Set Data Usage Warning Level
If you have already capped your monthly data plan on a Xiaomi phone, you might still get surprised when the limit hits without any heads-up. The warning level tells MIUI at what percentage of your data plan it should alert you before you run out.
Set a New Alarm
Waking up on time with a Xiaomi phone means finding the right spot to add a repeating schedule, a custom label, or a different ringtone for each alarm. Many users only set a one-off alarm and miss the options for weekday repetition, vibration, or automatic deletion after the alarm rings. Getting these details wrong means the alarm either fires on the wrong days or disappears after a single use when you actually wanted it daily.
Restrict Mobile Data Usage for an App
If a Xiaomi phone burns through your data plan even though you barely open certain apps, background data access is usually the cause. By default every installed app can use mobile data and Wi-Fi without restriction. On dual-SIM phones this applies separately to each SIM slot, which makes it harder to spot which line is actually consuming the data.
Edit and Rearrange Quick Settings
If the toggle you need most sits at the bottom of the control center or is missing entirely, you have to scroll or swipe further every time you want to switch it on. MIUI lets you add, remove and reorder these quick settings tiles, but the edit option is easy to miss if you have never opened it before.
Change Keyboard Layout in MIUI
If your Xiaomi keyboard still types QWERTY while you actually need QWERTZ, AZERTY or another layout, every second word ends up misspelled. MIUI lets you switch or add layouts per language, including Dvorak, Colemak, Neo2 and a plain PC layout, but the setting is buried several menus deep inside the keyboard options. Handwriting input is listed there too, in case none of the fixed layouts match how you type.
Turn Contact Sharing via Bluetooth On or Off
When you pair your Xiaomi phone with a car radio, the contact list sometimes stays empty even though the Bluetooth connection shows as active. That happens because MIUI keeps Contact sharing separate from the general Bluetooth toggle, so voice dialing and steering-wheel controls have no phonebook to pull from until you enable it. The same setting can also keep sharing your address book with a paired device after you no longer want it to.
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.
Set Touch & Hold Delay
If long-pressing an app icon on your Xiaomi home screen either opens the shortcut menu too fast by accident or takes too long to react, the touch and hold delay is set to the wrong stage. This timing controls how long you need to keep your finger down before a long-press action triggers, and it affects every control element that supports it, not just app shortcuts.
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.
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.
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.
Enable Keyboard Dark Theme in Battery Saver
If your Xiaomi keyboard stays bright white even after battery saver kicks in, the automatic dark theme switch for the keyboard is turned off. This setting is separate from the general dark mode toggle and only reacts to the power-saving state of the phone. Without it, the keyboard ignores battery saver and keeps burning extra power on OLED screens.
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.