The notification panel (or “curtain”) on Xiaomi smartphones is the central element of the MIUI interface that allows you to quickly access alerts, Wi-Fi/Bluetooth switches, screen brightness and other functions. However, many users face the problem: the curtain Suddenly disappears, does not respond to swipes or is not available after an update. In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to open it, from standard gestures to hidden system settings.
Xiaomi is a company that regularly changes the interface logic, for example, MIUI 14 has a new gesture to call the control panel, and MIUI 15 has additional customization options. If you switch from another brand (for example, Samsung or iPhone), the usual actions may not work. Next you will find the current methods for all modern models, from the budget Redmi Note 12 to the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra.
1. Standard method: swipe from top to bottom
The most obvious method is to swipe from the top of the screen down, but even here there are nuances:
- 📱 One finger opens the notification panel (alert list from apps).
- 🔧 Two fingers – opens the quick settings panel (wi-fi switches, Bluetooth, flashlight, etc.).
- ⚠️ Swipe from the corner - on some models (for example, POCO F5) Swipe from top right corner causes search, not curtain.
If the swipe doesn't work,
- Check if the gesture blocks the case or the protective glass (especially for models with curved screens, like the Xiaomi 13T Pro).
- Make sure you start strictly from the top of the screen – many users mistakenly start swiping from the status bar area (where time icons, battery charge, etc. are displayed).
2.Alternative gestures for MIUI 14/15
In the latest firmware versions, Xiaomi has added additional ways to call the curtains that you can customize to activate them:
- Go to Settings → Display → Control gestures.
- Select the Notification Panel item.
- Activate the option Double-touch to unlock the curtain (not available on all models).
MIUI 15 also introduced the Smart Sidebar feature, which allows you to add a notification call button to enable it:
Settings → Special features → Smart Sidebar → EnableSwipe with one finger down from top to bottom
Swipe with two fingers from top to bottom
Double touch on the top of the screen (if enabled)
Click on the Smart Sidebar icon (if activated)-->
Important! On some models (e.g. Redmi K60 Pro), gestures may conflict with system applications. If the curtain stops opening after the changes, reset the gesture settings to the standard:
Settings → Display → Control gestures → Reset3. Home button and navigation bar
If you have classic navigation enabled (with the buttons “Back”, “Home”, “Recent”), the curtain can be opened in an alternative way:
- 🔘 Press and hold the Home (central) button for a period of time. 1-2 seconds.
- 🔄 In some models (for example, POCO X5 Pro) swipe up from the Home button also calls the notification panel.
If the button does not respond:
⚠️ Attention: On devices with AMOLED-screens (e.g. Xiaomi) 12S Ultra) Long-term pressing can activate the Always-on Display function. To avoid conflict, turn it off in Settings. → Display. → Always-on Display.
| Type of navigation | Method of opening the curtain | Example of models |
|---|---|---|
| Classic (3 buttons) | Holding the Home button | Redmi 9A, POCO M4 Pro |
| Gesture (MIUI) | Swipe top down. | Xiaomi 13, Redmi Note 12 Pro+ |
| Full-screen (no buttons) | Swipe from the upper right or left corner | Black Shark 5, Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 |
4 Problems after MIUI Update
A common reason for the curtain to disappear is the incorrect firmware update. If the notification panel stopped opening after upgrading to MIUI 14/15, follow the following steps:
- Reboot the device (hold the power button + Reboot).
- Clear system cache: Settings → Applications → Application management → Three points (menu) → Show system → Find System UI → Storage → Clear cache
- Reset Lawnchair settings (if you use this launcher): Settings → Applications → Lawnchair → Warehouse → Clear data
On models with a MediaTek processor (such as the Redmi Note 11) after the upgrade, you may need to completely reset your settings via Fastboot.This method will delete all data, so make a backup beforehand!
How to make a backup copy before resetting?
5. Hidden settings for experienced users
If the standard methods do not work, you can use the engineering menu or ADB-commands for forced curtains.
Method 1: Engineering menu (for advanced ones only!)
- Open the Phone app and type ##4636##.
- Go to the Usage statistics section.
- Find the process com.android.systemui and click Stop (this will restart the interface).
Method 2: ADB-team
Connect your phone to a PC with ADB Tools installed and do:
adb shell am broadcast -a android.intent.action.CLOSE_SYSTEM_DIALOGS
adb shell am start -n com.android.systemui/.SystemUIActivity⚠️ Attention: Misuse of the right ADB This can cause a soft-brick device. If you're not sure what you're doing, contact the service center.
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Before working with ADB, check if USB debugging is enabled: Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times), then Settings → Additional → For Developers → USB debugging.
6. Frequent errors and their solutions
Let’s look at the typical situations when the curtain does not open, and how to fix them:
- 🚫 The curtain opens, but closes immediately. → Turn off Settings. → Special facilities → Automatic closure of notifications.
- 🔒 The curtain is locked with a password. → This is a function called Safe Folder or Child Mode. Turn it off in Settings. → Security.
- 📵 Swipe only works in some applications. → Check the full screen settings for a specific application: Settings → Annexes → [Title of the annex] → Full screen mode.
If the problem persists, try rolling back the upgrade to the previous version of MIUI.
- Download the old firmware from the official Xiaomi website.
- Go to Settings → About Phone → System Update → Three Dots (menu) → Select a firmware file.
- Select the downloaded file and confirm the rollback.
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Before rolling back the firmware, make sure that the MIUI version is compatible with your model! Installing firmware from another model will lead to a brick (breakdown) of the device.
7. Features on folding smartphones (Mix Fold)
On flexible screen devices (such as the Xiaomi Mix Fold 3), the logic of the curtain is different:
- 📱 On the external screen, the curtain opens with a standard swipe from top to bottom.
- 📄 On the internal (big) screen, a top-down swipe calls the multitasking panel. To open notifications, use:
If the curtain is not working correctly on a foldable smartphone, update the firmware to the latest version of MIUI Fold - in old builds there were bugs with notifications displayed on the secondary screen.