Introduction: What is hidden behind the name "sensory assistant"
If you own a Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO smartphone, you’ve probably encountered the mysterious touch assistant feature in your system settings, which has been in the MIUI firmware since version 12, but many users still don’t understand what it’s for — and why it sometimes starts working on its own.
In fact, the touch assistant is a set of technologies that analyze your gestures, touch screens, and even device movements to optimize the response of the system. In some scenarios (such as playing or watching videos), it can automatically block random touches of the edges of the screen, and in others, on the contrary, speed up the response to swipes, but this “help” is not always appropriate.
What is the sensory assistant in MIUI?
The feature was introduced by Xiaomi to solve three key problems:
- 🎮 Game mode: blocking random taps on the side edges of the screen during dynamic games (for example, in the game). PUBG Mobile or Genshin Impact).
- 📱 Swipe optimization: Speeding up your response to horizontal/vertical gestures (useful for devices with large screens like the Xiaomi 13 Ultra).
- 🔄 Adaptive sensitivity: Automatic adjustment to wet fingers, gloves or stylus.
However, in reality, many users complain that the assistant is not working correctly – for example, ignores swipes in the menu or vice versa, reacts to touching the body (which is typical for models with curved screens, like the Xiaomi Mix Fold 3).
Where is the touch assistant in the MIUI settings
The path to settings depends on the version of MIUI and the device model.
- Open Settings → Display.
- Scroll down to the optional block and select Touch Assistant (or Screen Sensitivity in older versions).
- On some devices (e.g., POCO F5), the item is hidden in Settings → Special Features → Physical Features → Touch Assistant.
If you have a MIUI 14+, the path might look like this: Settings → System → Additional → Touch Assistant. On the Redmi Note 12 and later, the feature is sometimes duplicated in the Game Mode section.
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On some firmware (e.g. MIUI EU), the touch assistant is called "Touch Optimization" or "Edge Touch Protection." Use a search by settings if you don't find an item.
Step-by-step: how to disable the touch assistant
If a feature interferes, you can deactivate it completely or turn it off only for individual applications.
Method 1: Complete shutdown
☑️ Disabling the sensor assistant
After the shutdown:
- ✅ Disappears locking edges of the screen in games.
- ✅ Standard swipe sensitivity will return.
- ⚠️ False positives are possible when touching the body (on models with a curved screen).
Method 2: Disconnect for specific applications
If the assistant is needed for games, but interferes with everyday use:
- Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Select the app you want (such as Chrome or Telegram).
- Slip the Permits. → Additionally. → Touch assistant.
- Turn off the slider for this application.
What to do if the item is not in the settings?
Disconnecting via ADB (for advanced users)
If standard methods don’t work, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which is suitable for devices with unlocked bootloader or root rights.
Instructions:
- Install ADB Tools on your PC.
- Turn on USB Debugging on your phone (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version → 7 times tap the version number → Return to Additional → For Developers).
- Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command:
adb shell settings put global touch_assistant_enabled 0To return the standard settings, use:
adb shell settings put global touch_assistant_enabled 1⚠️ Attention: Misuse of the right ADB This may cause system failures. Before executing commands, back up your data through Settings. → Additionally. → Backup.
Table: Compatibility of touch assistant with Xiaomi models
| Model of the device | Support for the sensory assistant | Features of work | Recommendations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xiaomi 13/13 Pro | Yes (MIUI 14+) | Active edge blocking in games, adaptive sensitivity for stylus | Only disable in conflicts with launchers |
| Redmi Note 12 Pro+ | Yes (starting with MIUI 13.5) | Frequent false positives with wet fingers | Disable for browsers and messengers |
| POCO F5 | Yes (renamed "Touch Optimization") | Conflicts with POCO Launcher gestures | Full shutdown recommended |
| Xiaomi Mix Fold 2/3 | Yes (extended settings) | Separate profiles for folded/decomposed state | Manually configure for each mode |
| Redmi 10A/10C | Partially (only edge locking) | Minimal functionality, almost does not affect the work | You can keep it on. |
Frequent problems and their solutions
Even after the touch assistant is disabled, users experience side effects.
- 🔧 Screen not responding to touching edges: This is the residual effect of game mode.Reboot device or reset display settings (Settings) → Display. → Reset).
- 🔄 Swipes are unstable: Check if Improved Sensitivity is enabled in the special features settings.
- 🎮 Virtual buttons are missing: Some games (like Call of Duty Mobile) require manual touch zones settings after the assistant is disabled. Go to the game settings and resave the control configuration.
⚠️ Attention: On devices with AMOLED-screens (e.g. Xiaomi) 12T Pro) a complete shutdown of the touch assistant may result in increased power consumption due to constant scanning of touches at full power, in which case it is recommended to use a partial shutdown only for problem applications.
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If you have artifacts on the screen after you turn off the touch assistant (for example, ghost touches), calibrate the display through the engineering menu: ##6484## (does not work on all models).