How to read books on a Xiaomi smartphone: from choosing an app to protecting your eyesight

Reading books on Xiaomi smartphones has become a common practice for millions of users, but not everyone knows how to make it really comfortable, and the problems range from fast eye fatigue to uncomfortable page management — especially if you are used to paper books or specialized readers like the Kindle. In this article, we will discuss not only how to technically open a book on Redmi, POCO or Mi devices, but also how to set up the system so that reading does not cause discomfort.

It's important to understand that a smartphone is a versatile device, and its screen is not initially optimized for long-term text reading. However, with the right settings and apps, even the budget model of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 can turn into a full-fledged reader. We tested everything from standard tools MIUI to third-party programs and selected the most effective solutions, and we will also tell you why night reading on Xiaomi AMOLED- screens is more harmful than on IPS, and how to fix it.

1. Built-in MIUI capabilities: Reading without installing applications

If you need to open a book urgently and you don’t have time to install additional programs, use the built-in MIUI tools. The operating shell from Xiaomi supports reading.pdf,.epub,.fb2 and.txt files through the standard File Manager application.

• 📁 Open the Files app and find the downloaded book in the Downloads or Documents folder.
• 📖 Click on the file – the system will automatically prompt you to open it in read mode (for.pdf and.txt) or redirect Books to Google Play (for.epub).
• ⚙️ In the upper right corner, a settings icon will appear, where you can change the font size, background color and screen orientation.

The main disadvantage of this method is the lack of synchronization between devices and limited display settings, for example, you can not adjust the line spacing or choose a serif font (like Georgia or Times New Roman), which is critical for comfortable reading fiction, but it is ideal for viewing technical documentation in.pdf format.

⚠️ Warning: The built-in.pdf viewer in MIUI does not support bookmarks and abstracts. If you need to work with textbooks or contract documents, you'd better install Adobe Acrobat Reader or Foxit PDF.

2. Top-5 Reading Apps on Xiaomi: Comparison and Recommendations

Standard tools are suitable for one-time viewing, but if you read regularly, you can not do without specialized software. We tested dozens of applications and selected the ones that work best on Xiaomi devices (including models with MIUI 14 and HyperOS), Selection criteria: support for all popular formats, customizable interface, synchronization and no intrusive advertising.

For most Xiaomi users, Moon+ Reader is the best choice – it supports all current formats, allows you to fine-tune the display of text and even read books aloud (TTS feature). If you want synchronization between devices, pay attention to Google Play Books, but be prepared for restrictions in settings. While Cool Reader, despite its free, we recommend only for older models (for example, Redmi 5 or Mi A1), since it works unstable on new versions of Android.

Optimizing Xiaomi’s screen for reading: Vision protection and charge saving

Even with the best app, reading on a smartphone can cause eye fatigue if you don't set the screen correctly. Xiaomi devices have several unique features that will help reduce the strain on vision:

• 🌙 Reading Mode: Available on models with AMOLED- screens (e.g., Xiaomi 13 or POCO F5) It reduces the blue component of light and makes the colors warmer. It is enabled in Settings → Display → Reading Mode.
• 🔄 Automatic brightness: calibrate it to the room lighting. Go to Settings → Display → Brightness and turn off the Auto check box, then manually set a comfortable level (usually 30-50%).
• 📱 Screen refresh rate: If your Xiaomi supports 120Hz (like the Redmi Note 12 Pro+), force switch to 60Hz in Settings → Display → Update. This will save charge and reduce flicker.

On the AMOLED- Xiaomi screens (found in the Mi 11/12/13 series, POCO F4/F5) reading in dark mode with white text on a black background reduces battery consumption by 20-30%, but increases eye load with prolonged use. The optimal compromise is a dark gray background with a warm tint of text (configurable in most readers).

💡

If you read before bed, activate the Do Not Disturb feature (Settings → Sounds and Vibrations → Do Not Disturb) and set a schedule – this will turn off notifications that distract from reading.

4 How to Transfer Books to Xiaomi: Clouds, Cables, and Alternative Ways

Before you start reading, you need to download the books to your device, and here are all the ways you can do it, ranked by convenience:

1. Cloud storage (Google Drive, Yandex Drive, Mi Cloud):
2. Sending by email or messengers:

For Xiaomi owners with MIUI 12+, there is another way – the Mi Drop (formerly ShareMe) feature, which allows you to transfer files between Xiaomi devices over Wi-Fi without the Internet:

1. Transmission via Mi Drop:

⚠️ Warning: When transferring books via instant messengers or email, avoid.fb2.zip or.epub formats with DRM- protection. Some applications (such as Google Play Books) may not open such files.

5. How to read books comfortably: gestures, bookmarks and voice control

Reading on a smartphone is not only different from paper books in terms of screens, but also in terms of interaction, and here are some life hacks that will make the process easier:

• 👆 Flip gestures: In Moon+ Reader or FBReader, you can configure swipes across the screen to go to the next/previous page, for example, swipe from right to left forward, from left to right backward.
• 🔖 Auto Bookmarks: Enable AutoSave Positions in the reader settings, so even if the application closes, you'll return to the last page you read.
• 🎤 Voice control: Moon+ Reader has built-in support for Google Assistant. Say "OK, Google, open Moon Reader" or "Flip the page" to control handless reading.
• ⏱️ Sleep Timer: If you fall asleep while reading, set the screen to automatically shut down after 10-15 minutes in the reader settings. This will save battery life.

For Xiaomi models with Always-On Display support (such as Xiaomi 13 Ultra or POCO F5 Pro), you can display the read progress on the locked screen.

1. Install the reader widget (e.g. Moon+ Reader) on the home screen.
2. Activate Always-On Display in Settings → Display → Screen Lock.
3. Choose a display style with the progress of the book.

6. Reading Problems on Xiaomi and How to Solve Them

Even after you've set up correctly, you can have difficulties, and here are the most common problems and solutions.

If a.pdf book is displayed curved or cropped around the edges, the problem may be zoom settings. In Adobe Acrobat Reader, go to Settings → Page Size and select Screenwidth or Auto-Scale.

💡

For reading comics (.cbz,.cbr) use Lithium or Perfect Viewer – they support two-page mode and adaptive zoom.

7. Alternative ways: screenless reading and voice books

If you are tired of looking at the screen, but still want to read books, there are two solutions:

• 🎧 Audiobooks: Install Audiobooks from Google or Storytel. Many works are available for free (e.g., public domain classics). To download audio files in.mp3 or.m4b Use Smart AudioBook Player.
• 🗣️ Text to Voice (TTS): In Moon+ Reader or @Voice Aloud Reader, you can play voiceovers using Google voices TTS or IVONA.

1. Download a voice packet (e.g., en-RU-language) to Settings → System → Language and Input → Text to Speech.
2. In the reader settings, select the Google TTS engine and set the speech speed to 0.8x-1.0x.

Voice reading is convenient for multitasking: you can listen to a book while cleaning, jogging or traveling in transport. However, keep in mind that synthesized speech can sound unnatural, especially in works of art with dialogue. For better quality, use paid voices from IVONA (for example, Maxim or Tatiana).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions