How to work effectively on the Xiaomi Redmi smartphone

Modern Xiaomi smartphones running MIUI or HyperOS shells are powerful tools that, when properly configured, can significantly improve user productivity. Many owners of Redmi devices use only a small part of their capabilities, limited to basic calls and instant messengers, although the built-in functionality allows you to turn the gadget into a full-fledged mobile office. Understanding the logic of the system and knowing the hidden settings is the key to making the device work quickly and conveniently.

Unlike the pure Android you’ll find on other smartphone makers, Xiaomi’s ecosystem has its own unique navigation and task management features: the interface is customized to the maximum, giving the user enormous power over the look and behavior of the device, but this same flexibility often baffles those who switch to Redmi after other brands.

File management, window management and specific gestures are addictive, but the result is worth it. In this article, we will discuss how to set up a smartphone for a comfortable daily use, speed up its operation and use professional tools hidden in the depths of the menu.

Primary interface and navigation configuration

Once unpacked or reset, it is important to properly configure the control system. By default, the MIUI and HyperOS shells use a classic navigation scheme with three virtual buttons at the bottom of the screen. However, to work more efficiently and increase the usable area of the display, experts recommend switching to gesture control, which allows you to switch between applications faster with one hand and return to the desktop.

To change the way you navigate, you need to go to the Settings menu, select Additional, and find the System Navigation section. Here you should select the option “Full-screen management”. Once you activate the swipe from the bottom up, the swipe from the bottom up with a pause opens the menu of running applications, and the swipe from the side faces performs the function of the “Back” button.

Another critical element is the organization of the workspace, which allows you to create folders not only for icons, but also use widgets to quickly access information. You can place on the home screen widgets weather, currency rates or quick launch of commonly used functions such as a voice recorder or calculator, which eliminates the need to search for the desired application in a common pile every time.

⚠️ Note: When switching to gestures, the Back Back Back zone may conflict with controls within some applications. If you encounter this, you can change the sensitivity of the side zones in the navigation settings menu or temporarily return the buttons.

For those who appreciate the visual component, tersedia is a “Second Space” feature that creates a separate profile on the phone with its own set of apps and passwords, which is ideal for separating work and personal life on a single Redmi device.

• 📱 Use a two-finger swipe to scale down your desktop and quickly sort widgets.
• 🔒 Set up face unlock or fingerprint for instant access to work apps.
• 🎨 Change the theme through the Themes app to reduce visual noise and increase concentration.

Windows management and multitasking

One of Xiaomi’s strengths is its advanced windowing system, which allows you to efficiently use a large screen to perform multiple tasks at once.Split Screen allows you to run two apps side by side, such as texting in a messenger and watching videos or working with documents at the same time. This is especially true for Redmi Note models with a screen diagonal of 6.6 inches.

To activate a split screen, open the menu of running apps (a bottom-up latency swipe or menu button). Click on an icon above the app thumbnail that resembles two rectangles or three dots (depending on the version of MIUI) and select "Share screen." Then select the second app from the list. The boundary between the windows can be moved by changing the proportions of the displayed space.

A more advanced tool is the Floating Windows feature, which allows you to run an application in a small window on top of another. This is convenient when you need to quickly respond to a message without interrupting your movie or browser. To call a floating window, you just need to swipe from the corner of the screen inwards (if you have the appropriate setting in the Special Opportunities menu), or use the sidebar of the tools.

Settings → Additional settings → Sidebar → Enable

You can attach up to 10 of the most commonly used apps to the sidebar, and you swipe the panel from the edge of the screen, and then you open the app in floating mode instantly, and it speeds up the device at times, making multitasking on Redmi really comfortable.

You can manage running processes through the Security menu, which displays a list of active background tasks that consume RAM, and regularly cleaning up unnecessary processes helps keep the system performance at a high level, especially on models with 4 GB of RAM.

• 🖥️ To exit split screen mode, drag the dividing line completely up or down.
• 📂 In floating window mode, you can roll the application into a “bubble” that will hang on the screen until the next use.
• ⚙️ Set up the font size in each window independently if the app supports scaling.

