Allow or Deny Do Not Disturb Access for Apps
When an app suddenly enables Do Not Disturb on its own, or a call app keeps muting notifications you actually want to see, a hidden system permission is usually behind it. On Xiaomi phones, individual apps can request permission to switch Do Not Disturb on or off, and that access is not always obvious from the app itself. Checking which apps hold this permission helps you regain control over your notifications.
Search Bar in Notification Shade
Pulling down the notification shade on a Xiaomi phone sometimes shows an extra search field at the top that you never asked for, or the opposite happens and you want that shortcut back. This toggle sits in Mi Browser, not in the notification settings where most people go looking for it. Without knowing that, the option seems to be missing entirely.
Archive a Conversation in Messages
When your chat overview gets cluttered with conversations you want to keep but do not check daily, the Messages list keeps showing all of them at the top. Archiving hides a conversation without deleting it, and you can bring it back anytime.
Delete an Alarm
If your Xiaomi phone keeps ringing at a time you no longer need, an old alarm is probably still sitting in the Clock app. Alarms pile up quickly once you set them for one-off events like flights or workouts, and they rarely get removed afterward. A cluttered alarm list also makes it harder to spot the one alarm you actually rely on every morning.
Change SIM PIN
The PIN that comes preset on a new SIM card is rarely one you can memorize, and typing the wrong code repeatedly locks the card. On Xiaomi phones you can swap it for a PIN you actually remember, but the option sits a few menus deep under network security settings rather than in the main lock screen settings.
Focus & Shoot: Turn On or Off
If tapping the screen on your Xiaomi camera fires the shutter right away instead of just setting focus, Focus & shoot is switched on. Some people rely on this two-tap workflow to keep the phone steady, while others get accidental photos while they are still framing the shot.
Change Notification Sound
When every app on your Xiaomi phone plays the same generic chime, spotting an important message in a stack of notifications gets tricky. MIUI lets you pick a different tone per notification type, and if you run two SIM cards you can even split the sound by line. The tricky part is finding where this setting actually lives, since it is buried a few taps below the general Sound menu.
Restore a Local Backup
If you deleted an app or lost data on your Xiaomi phone, you don't need a full factory reset to get it back. MIUI keeps local backups separate from Google and Xiaomi Cloud backups, and picking the wrong one often leaves apps or settings missing. Knowing which backup type actually contains your data saves time before you start the restore.
Turn Best Photo Marks On or Off
If your Gallery keeps flagging one photo out of a burst as the best shot, MIUI is comparing similar images and tagging the sharpest or best-exposed one automatically. Some users find this helpful for sorting large photo batches, others just want a clean gallery without extra labels. The setting controls whether this comparison runs at all.
Turn Autofill Service On or Off
If login fields on your Xiaomi phone stay empty or a browser keeps offering saved passwords you never asked for, the Autofill service is likely misconfigured. This system feature decides whether apps and browsers can pull addresses, payment details or passwords into forms automatically. Switching providers or turning the service off changes what gets filled in and which app holds that data.
Set Pop-up Window Action Timeout
If a pop-up window or temporary app alert disappears before you can tap a button, or lingers on screen far longer than needed, the accessibility timeout is set too short or too long for how you use your phone. This value decides how much reaction time you get on prompts that show up briefly and then close on their own. MIUI lets you adjust this timing instead of leaving it on the default.
Schedule Dark Mode Automatically
Switching dark mode on and off every day by hand gets tedious, especially when you only want it active at night. Xiaomi phones can handle this automatically, but the scheduler sits right next to the regular dark mode switch and is easy to miss. Without setting a start and end time, the display keeps whatever theme you last picked instead of changing on its own.
Dark or Light Theme for the Phone App
If the Phone app keeps showing a bright white call screen while the rest of your Xiaomi runs in Dark mode, the dialer has its own theme setting separate from the system. This mismatch usually happens because the app theme was never linked to System default, or it got reset after an update. It affects the call screen, contact list and dial pad, not just the notification bar.
Turn HDR On or Off in Camera
Photos taken against bright light or in high-contrast scenes sometimes look overprocessed, flat, or slightly blurred on Xiaomi phones. This happens when HDR (High Dynamic Range) automatically merges several exposures into one shot, which also slows down capture for moving subjects.
Show Notification Content Only After Face Unlock
Sensitive notification text sometimes appears on the Xiaomi lock screen before Face unlock has actually confirmed your identity. This happens because the notification preview and the face verification step are controlled by two separate settings on MIUI. Once linked, message content only unlocks after your face data matches.
Change the Time Zone Manually
If your Xiaomi phone keeps switching its time zone whenever you travel or connect to a different carrier network, automatic time zone detection is the cause. This network-based setting overrides any manual change you make until you turn it off. Once you know where that toggle sits, you can lock in a fixed time zone yourself.
Quick Ball Shortcuts and Behavior Settings
If the floating Quick ball only opens one fixed app or keeps popping up during video playback, its behavior settings are still on default. MIUI lets you change the trigger gesture, auto-hide rules and screen position, but these options sit outside the shortcut list and get overlooked easily.
Delete Face Data
If Face unlock keeps failing after you changed your look, glasses, or a stored alternative appearance, one of the two saved facial profiles on your Xiaomi phone might be outdated. MIUI lets you register two different face entries, but it does not always pick the right one automatically. Removing the outdated profile is the only way to register a fresh one without conflicts.
Set Up a Proxy Server for Wi-Fi
If your network admin or workplace requires traffic to run through a specific server, a plain Wi-Fi connection on your Xiaomi phone will not route it correctly. Without a configured proxy hostname and port, apps either fail to connect or bypass the required server entirely. This affects browsing, app updates and anything that depends on that network policy.
Clear the Whole Call History
When missed, dialed, and received calls pile up on your Xiaomi phone, scrolling through the list to find one number gets tedious fast. Deleting entries one at a time barely makes a dent if you actually want a clean call log. MIUI offers a single action that wipes the entire history at once, and once it's gone, it's gone for good.
Filter Contacts by Account
If your contact list mixes phone numbers, WhatsApp entries, and other synced accounts, finding the right person gets messy fast. MIUI keeps every synced account in one long list by default, which makes Calls and Messages harder to scan. A built-in filter lets you narrow that view down to only the account you actually need.
Turn Bluetooth On or Off
If a Bluetooth headset, speaker, or car kit will not pair with your Xiaomi phone, Bluetooth is often still switched off or was never fully enabled after a restart. The Quick Settings toggle can also drift out of sync with the actual radio state, which leaves paired devices unable to reconnect until you check the setting directly.
Change SIM Card Name
Two SIM cards from the same carrier look identical on your Xiaomi phone, so it is easy to grab the wrong one for a call or a mobile data session. MIUI shows a generic carrier label for each slot by default, which does not tell you which SIM is your personal number and which one is for work or travel. Giving each SIM card its own name in the phone settings clears up that confusion for good.
Turn On/Off Increasing Ringtone Volume
If every incoming call blasts full ringtone volume right away, or the ringtone feels too quiet at first and only gets loud after several rings, the Increasing ringtone volume option is the setting behind that behavior. It decides whether calls start soft and grow to your set volume level or play at full strength from the first ring. This setting sits separately from the general ringtone volume slider and often gets overlooked when troubleshooting calls that feel too jarring or too quiet.