How to go to the engineering menu Xiaomi: hidden features and tests

Owning a modern smartphone often involves not only standard features, but also a desire to learn more about your device. Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco users often look for ways to get to hidden parts of the system to conduct a deep diagnosis or verify the authenticity of components. The engineering menu is exactly the tool that allows you to look under the hood of the MIUI operating system and access hardware tests.

In this article, we will discuss how to safely activate this mode, what codes work on current versions of firmware, and what to do if standard methods are blocked by security, how to check the touch screen for dead zones, evaluate the performance of microphones and speakers, and get detailed information about the state of the battery, which is not shown by conventional settings.

It is worth noting that access to these functions requires caution, changing some parameters in the engineering mode can lead to improper communication or recalibration of sensors, so before starting any manipulations, it is important to clearly understand what each option is responsible for, and avoid changes in the sections, the purpose of which you do not know.

What is the Engineering Menu and Why You Need It

The Engineering Mode was originally designed by factory designers and engineers to quickly test the performance of components on the assembly line. Under normal conditions, the user does not need to know the voltage on each battery cell or the exact coordinates of the finger touch, but when buying a used device or suspected defect, this tool becomes indispensable.

With built-in tests, you can identify problems that are not visible on a surface view, for example, a screen can look whole, but have matrix defects that only show up when colors change or brightness is high, and you can see these nuances instantly.

• 📱 Display test: check for broken pixels, uniformity of backlight and sensor accuracy.
• 🔋 Battery analysis: viewing the real number of charging cycles and the current state of the cells.
• 📡 Communication check: testing of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth modules, GPS and cellular networks.

In addition, through this interface, you can often find out IMEI-codes, radio version and other technical information that is useful when flashing a device or contacting a service center, for advanced users, this is an opportunity to calibrate the proximity sensor, which often glides after changing the glass.

The main ways of entering through system codes

The fastest and most common method of accessing hidden functions is the use of special features. USSD-The phones Xiaomi and Redmi have historically used universal code that worked on most versions of the phone. MIUI. However, with the release of new security updates, the company began to restrict direct access to some sections.

To try to log in, open the standard "ringer" and enter the following character combination. Usually the menu opens automatically, without the need to press the call button. If the screen blinks after entering the last digit or a new interface with a blue or white background opens, you are lucky and your firmware region allows direct access.

##6484##

This code is the main key to the CIT (Customer Integrated Test) menu, and if it doesn’t work, you can try alternatives that can be active on older versions of Android or other regions (China, India, Global Version).

• 🔢 ##4636## - Phone information and usage statistics menu (powered by pure Android and many shells).
• 🔧 ##3646633## - MediaTek classic engineering menu (works on older models with processors) MTK).
• 📞 ##8378## - Alternative code for accessing tests (rarely, but encountered).

⚠️ Attention: New Global Firmware (MIUI 12.5, 13, 14 and HyperOS) direct code entry ##6484## may fail or redirect to the normal settings interface.

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Codes do not work on all devices: access depends on the version of MIUI, the firmware region and the processor model (Snapdragon or MediaTek).

Activation through the application "Service and feedback"

If direct codes are blocked by the manufacturer, there is an official but hidden way to activate the engineering menu through the Services & Feedback system application, which is considered the most reliable method for modern models, since it uses a legitimate system mode-switching mechanism.

The idea is to repeatedly tap a particular version of the app, which activates a hidden switch, and then the standard code ##6484## starts working, and this requires careful attention, because you have to hit a particular area of the screen several times in a row.

First, look for an app called Service and Feedback or Services & Feedback on your desktop or in the Tools folder. Launch it and look at the top right corner where the settings gear icon is. Click on it.

In the list that opens, look for "Version" or "Version," and your job is to quickly click on that item with your finger. 5-10 The number of clicks can vary. At some point, you'll hear a characteristic click or vibration, and a message will appear on the screen «CIT back door opened" (Black door opened) CIT open or simply "opened».

