How to change the name of the Xiaomi device: a detailed guide

Personalization of a smartphone starts with basic settings, and one of the first steps is often to change the name of the device. A standard designation like the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 or POCO F5 looks boring and uninformative, especially when you connect your phone to a friend's Bluetooth column or transfer files over Wi-Fi Direct. Changing the name is not just an aesthetic whim, but a way to quickly identify your gadget in the list of available networks and peripherals.

With MIUI and the new HyperOS, the renaming process is flexible, but it has its nuances. It's important to understand that there's a difference between the name that appears in Settings and how other devices see the phone via Bluetooth. Some firmware versions have these parameters linked, others require a separate setup. We'll look at all the current ways to get your smartphone to be called what you want, not the factory engineers.

Before we make any changes, it’s worth noting that some of the steps may require you to log in to Mi Account, which is a standard security procedure that allows you to synchronize the device name across all the ecosystem services. Don’t worry, the process takes only a few minutes and requires no special technical knowledge.

Why you need to change the name of your smartphone

Many users ignore the default default name, and this often leads to odd situations: Imagine you're in an office or public transport and see a dozen phones called Android or Smartphone on your Bluetooth device list. If you need to transfer a file to a colleague or connect to wireless headphones, finding the right device becomes a lottery. A unique name solves the identity problem instantly.

And also, a personalized device name increases your digital hygiene level when you see the name in your router logs or in your Wi-Fi connected customer list"Phone_Ivan_Office", You know, it's your gadget, and it's especially useful for Xiaomi smart home owners, where there are a lot of sensors and light bulbs in the Mi Home app, and clear navigation helps you find the right settings faster and avoid script management errors.

Another aspect is psychological. A smartphone is the thing we use most often, and it's more pleasant to see a favorite name on a lock screen or settings than a dry serial number, and some users use this field for reminders, jokes, or contact information in case of loss, although there are more effective security tools for the latter.

⚠️ Note: Changing the name of the device does not affect its serial number (IMEI) It doesn't hide the phone from the carriers, it's just a local display setting for the user and the surrounding networks.

Change your name through Bluetooth settings

The most common scenario where you need to change the name is to connect to external audio systems or transfer files. In Xiaomi shells, this option is often duplicated, but it is Bluetooth setting that is a priority for the visibility of the device outwards. To change the name that other gadgets will see when scanning, you need to go to the appropriate menu section.

Go to Settings and find Bluetooth. At the top of the screen, next to the module activity switch, your phone's current name is usually displayed. Click on this line or the gear/arrow icon next to the device name (depending on the MIUI version), and a dialog box will open where you can enter any text ID.

Once you have entered the new name, the system can request confirmation or automatically save the changes. If you renamed the phone but it still appears as "Mi Phone" in the car, try removing the device from the tape recorder memory and pairing again.

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If the phone is not visible to other devices after renaming it, try turning off and switch on Bluetooth again. Sometimes the system requires restarting the module to apply new visibility parameters.

Consider the limitations on the length of the name and the characters used. While modern standards allow for emoji and special characters, it is better to stick to the Latin alphabet or Cyrillic alphabet without unnecessary embellishment. Some devices, especially car systems and old headphones, can incorrectly display complex characters, turning the name into a set of question marks.

Setting up a name in Mi Account and the cloud

Xiaomi’s ecosystem is tied to a single account that syncs data between devices, and if you want your name to be displayed correctly not only when you’re connected to Bluetooth, but also on cloud services, Find Device, and when you’re logged in to new gadgets, you need to check your profile settings, which is especially true for those who have multiple devices in the brand: a tablet, a smartphone, and a smartwatch.

Go to Settings → Mi Account (top menu item) and it shows the name you set when you signed up. However, to change the identity of a particular device in the trusted list, you need to go to Devices inside your account profile. Find your current smartphone in the list and click on it. Often there is a renaming option that will update the record in the cloud.

The benefit of name synchronization through your account is that when you buy a new Xiaomi phone and restore it from a backup, it can automatically pull up your familiar name, eliminating the need to customize each new gadget from scratch, and it helps Find Device to tell you exactly which device is lost if you have more than one.

Specificity of renaming in HyperOS

With the release of HyperOS, Xiaomi began unifying the interface and the logic of settings. In the new shell, the renaming process has become even more integrated. Now the device name is most often taken directly from the user profile, but retains the ability to locally edit for network protocols.

In HyperOS, the path to setup may look like Settings → The phone. → The name of the device. You can click on this line and edit the text, and the thing about the new system is that it can automatically change it_propagated_ (extend) to related Xiaomi Interconnect services, providing seamless work between the phone, tablet and Xiaomi laptop.

If you've upgraded to HyperOS and can't find the settings you're familiar with, search by settings. Type "Name" or "Bluetooth" into the search box, and the system will suggest the section you want, which is a universal tip for any version of MIUI if the menu has been redesigned.

Table: Comparison of renaming methods

To make it easier for you to navigate, we've put the basic techniques and their features into a table, which will help you choose the most appropriate option depending on your goal, whether it's just changing your name for friends or deep tuning the ecosystem.

As you can see from the table, the most versatile way is to change through the About Phone section or directly into the Bluetooth menu.These methods ensure that your device will display correctly in most use cases.

Advanced Way: Change through ADB

For users who are not afraid of the command line and want to have full control of the system, there is a method of changing the name over the ADB debugging bridge (Android Debug Bridge), which allows you to change the system property ro.product.model or bluetooth.name at a depth level, which can be useful if the standard settings are blocked by the operator or are glitzy.

You'll need a computer, installed ADB drivers, and enabled USB debugging on your smartphone. Once you connect your phone to your PC, follow the command to obtain shell rights, then use it to change the global settings. However, be extremely careful: changing system properties incorrectly can lead to unstable operation of some applications.

adb shell settings put global bluetooth_name New name

This method is not recommended for ordinary users, as after resetting or updating the system, changes can be lost, and in rare cases, this can affect the operation of Google Play services.

⚠️ Note: Making changes through ADB You can cancel the warranty in case of software failures.

Solution (Frequent problems)

Sometimes users are faced with a situation where the name changes in the settings, but when you connect to a computer or TV, the old one is displayed, this involves caching DNS or Bluetooth lists on the receiving device, and to fix this, you need to find your phone in the list of paired devices on the gadget you are connecting to, select "Forget device" or "Delete" and perform the pairing again.

Another problem is the length limit of the name. Some old protocols only support 10-15 characters. If you type in a long, beautiful name and it's cropped, try shortening it to a keyword. Also avoid using special characters like &, % or #, which can be misinterpreted by systems.

If you use a corporate profile or phone number assigned to an organization, the rights to change the device name may be limited by the administrator through the MDM-In such a case, the standard settings will not be available or the changes will not be maintained.

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Changing the device name is a safe and reversible procedure that does not affect performance, but makes life much easier in the world of connected gadgets.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions