Add or Remove Bookmarks in Mi Browser
Losing track of a website you visited last week is common once it drops out of your browser history. Bookmarks fix this by saving the page permanently until you decide to remove it. The catch is that many Xiaomi users don't know where the bookmark list actually lives inside Mi Browser, so saved pages get forgotten or accidentally deleted.
Change the Always-on Display Clock Style
If the Always-on display on your Xiaomi phone only shows a plain digital number and you want something more analog or more detailed, the clock style is buried a few taps deep in the display settings. Many users never notice the option because it sits inside a submenu, not on the main Always-on display toggle screen. Picking the wrong style can also affect how much info fits on the lock screen and how visible the clock stays in daylight.
Turn On/Off Ad Blocker in Mi Browser
If ads keep interrupting your browsing or pages suddenly feel slower to load, the built-in ad blocker in Mi Browser is likely the reason. Xiaomi ships this filter active by default, similar to the pop-up blocker, and it can be switched on or off depending on how you want pages to render. Turning it off removes the filtering step but may bring back more banners and auto-play video ads.
Change Display Size
If text and icons on your Xiaomi phone look too small or too cramped, the Display size setting is usually the cause. It scales both the interface and the font size together, which can push app shortcuts around on your home screen until you rearrange them.
Turn Off Wi-Fi Hotspot Automatically
Leaving the personal hotspot active after every connected device disconnects quietly drains battery on Xiaomi phones. MIUI includes a setting that shuts the hotspot down on its own once nothing is using it, but most owners never notice it exists.
SMS Delivery Reports Setting
Not sure if a text message actually reached the other person? Xiaomi phones can show a status report for every SMS you send, but the switch for it sits deep inside the Messages app and is easy to overlook. With the setting off you get no confirmation at all, even when the message went through without issues.
Set the Fingerprint Recognition Method (Touch or Press)
If your Xiaomi phone has the fingerprint sensor built into the power button, unlocking with the screen off depends on how the sensor reacts to your finger. Some users notice the phone unlocks too slowly, or not at all, because the sensor expects a light touch instead of a firm press, or the other way around. Switching the recognition method changes how the sensor behaves every time you pick up the phone.
Enterprise Mode
If you spot Enterprise mode buried in your Xiaomi settings and have no idea what switched it on, you are not alone. The feature is built for companies that want to restrict which apps or websites an employee device can reach, and in some setups it can also report device activity back to an administrator. On a private phone that was never enrolled by a company, this toggle usually just sits there unused, which raises the question of what it is doing and whether it is safe to leave alone.
Change Alarm Tone
If your Xiaomi alarm keeps ringing with the same generic tone or the Nature alarm sound never changes, the ringtone categories in the Clock app are likely the reason. Some categories, like Nature alarm, only rotate through different sounds when the phone has an active internet connection. Without that connection, the alarm falls back to a stored default tone instead of downloading a new one.
Turn Lock Screen Notifications On or Off
Hiding lock screen notifications on your Xiaomi phone keeps message content away from prying eyes, but it also means pop-up alerts stop appearing when the screen is locked. Instead you only see small icons in the status bar, so you have to unlock the phone to check what actually happened. This trade-off between privacy and quick alerts confuses a lot of users switching the setting for the first time.
Turn On/Off Device Watermark on Photos
Every photo you take with your Xiaomi phone gets a small watermark in the bottom left corner, showing which device captured the shot. If you want cleaner images for sharing or printing, that watermark can get in the way fast.
Set Snooze Time and Repetition
If your Xiaomi alarm keeps snoozing for too long or not often enough, the default snooze interval and repeat count are likely not adjusted to your needs. MIUI lets you fine-tune both values, but the option sits several menus deep in the alarm settings.
Show or Hide Password Characters While Typing
On Xiaomi phones, every character you type into a password field flashes briefly on screen before turning into a dot. If you unlock accounts in public, on a video call, or while someone else can see your display, that brief character preview can expose your password to anyone nearby.
Remove a Member from a Contact Group
If a contact still shows up in a group even though you no longer want them there, the fix is not to delete the contact but to unlink them from that specific group. On Xiaomi phones this distinction confuses people because the removal option sits inside the group menu, not in the contact's own profile screen.
Set Always-on Display Duration
If your Always-on display only flashes for a few seconds after you tap the screen, it is set to the short timer instead of staying on permanently. On MIUI you can choose between a brief 10-second preview and a version that stays active the whole time your phone is locked or in standby.
Remove Google Search Bar from Home Screen
After the first setup of a new Xiaomi phone, a Google Search bar sits on the home screen by default and takes up space you might want for widgets or app icons. Many people assume it is a fixed part of MIUI and leave it there without checking. It is actually just a removable widget, so getting rid of it does not require digging through any settings menu.
Turn Location Access On or Off
If maps, weather, or camera apps suddenly stop finding your position on a Xiaomi phone, the general location toggle in MIUI settings might be switched off. Turning it off blocks GPS for every app at once, even those you already granted permission to use your location. This differs from per-app location permissions, which stay untouched but simply can't function without the master switch.
Turn Off Developer Options
If Developer options keeps popping up in your Xiaomi settings even though you only enabled it once for a quick fix, it usually just needs to be switched off inside its own menu. Leaving it active keeps USB debugging and other low-level toggles exposed, which can interfere with app checks or banking apps. Turning it off hides the whole menu again until you reactivate it through the hidden tap sequence.
Convert HEIF Photos to JPEG Before Sending
If photos shared from your Xiaomi phone show up as broken files or will not open on someone else's device, the picture was likely saved in HEIF format. Many apps and older phones cannot read HEIF directly, so the recipient sees a blank thumbnail or an error instead of your photo. The Gallery app has a setting that handles this conversion automatically at the moment you send a file.
Turn On/Off USB Debugging
If MyPhoneExplorer refuses to sync contacts or a rooting tool cannot detect your Xiaomi phone over cable, USB debugging is usually still switched off. The option only appears once Developer options are unlocked, and many users cannot find the toggle afterward. Leaving it enabled permanently also carries a small security risk you should know about.
Turn Automatic Date & Time On or Off
If your Xiaomi phone shows the wrong time after a trip or SIM swap, the automatic time sync is likely still active. Automatic date & time relies on network-provided time, which can lag or fail when signal is weak. Turning it off lets you set the clock manually instead.
Custom Image on Always-on Display
If the pre-installed Always-on Display themes on your Xiaomi phone all look the same, you can swap them for a photo of your own. MIUI lets you pick any image from your gallery instead of the default clock designs. Once applied, you can still adjust the clock position, text color, and how battery or notification icons appear on top of your picture.
Allow or Deny Picture-in-Picture Access per App
If a video keeps floating over your screen after you switch away from an app, or a floating window refuses to disappear while you're typing a message, picture-in-picture is active for that app. Some apps use this floating window aggressively even when you just want the screen back to yourself, while others lose the ability to keep playing video in the background because the permission got switched off. This setting controls exactly which apps are allowed to open that overlay window on your Xiaomi phone.
Missed Call Reminders: Turn On or Off
If a missed call slips by unnoticed until hours later, missed call reminders are probably switched off or set to repeat only once. MIUI can nudge you again about an unanswered call, and the number of repeats is adjustable. Without this setting active, a single missed call notification is easy to swipe away and forget.