How to make a menu on Xiaomi 5: settings, styles, buttons

Xiaomi Redmi 5, despite its age, remains a popular device due to balanced characteristics and the possibility of deep customization. the standard interface MIUI provides many tools, but often users want to personalize the appearance or improve navigation for more comfortable use. Understanding how to make the menu on Xiaomi 5 convenient for you, opens up new horizons in the operation of the gadget.

The customization process covers not only visual design, but also functional aspects, from replacing navigation buttons to creating specialized folders for applications. Owners of this model often face the desire to hide the "bang" of the screen or change fonts, which is possible with standard system tools or through secure third-party utilities. We will analyze all the key aspecs that will turn the standard interface into a unique working tool.

It is important to note that the Xiaomi Redmi 5 is powered by the Snapdragon 450 processor, which imposes certain limitations on heavy graphics shells. Therefore, in this article, we will focus on optimized methods that will not lead to a drop in performance or a quick battery drain.

Navigation: buttons or gestures

The first thing to start upgrading the interface is to choose the type of navigation you want, and the standard three buttons at the bottom of the screen take up a useful display area, especially in the 18:9 format that is typical of Redmi 5. Switching to gestures frees up space and makes the control more modern and intuitive.

To change the way you navigate, you have to go to the system settings. The path may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI, but the general logic is maintained. You have to find the section that is responsible for additional functions or advanced screen settings, where the desired switch is hidden.

Let’s look at the main differences between the two modes of work:

• 📱 Buttons: the classic version with three or four fixed controls (Back, Home, Menu), familiar to most users.
• 🖐 Gestures: Swipe management, where the Home button is replaced by a short swipe up and the App Menu by a long swipe up and hold.
• 🔄 Hiding: the ability to completely remove the bottom strip, giving the entire screen to content, which is especially important for watching videos and games.

⚠️ Warning: When switching to gestures, the habit of pressing physical or screen buttons can play a cruel joke – at first you will accidentally close applications instead of accessing the desktop.

If you prefer buttons but want to change their order, MIUI allows you to do this, for example, you can swap the Back and Menu functions, which is convenient for left-handers or users who have switched from iOS, and this is done on the same menu where the navigation type is selected, through the "Order of buttons".

Visualization through theme

The easiest and safest way to change the menu on Xiaomi Redmi 5 is to use the built-in Themes app.This is the official tool that allows you to change icons, wallpaper, system sounds and, most importantly, the style of the settings menu and notification curtains.

To get started, open the Themes app on your desktop. Search for queries like "iOS style," "Minimal," "Black" or "Neon." The directory contains thousands of free and paid options. After selecting a theme, click "Download" and then "Apply." The system can suggest a reboot to correctly display all the elements.

When choosing a design, pay attention to the following parameters:

• 🎨 Compatibility: Make sure the theme is marked as compatible with your version MIUI, to avoid bugs on the menu.
• 🔋 Optimization: Too animated themes with live wallpaper can consume battery power faster on the Redmi 5.
• 📂 Compactness: Some themes only change wallpaper, while others completely redraw system application icons and settings menu.

If the standard directory doesn’t offer what you want, you can import themes from third-party sources (.mtz files), but this requires caution. Unverified files may contain errors in the interface code, which will lead to a cyclical reboot of the phone.

Organization of the working space and folder

Desktop chaos reduces productivity and makes you spend longer looking for apps. On the Xiaomi Redmi 5, with its 5.7-inch diagonal, it's important to use space wisely. Creating a logical menu structure is a key step in customization.

To create a folder, just drag and drop one app icon onto another. The system automatically creates a container. You can rename the folder by clicking on the name and select the background color for the folder shortcut to visually divide categories (e.g., "Social Networks" in blue, "Games" in red).

Recommended folder structure for efficient operation:

• 📞 Communication: Phone, Messages, Contacts, Messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram).
• 🛠 Tools: Calculator, Calendar, Dictaphone, Conductor, Watch.
• 🎮 Entertainment: YouTube, Music, Games, Gallery.

Also, don't forget widgets. On Redmi 5, the screen has a resolution of 1440x720, which allows you to comfortably place a 4x2 or 4x1 weather and calendar widget at the top of the screen, eliminating the need to open time or currency checker apps.

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Use the Statistical or Battery widget on the home screen to always see the processor load and battery charge without going into the system’s deep settings.

Advanced screen and font settings

Xiaomi’s settings menu allows you to adjust not only brightness, but also color temperature, as well as the size of interface elements. For people with low vision or just prefer large text, this is a critical feature.

Switch to Settings → Screen → Text Size and Display. Here you can move the slider, changing the font size throughout the system. Read Mode is also available, which puts the screen into monochrome mode, reducing eye strain when reading text on the menu.

Table of the main screen parameters for Xiaomi Redmi 5:

Changing DPI through an engineering menu or ADB allows menu items to be smaller, fitting more information on the screen, or larger. However, Redmi 5 is better not to experiment with extreme DPI values, as this can lead to a “go” layout in some applications.

Hiding bangs and screen cutout

Xiaomi Redmi 5 has a classic design with bezels on top and bottom, so the problem of screen cutout ("bangs"), as with newer models, is less acute here. However, if you use custom themes or firmware that mimic new models, or connect external displays, the question of hiding elements can arise.

The standard MIUI for Redmi 5 doesn't have a cover feature at the top, because it has a speaker and a front camera, and the interface doesn't cover them with the default black bar, but if you're faced with a situation where the black background of the apps doesn't match the frame, you can use the color inversion feature of the navigation buttons.

For those who want to hide the status bar in specific apps (for example, for reading or video), there is a Full Screen Mode mode.

1. Go to Settings → Advanced settings → Full-screen mode.
2. Turn on the "Hide the Notch from Individual Applications" switch.
3. Select from the list the necessary programs.

⚠️ Warning: Forced concealment of system elements in applications that are not adapted to this can cause time, battery charge or notifications to become invisible, making it difficult to use the phone.

Cleaning and optimizing the application menu

Over time, the Alphabetical list menu gets clogged with unnecessary software. On Redmi 5, with its RAM (2 or 3 GB), it is important to keep the list of running processes and installed applications clean.

Use the built-in sorting function. In all apps menus, click three dots in the corner and select "Sort." You can arrange the apps by installation time or usage frequency, which will help you quickly find what you've been using recently.

It is also recommended to remove or disable pre-installed applications (bloatware) that you do not use:

• 🗑 Delete: Press the icon and select “Delete” (available for custom applications).
• 🚫 Disconnect: For system applications (e.g. Mi Video, Mi Music, if not used) go to Settings → Annexes → All applications, select the application and click "Disable".

After all the manipulations with the menu, themes and navigation, the system may work a little slower due to the rearrangement of the interface cache, and it is recommended to perform one full reboot of the device so that all changes are applied correctly and take place in memory.

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The main purpose of setting up the menu on Xiaomi Redmi 5 is not just beauty, but ergonomics: all the necessary functions should be available in one touch, and visual noise is minimized.

Questions and Answers (FAQ)