What Xiaomi features: a complete guide to the hidden features of the system

The Chinese brand’s smartphone owners often wonder what Xiaomi features are available to them by default and what are hidden in the depths of the operating system. The company’s devices are famous not only for their affordable price but also for their rich software shell, which offers hundreds of tools for customization and device management. However, many users are unaware of the existence of powerful utilities that can turn the gadget into a real control center for the digital world.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at what Xiaomi can do right now to improve performance, improve photography and protect personal data. We won’t be talking about trivial calls or messaging, but we’ll focus on the features that make Xiaomi’s ecosystem unique to the competition, and understanding these tools will allow you to make the most of your smartphone.

It doesn’t matter what model you have – a budget Redmi or flagship Xiaomi Pro series. The architecture of the MIUI shell or the new HyperOS is based on the same principles, so the methods described below will be relevant for most current devices. Let’s dive into the technical depths of your phone.

Hidden Interface and Navigation Features

The first thing that catches your eye when you use a smartphone is the interface. But did you know that standard navigation is just the tip of the iceberg? The system offers flexible management tools that are often underappreciated. For example, the floating windows feature allows you to run multiple applications simultaneously in multitasking mode, which is critical for productive work.

Many users ignore the Sidebar as useless, but if you set it up correctly, it becomes a powerful tool for quick access, and you can add a calculator, a voice recorder, or even a screenshot to call them over any running application, be it a game or a browser.

• 🚀 Full screen gestures: Lets you forget about the control buttons and increase the usable area of the display, hiding system elements.
• 🖱️ One-handed control: Moves the interface downwards for comfortable use of large thumb diagonals.
• 📱 Split screen mode: Divide the display into two active zones to work with two applications at the same time.

The Always On Display setting is particularly noteworthy, and unlike many competitors, you can not just choose a watch, but also upload your own images, adjust your turn-on schedule, and even react to notifications, which turns a screen off into a personalized dashboard.

💡

Use dark static images for Always On Display AMOLED-screens to minimize battery consumption while maintaining visual style.

For those who like to experiment, Advanced Gestures is available, which allows you to assign actions to tap on the back cover or scroll through the status bar, a unique feature of MIUI firmware that allows you to run applications or take screenshots without touching the screen with your main hand.

Developer Mode and Hidden System Settings

When it comes to what features Xiaomi is most interested in for advanced users, the Developer Menu pops up, and you can get there by quickly clicking on the build number in the About Phone section several times, which opens up access to dozens of parameters that affect the behavior of the operating system.

One of the most useful features is changing the animation speed. The system uses a 1x ratio standard, but reducing it to 0.5x creates the illusion of lightning-fast interface operation. The smartphone begins to respond to commands instantly, which is especially noticeable on models of previous years of release with less powerful processors.

⚠️ Note: Do not disable the option “Download through” USB» or "Debugging by" USB», If you don't understand the consequences, it can open up access to your data to any connected computer.

Another important setup is to limit background processes, so if you notice that your phone is starting to warm up or run out quickly, you can force the number of apps running in the background, but you need to be careful not to disrupt messengers and email clients, who should receive real-time notifications.

The same section hides the Bluetooth Audio Codec format setting. Owners of high-quality wireless headphones can switch the codec from standard SBC to AAC, aptX or LDAC (if hardware is supported), which significantly improves the quality of the transmitted sound, making it more detailed and clean.

And it's also worth mentioning the "Show Touch" feature, which displays a white dot on the screen where you touch your finger, which is useful for creating training videos or just understanding where the touch layer is responding if you're having problems with your input accuracy.

Camera: professional modes and macros

The question of “what features Xiaomi has in the camera” worries many mobile photography enthusiasts. Standard Photo mode uses artificial intelligence algorithms to process automatically, but the real potential is revealed in Pro Mode, where you get full control of exposure, focus and white balance.

Manual ISO and shutter speed settings allow you to take low-light pictures without excessive noise or, conversely, freeze the movement of water and transport, making the smartphone a full-fledged tool for creative shooting, comparable to budget mirrorless cameras.

The Long Exposure mode is particularly noteworthy, allowing you to create spectacular images of light tracks from cars or make water in waterfalls and rivers "silk" directly from your hands, without using a tripod, thanks to algorithmic stabilization.

• 🔍 Telephoto and zoom: Optical approximation without loss of quality available in models with the appropriate camera module.
• 🌌 Night mode: Takes a series of shots with different exposures and glues them together for a bright and clean shot at night.
• 📄 Documents: A special mode for scanning texts that automatically aligns perspective and removes glare.

And let's not forget video, the flagship models support 8K and 4K recording at 60 frames per second, and the "Vlog" feature is also available, which automatically mounts videos, adding music and transitions, which is ideal for fast social media posts.

For macro photography, many models have a separate lens that allows you to focus 2-3 cm from the object, opening up a world of micrography where ordinary colors or textures of fabrics look like abstract canvases.

💡

Using RAW mode in the Camera app gives maximum flexibility in post-processing, while maintaining the entire dynamic range of the matrix.

Security and access management

Data security is the number one priority for the modern company, with Xiaomi smartphones offering layered security that goes far beyond just unlocking passwords, and the Security app is the central hub for managing all of these features.

One of the most useful features is Second Space, which creates a completely isolated environment within a single device, so you can have two sets of apps, two galleries and two Google accounts, switching between them with a single touch or a fingerprint, which is perfect for separating work and personal life.

Hide Apps allows you to remove the icons of selected programs from the desktop, and to run such an application, you need to enter a special code in the dialer or use a gesture in the gallery, which is a reliable way to hide personal photos, banking applications or correspondence from prying eyes.

⚠️ Warning: If you forget the password from the Second Space or hidden apps, it will be almost impossible to restore access to data without resetting the device.

Eye Protection is also available, which filters the blue light of the screen, and unlike the simple night mode, you can adjust the schedule and the intensity of the filtering, which reduces the burden on vision when reading from the screen during the dark.

The built-in antivirus, powered by Avast and AVL engines, scans applications and files in real time. While it does not replace user caution, it effectively blocks the installation of known malicious packages from unknown sources.

Permission management is an important part of security, and allows you to customize in detail what data (geolocation, contacts, microphone) each application can receive, and you can only allow access “during use,” which prevents hidden data collection in the background.

Optimizing battery and memory

Autonomy is a key parameter for any mobile device, and Xiaomi has an aggressive but efficient power management algorithm, so that users can see detailed data on how they charge over hours and apps, which helps them identify voracious programs.

Memory Extension allows you to use part of the built-in drive as virtual RAM, which is especially true for models with 4 or 6 GB of RAM, as it helps to keep more applications open in the background without rebooting them.

But the physical limitations of the technology are important: the speed of the embedded flash is lower than that of the RAM, so the performance gains will only be noticeable in multitasking scenarios, not in heavy gaming, and in some cases, turning off this feature even improves the responsiveness of the interface.

Energy Saving mode automatically limits background activity, vibration and screen brightness. In ultra mode, the phone turns into a "ringer", leaving only basic communication functions to work, which can extend the life of the device for several days in an emergency.

Also worth mentioning is the memory optimization feature, which automatically clears the cache and closes inactive processes when you lock the screen or schedule, freeing up system resources for current tasks.

The Mi Home Smart Home Ecosystem

Xiaomi is not just a phone, it is a remote control of your home. The Mi Home app (or its integration into the system) allows you to combine hundreds of devices, from light bulbs and sockets to robot vacuum cleaners and air purifiers, all managed from one interface.

Automation scenarios allow for complex logic circuits, such as when a door opener is triggered, the lights in the hallway can turn on, and when an alarm clock is triggered, the curtains open and the coffee maker turns on, creating a truly intelligent environment.

Control is done over a local network or cloud, providing a response even when there is no Internet (for local devices), and support for voice assistant Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa allows you to control voice technology, which adds another level of comfort.

⚠️ Note: When adding devices to the ecosystem, pay attention to the server region, and devices purchased for the Chinese market may not be seen in the Russia or Europe app without additional manipulation. The Universal Remote (on models with an IR port) turns the phone into a remote from a TV, air conditioner or console, eliminating the need to search for original remotes and allowing you to control the equipment remotely if it supports smart functions. FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions How to activate hidden features when they are not on the menu? Many features become available after activation of developer mode or installation of India or USA region in the system settings. MIUI/HyperOS And they can come with updates. Is it safe to use the developer functions? Most settings are safe, but changing settings like Minimum Width (DPI) or shutting down system services can lead to unstable work. Always remember what you changed to bring back the settings. Why are some of Google's features not working on Xiaomi? Global versions all services are working normally. On Chinese versions (CN ROM) you may need to manually install Google Play Services and configure permissions to properly operate Push notifications. Can you remove Xiaomi system applications? Yes, with your computer and ADB utilities you can remove most system debris, including advertising and unnecessary services, but you don't need to remove these critical components.