Once activated successfully, you can go back to the ringer and type in the main code ##6484##. Now it must work and open the full hardware testing menu, a trick that works on the vast majority of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices, regardless of the MIUI version.

Use of third-party applications for access

When system methods are exhausted, specialized applications from the Google Play Store come to the rescue, developers create utilities that emulate code entry or use system APIs to run hidden Android activities, a secure way that does not require Root rights.

One of the most popular and proven tools is Quick Shortcut Maker, which allows you to create shortcuts for any hidden activity of the system, and in the search inside the application, you need to type in "CIT" or "Engineering", and the program will prompt you to run the corresponding component.

• 🚀 Quick Shortcut Maker: A powerful tool to create shortcuts for any hidden Android menus.
• 🔍 Activity Launcher: A similar application that allows you to run any activity of the system.
• 📱 Phone Info SAM: A specialized application for obtaining detailed information about hardware (although more tailored for Samsung, it also works with Xiaomi).

Another option is to use code calculator applications such as “Engineering Mode”. MTK» (It's often a database of codes for different manufacturers, but it's worth remembering that the Snapdragon processors that are used in most modern Xiaomi processors are very specific. MTK-codes won't work.

⚠️ Note: Download the apps to access the system menus only from the official Google Play Store. APK-Files may contain malicious code that can steal your data or damage your system.

When you use these applications, you don't actually hack into the phone, but you just get a user-friendly interface to call up system features that are already in the firmware but hidden from the average user, which makes the method relatively secure.

Access through ADB and computer diagnostics

For users who are not afraid of the command line and have access to a PC, the most powerful method is the use of USB debugging (ADB), which allows you to run the engineering menu forcibly, even if it is locked at the interface level, it requires minimal preparation.

First, you need to activate the developer mode. → About the phone and quickly press 7 times on the item "Version" MIUI». Then in the advanced settings, turn on “Debugging by” USB». Connect your smartphone to your computer with a cable.

adb shell am start -n com.android.settings/.HardwareSettings

Or an alternative command to run CIT:

adb shell am start -n com.miui.qc/.HardwareTest

These commands send a direct request to the system to start the testing activity of the equipment, and if a package called com.miui.qc or com.android.settings is present on the system (and it always is), the menu will open, a method often used by service center specialists for mass diagnostics.

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Use the original. USB-cable to connect to a PC when working with ADB. Cheap 'charging only' cables don't transmit data and a computer won't see the device.

Overview of the main tests and menu functions

Once inside the engineering menu, you see a list of dozens of items, each one of which is responsible for checking a particular component, and you need to understand them carefully so that you don't accidentally change important calibration data, and we'll look at the most useful sections.

The first thing you should look at is Version, which is a very comprehensive set of information about the device: IMEI, MAC-Wi-Fi and Bluetooth addresses, serial number, version LCD-It's the first thing you check when you buy a phone with your hands.

• 🎨 Display: screen test: allows you to run colors (Red, Green, Blue, White, Black) to find broken pixels and uneven backlighting.
• 🖐 Touchpanel: Sensor check. Draw lines all over the screen, so if you're interrupted or not drawn, there's a defect in that area.
• 🔊 Speaker / Receiver: test speaker and speaker, plays sound signals of different frequencies to check wheezing and distortion.

The Power or Battery section is also important. Unlike the standard percentage display, you can see the actual voltage, the battery temperature and, most importantly, the number of charge cycles (Charge Counter). If a phone with a mileage of 2 years has 50 cycles, this is an occasion to think about replacing the battery or flashing the controller.

⚠️ Note: There are “Write” sections on the menu IMEI» or «RF Do not attempt to change the values in these sections without special equipment and knowledge. This can lead to a complete loss of network signal, and restore the network. IMEI Programming is extremely difficult or impossible.

The Proximity sensor test is worth special attention: if your screen stops turning off during a conversation or, conversely, your phone hangs calls by putting it on the table, this test will help you to understand whether the sensor itself is working or the problem in the software failure.

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The engineering menu is a diagnostic tool, not a toy. Use it to check the condition of the device, but avoid changing calibration settings unless absolutely necessary.