How to change the control panel on Xiaomi: the complete guide

Many Xiaomi smartphone owners face the desire to personalize their device after buying. The standard MIUI interface or the new HyperOS may seem overloaded or simply unusual for those who used to use “pure” Android. The ability to change the appearance and logic of the system is one of the key advantages of the manufacturer’s shell.

In this article, we will take a look at how to change the basic controls, from notification curtains to navigation buttons, which tools are built into the system and where you will need to install third-party applications to achieve the desired result. Deep customization is available to every user, if you know where to look for the right switches.

Set up notification curtain and control center

The first thing that catches your eye when using a smartphone is the top panel, often referred to as the "curtain." In the latest versions of MIUI and HyperOS, the company has split notifications and switches into two separate tabs. This is a solution not everyone likes, and many users want to return the classic look where all items are on the same list.

To change this, you need to go to the system settings. Find the Notifications section and the status bar that is usually hidden in the Notifications menu. Here you will see a switch that allows you to choose between New and Classic style. The classic style choice will combine the volume sliders with notifications into a single tape.

But if you want to change the icons themselves or their location, it's harder to do it with regular tools, like you need Control Center from GetApps, or third-party launchers, which allow you to change transparency, round corners, and even add widgets right into the quick settings area, making it easier to manage.

• 📱 Classic style combines notifications and switches into one tape.
• ⚙️ New style splits screen into two parts to manage multimedia and network.
• 🎨 Third-party apps allow you to change icons and background transparency.

⚠️ Note: When installing third-party applications to change the control center, you may need advanced permissions, including access to surfaces on top of other windows. This is normal for such utilities to work, but download them only from trusted sources.

Change navigation buttons and gestures

Navigation management is the foundation of smartphone interaction. Xiaomi offers gesture control by default that takes up the entire screen, but many users prefer the good old buttons at the bottom of the screen. Fortunately, the system makes it easy to switch between these modes without installing additional software.

To change the way you navigate, take the Settings → Desktop → Navigation in the system, and you will be offered three options: full-screen control, Android-style buttons and floating buttons. The choice of buttons will return three classic keys to the screen: Back, Home and App Menu.

So an interesting feature is that you can swap the buttons in places. If you're used to having the back button on the right and Xiaomi on the left, you can just invert the order in the settings. It's a trifle, but it greatly improves the comfort of using the device for right-handers or left-handers.

It's worth noting that when you choose a full-screen control, you get an additional setting, which is the sensitivity of the edges of the screen. If swipes don't work the first time or, on the contrary, false positives occur too often, this parameter should be calibrated to your own use style.

Change of launcher and desktop

The most radical way to change the control panel is to replace the launcher itself. The standard MIUI shell has its limitations, which are bypassed by the installation of alternative desktops, which allows you to completely change the look of the icons, the desktop grid, the animations and the logic of the application menu.

Popular options are Nova Launcher, Lawnchair or Microsoft Launcher. Once installed, the system will prompt you to choose the default application. It is important to note that on new versions of Android and HyperOS, the process may require additional security confirmations at each launch.

When you change the launcher, you lose some of Xiaomi's branded features, such as specific gestures or widgets sharpened to the native shell, but you get a clean interface and the ability to customize every detail, including hiding the Google search bar or resizing the grid.

Setting up the sidebar and floating windows

The sidebar is a handy tool for quick access to applications and tools in any interface, and you can configure it to call not only programs, but also calculators, voice recorders, or screenshots, which makes multitasking much faster.

To activate and configure, go to Settings → Special Features → Sidebar. Here you can turn on the feature and select a list of applications for which it will be available, you can add frequently used messengers or browsers to quickly switch context.

And this section also sets up the behavior of floating windows, so you can ask if apps will open in a small window over the current window or turn on the full screen, and this is especially true for owners of large smartphones who are comfortable watching videos and chatting at the same time.

• 🚀 Sidebar allows you to run applications on top of other windows.
• 📝 To the panel you can add tools like “Notes” or “Screenshot».
• 📱 The setting is only available for the applications you select.

⚠️ Warning: Using a large number of floating windows at the same time can lead to reduced device performance and accelerated battery discharge, especially on entry-level models.

Themes and design of interface elements

And remember, the Themes app is a powerful tool for changing the look, and it allows you to change not just wallpaper, but completely transform the system icons, lock screens, and even sounds, and it's the easiest way to change the control panel visually without going into the technical settings.

In the theme store, you can find designs that completely change the style of the settings menu, making it dark, minimalistic or, conversely, bright and animated. The application of the theme affects system components, so the visual effect will be noticeable in all sections of the phone.

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Before applying a new theme, create a restore point or take a screenshot of the current configuration. Some third-party themes may contain errors that make part of the interface unreadable, and you will have to remember what the default menu looked like to find the settings back.

For advanced users, there is a Super Wallpaper mode and dynamic effects that respond to touch. While this is more about the visual part, the experience of using the interface changes dramatically. It is important to check the compatibility of the themes with your version of Android, as old themes may not display correctly on HyperOS.

Solving interface problems and resetting settings

Sometimes, after multiple changes, the system can start to work unstable: buttons disappear, the curtain does not work or the launcher crashes, in such cases you need to know how to return everything to its original state, most often the problem is solved by cleaning the cache of the system application System Interface.

To do this, go to Settings → Apps → All apps, search the System Interface (or System UI) list and select Clean. Don’t worry, it won’t delete your personal data, photos or contacts, but will only reset your appearance to factory settings.

If the problem is with a third-party launcher that has stopped responding, try booting in Safe Mode. To do this, press the volume button when you turn on your phone. This mode only runs system applications, which allows you to remove the problem software.

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Resetting the system interface is the first step in any MIUI/HyperOS visual glitch, which solves 90% of the problems with the missing controls.

In extreme cases, if the interface is so damaged that you can’t get into the settings, a full reset via Recovery Mode will help. However, this is an extreme measure, requiring prior backup of all data, since the phone will return to the state “out of the box”.