The notification panel (or “curtain”) in Xiaomi smartphones based on the MIUI shell is one of the most commonly used interface elements. It contains fast switches for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, flashlight and other functions. But what if the standard order of icons does not suit you? For example, when the flashlight button is hidden on the second screen and NFC on the first screen, although you hardly use it.
Unfortunately, Xiaomi does not provide direct drag and drop icons in the curtain, as is done with pure Android or some custom firmware. However, there are several working ways to change the display order, from standard settings to hidden system features. In this article, we will discuss all the current methods for different versions of MIUI (including MIUI 14 and HyperOS), and also talk about the nuances that are important to consider before changing.
If you want to not just swap two icons, but completely customize the curtain — add new items or remove unnecessary ones — then some of the solutions in this article will help you with this. The main rule: before any manipulation of system settings, back up your data through Settings → About Phone → Backup to avoid losing important information when crashes.
Why can’t you just drag icons in a curtain in Xiaomi?
Unlike the Samsung One UI or Google Pixel with Android 12+, where users can freely move switches in the notification panel, MIUI has traditionally limited this feature.
- 🔒 Xiaomi aims to unify the interface on all devices to avoid confusion among users of different models.
- 📱 Optimizing for the big screen: In foldable smartphones (e.g. Xiaomi) MIX Fold 3) or tablets (Xiaomi Pad 6) curtain adapts to different display sizes, and free movement of icons could disrupt this adaptation.
- ⚙️ Technical limitations: In older versions MIUI (before MIUI (12) the system kernel did not support dynamically reordering elements in the notification panel.
However, since MIUI 13, hidden ways of adjusting the curtain have appeared, and HyperOS (which replaces MIUI) is expected to have more flexible customization, while users have to use workarounds from editing configuration files to installing third-party modules.
⚠️ Note: Some of the methods in this article require unlocking the bootloader or root rights.This can lead to loss of warranty, smartphone malfunctions or update issues. MIUI. Before applying, assess the risks!
Method 1: Change the order of icons through MIUI settings (official method)
The most secure way, which works on most Xiaomi devices with MIUI 12 and later (including Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Xiaomi 13, etc.) is that it does not require root rights or third-party apps, but has a limitation: you can only hide unnecessary icons, not move them arbitrarily.
Steps:
- Open Settings → Notification panel and status bar.
- Select Change the order of the switches (in some versions, it may be called Setting the notification panel).
- Click on the icon. ⋮ (three dots) in the upper right corner and select Edit.
- Here you'll see two blocks: 🔝 Active switches (those displayed in the curtain). 🔽 Inactive switches (hidden but available for addition).
Active.
Ready.
This method allows you to partially control order, but it doesn't give you complete freedom, for example, you can't place the Mode icon on an airplane between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth if there's no free space in the Active Switch block.
Check the version of MIUI (Settings → About the phone)
Make a backup copy of settings
Close all background applications
Have a battery charge of at least 30%-->
Method 2: Use of the ADB-Teams (for advanced users)
If standard settings aren’t enough, you can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a tool for debugging Android devices, which works on most Xiaomi devices with MIUI 11 and later, but requires connecting a smartphone to a computer.
Advantages of the method:
- 🔧 Doesn't require root rights.
- 🔄 It allows you to change the order of all icons, not just active ones.
- 📱 It works even on a blocked loader.
Instructions:
- Turn on Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone. Click 7 times on MIUI Version until you become a developer!
USB debugging
- Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
- Turn on the debugging switch over USB.
- Connect your smartphone to your computer through USB-cable (use the original cable for connection stability).
- Open the Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (macOS/Linux) and type: Adb devices Make sure your device appears in the list.
- Execute the command to get the current order of icons: adb shell settings get secure sysui_qs_tiles You will see a line like "wifi, cell, bluetooth, battery,..." - that's the current order.
- Copy this line and edit the order of the icons (for example, swap wifi and flashlight places).
- Apply the new order with the command: adb shell settings put secure sysui_qs_tiles "flashlight,wifi,cellular,bluetooth,battery,... "
- Reboot your smartphone: adb reboot
Cons of this method:
- 🔄 After updating MIUI settings may reset.
- 🛑 Some apps (such as Custom Quick Settings) require root, which voids the warranty.
- 📵 On HyperOS devices, some applications may not work due to changes in the system architecture.