How to use Xiaomi smartphone: from basic features to hidden MIUI features

Xiaomi’s MIUI-enclosed smartphones offer a unique combination of powerful hardware and flexible software solutions. However, even advanced users often miss out on up to 40% of the useful features hidden in the system settings. This article will not just tell you how to turn on your phone or install an application, but we will take apart the unique MIUI chips that are missing from standard Android and teach you how to optimize the device for your tasks.

The first switch on Redmi, POCO or Mi can be confusing: where are the dual tap settings, how to turn off ads in branded apps, or why does the battery go down faster than on Samsung? The answers to these and dozens of other questions you will find below. And if you switched from the iPhone, a separate section will help you adapt to the Xiaomi ecosystem without stress.

Important: Instructions are relevant to MIUI 14/15 (Android 12-14) And cover models from Redmi Note 12 before Xiaomi's flagships 14 Ultra, for older versions (MIUI 11-13) Some menu paths may be different – use search by settings (⚙️ → Search).

First Installing and Basic Setup

When you first turn on a Xiaomi smartphone, the system offers you to go through the Initial Customization Wizard, where many users make critical errors that you then have to fix manually, such as skipping the Mi Account anchor, which deprives you of access to the cloud backup, synchronizing notes, and Find Device.

Here is what you need to do at the first stage:

• 🔑 Create or log into Mi Account (without it, branded services like Mi Cloud and Xiaomi Community do not work)
• 📱 Connect SIM-map and set up mobile internet (Redmi sometimes requires manual input) APN)
• 🔄 Enable automatic time and date synchronization (Settings) → Additionally. → Date and time)
• 🛡️ Activate protection against accidental touch in your pocket (Settings) → Screen. → Touch locking)

If you missed a step, don't worry: all settings are available later through the main menu. But there's one caveat: disabling ads in MIUI is easier to do right away. To do this, go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Advertising and deactivate all sliders. This will not remove the ads completely (it remains in some system applications), but will significantly reduce its amount.

⚠️ Warning: If you bought your phone from hand, first do a factory reset (Settings) → The phone. → Previous owner could have linked the device to his Mi Account, which blocks some features.

Gesture management and navigation

Xiaomi offers three navigation options: classic buttons, MIUI gestures and Android gestures, the latter appeared in MIUI 14 and became the standard solution for new models, let’s figure out which option to choose and how to customize gestures for yourself.

The main differences:

• 🔘 Classic buttons: familiar to Samsung or old Xiaomi users, take up space on the screen, but intuitive.
• 👆 Gestures MIUI: Swipe up for returns, swipe down for multitasking. It's addictive, but it frees up the screen.
• ↩️ Android Gestures: Like on Pixel or OnePlus.Swipe from the edge for returns, up and hold for multitasking.

To change the type of navigation:

1. Open the settings → Screen
2. Choose Full-screen gestures
3. Try each option in preview mode
4. Click Apply and practice for 5-10 minutes

Hidden Opportunity: In MIUI gestures, you can set up a double touch to wake up and a lift to wake up, which is convenient when the phone is on the table, but consumes up to 3% of the charge per day, to turn off:

Settings → Always active screen and lock →


Double touch to wake up / lift to wake up

💡

If gestures are not working smoothly, check the sensitivity of the screen in Settings → Special features → Touch and delay retention. Reducing the delay to 0.3c will make the response instantaneous.

Optimizing battery and performance

One of the biggest complaints about Xiaomi is that it's running out of battery life, not just because of the iron, but because of the aggressive MIUI optimization that sometimes stifles the background, and we'll figure out how to extend the battery life without compromising the convenience.

The first thing you need to do is turn off auto-runs of unnecessary applications, and many programs (especially Chinese ones) run when you turn on your phone and hang in the background to control auto-runs:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management
2. Select an app (such as Facebook or AliExpress)
3. Press Autostart and turn off the slider
4. Repeat for all unnecessary programs

The second is battery mode settings. Xiaomi has three profiles:

To change the regime:

Settings → Battery and productivity →


Battery Mode → Select the Right Mode

⚠️ Note: Performance mode includes turbo cooling, which leads to accelerated wear and tear of the battery when used frequently.

