How to remove special features on the Xiaomi phone

Today’s Xiaomi smartphones have a wide range of features that include not only multimedia capabilities, but also tools for people with disabilities. Sometimes these features are activated accidentally, such as when you repeatedly press volume buttons or because of a system failure, which can make using the device a nightmare, as the interface begins to respond to touch completely different from what you are used to.

If your phone's screen sounds every action, zooms in or requires specific gestures to unlock, it means that special features have been activated. Don't panic: it's a software setting that can be changed. In this article, we'll look at all the nuances of disabling these features on the MIUI and HyperOS shell.

Understanding how this settings section works will help you not only solve the current problem, but also prevent it from recurring in the future, and we will look at both standard methods for turning off the menu and emergency ways if the phone has stopped responding to normal touches.

Why special features are included on Xiaomi

The main reason for activating these features is often the human factor, smartphone owners can accidentally launch TalkBack or Magnify without realizing it. For example, a quick triple tap on the screen or prolonged pressing of volume buttons are standard hotkeys that Xiaomi uses to quickly access the supporting tools.

Another scenario involves installing third-party applications: Some programs, especially those that require deep access to the system (launchers, cleaners, voice assistants), may request permission to use special features. If you do not carefully read the requests when installing, the phone may get new, unwanted functionality.

⚠️ Attention: Some malware masquerades as system utilities and requires special features to intercept control of your device. APK-files from unknown sources.

Also worth mentioning is software failures: After a failed firmware update or system crash, the settings may get lost, and the phone decides that availability mode should now be active by default, which is rare, but it is in the practice of service centers.

• 🔘 Accidental pressing of the button combination (usually 3 clicks or volume clamping).
• 📲 Install applications that require extended access rights.
• 🐛 Software failure after system update MIUI.
• 👆 Activate with Google Assistant or XiaoAI.

How to turn off TalkBack and the screen magnifier

The most popular features that are uncomfortable are TalkBack (action voice) and Magnifying (screen magnifier). When they are turned on, a normal finger touch stops opening applications. Instead, the phone frames the object and pronounces its name. To open the application, you need to click once to highlight, and then twice to launch.

The standard method for disabling TalkBack is if it's not locked by the system. You need to go to the settings menu. Since normal navigation has changed, use two fingers to scroll through the lists. Find the Special Features section (or Additional settings in older versions). Inside, select TalkBack and turn the switch to the "Off" position.

There is also a quick shutdown method that works on most Redmi and Poco models. Simultaneously press the Volume Up and Volume Down buttons and hold them for about 3-5 seconds. A countdown timer will appear on the screen. If you hold the buttons to the end, the function will turn off.

If you have the Augmenter on, the screen will respond to triple taps. To remove that, also go to the special feature menu. Find the zoom or the Loop, where you can turn off both the shortcut on the screen and the triple tap function, and then zoom back to the standard.

Managing Voice and Other Services

In addition to visual and tactile assistants, voice services can work in the system. Voice Access allows you to control the phone with commands, but often turns on itself and begins to dictate instructions, and you can turn it off in the same special features menu by finding Voice Control.

Google Assistant is a special service, and sometimes it takes control if you hold the power button or the Home button for a long time. To limit its options, go to Google settings, select Settings for Google Applications → Search, Assistant and Google Lens → Google Assistant. There you can turn off activation by voice or buttons.

It's important to check which apps have access to these features. Special features often have a subsection called Installed Services or Third Party Apps on the menu, there may be programs hiding here that you don't even remember, and if you see anything suspicious, turn it off.

Hiding shortcuts and hotkeys

To prevent the problem from recurring, you need to remove the activation triggers themselves. In modern versions of MIUI and HyperOS, you can prevent the activation of functions through the volume buttons. Go to Settings → Special Features → Special Features Label.

Here you'll see a list of all the features that buttons can call, disable all unnecessary items, remove the Assistive Touch if you don't need it, it often interferes with video or game play, and can be accidentally activated.

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If you accidentally activate TalkBack and can’t get into the menu, try using Google’s voice commands: “Hey Google, turn off TalkBack.” This works even if the screen is blocked by gestures.

Another important thing is pocket mode. Sometimes the phone in your pocket reacts to the friction of the fabric as a touch and can trigger any functions. Make sure that the lock settings on the screen turn off suspicious activity when extracting from your pocket.

• 🚫 Turn off the volume button shortcut for all functions.
• 🗑️ Remove floating windows and memory cleaning widgets.
• 🔒 Check the lock settings from random presses.
• 📱 Hide the Special Opportunities Control Panel.

Solving the problems with sticking the menu

There are situations where the special feature menu sticks and doesn't let you do anything. The screen flashes, the frames don't disappear, and the phone buzzes, and in this case, a simple shutdown may not help, because the function starts immediately after the system boots up.

Try to do a forced reboot. Press the power button and one of the volume buttons (usually Up) and hold them for about 10-15 seconds until the screen goes out and the phone vibrates. This is the equivalent of pulling out the battery, which resets the temporal processes.

⚠️ Warning: Forced reboot doesn't delete your data, but if the phone is in the process of updating the system, this method can damage the firmware.

If the reboot didn’t help and the phone meets you with voiceovers again, try starting the device in Safe Mode. To do this, when you turn on the phone (when the Mi or Redmi logo appears), press the volume button. In Safe Mode, third-party services do not start, and you can safely go to the settings and turn off unnecessary functions.

Resetting settings as a last resort

If none of these methods worked, and the phone continues to behave strangely, the system configuration files may have been damaged, and then the last option is to reset to factory settings, and that will put the phone back in a boxy state.

Before this procedure, make sure to back up your data. Reset will delete all photos, contacts and apps. Go to Settings → About Phone → Reset → Erase all data. If you can't get to the menu, use Recovery mode (press Power + Volume Up when you turn off your phone) and select Wipe Data.

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A complete reset is a radical but 100% effective way to get rid of any software glitches associated with special features if other methods are powerless.

After the reset, the phone will suggest you reset it. Be careful when you set up your Google account: the system may suggest you restore your settings from the cloud, including your availability settings. Read each item carefully when you restore it, and check boxes for TalkBack or zoom in.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)