Battery optimization and energy saving modes

Autonomy is one of Redmi’s top smartphone trump cards, but the right power settings are essential to keep the device running smoothly throughout the working day. MIUI and HyperOS offer multiple power profiles that can be switched depending on the situation. The Basic “Balanced” mode is suitable for most use cases, providing the optimal ratio between speed and charge consumption.

In situations where there is no charger at hand and the battery is critically low, you should activate the "Energy Saving" mode. It limits the background activity of applications, reduces the brightness of the screen and turns off real-time data synchronization. For emergency cases, when you just need to make an important call, there is an "Ultra-Savings" mode that turns the smartphone into a monochrome caller, leaving only basic functions working.

It is also important to set limits for background applications, which can aggressively kill processes, which sometimes prevents you from receiving notifications from important work chats or emails, and to avoid this, you need to go to the settings of a particular application, select Activity Control, and set the value "No restrictions", which ensures that the background processes of critical services are not stopped by the system.

⚠️ Note: It is not recommended to keep the Ultra-Savings mode on for everyday work, as this can lead to incorrect display of some applications and delay incoming messages.

And the thing that's really worth noting is, "Optimize Charging." If you're used to leaving your phone charging overnight, activate this option. Your smartphone will charge up to 80 percent, stop the process, and only complete charging to 100 percent by the time you wake up, which greatly extends the life of your lithium polymer battery.

• 🔋 Use the original charger to activate Quick Charge or Power Delivery fast charging.
• 🌙 Set up a schedule to turn on the “Do Not Disturb” mode at night to rest from notifications.
• 📉 Turn off keyboard vibration and system sounds to save energy in critical situations.

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Competent setting of the background activity of applications is more important than simply turning on the power saving mode, as it allows you to preserve functionality, but remove unnecessary charge costs.

File management and built-in tools

The integrated file manager in Xiaomi smartphones is a powerful tool that is often underestimated. It allows you not only to view folders, but also to work with archives, connect to cloud storage, and even manage files on a remote PC over the network. For comfortable work with documents, it is recommended to activate hidden file display and sorting by type to quickly find the desired PDF or Excel tables.

One of the unique features is that you can scan documents directly through the file manager interface or the camera without installing third-party applications. The camera automatically determines the boundaries of the sheet, aligns the perspective and removes the shadows, creating a quality digital analogue of a paper document.

To protect sensitive information, the system has a Hide Files feature, where you move photos, videos or documents into this area, you hide them from public access, and you only access hidden content through a special password or pattern that is set in the privacy settings, which creates an additional layer of security for data on the device.

Also worth mentioning is the app-specific “Second Profile” feature, which allows you to run a second copy of a messenger (like WhatsApp or Telegram) for another phone number without having to install additional clones through third-party software. → Annexes → Cloning of applications.

Data security and confidentiality

In the digital age, smartphone security is becoming the number one priority: Xiaomi provides a comprehensive set of tools to protect the device. In addition to standard screen locking, it is recommended to set up locking specific applications. For example, you can put an additional password to log in to a banking application or gallery, even if the phone itself is unlocked.

The newer versions of the shell, called Privacy Protection, let you see which apps accessed the microphone, camera, or geolocation and when, if you notice suspicious activity, you can restrict access, and warn of malware attempts to access sensitive data using the built-in antivirus database.

For cases of theft or loss of a device, it is critical to activate Find Device in advance, which allows you to track the location of your smartphone, block it remotely or completely erase data. Make sure that this feature is enabled in the Mi Account settings, otherwise it will be almost impossible to regain control of your phone.

⚠️ Note: Never pass confirmation codes from SMS No one, even if the caller is a bank or customer service employee. Xiaomi employees never ask for codes from the bank or customer service. SMS.

Regular security updates are another important aspect: Security settings can enable automatic virus testing when you install new applications and update databases, creating a robust barrier against most known threats.

• 🔐 Use complex passwords or biometrics to log into either Guest or Second Space mode».
• 📵 Set up an automatic lock. SIM-map PIN-code when rebooting the phone.
• 🛡️ Check the list of apps that have access to microphone and camera regularly.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)