Fingerprint Unlock for App Lock
If a locked app on your Xiaomi phone keeps asking for the app lock password even though your fingerprint sensor works everywhere else, fingerprint unlock for App lock is probably switched off. This setting lets you skip the PIN or pattern entry for individual apps and confirm access with your finger instead. Without it enabled, MIUI falls back to the password every time you open a protected app.
Camera Delay-Timer
If your Xiaomi camera fires the shutter the instant you tap the button, group photos or selfies often turn out blurry or catch you mid-pose. MIUI has a built-in delay-timer for exactly this situation, but it sits hidden inside the camera menu instead of the main shooting screen. Without it, you only get a split second to get into position before the shot is taken.
Delete a Folder from the Home Screen
A folder that still holds one or two apps refuses to disappear no matter how often you tap on it. MIUI does not offer a direct delete button inside the folder itself, which confuses a lot of users. The trick lies in how you grab and move the folder icon, not in emptying it app by app.
Enable Dark Mode in Mi Browser
If Mi Browser still shows bright white pages after the sun goes down, the built-in night option is probably switched off. This setting dims both the browser interface and many web pages, which cuts glare and makes late-evening browsing easier on your eyes. It sits separately from the general system theme, so changing one does not automatically change the other.
Add a Bookmark to the Home Screen
If you keep opening Mi Browser just to reach one saved website, that link only lives in your bookmarks list, not on the home screen. Xiaomi phones do not turn a saved bookmark into a shortcut automatically, so you have to add that icon yourself. Without it, every visit means opening the browser, tapping Bookmark, and scrolling to find the right entry.
Change Select to Speak Voice Output
If Select to Speak reads text too slowly or sounds flat, the text-to-speech engine behind it is still running on its default speed and pitch. MIUI lets you fine-tune the speaking rate, voice pitch and language instead of leaving Select to Speak untouched. A wrong accent or a voice that talks too fast points to the same settings screen.
Turn Flashlight On or Off
Need to switch on the LED flash on the back of your Xiaomi phone without opening the camera app? The flashlight toggle sits in the quick settings panel, but if you rarely use it the icon is easy to overlook. An unresponsive toggle usually points to a Control center layout change, not a broken LED.
Pair a Bluetooth Device
If your headset, earbuds, or speaker will not connect to your Xiaomi phone, the accessory usually needs to be paired first before Bluetooth can use it. Until pairing finishes, the phone will not list it as an active connection, so audio and calls stay on the built-in speaker.
Turn On Automatic Backup for Storage and Data
If you only remember to back up your Xiaomi phone after something breaks or gets lost, relying on manual backups is the real problem. MIUI can schedule backups on its own, but the default days, time, and data selection may not match how you actually use your phone. Getting the schedule wrong means backups either pile up unnecessarily or miss the files you actually care about.
Set a Custom Timer Ringtone
If the timer on your Xiaomi phone keeps playing the same generic tone, you probably want something you actually notice - or one you can tune down for lighter naps. MIUI lets you swap the timer sound for a pre-installed ringtone or your own .mp3 file, but the option sits several taps deep inside the Clock app and is easy to miss. Picking the wrong file type can also mean silence instead of a sound.
Make a Phone Call
When two SIM cards are active on your Xiaomi phone, tapping the call button can leave you unsure which line actually dials. The Phone app splits the green call button into two halves, one per SIM, and tapping the wrong side sends the call out on the wrong number or tariff. This mix-up gets worse if the SIM slots have not been renamed, since both halves look nearly identical.
Adjust TalkBack Advanced Settings
Once TalkBack is active on a Xiaomi phone, the whole touchscreen behaves differently and simple taps stop opening apps directly. Many users get stuck because the default gestures feel slow or accidentally trigger the wrong action. Xiaomi phones offer several TalkBack options like Single-tap activation, touch gestures, keyboard shortcuts and custom labels to fix this.
Forward an SMS Message
Need to pass on an address, code, or phone number from a text without retyping it? On Xiaomi phones you can forward the original SMS straight from the Messages app instead of copying the content by hand. This saves time and avoids typos in important details.
Disable Wi-Fi Direct
On many Xiaomi phones the Wi-Fi Direct toggle looks greyed out or simply refuses to switch off. That happens because the feature stays active as long as at least one device remains paired to it. Disconnecting every paired device is the only way to actually shut Wi-Fi Direct down.
Show Memory Status in Recent Apps
When you swipe up to check recent apps on a Xiaomi phone, the memory bar at the top sometimes just isn't there, leaving you without a quick read on free RAM. This indicator only reports live usage and does not close or manage background apps on its own. Without it turned on, you lose a fast way to judge whether your phone is actually running low on memory.
Delete an Event in the Calendar App
If your calendar is cluttered with old appointments you no longer need, deleting individual events keeps things readable. Once removed, an event is gone for good and cannot be restored. On some Xiaomi phones the built-in Calendar app is replaced by Google Calendar, which uses a slightly different menu.
Taking a Photo with the Camera App
Snapping a basic photo on a Xiaomi phone rarely causes trouble, but once you enable a color filter, lock focus manually, or switch away from the default Photo mode, the shutter button can seem to do nothing. Knowing which mode and settings are active before you tap the shutter prevents blurry or oddly filtered shots.
Back Up Your Phone to Xiaomi Cloud
If your Xiaomi phone breaks or gets lost, photos, contacts and app data are gone unless a cloud backup exists. Many users assume MIUI backs up automatically, but Xiaomi Cloud sync stays off until you sign in with a Mi account and switch it on. Without that step, only local backups on the device itself exist, and those disappear along with the phone.
Adjust Contrast, Saturation and Sharpness in Camera
Photos that look flat, oversaturated, or too soft often trace back to the Contrast, Saturation and Sharpness sliders hidden inside the camera settings, which default to a middle level that does not always match your device or lighting. Each slider offers seven steps for Contrast and Saturation and three steps for Sharpness, but most people never open that menu. Once one slider sits far from the middle, every photo taken afterward inherits the same look until you change it back.
Add a Widget to the Home Screen
Opening an app just to check a stock quote, the weather, or your next calendar entry gets tedious fast. On Xiaomi phones running MIUI, widgets show that information directly on the home screen without unlocking the app first. Many users only find wallpaper and icon-organizing options here, since the widget menu is easy to miss.
Change the Region Setting
Your Xiaomi phone picks the region automatically, usually based on your SIM card or network. If you are traveling or using a local SIM abroad, that automatic pick can be wrong for app stores, currency formats, or regional content. You can override it and set the region yourself.
Turn On/Off Next-Word Suggestions
If the keyboard stops predicting the next word while you type a message or email, MIUI's text correction settings are usually behind it. Next-word suggestions guess the word that fits your sentence based on context, not just the letters you already typed. Switching the feature on or off changes how fast you can write and how often the keyboard guesses wrong.
Open Split Screen via Recent Apps
Switching back and forth between two apps constantly slows you down, especially when you need to compare content or copy information between them. On Xiaomi phones the Recent apps overview hides the option to run two apps side by side unless you tap and hold the right spot on the app card. Not every app supports this mode, and the shortcut disappears if you tap the wrong area.
Set Date Manually
If the date on your Xiaomi phone keeps resetting no matter how often you change it, automatic network time sync is usually the reason. As long as this feature stays on, MIUI pulls the date from your carrier and overwrites any manual edit in Settings within seconds.