How to Open the Curtain on Xiaomi Phone: All Ways to Use the MIUI 12-15

The notification curtain on Xiaomi smartphones is not just a quick access panel, but a real device control center. It's packed with instant messenger alerts, Wi-Fi/Bluetooth switches, screen brightness, and even a mini-smart home panel for Mi Home devices. But what if the curtain suddenly stopped opening? Or you just switched from iOS and didn't know how to swipe correctly? This article covers all possible scenarios, from basic gestures to restoring the curtain after a crash.

We're going to look at not only the standard methods (top-down swipe), but also alternative methods for cases where the touch screen is malfunctioning or the MIUI is unstable, and we're going to focus on models with a cutout in the screen (like the Redmi Note 11 or POCO F5), where the swipe area may be different, and for advanced users, secret codes and developer settings that will help bring the curtain back to life.

1. Standard method: swipe from top to bottom

On most Xiaomi smartphones, the curtain opens with a simple movement of your finger from the top edge of the screen down.

• 📱 For models with a cutout (for example, Xiaomi 13 or Redmi) K50): Swipe should start strictly from the top right corner, where the notification zone is located. The left side is responsible for the quick settings panel.
• 👆 For full-screen devices (e.g. Mix 4): The swipe works from any point on the top edge, but may need to be re-moved if the first swipe was too short.
• ⚡ Gesture vs. button: in MIUI 14+ You can configure the opening of the curtain with a double tap on the upper panel (more about this below).

If the swipe doesn’t work the first time, try:

1. Increase the length of movement – sometimes a short swipe is recognized as a casual touch.
2. Use two fingers to deploy the full notification panel (works on MIUI 12+).
3. Reboot the phone – gesture recognition bugs are often solved with a simple reboot.

2. Alternative gestures and MIUI settings

MIUI offers flexible settings for opening the curtains that many users don't notice. To find them, go to:

Settings → Display → Notification panel and control panel

You can activate here:

• 🔄 Double tap for deployment: tap twice on the top panel to open the curtain (useful if the sensor does not recognize swipes well).
• 👆⬇️ Swipe in both directions: allows you to open the curtain not only down, but also up from the lower edge (configured in Settings) → Additionally. → Special facilities → Gesture management).
• 🎯 Sensitivity zone: on some models (e.g, POCO X5 Pro) you can enlarge the swipe area for the curtain.

If these options are not in your MIUI version, they are blocked for your model, and then the developer mode will help:

1. Activate it by pressing the MIUI version 7 times in Settings → About phone.
2. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
3. Find the option to Enable debugging over USB and Allow resizing.

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If the curtain opens but closes immediately, check if the One-Hand mode is activated in the display settings. It can conflict with gestures.

3.What to do if the curtain does not open

If standard methods do not work, the problem may lie in:

The most radical, but effective way is to reset the curtain settings:

Settings → Applications → Application Management → Three dots (menu) → Reset application settings

⚠️ Note: This method will reset all permissions for apps and notification settings. Backup notifications (such as from WhatsApp or Telegram) will not be saved.

4. ADB Secret Codes and Commands

For advanced users who are not afraid of the command line, there are ways to force the system processes responsible for the curtain to restart:

• 📱 SystemUI Reboot Code (works on most Xiaomi models):

adb shell am broadcast -a android.intent.action.CLOSE_SYSTEM_DIALOGS


adb shell pkill -f com.android.systemui

These commands kill the SystemUI process, which automatically restarts after 2-3 seconds, and then the curtain should start.

• 🔧 Integrity check of system files (only for unlocked bootloader):

fastboot flash system system.img

If you’re not familiar with ADB or Fastboot, it’s best to skip this section – the wrong commands can lead to a device blink.

5. Sensor diagnostics and hardware problems

If the curtain doesn't open just at the top of the screen, and the rest of the gestures are working normally, the problem may be damage to the touch layer.

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Enter the code ##6484## (on some models POCO works ##4636###).
3. Choose Sensor Test or Touch Test.
4. Check if the screen is responsive to touches in the upper area.

If the test shows red crosses in the curtain area, the sensor is physically damaged, and if you change the display module, the average cost of repair for Xiaomi will help.

⚠️ Attention: On models with AMOLED-screens (e.g. Xiaomi) 12T or Redmi K60) Replacing the sensor often requires gluing the entire display module, which increases the cost of the sensor. 30-50%.

6. Restoration of the curtain after discharge or firmware

If you have performed a hard reset or flashed your phone through the Mi Flash Tool, the curtain may be unstable.

Update MIUI to the latest version via Settings → About Phone → System Update

Reset the System UI application settings to Settings → Applications

Disable the power saving mode for system processes

Check if third-party launchers are installed (e.g. Nova Launcher or Hyperion)

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Pay special attention to the permissions for SystemUI:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Three points → Show system.
2. Find System UI (or com.android.systemui).
3. Make sure it has permissions to display over other windows and change system settings.

If the problem persists, try rolling back the MIUI update:

• Download the old firmware version from the official Xiaomi website.
• Rename the file to update.zip and place it in the root of the phone’s memory.
• Press Volume Up + Power to enter Recovery.
• Select Install update.zip.

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Firmware rollback erases all data on the device. Pre-back up through Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset!

7. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

Many users themselves cause problems with the curtain without knowing it.-5 mistake:

• 🚫 Use of unofficial themes: some themes from the Mi Theme Store conflict with SystemUI.
• 🔋 Aggressive energy saving: Ultra Battery Saver or Sleep Mode modes can block background curtain processes. → Battery.
• 🛠️ Rooting without backup: Once root rights (Magisk) are obtained, the curtain may stop working.
• 📱 Customize gestures from third-party applications: programs like Fluid Navigation Gestures or Edge Gestures can intercept swipes.
• 🔄 Interruption of updates MIUI: If the phone is turned off during the update, SystemUI may be damaged.

Critical information: On Xiaomi models with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor (such as Xiaomi 13 Ultra) after upgrading to MIUI 15, the Quick Settings Panel may disappear. This is a well-known bug that is corrected only by rolling back on MIUI 14 or waiting for a patch.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions