How to use Xiaomi tablet: from basic settings to hidden features

Xiaomi Pad series tablets have gained popularity thanks to a combination of performance, quality screen and affordable price. However, even experienced smartphone users are sometimes lost when they first get acquainted with the tablet - here is a different logic of work, advanced multitasking functions and unique firmware chips. MIUI This article will help you understand all the nuances: from unpacking the device to fine-tuning for your tasks.

We're not going to be limited to the obvious things like "how to turn on a tablet," but instead focus on practical scenarios: how to set up a tablet for work, study or entertainment, what gestures will make it easier to control, how to sync it with other Xiaomi devices, and what to do if something goes wrong.

If you've just purchased a Xiaomi tablet or you've been using it for a while, but you feel you're only using 20 percent of its capabilities, this is the guide for you. We've collected answers to the most common user questions, added community life hacks and official manufacturer recommendations. Let's start with the most important thing: first inclusion and basic settings.

First Entry and Initial Setup

Unpacking a new tablet is always an exciting moment, but before you press the power button, follow a few preparatory steps:

• 🔋 Charge the tablet to at least 30% — even if the box says that the battery is partially charged, this will prevent a sudden shutdown during settings.
• 📶 Prepare Wi-Fi — it is better to use the home network, not mobile Internet.
• 📱 Take a smartphone – linking your Xiaomi account and recovering data will be easier from your phone.
• 🔑 Prepare. SIM-Your card (if your model supports your card) LTE) — Pad 6 Pro and Pad 5 Pro have a slot for nano-SIM.

Now you can turn on the tablet. Press the power button on the top edge (in Pad). 6 It is combined with a fingerprint scanner. 3-5 The Xiaomi logo will appear on the screen, then the customizator. MIUI. Follow the instructions on the screen, but pay attention to the key points:

⚠️ Warning: If the tablet offers to update the firmware immediately after you turn it on, don't refuse. The first update often contains critical fixes for a new batch of devices. In Pad 6 Pro, upgrade to at least one of the first ones. MIUI 14.0.6 or later to avoid multi-window problems.

At the language selection stage, select Russian (Russia) – this is important for the correct operation of the voice assistant and speech recognition. Link a Xiaomi account (or create a new one), as without it, you will not work:

• 🔄 Synchronize notes and files between devices
• 📱 The function "Screen phone" (display of the smartphone on the tablet)
• 🔒 Backup to the cloud
• 🎮 Access to Xiaomi Game Center

After completing the setup wizard, the tablet will offer you to install the recommended applications. Here you can safely click "Skip" - you will install everything you need later manually through Google Play or GetApps (the Xiaomi store).

Interface. MIUI For Pad: gestures and hidden functions

Firmware MIUI For Pad is optimized for larger screens, but many users are unaware of half of its capabilities:

The main gestures:

• 👆 Swipe up from the bottom edge – return to the home screen (analogue of the Home button").
• 👇 Swipe down from the bottom edge and delay – opening the menu of recent applications.
• 👉 Swipe to the right of the left edge – call the sidebar (in Pad 6 Pro here are quick notes and a calculator).
• ➡️ Swipe left on the bottom panel – switching between the last two apps.

One of the most useful features is Phone Screen Mode, which allows you to display your Xiaomi smartphone screen directly on your tablet and control it with a touchpad or a stylus.

1. Open the Settings. → Connected devices → Phone screen.
2. Turn on the switch and follow the instructions on the screen.
3. On your smartphone, confirm the connection via notification.

For owners of the Pad 6 Pro with support for the Xiaomi Smart Pen stylus, additional gestures are available:

Xiaomi Pad 6 Pro and Pad 5 Pro have a unique “floating window for stylus” feature, which automatically opens the toolbar with access to notes, screenshots and drawings when the pen is detached from the magnetic mount.

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To turn off the sound of touching the stylus (which interferes with many), go to Settings → Sound. → Stylus sounds and move the slider to zero.

Multitasking: How to Work with Multiple Windows

One of the main advantages of tablets over smartphones is the possibility of full multitasking. MIUI For Pad implemented three modes of operation with windows:

• 🪟 Split screen – two apps are open at the same time (e.g., browser and notebook).
• 🖥️ Floating window – a small window on top of the main one (convenient for messengers).
• 📱 PC Mode (Pad 6 Pro only) – an interface that simulates the Windows desktop.

To activate the split screen:

1. Open the first appendix.
2. Swipe up from the bottom edge and hold your finger – the menu of the latest applications will open.
3. Drag the icon of the second app to the top or bottom of the screen.
4. Adjust the size of the windows by pulling the dividing line.

To create a floating window:

1. Open the app you want to make floating.
2. Swipe up from the bottom edge to open the app menu.
3. Click on the app icon and select "Floating Window".
4. Move the window around the screen, change its size with two fingers.

⚠️ Note: Not all apps support multi-window mode, for example, some games and banking apps are forced to open full-screen. Pad 5 has fewer compatible apps than Pad 6 Pro.

PC mode is only available in Xiaomi Pad 6 Pro and is activated via:

Settings → Display → PC Mode

In this mode:

• 🖱️ A cursor appears that can be controlled by a touchpad on a keyboard or mouse over Bluetooth.
• 📁 Apps open in windows with the possibility of changing size.
• 🔄 Adds taskbar at the bottom of the screen for quick switching.

Make sure that the developer mode is enabled in the settings (for advanced features)|Update the firmware to the latest version|Close background applications that may interfere|Connect the keyboard for convenience (optional)-->

Setting up the screen and sound for comfortable work

Screen quality is one of the key benefits of Xiaomi tablets, but even the best display requires the right setup.

