How to make a table in notes on Xiaomi: 5 working ways

Making tables in notes on Xiaomi smartphones seems like a simple task — until you face the limitations of the standard Mi Notes app. Unlike Google Docs or Microsoft Word, there is no "Insert table" button, but that does not mean that there is no possibility. There are at least 5 ways to add a table to notes, and we will analyze each of them, from the obvious to the little-known.

The problem is that the Notes app interface (or Notes Lite on budget models) hides some of the functionality behind non-obvious gestures or requires pre-tuning. For example, many users do not know that versions of MIUI 14+ have Markdown Markup support, which allows you to create tables through text commands, and on older devices you will have to use workarounds — from manual formatting to third-party applications.

In this guide you will find:

• 🔹 Step-by-step instructions for all versions MIUI (12 to 16)
• 🔹 Comparison of methods in speed and convenience
• 🔹 Hidden chips that are not written about in official documentation
• 🔹 Solutions for cases where the table "moves" during editing

1. Method: Using Markdown Markup (MIUI 14+)

Starting with MIUI 14, the Notes app supports the basic syntax of Markdown, a markup language that allows text to be formatted using characters, and it’s the fastest way to create a spreadsheet if your smartphone has upgraded to the current firmware.

To add a table:

1. Open the note and move to a new line.
2. Enter the following template (you can copy it from here):

| Heading 1 | Heading 2 | Heading 3 |


|-------------|-------------|-------------|




| Cell 1 | Cell 2 | Cell 3 |




| Cell 4 | Cell 5 | Cell 6 |

1. Press Ready (check in the upper right corner).
2. The table will automatically appear in formatted form.

🔹 Important: If the characters have not been converted to a table after entering, check:

• 📱 Version MIUI (Markdown only works on 14+)
• 📝 Note format (should be "Text" and not "Checklist" or "Voice")
• 🔄 Spaces between | characters and text (e.g. | text | is correct, | text | is not)

⚠️ Warning: On some devices (e.g., Redmi Note 11 with MIUI 13.0.6) Markdown tables only show correctly in preview mode. When editing, you will see the source code with the characters | and -.

2. Method: Manual formatting with symbols

If your Xiaomi runs MIUI 12/13 or you prefer not to use Markdown, you can create a pseudo-table using characters and alignment.This method takes longer, but works on any version of the application.

Algorithm of action:

1. Use the symbol - (hyphens) for horizontal lines and | (vertical line) for column separators.
2. Align text with spaces so that the cells match visually in width.
3. For headings, use bold text (select a word and press B in the toolbar).

Example of finished result:

+---------------+---------------+---------------+


| Date | Task | Status |




+---------------+---------------+---------------+




| 10.05.2026 | Buy products | ✅ Completed |




| 11.05.2026 | Pay bills | ❌ In the process |




+---------------+---------------+---------------+

🔹 Tip: To speed up the process, create a template in Google Sheets or Excel, copy it as text and paste it into a note. The table characters will be saved.

Create a draft in a notebook | Calculate the maximum width of the column |Add dividing lines | Check the alignment on the screen-->

⚠️ Note: When editing such a table on a small-screen smartphone (such as the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite), the characters may slide off. To avoid this, fix the width of the columns using monolithic blocks (for example, the Xi Mi 11 Lite, |-----|-----| instead |---|---|).

3. Method: Insert tables from Google Tables

If you want a full table with formulas or lots of data, the best option is to create it in Google Tables and paste it as an image or link.

Instructions:

1. Open Google Tables in your smartphone browser.
2. Create a table with the right number of rows and columns.
3. Click File → Download → PNG (or JPEG).
4. Return to Notes, click + → Image and select the saved file.

🔹 Pros of the method:

• 📊 Support for color design and combined cells
• 🔗 Ability to insert a link to a table (click "Share" in Google Tables and select "Copy Link")
• 📱 Works on all versions of MIUI and Xiaomi models

🔹 Cons:

• 🖼️ The table becomes uneditable (you have to edit the source in Google Tables)
• 📏 When changing the size of the image, clarity may become lost.

💡

If you need to update your table frequently, insert a link to Google Table instead of an image. To do this, in Google Tables, click Share → Publish online and copy the URL. In the note, create a hyperlink through the insert menu.

4. Method: Unicode Special Symbols for Visual Tables

For those who like experimentation, there's a way to create a table using special Unicode characters, which are visually reminiscent of lines and angles, allowing you to simulate a grid.

Examples of symbols for the table:

Example of tables with Unicode characters:

┌───────────┬───────────┬───────────┐


│ Date │ Task │ Status │




├───────────┼───────────┼───────────┤




│ 10.05.2026│ Buy milk │ ✅ │




│ 11.05.2026│ Call your mom │ ❌ │




└───────────┴───────────┴───────────┘

🔹 How to insert symbols:

1. Copy the desired symbol from the table above.
2. Insert it in the note (long press → Insert).
3. Duplicate characters to create lines if necessary (e.g. ─── for a long horizontal line).

⚠️ Warning: Some fonts (e.g. Mi Sans in MIUI 12) may display Unicode characters incorrectly. Before creating a table, check what the characters in your note look like by inserting them one at a time.

Method: Third-party applications for notes

If Xiaomi’s built-in tools don’t suit you, consider alternative apps that support tables out of the box. Here’s the top -3 option for Android devices:

• 📝 Google Keep is a simple interface, but no tables (checklists only) and is suitable for short lists.
• 📊 Notion is a full-fledged table with a database, but requires registration and has a complex interface.
• ✏️ ColorNote is a lightweight application with support for tables via Markdown (similar to MIUI 14+).

🔹 How to transfer notes from Mi Notes to another app:

1. Open the note in Mi Notes.
2. Press ⋮ → Export and select the.txt format.
3. Import the file to a new application (in most cases, it is enough to open.txt through the Open with Help menu).

🔹 Comparison of applications:

💡

If you want simple tables without unnecessary features, ColorNote is the best choice. Notion is good for complex database projects, but be prepared for long learning.

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even after you create a spreadsheet, Xiaomi users are faced with common errors, and here are the most common ones and ways to fix them:

🔸 Problem 1: Table "moves" when editing.

• 📌 Solution: Fix the width of columns using monolithic block symbols (for example, |----------|----------|).
• 📌 Use monowire font (select Courier New or similar in the note settings).

🔸 Problem 2: Markdown table is not displayed (leaves text with | characters).

• 📌 Solution: Update MIUI to the latest version or check if Markdown support is enabled in the Notes app settings (⋮ → Settings → Text Formatting).
• 📌 Restart the application (sometimes required to apply changes).

🔸 Problem 3: The inserted image of the table is blurred.

• 📌 Solution: Before inserting, crop the image in Google Photos or another editor to remove the extra fields.
• 📌 Save the table in format PNG not JPEG) for better quality.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions