Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphone owners often notice a floating button on the screen or react to taps on the body without even activating special modes. This system feature, known as touch assistant, is built into the MIUI shell and the new HyperOS to simplify navigation. It allows you to quickly launch applications, take screenshots or return to the main screen with a single touch.
Many users confuse this tool with the regular Quick Access menu or mistakenly mistake it for malware that has hit the device, but it is a legitimate component of the operating system that can be activated by default on some models or activated after a firmware update, and understanding its purpose will help to correctly customize the interface to your needs.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at how the standard touch assistant differs from third-party counterparts, what hidden features it opens up, and how to completely disable interfering controls if you don’t need them. We’ll look at settings for different versions of Android, including the current security updates from 2026-2026.
What is a System Function
The Touch Assistant in Xiaomi devices is a software module that provides alternative ways to control a smartphone. Unlike the standard navigation bar at the bottom of the screen, it offers more flexible use cases, such as calling a quick action menu or launching applications through gestures. MIUI and HyperOS implement this functionality at the system level, ensuring its stable operation and minimal resource consumption.
The main purpose of this feature is to adapt the control for users with large screens or for those who prefer to control with one hand. Instead of reaching for the top corner of the display, you can use a floating button or tapping, this is especially true for phablets with a diagonal of more than 6.5 inches.
It is important to distinguish the built-in tool from third-party applications that may request permissions to overlay (mapping over other windows). System Assistant does not require additional permissions and is deeply integrated into the launcher. It does not slow down the device and does not collect user data outside of the standard telemetry system.
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If you see a button with the Xiaomi logo or a standard round icon in the corner of the screen, it's a system feature.Third-party apps often have their own logos or custom button designs.
The functionality may vary depending on the regional version of the firmware. Global ROMs may have different options than Chinese (CN ROM) or Russian (RU ROM) builds. However, the basic principles of operation remain unchanged over the past years of the Android platform.
Differences from the Quick Access Menu
There is frequent confusion between the touch assistant and the Quick Ball menu. Although both elements provide floating buttons on the screen, their purpose and logic differ. Touch assistant is more often associated with gesture control and tapping, whereas Quick Ball is a set of shortcuts for quickly launching functions.
Let’s look at the key differences in the table below so you can accurately identify the tool activated on your device:
| Characteristics | Touch assistant | Quick Access Menu (Quick Ball) |
|---|---|---|
| Basic method | Tap, swipe, floating button | Clicking on a floating label |
| Location on the menu | Additional settings / Special features | Additional settings / Fast ball |
| Customizability | High (gestures, timings) | Average (list of 5 shortcuts) |
| Impact on the battery | Minimum | Minimum |
Users looking for a way to take screenshots with triple tapping or clear memory with a shake usually need touch assistant settings. The Quick Access menu is more suitable for those who need static buttons to make calls or run a calculator.
Newer versions of HyperOS sometimes blur the lines between these features as Xiaomi seeks to unify the interface, but in deep system settings, they are still divided into separate menu sub-items.
How to activate and configure the functionality
To enable advanced control, you need to go to deep system settings. The path may vary slightly depending on the version of Android, but the general logic remains. You will need to find a section responsible for special features or additional interface settings.
Follow the following steps to activate:
- 📱 Open your smartphone settings and go to the Additional settings section.
- 🔍 Find Special Opportunities (sometimes hidden in the submenu of One-Hand Management or Touch Assistant).
- ✅ Activate the switch at the top of the screen, then tap the arrow next to it to access the detailed settings.
- ⚙️ In the menu that opens, select the desired actions for single, double or long pressing.
Here you can assign the launch of specific applications, execution of system commands (for example, Home or Back), or activation of the voice assistant.
Note that some options may not be available if Simple Mode is enabled or certain energy saving profiles are activated, in which case the system limits background processes and visuals.
☑️ Setting up a sensory assistant
Control through gestures and tapping
One of the most useful features is the smartphone's response to physical impacts without touching the screen, which is implemented through an accelerometer and a gyroscope built into the device. Postukivanie allows you to perform actions just by tapping on the back of the phone.
Available reaction options include:
- 👆 Single tapping: often used to screenshot or turn on a flashlight.
- 👆👆 Double tapping: convenient for launching a camera or voice recorder.
- 👆👆👆 Triple tapping: you can appoint to clean the RAM.
⚠️ Attention: Sensor sensitivity may vary. If the function is triggered too often or ignores your actions, try adjusting the force of pressing in the settings or removing a protective case that can extinguish the vibration.
There is also a feature called Off-Gestural Management, which allows you to wake up the screen or start the camera by double tapping when the display is off. This is a separate option that is often found in the next menu of screen settings.
Why does the tapping not work in some games?
Compatibility issues and conflicts
Despite the system level of integration, the touch assistant can conflict with other applications, and most often problems arise with programs that also use floating windows or overlays, such as messengers with bubble function or applications for recording the screen.
Typical symptoms of conflict:
- 🚫 A floating button overrides important interface elements in applications.
- 🚫 Random Functions in Typed Text.
- 🚫 Increased battery consumption due to constant sensor survey.
If you notice that after turning on the assistant, the smartphone began to work slower or heat up, try turning off the function and check the behavior of the system. In rare cases, cleaning the cache of the com.miui.touchassistant application through the application management menu helps.
Also, it is worth considering that on screens with a high refresh rate (120 Hz and above), the assistant animation may look less smooth if the power saving mode is turned on.
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Conflicts with overlays are the most common reason for disabling the function by gamers and active users of instant messengers.
How to completely disable the sensory assistant
If you don't need the features and you want to remove the extra elements from the screen, you can easily deactivate them, which will bring back the standard behavior of the system and eliminate random taps, and the process of turning off is similar to turning on, but requires careful attention when looking for the right switch.
Instructions for complete shutdown:
- Go to Settings. → Additional settings.
- Select Special Opportunities (or Touch Assistant if it is handed out separately).
- Find the Touch Assistant switch and put it in the off position.
- If you also have a Quick Ball activated, you need to turn it off separately in the next menu.
Once turned off, the floating button will disappear instantly. However, gesture settings can be saved if they were activated in a separate menu sub-item. Check the One-Handed Control section to make sure there are no active scripts left.
⚠️ Warning: After the firmware update, the settings may reset to factory. If the assistant appears again after the system update, just repeat the shutdown procedure.
For users who prefer full control, there is the option of disabling via an engineering menu or ADB, but for most cases, standard interface settings are sufficient.Using ADB commands is only required in cases where the settings menu is blocked or corrupted.
If the standard shutdown path doesn’t work (menu item is gray or unavailable), check if the phone is not on Guest mode or restrictions for children that may block the change in system settings.