Go to Settings. → Display and pay attention to:

• 🌓 Reading mode – reduces blue light, is useful for evening use.
• 🔍 Font size and display - in tablets it is convenient to increase the font to 110-120%.
• 🎨 Color scheme – choose “Saturated” for media or “Standard” for text.
• ⚡ Adaptive refresh rate (in Pad) 6 Pro - automatically switches 60/120/144 Hz.

For models with AMOLED-Pad 6 Pro is available for Always On Display (AOD). You can choose the style of displaying the time, date and notifications on the screen off. To save charge, set a schedule or activate the schedule. AOD Only when you connect the charger.

Now, the sound. Xiaomi tablets are stereo speakers, but the setup often leaves much to be desired.

1. Open the settings → Sound → Sound quality.
2. Select Preset "Films" to watch videos or "Music" to listen to tracks.
3. Activate Dolby Atmos (available in Pad 6 Pro and Pad 5 Pro).
4. Turn on Adaptive sound – the tablet will automatically adjust the equalizer for the content.

⚠️ Note: In tablets Xiaomi Pad 5 and older when connecting headphones via Bluetooth, there may be a delay of up to 200 ms. To reduce lag, go to Settings → Bluetooth → Select the aptX Low Latency codec (if your headphones support it).

For gamers and movie watchers, it will be helpful to turn on Do Not Disturb mode during full-screen apps, which will turn off notifications that may be deactivating or disrupting viewing.

Settings → Notifications → Do not disturb → Rules → Full-screen mode

Connecting peripherals: keyboards, mice, gamepads

Xiaomi tablet can become a full replacement for a laptop, if you choose the right accessories.

Keyboard:

• 🔌 Bluetooth – most users will have enough standard settings through Settings → Bluetooth.
• 🔌 Po Po Po USB-C — Pad 6 Pro and Pad 5 Pro support OTG, So you can connect the keyboard through the adapter.
• 💻 Branded keyboard - for the Pad 6 Pro there is an official keyboard with a touchpad that is magnetically attached.

After you connect the keyboard, activate PC mode (as described above) for easy operation.

• 🔍 The Win combination + E opens the file manager.
• 🔄 Alt + Tab switches between windows.
• 🖥️ Win + D folds all the windows.

Mouse: It connects in the same way as the keyboard. In PC mode, the mouse cursor will be displayed continuously.

Settings → Additional → Mouse / Touchpad

Gamepads: Xiaomi tablets work perfectly with Xbox and DualSense controllers.

1. Activate the pairing mode on the gamepad (click the connection button).
2. On the tablet, go to Settings → Bluetooth.
3. Select the controller from the list of available devices.
4. For games, use Xiaomi Game Center – there are optimized profiles for popular games.

For streamers and gamers, it's helpful to know that Pad 6 Pro has a hidden virtual gamepad feature that allows you to assign virtual buttons to the screen for games that don't support controllers.

Settings → Additional → Features → Virtual Gamepad

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The proprietary keyboard for Xiaomi Pad 6 Pro supports touchpad gestures similar to MacBook: swipe three fingers up - a review of all windows, swipe four fingers left / right - switching between desktops.

Optimizing performance and battery

Even the most productive tablets will slow down over time, so to avoid this, follow these guidelines:

Cleaning the system:

• 🧹 Use the built-in Security app to clean the cache.
• 🗑️ Regularly remove unused apps through Settings → Annexes.
• 🔄 Clear background processes in the menu of recent apps (swipe up the app card).

Battery setting:

• 🔋 Enable Adaptive Charging in Settings → Battery – This will extend the battery life.
• ⚡ Turn off overnight fast charging if the tablet remains connected to the network.
• 📊 Check battery consumption by application and limit background activity of "gluttonous" programs.

For advanced users, it will be useful to activate the performance mode:

Settings → Special features → Performance mode

In this mode:

• 🚀 The processor clock frequency is increasing.
• 🎮 Optimizes screen response for games.
• 🔋 Increases battery consumption (use only when connected to the network).

If the tablet began to noticeably slow down, try resetting the partition cache (does not delete user data):

1. Turn off the tablet.
2. Press the power and volume button up at the same time.
3. In the recovery menu, select Wipe cache partition.
4. Confirm the action and restart the device.

⚠️ Note: In the Xiaomi Pad 5 and Pad 6 (not Pro) tablets, with prolonged use in resource-intensive tasks (for example, video rendering), trottling can trigger - a forced decrease in performance to prevent overheating. To reduce this effect, use an active cooling stand or limit background processes.

Synchronize with other Xiaomi devices

Xiaomi’s ecosystem makes it easy to integrate the tablet with other devices of the brand.

File exchange:

• 📱 Mi Share – built-in feature for transferring files between Xiaomi devices over Wi-Fi Direct.
• ☁️ Xiaomi Cloud – Automatic synchronization of photos, contacts and notes.
• 🖥️ Mi Drop - transfer files to the computer through the browser.

To turn on Mi Share:

1. On both devices, turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
2. Open the file manager, select files and click "Send".
3. Select the recipient device from the list.
4. Confirm receipt on the second device.

Smart synchronization:

• 📝 Notes - changes in Mi Notes on the tablet will immediately appear on the smartphone.
• 📅 Calendar – Events added to one device will appear on all devices.
• 🔑 Wi-Fi passwords – the tablet will automatically connect to networks saved on the smartphone.

For owners of Mi Band or Xiaomi Watch, the function of unlocking the tablet using a smart watch is available.

Settings → Security → Unlocking with a smart watch

One of the most useful features is to continue working on another device, for example, you can start reading a browser article on your smartphone and then continue on your tablet from the same place.

• Make sure that both devices are synced through your Xiaomi account.
• In Mi Browser or Chrome, open a history and it will be marked “Recently on other devices”.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions