How to remove the limitless screen on Xiaomi

Many Xiaomi and Redmi smartphone users are uncomfortable with modern models with in-display cutouts. The “Limitless Screen” (or “Full Screen Mode”) function tries to hide the black bar of the speaker by stretching the image over the entire matrix area. However, this often leads to distortion of proportions in old applications or games. You can remove this effect and return standard proportions through system settings, but the algorithm of actions may differ depending on the version of the MIUI shell or HyperOS.

In this article, we will go into detail about all the available ways to disable the function, including hidden menus of engineering calibration. It is important to understand that complete removal of the cutout by software methods is impossible, since this is a physical part of the design. We are talking specifically about changing the display of the interface so that the black status bar does not overlap the content or, conversely, so that the image does not stretch incorrectly.

Disabling full screen mode in settings

The easiest and safest way to change the display of content is to use the standard system menu. In new versions of Xiaomi firmware, the control of the cutouts and the status bar is placed in a separate subsection. You need to go to Settings, then select Limitless Screen or Cutout Management, here the system will offer you to choose from three options for display: "Increased", "Standard" or "Disconnected".

Choosing Standard or Unplug mode will return the top of the screen to the classic black bar view, where the speaker and front camera are located. This is especially true for those who do not like when the time or notification icons “climb” into the notch area. The interface will become more predictable, and the fonts at the top of the screen will cease to distort.

If you don't find this option in the main settings menu, try searching by settings. Type the word "cut" or "screen" into the search box. The system will tell you the desired section. On some models with Android 11 and below, the path may look like Settings → About Phone → All options → Click on the MIUI version several times (to enable advanced settings), although this is less common in current versions.

⚠️ Warning: Changing display settings may cause some applications to appear with black bars on the sides.This is normal behavior for programs not optimized for modern 20:9 ratios.

Display settings for individual applications

Shell MIUI It allows you to flexibly manage full-screen mode for each installed application separately, which solves the problem when in one application (for example, YouTube) you need a full screen, and in another (for example, a banking application) you need a standard view. → Limitless screen (or full screen mode).

In the list that opens, you'll see all the programs installed. Next to the name of each application is a switch. If it's activated, the application will try to stretch to the full screen, ignoring the cutout. If the switch is turned off, the application will work in standard mode with a black bar on top, and the flexibility of this setting allows you to avoid conflicts in games and video players.

• 📱 Games: For most games, it is recommended to include a full screen to remove black stripes on the sides and increase the view.
• 🏦 Banking and Finance: It is better to leave the standard mode, as some interface elements may overlap with the camera notch.
• 📺 Video: Depends on the video format; for older 4:3 videos, the full screen can be very distorting.

Once you change the settings for a particular application, you may need to restart it completely. Simply close the program from the list of tasks you have run and reopen it. If visual artifacts (button shifting, text overlapping) are preserved, try clearing the app cache through the App menu. → Application management.

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If the app doesn't show up correctly after switching mode, try running it in compatibility mode. To do this, select the "Default" option in the full screen settings or turn off the option for a particular application.

Use of the Engineering Menu for Calibration

In cases where standard settings are not helpful or hidden by the manufacturer, you can use the engineering menu, which is an advanced tool designed for testing equipment, but it also contains parameters for calibrating the display. Be careful: changing unknown parameters can lead to unstable system operation.

To enter the engineering menu, open the Phone app and enter the code ##6484##. If the code didn't work, try ##4636##. In the CIT menu that opens, find the section associated with the display, which can be called Display, Screen, or LCD.

The CIT Menu: Single Item Test → Color → or LCD Test

You can check the pixels here and sometimes change the zoom settings. However, you can't directly remove the notch through the engineering menu without flashing it with modified files. The engineering menu is more diagnostic than deep customization. If you see the "Notch setting" option here, switch it to "Disable" or "Default."

⚠️ Warning: Do not change the values in the sections related to refresh rate or voltage unless you are an expert.This can cause the display to break or the device to "brick.

Hiding the cutout with the help of themes of design

One of the most aesthetic ways to remove the cutout visually is to use special themes. There are designs in the MIUI Themes store that paint a black background at the top of the screen, making the cutout less visible or completely fusing it with the interface. It doesn't change the physical display, but it improves the perception of the picture.

To find a theme like this, open the Topics app, go to search, and type in "Hide notch," "Black status bar," or "Hide notch." Download and apply the theme. Once applied, the top bar will turn black, and the camera's notch will merge with it. AMOLED-screens where black means disconnected pickles.

• 🎨 Design: Themes can completely change the style of icons and notification curtains.
• 🔋 Savings: by AMOLED Black status bar screens save battery life.
• 🔄 Compatibility: Some themes may not work properly with widgets on the home screen.

If the standard theme store does not offer a suitable option, you can use third-party resources, but download themes (.mtz) should only be from trusted sources. Installing a damaged theme can lead to a cyclic reboot of the interface (bootloop theme), so always have a way to reset the theme settings through safe mode.

Comparison of interface display modes

To understand the differences between the modes of operation of the screen, we will make a comparative table, which will help determine which option is suitable for your use scenario of a Redmi or Poco smartphone.

As you can see from the table, there is no one-size-fits-all solution, and the best way to do that is to use the hybrid approach that we described in the section on how to customize individual applications, which will preserve aesthetics in some programs and functionality in others.

Problems after system update

Often, users notice that after updating MIUI or switching to HyperOS, the screen settings are reset or change their behavior, this is due to developers changing the algorithms for rendering the interface. If after the update you see that the "limitless screen" turned on itself or, conversely, the ability to turn it off is lost, follow the following steps:

First, check if Screen Extension mode has been activated in the developer settings. Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (7 times). Then to Advanced Settings → For developers, find the item associated with the cutout (usually called “Hide notch” or “Display cutout”). Set the value “Always hide” or “Default”.

If the problem is not solved, the DPI settings may have gone wrong. Return the default. For most modern Xiaomi smartphones, this value is 392, 411 or 440 dpi, depending on the model. Changing this setting can visually remove the cutout, making the interface elements smaller, but it can disrupt the layout of applications.

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Flexible full-screen settings for each application are the best way to avoid discomfort.Don't try to change global system files unnecessarily, standard MIUI tools are usually enough for a comfortable experience.