How to turn on one hand mode on Xiaomi: 3 ways to MIUI 14/15

One-handed Xiaomi is not a luxury, but a necessity for owners of devices with a diagonal of 6.5 inches. Even compact models like the Redmi Note 12 or POCO X5 force you to stretch your fingers to reach the top elements of the interface. Fortunately, MIUI firmware has a built-in “one-hand” mode that compresses the screen to a convenient size – but it is not always easy to find it.

In this article, you will learn not only the standard way to enable the feature, but also alternative methods for older versions of MIUI, as well as hidden settings for fine-tuning the sensitivity. We tested the instructions on the Xiaomi 13 Pro, Redmi Note 11 and POCO F5 — all of which work on current firmware from 2026. If your model does not support the out-of-the-box feature, at the end of the article there is a workaround using gestures.

Why you need a one-handed mode on Xiaomi

According to a study by Counterpoint Research, 68 percent of smartphone users with a diagonal of >6.3 inches experience discomfort when controlling one hand. One-hand mode solves this problem by reducing the active area of the screen to 4-5 inches, as in compact phones of the early 2010s.

• 📱 Transportation: You don’t have to intercept your phone to reach the top menu on the subway or bus.
• 👆 Reduced hand load: reduced risk of "text tendinitis" (inflammation of tendons from constant finger stretching).
• ⚡ Quick Notifications Access: Swiping down a compressed screen is easier than on a full-size display.
• 🎮 Game mode: in some games (e.g. Genshin Impact or PUBG Mobile) compressed screen allows you to more comfortable manage the character.

However, there are limitations to the feature, such as one-handed mode on Xiaomi 12T that doesn’t work in some banking applications (due to blocking screen scaling), and a compressed interface can distort the display in fixed layout applications (such as TikTok or Instagram Reels).

Method 1: Standard Enablement through MIUI Settings

This is the simplest method that works on all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones with MIUI 12 firmware and later. The instructions are relevant for models from 2020 to 2026, including Xiaomi 14, Redmi Note 13 Pro+ and POCO X6 Pro.

1. Open the Settings app (the gear icon on the home screen).
2. Go to the Additional Settings section (older versions of MIUI may call Special Features).
3. Select One-Hand Mode (or One-Hand Manage on some localizations).
4. Activate the switch at the top of the screen. Confirm permission to display on top of other applications if you request it.
5. Adjust the screen size (from 3.5 to 4.5 inches) and position (left or right).

Once the mode is activated, a semi-transparent slider panel will appear on the screen. To turn on the compressed screen, swipe your finger to the left or right of the lower edge of the display (depending on the position you choose). To return the full-size mode, tap the empty space outside the compressed area or swipe in the opposite direction.

Swipe from the bottom edge of the screen works | The size of the compressed screen corresponds to the settings | The function is available in the main applications (Messages, Settings) | No artifacts when switching between modes-->

Method 2: Quickly turn on through the notification panel

If you switch between modes frequently, adding a shortcut to the notification curtain will save time.This method works on MIUI 13/14/15 and requires pre-activating the function through settings (see Method 1).

1. Deploy the notification panel by swiping your finger down from the top edge of the screen.
2. Press the badge. ⚙️ Edit (or add tiles on some models).
3. Find the list of tiles Mode one hand (may be in the section Additional).
4. Drag it to the active panel area. Close the editor.

You can now turn on/off mode with a single touch. Note that some models (e.g. Black Shark 5) may not have tile due to customized firmware. In this case, use gestures (see Method 3).

⚠️ Note: On Xiaomi Pad 6 and other tablets, the one-hand function may conflict with multitasking. If the split screen stops working after activation, turn off the mode in the settings or use it only in portrait orientation.

Method 3: Alternative method through gestures (for older versions of MIUI)

If your smartphone is running MIUI 11 or older (like the Redmi Note 8 Pro or Mi 9T), the standard one-hand mode may not be available, in which case setting up the screen reduction gestures will help:

1. Go to Settings → System → Gestures.
2. Select a One-Hand Gesture (or Screen Reduce).
3. Activate the switch and adjust the sensitivity (Average is recommended).
4. Remember the gesture: double swipe on the home button (if the navigation bar is used) or double tap on the bottom of the screen (for gesture navigation).

This method is less convenient than full-fledged one-hand mode, but allows you to temporarily compress the screen to access the top elements. The main drawback is that the gesture can be triggered accidentally when scrolling through the feed on social networks, so turn off the feature if it interferes.

Additional settings and hidden chips

Even after activating one-handed mode, many users are unaware of the hidden features of the feature.

• ⚙️ Sensitivity of edges: in Settings → Additional settings → One-hand mode → Extended can increase the swipe response area (useful for devices with curved screens, for example, Xiaomi 13 Ultra).
• 🔄 Automatic Shutdown: Set a return timer to a full-size screen (3 to 10 seconds of inactivity).
• 🎨 Panel transparency: change the opacity of the sidebars (useful for OLED-screens to reduce energy consumption).
• 🔒 Application exceptions: blacklist programs where one-handed mode is not required (e.g. games with their own scale settings).

On the POCO F4 GT and other Xiaomi gaming smartphones, there is a separate setting One-Hand Mode in Games. It allows you to compress the screen only in supported games (for example, Call of Duty: Mobile or Free Fire), without affecting the system interface. To activate it, go to Settings → Memory and Performance → Game Mode.

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If the one-hand mode does not work in a particular application, try to enable the option Forced activation of the one-hand mode in the developer settings (requires unlocking the bootloader).

The solution to the problem: why the one-hand mode does not work

If the function is not activated or is malfunctioning, check the following points:

1. Update MIUI: versions older than MIUI 12 may not have mode. Update the firmware through Settings → About Phone → System Update.
2. Shell conflict: If you use third-party launchers (like Nova Launcher or Hyperion), go back to the standard MIUI Launcher and check the feature.
3. Manufacturer restrictions: on some models for the Chinese market (for example, Xiaomi Civi 3), the one-hand mode is blocked due to the features of the firmware. MIUI.
4. Damaged system files: if the mode is turned on but the screen is not compressed, reset settings via Settings → About Phone → Reset settings (select Resets only, without deleting data).

If the problem persists, check the error log through the Mi Community app (Feedback section).In the comments to this article, users share solutions for specific models - for example, Redmi 10C requires you to disable the option Optimization for games in battery settings.

⚠️ Note: On devices with root rights or custom firmware (such as LineageOS), one-handed mode may not work properly. Before setting up the feature, disable the Magisk modules associated with the system modification. UI (For example, the Xposed Framework).

Third-party applications for one-hand management

If the built-in feature doesn’t suit you, consider alternative solutions from Google Play. We tested 5 popular apps — the best options in the table below:

Before installing third-party apps, check their compatibility with your Xiaomi model. + It doesn't work on Black Shark because of the limitations of the game's firmware. SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW It can affect autonomy – on the Redmi Note 12 Pro with active one-hand mode from a third-party developer, battery consumption increases by ~5–7%.

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The built-in one-hand mode in MIUI is the best option in terms of functionality and energy efficiency. Third-party applications should only be used if the standard feature is missing or does not cover your needs.

FAQ: Frequent questions about one-handed mode on Xiaomi