How to control a Xiaomi smartphone with one hand: a complete guide with settings and life hacks

Smartphone screens are growing every year: even Xiaomi budget models now have 6.5-inch displays, and flagships – all 6.8.+. For many users, controlling such a shovel with one hand turns into a daily struggle: you have to intercept the device, stretch your fingers or risk dropping the gadget, MIUI Offers more than 10 built-in tools to adapt the interface for high-end use – from reducing the screen scale to customizing gestures.

In this article, we will discuss all available methods, from basic (like the One-Hand mode) to advanced (setting adb commands to change the sensitivity of the edges of the screen). 13 Ultra or Mix Fold 3), where standard methods often work incorrectly. MIUI 14/15 (including global and Chinese versions) and tested on Redmi Note devices 10 Xiaomi 14 Pro.

If you're tired of the fact that the top notification bar is not available without finger gymnastics and the keyboard takes up half the screen, this article will help you set your smartphone so that 90% of actions are performed with the thumb of one hand, without losing functionality. Let's start with the simplest methods and gradually move on to advanced tricks.

1. One-Hand Mode: How to Enable and Configure

The most obvious (but often ignored) tool is the built-in One Hand mode, which reduces the active area of the screen to 4.5-5.5 inches, shifting it to the left or right corner. MIUI 9, but in the newer versions it was hidden deeper into the settings.

To activate the mode:

1. Open the Settings. → Special facilities → With one hand.
2. Turn on the "one-handed mode" switch.
3. Select the screen size (from 4.5 to 5.5 inches) and position (left/right corner).
4. Click "Ready" and practice swipes on the edge of the screen to trigger the mode.

By default, the mode is swiped at the bottom of the screen (left or right, depending on the angle chosen).

• 🔧 Check if the feature conflicts with other gestures (e.g., Navigation buttons in Settings). → Display).
• 📱 In the models with AMOLED-screens (e.g. Xiaomi) 12T) Sometimes helps to increase the sensitivity of touch in settings → Display. → Screen sensitivity.
• 🔄 If the mode is turned on spontaneously, turn off the option “Automatic reduction” in its settings.

⚠️ Note: On some models (e.g, POCO F5) One-Hand mode can conflict with Game Turbo's game space. If the screen starts twitching when swipes, turn off Game Turbo in the game settings.

2. Virtual buttons and navigation bar: optimization under the thumb

Even if you don't use screen downsizing, you can move the controls so they're always on hand, like the virtual Back, Home and Recent buttons are the default buttons at the bottom of the screen, but you can move them closer to the edge.

Instructions for MIUI 14/15:

1. Activate the option “Left/right button position” and select a convenient side.

On models with curved screens (for example, Xiaomi) 13T Pro) virtual buttons can fall over the edge of the display to correct this:

• 📏 Use custom themes from the Mi Theme Store where buttons have a larger touch area.

Set the buttons on the left/right|

Increase the swipe area for gestures|

Disable transition animation for quick response|

Check the sensitivity of touches in the screen settings-->

For owners. POCO Redmi with a high screen refresh rate (120/144 Hz) it is useful to disable the adaptive frequency in Settings → Display. → Update rate. This will reduce the delays when swiping around the edges of the screen.

3.Gesturals and hotkeys: control without finger stretching

MIUI It supports over 20 gestures that you can customize for fancy use:

For maximum convenience, we recommend reassigning gestures:

1. Open the Settings. → System system → Gestures → Additional gestures.
2. Add a new gesture, such as swipe down the left edge to call the notification panel.
3. Assign the action "Open the notification panel" to it.
4. Repeat for the right edge (for example, for the Quick Settings panel).

On flagship models (such as Xiaomi 14), you can use ultrasleep sensors for gestures in the air. → Special facilities → Gestures in the air. Useful if your hands are busy or your screen is dirty.

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Create a gesture of “double touch on the back” for a screenshot – this will eliminate the need to reach for the volume and power buttons.

Keyboard and text entry: how to type with one hand

The standard Gboard keyboard or MIUI Keyboard takes up too much screen space, making it difficult to type with one hand. Fortunately, both keyboards support one hand mode:

For Gboard:

1. Open any input field and tap the icon «⚙️» keyboard.
2. Select “One Hand Mode” and select the side (left/right).
3. Adjust the size of the keyboard by pulling the top edge.

For MIUI Keyboard:

1. Press the emoji icon or space.
2. In the menu that appears, select “One Hand”.
3. Set up transparency and size in Settings → Additionally. → keyboard MIUI.

Additional life hacks for easy entry:

• 🔤 Use voice input (mic button on keyboard) for long messages.
• 📝 Turn it on. T9-mode in keyboard settings - it allows you to type words by pressing only one button on the key.
• 🔄 Set up quick phrases in Keyboard Settings → Textual templates (e.g., “id» → «I'm going home»).

⚠️ Note: On some models (e.g. Redmi Note 12), one-hand mode for the keyboard may conflict with autocorrection. If words start to change incorrectly, turn off autocorrection in the keyboard settings.

5. Notification panel and curtain: how to reach them with one hand

One of the biggest problems with big smartphones is that you can't reach the notification panel with your thumb. MIUI There are a few ways to solve this:

Method 1: Gesture for the curtain

Set the swipe down the left or right edge of the screen:

1. Go to Settings. → System system → Gestures → Additional gestures.
2. Add a new gesture: swipe down the left edge → open the notification panel.
3. Repeat for the right edge (for example, for the Quick Settings panel).

Method 2: Toolbar

Activate the floating panel with quick buttons:

1. Open the Settings. → Special facilities → Toolbar.
2. Turn on the switch and adjust the transparency and size.
3. Add the buttons “Notifications”, “Back” and “Home” to the bar.

Method 3: Reduce the curtain

If you don’t like the One-Hand mode, but the curtain is too high:

• 📱 Install the One Hand Operation app+ from Google Play – it allows you to swipe down any part of the screen to open notifications.

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The most universal method is to adjust the curtain gesture, which works on all Xiaomi models and does not require third-party applications.

6 Advanced settings: ADB-commands and hidden functions

If standard methods are not enough, you can change the system parameters using adb.

• 🔧 Increase the sensitivity of the screen edges (useful for swipes with one hand).
• 📱 Change the size and position of virtual buttons.
• 🔄 Disable animations that slow down navigation.

Instructions for changing the sensitivity of edges:

1. Connect your smartphone to your PC and enable debugging USB (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times click on the version, then Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB).
2. Open the command line on the PC and type: adb shell settings put system edge_gesture_height 100 (significance 100 can be increased 200 sensitively).
3. Reset the device.

To change the location of virtual buttons, use the command:

adb shell settings put global policy_control immersive.full=*

After that, the buttons can be moved manually to Settings. → Display. → Full-screen display.

⚠️ Attention: Incorrect use of adb commands can cause sensor malfunctions. Before experimenting, back up your data via Settings → System system → Backup.

7. Third-party apps: top-5 utilities

If the built-in functions MIUI Not enough, you can install third-party apps:

Check compatibility with your Xiaomi model before installing. Some applications (like Button Mapper) require super-user rights (root) to work properly.

For owners. POCO Redmi with low RAM (3-4 GB) recommend avoiding background work of third-party utilities - they can slow down the system. MIUI.

8. Features for folding smartphones and tablets Xiaomi

Flexible screen devices (such as the Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 or Pad 6) have unique problems with the control of the device.

For foldable smartphones (Mix Fold, Mix Flip):

For tablets (Xiaomi Pad 6, Pad 6 Pro):

• 🖥️ Include a floating taskbar in Settings → Display. → Floating panel.
• 📝 Use the "Separate Screen" mode for multitasking (swipe from top edge down with two fingers).
• ⌨️ Connect Bluetooth keyboard for easy text input.

On foldable devices, it is not recommended to use adb commands to change the sensitivity of the screen - this can lead to incorrect hinge operation.

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For foldable smartphones, Xiaomi optimally combines the “One Hand” mode with gestures on the external screen, which will allow you to control the device in a folded state without opening.

FAQ: Frequent Questions about One-Hand Management