Manage Device Administrator Apps
An app you want to uninstall on your Xiaomi phone refuses to go away, or a widget keeps nagging you about admin permissions. Device administrator apps get elevated rights to change security settings or wipe data remotely, which is exactly what blocks a normal uninstall. Turning off that permission is usually the fix before the app can finally be removed.
Add a New Contact
Saving a new phone number on a Xiaomi device sometimes feels confusing because the Contacts app hides extra fields like birthday, address or company behind a single Add button. Many users only enter a name and number, then wonder later why the birthday never shows up in the calendar. The trick is knowing which fields to expand before you save the entry.
Power Button Ends Call Setting
Ending a call on a Xiaomi phone usually means tapping the red hang-up button on screen, which is awkward one-handed or when the display is hard to reach. MIUI has a hidden accessibility toggle that lets you end calls with the power button instead, but it is turned off by default and easy to miss in the settings.
Turn On/Off Emergency SOS
If your Xiaomi phone fires off an emergency text every time you grab it too fast, Emergency SOS is likely reacting to five quick presses of the power button. The feature sends your location and, if you choose, a summary of your last hour of call activity to selected contacts. Turning it off - or setting it up properly first - stops accidental alerts and unwanted location shares.
Install an App from the Play Store
Setting up a new Xiaomi phone often means hunting for the right way to add apps like WhatsApp, a cookbook, or a new game. Search results in the Play Store can show several similar-looking entries, so picking the correct one before tapping Install actually matters.
Download Videos via Mi Browser
Saving a video from Facebook, YouTube or Vimeo on a Xiaomi phone usually means installing a separate downloader app first. Mi Browser can skip that step, but only if you know where the download option for links is hidden in the profile menu. Without it, a pasted video link just opens for streaming instead of saving to your storage.
Turn Camera Shutter Sound On or Off
Every photo on your Xiaomi phone triggers a shutter click, even in a quiet room or during a video call screenshot. The sound comes from the camera app itself and has nothing to do with your ringtone or notification volume, so muting the phone alone will not silence it.
Change Default Apps
If your Xiaomi phone keeps asking which app to use every time you open a song, a link, or a photo, no default app is set for that file type. MIUI stores these preferences per action, and once none is chosen, the selection prompt reappears every time you tap the file.
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.
Set the Time Manually
If the clock on your Xiaomi phone keeps jumping back to the wrong hour right after you edit it, the Use network-provided time toggle is still active in the background. Xiaomi phones pull the time straight from your mobile network or Wi-Fi connection, so any manual change gets overwritten within seconds. That sync option has to be switched off first before a custom time will actually stick.
Set Default SIM Card for Outgoing Calls
Every time you dial a number, your Xiaomi phone pops up a menu asking which SIM card to use for the call. If you only ever tap the same option anyway, that extra confirmation step just slows down dialing. A fixed default SIM removes the prompt for good.
Reject an Incoming Call
If a call comes in at a bad moment on your Xiaomi phone, you don't have to answer it or wait it out. The red decline icon on the incoming call screen lets you dismiss it right away, but only if you swipe correctly. Miss the gesture and the call keeps ringing or gets answered by accident.
Rename a Fingerprint
Every fingerprint you add on a Xiaomi phone gets a generic label like Finger 1 or Finger 2, which makes no sense once you have three or four saved. If you cannot tell your thumb from your index finger in the list, renaming them is the only way to keep the Fingerprint unlock screen readable.
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.
Camera Modes Layout: Tab or Panel
Switching between Photo, Video, and other capture modes takes an extra tap when your camera app hides them behind a 'More' tab instead of a swipeable panel. This layout setting decides how the mode bar behaves at the bottom of the viewfinder, and the wrong choice can slow down quick mode changes while shooting. The option lives inside the camera app itself, not in the general phone settings.
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.
Rename a Gallery Album
Album names like Camera, Screenshots or a random date string get confusing fast once your Gallery fills up with dozens of folders. Renaming an album on your Xiaomi phone does not touch the photos or videos inside it, so nothing gets lost or reordered. This only affects how the folder is labeled in the app, not where the files are stored.
Manage Displayed Calendar Accounts
If every linked account shows up in the Calendar app at once, work meetings and private appointments end up mixed together in one view. This happens because the Calendar app displays all synced accounts by default, with no separation between personal and work calendars. You can turn individual accounts on or off without removing them from the device.
Turn On/Off Dark Mode
If your Xiaomi screen still glares white at night, straining your eyes and eating into battery life, Dark Mode is probably still switched off. MIUI can flip the whole interface to a dark layout, but many users never find the schedule option that would turn it on automatically at a set time. Without that schedule active, you end up switching the toggle by hand every evening.
Auto-Fill Empty Home Screen Cells After Uninstalling Apps
When you uninstall an app on a Xiaomi phone, the empty cell it leaves behind can sit unused or the whole layout can shift, depending on one home screen setting. Most people never notice this toggle exists until their icons suddenly rearrange themselves. Knowing where it lives lets you decide whether gaps stay put or close automatically.
Turn On/Off Google Voice Typing
If tapping the microphone icon on your Xiaomi keyboard does nothing, or the icon is missing entirely, Google voice typing is usually switched off in your language and input settings. Without it, spoken words never turn into text and you are stuck typing manually. A system update or keyboard reset can flip this setting without you noticing.
Change Press-and-Hold Shutter Button Function
On Xiaomi phones, holding down the shutter button in the Camera app usually triggers a burst shot instead of a single photo. If you actually want continuous autofocus or a locked focus point for a tricky shot, that burst behavior gets in the way. MIUI lets you swap this hold action to Focus or Record video instead.
Turn Screen Locking Sounds On or Off
Every time your Xiaomi phone locks or unlocks, a short click plays, and it keeps repeating as you use the device throughout the day. That sound comes from the Screen locking sounds option buried in the sound settings, not from notifications or Focus mode. It can be muted or restored in a few taps once you know where it hides.
Clear Speaker Sound Cleaner
If your Xiaomi phone's speaker sounds muffled or noticeably quieter than it used to, dust or lint trapped in the speaker grille is usually the reason. MIUI has a built-in tool that plays a short cleaning tone to help shake particles loose before you reach for compressed air or a pin.