer mode does not void the warranty, but changing some parameters (for example, unlocking the bootloader) can lead to a denial of warranty service.

6.App menu: how to bring back the classic look

With the MIUI update, many Redmi 9 users complain about the disappearance of the classic app drawer menu, which now displays all icons on the desktop, creating chaos, and there are two ways to bring back the usual look.

📌 Method 1: Through launcher settings

  1. Long pressing on the free place of the desktop.
  2. Select Settings (icon) ⚙️ lower-right).
  3. Go to Home → Applications menu and activate the option to Show the Apps menu.

📌 Method 2: Installation of a third-party launcher

If the standard settings don’t help, install an alternative launcher from Google Play:

  • 🏠 Nova Launcher – supports application menu and flexible configuration.
  • 🌿 Lawnchair is an open source lightweight launcher.
  • ⚡ Microsoft Launcher – Integration with Windows and Cloud Services.

After installing a third-party launcher:

  1. Open it and allow all the permissions requested.
  2. In the launcher settings, find the App Drawer option and activate it.
  3. Assign a new launcher as default launcher in Settings → Applications → By default.

🔹 Tip: If widgets (for example, weather or calendar) are missing after the launcher change, restart your phone - they will recover automatically.

7. Quick settings menu: setup and hidden features

The swipe-down menu on Redmi 9 can be customized by adding frequently used switches, but few people know that there are hidden features.

How to set up the panel:

  1. Swipe down from the top edge of the screen to open the notification bar.
  2. Click on the "Pencil" icon»** (✏️) lower-right.
  3. Drag the switches to change their order, or add new ones from the list below.

Hidden functions of the Quick Settings Panel:

  • 🔋 Ultra-low consumption mode – disables background processes to save charge (hidden by default).
  • 📶 Network priority 4G/5G — forced choice of network type (useful in areas with unstable coverage).
  • 🎧 Sound through the speaker – redirects audio from Bluetooth headphones to the built-in speaker.
  • 🔒 Orientation locking – captures the screen in portrait or landscape mode.

To add hidden switches:

  1. In the panel editing mode, click Add.
  2. Scroll down the list and there will be inactive (gray) icons.
  3. Click on the desired icon and hold it to drag it to the active area.

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If the Quick Settings Panel is slowing down, clear the System cache** (Settings → Applications → Application Management → System → Clear the cache).

FAQ: Frequent questions about the menu on Xiaomi Redmi 9

🔍 Why the Settings menu doesn’t open after the update MIUI?
After major updates (e.g., from MIUI 12 to MIUI 13), the Settings icon may disappear from the desktop. To return it: Use a system search (swipe down on desktop → type “settings”). Reboot the phone — sometimes the icon recovers automatically. Reset the launcher settings: Settings → Applications → Application Management → Launcher → Storage → Clear Data. If nothing helps, install the update manually through Settings → Phone → System Update.
🔧 How to open a service code menu if it doesn’t work?
If USSD-codes (e.g. *#06#) do not open menus, try: Enter codes without spaces and characters "*"/"#" (sometimes added automatically). MTK Engineering Mode (for MediaTek) or Shortcut Master (universal). Check if the access is blocked by antivirus or Security from Xiaomi. Some firmware codes are disabled by the manufacturer, in which case only custom firmware will help.
📱 Can I open the Recovery menu without buttons (if the screen is broken)?
If the power or volume buttons don’t work, try it: ADB-Command: Adb Reboot Recovery (Requires Included Debugging) USB). Button charger: Some charging (like from OnePlus) lets you clamp a button on the power supply to force a reboot in Recovery. OTG: Put the keyboard on USB And use the Ctrl combination. + Power (not all devices) If the phone doesn't respond at all, all that remains is disassembling and closing contacts on the board (requires soldering skills).
🔒 How to hide unnecessary items in the settings menu?
MIUI It does not allow you to delete standard menu items, but you can hide them with the help of: ADB-commands: adb shell pm hide com.android.settings (stealth menus – carefully!) AppOps: restrict access to settings for specific users (root rights required). Root Explorer allows you to manually disable the display of individual items (risky!). The best option is to use a profile with restrictions (Settings). → Special facilities → Simple regimes).
⚡ Why some menus disappeared after resetting (for example, “For developers»)?
Reset to factory settings rolls back all hidden menus, including developer mode. To return it: Activate again: Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (7 taps). If the developer option is not in the settings, update MIUI to the latest version. Check if the section is hidden through Security: Settings → Privacy → Special Access → Show system settings. On some firmware (for example, Global Stable), the developer mode can be blocked - in this case only the EU ROM firmware will help.