Turn Auto-download MMS On or Off
If picture or video attachments in text messages download automatically on your Xiaomi phone, MMS auto-download is turned on by default. This can eat through your mobile data plan fast, especially with large video files. Switching the feature off gives you control over when attachments actually get downloaded.
Create a Contact Group
If you want to text several friends at once or hear a different ringtone when work calls versus family, MIUI needs your contacts sorted into groups first. Without a group, every message goes out individually and every caller sounds the same. Xiaomi handles this through a labeling feature inside the Contacts app that most people never notice.
Add Extra Contact Details
Only a phone number and name saved for a contact leaves out useful extras like birthday, nickname, or a website link. On Xiaomi phones, MIUI hides these optional fields behind the standard edit screen, so you never see them unless you go looking. Without filling them in, calls and messages only ever show the bare minimum information for that person.
Send a Group Message (SMS/MMS)
When you try to text several people at once on a Xiaomi phone, it is not always clear whether picking multiple names in Contacts actually creates a real group thread. MIUI also switches silently between SMS and MMS depending on whether photos or long text are attached, so replies can end up scattered across separate one-on-one chats instead of a single conversation.
Turn MMS Read Receipts On or Off
If contacts can see the moment they read your MMS messages, or you cannot tell whether your own texts got opened, the read receipt option is likely misconfigured on your Xiaomi phone. This setting works separately from standard SMS delivery reports and needs its own toggle inside the messaging app. On Dual SIM devices, each SIM line can carry a different receipt setting, which often explains why the behavior seems inconsistent between conversations.
Flip to Silence Ringer: Turn On or Off
If your Xiaomi phone keeps ringing loudly even when you quickly flip it face-down during a call, the Flip to silence ringer feature is likely turned off. When active, flipping the device mutes the ringtone, stops the vibration and turns off the notification light instantly. The caller still hears it ringing though - the call is not rejected or sent to voicemail.
Delete a Contact
Contacts opened from Calls or Messages on a Xiaomi phone are the same entries stored in the Contacts app, so removing one wipes it out everywhere at once. Syncing with your Google Account does not stop the local delete from going through, and once it is confirmed there is no built-in way to bring the entry back.
Delete a Single SMS Message
Deleting a whole conversation wipes out every message in that thread, even the ones you still need. Sometimes you only want one text gone, like an old verification code or a message sent to the wrong person. On Xiaomi phones, single messages inside a conversation can be removed without touching the rest of the thread.
Mark All Messages as Read
When unread badges pile up across several conversations in the Messages app, tapping into each thread just to clear the counter gets tedious fast. On MIUI there is a faster way to clear every unread marker at once, without opening every single chat.
Turn On/Off Dial Pad Tones
Every digit you tap on the Xiaomi phone app's dial pad triggers a short beep, and that tone lives in a settings menu that has nothing to do with the calling app itself. In quiet places or shared rooms, that repeated clicking sound gets annoying fast, especially if you dial full numbers manually. Other users want the opposite problem solved: the tone stopped playing and they miss the tactile feedback while typing a number.
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.
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.