Disable auto-run of unnecessary applications|Set a balanced battery mode|Disable "Always Active Screen"|Set up background restriction for social networks|Turn on the dark topic-->

MIUI branded chips you didn't know about

MIUI It's filled with hidden features that make it easier to use your smartphone.-7 The best features that distinguish Xiaomi from competitors:

• 🔍 Global search with mathematical calculator: swipe down on the home screen → insert (25*12+8) You can get the result without opening the calculator.
• 📝 Quick notes on the locked screen: swipe to the right on the lock screen → quick note without unlocking
• 🔊 Smart assistant for calls: during a conversation, a swipe up opens a panel with quick access to records, a calculator and a translator
• 📱 App cloning: Create a second WhatsApp or Telegram account through Settings → Annexes → Cloning of applications
• 🌙 Automatic dark theme switching: set the schedule to Settings → Screen. → Dark subject.
• 📡 Wi-Fi amplifier: in Settings → Wi-Fi → Additionally. → Wi-Fi amplifier can prioritize networks
• 🔋 Fast Charging Scheduled: Limit your charge to 80% at night to keep your battery healthy (Settings) → Battery → Fast charging on schedule)

Game Turbo is especially useful for gamers, and it not only speeds up performance, but also blocks notifications, adds a floating bar with a new set of keyboards. FPS-It's a counter, and it allows you to record gameplay without lag, and it's activated automatically when you start games or manually through a game:

Settings → Special features → Game Turbo

Working with the camera: from basic images to pro-mode

Xiaomi cameras are famous for their software, but many users do not know how to unleash their potential. Even budget Redmi can shoot in RAW, use double exposure and apply cinema effects in real time.

Basic tips for improving the photo:

• 📸 Turn it off. HDR In low light, it can add noise.
• 🌄 Use the Golden Hour Mode for sunsets (in Additional) → Effects)
• 👤 For portraits, activate background blur and adjust the level in real time.
• 🎥 In the video, turn on Stabilization and Noise Canceling Microphone

For advanced users:

An important nuance: models with a 108 MP camera (for example, Xiaomi 13 Pro) use a pixel binning (4-in-1), which gives 12 MP images, by default, to shoot in full resolution:

1. Open the camera.
2. Slip on the 108M icon in the top menu
3. Choose 108M (not 12M)
4. Now, the photos are saved to maximum resolution.

⚠️ Attention: shooting in 108M borrower ~50MB per photo and can cause lags when processed on budget models. Use this mode only for really important shots.

Security and confidentiality

Xiaomi is often accused of collecting data, but recent versions of MIUI have privacy protection tools that even Apple doesn’t have, such as “Surveillance Protection” blocking apps from accessing your location in the background, and “Secure folder” allowing you to hide files even from a root user.

Minimum set of security settings:

• 🔒 Set a pattern lock or fingerprint (Settings) → Lock screen → Add a print)
• 🚫 Disable the installation from unknown sources (Settings) → Confidentiality → Special permits)
• 📍 Limit access to geodata for social networks (Settings) → Confidentiality → Permits → Location)
• 🔍 Enable security checks MIUI (Settings → PapaSSWORD & security → Security scan)

Xiaomi's unique feature is Private Mode (available on MIUI 14+), which creates an isolated space with separate apps, contacts and files to activate:

Settings → Confidentiality → Private regime →


Create a private mode → Set a password

In this mode, you can:

• Hide messengers with important correspondence
• Create a “clean” browser without history
• Keep documents that are not available in the main profile
• Quickly switch between swipe profiles by fingerprint

💡

Xiaomi’s private mode is not just a hidden folder, but a full-fledged sandbox that isolates data at the system level. Even if someone gets root access to your phone, they can’t read files from private mode without a password.

Solutions to problems

Even the most reliable smartphones sometimes fail.-5 Xiaomi problems and their solutions that save nerves and time:

• 🔄 The phone does not turn on after discharge: connect to charging on 15-20 minutes, then hold on to the food. + Loudness up 10 seconds
• 📶 Badly catching the network: go to Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Select the network and select Only LTE (switch off 2G/3G)
• 🔊 Loses sound in the speaker: clean the speaker grid with a toothpick (not a needle!) or turn on Settings → Sound. → Improvement of sound
• 🔋 Battery goes down quickly: check the settings → Battery → Battery usage – if Mediaserver is the first, turn off automatic media download in instant messengers
• 📱 The screen is automatically pressed: turn on Settings → Screen. → Calibrate the sensor or reset the screen settings

If the phone is stuck on the MI logo, try to enter recovery mode:

1. Turn off the device (hold power for 10 seconds)
2. Press Power + Volume Up Before Mi Bunny Logo Appears
3. Select Wipe Cache Partition (Doesn't delete data!)
4. Reboot the phone.

For more serious problems (like bootloop after firmware) you'll need to flash through Fastboot, but this is a topic for a separate article -- if you need instructions, write in the comments.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions