Change the Default Browser
Tapping a link on your Xiaomi phone always opens Mi Browser, even though you installed Chrome or another app from the Play Store? This happens because Android keeps using the browser you confirmed as default the first time you opened a link. The new app stays installed but is simply never called until you switch the default setting yourself.
Turn Color Inversion On or Off
If your Xiaomi phone suddenly shows a black background with white text everywhere, or photos and videos look like a photo negative, Color inversion is likely switched on. This accessibility feature swaps colors system-wide, including in apps, galleries, and the camera preview, which can make the phone look broken until you know where to turn it off.
Desktop View in Mi Browser
Mobile sites on your Xiaomi phone often hide buttons, filters, or entire menus that only show up in the desktop layout. Mi Browser squeezes every page into a phone-friendly view by default, which helps scrolling but can block tools like advanced editors or full navigation bars. Switching to the desktop version brings those missing elements back without needing a computer.
Mount SD Card
If you tapped Eject SD card or safely removed the card from your Xiaomi phone, the storage disappears from your file manager and apps stop saving to it. MIUI keeps the card unmounted until you tell it to reconnect, even after a reboot in some cases. Photos, downloads, and app data meant for the card get redirected to internal storage instead.
Turn Accessibility Menu Shortcut On or Off
If a small floating icon suddenly shows up in the bottom right corner of your screen on your Xiaomi phone, the Accessibility menu shortcut has been switched on. This icon opens a panel with accessibility actions and does not change how the rest of the phone works. You can turn it on or off depending on whether you actually need those accessibility tools.
Set Up Face Unlock
Xiaomi phones store a 2D scan of your face and use the front camera to unlock the screen without a fingerprint or PIN. Before you turn it on, MIUI itself warns that a photo of your face or someone who looks similar could sometimes trigger the same unlock. That trade-off between convenience and security is worth understanding before you register your face.
Add a Fingerprint
If you can only unlock your Xiaomi phone with one specific finger, you probably registered just a single fingerprint during setup. MIUI lets you store several fingerprints so both your left and right hand work for unlocking or confirming payments. Each saved fingerprint can also get its own name, which helps when the device is shared with family.
Set a Custom Notification Sound
If you pick a full song as your Xiaomi notification tone, only the first few seconds usually play before the sound gets cut off or overlaps with the next alert. MIUI lets you use almost any audio file stored on your phone as a notification sound, no matter which folder it sits in, but long tracks feel out of place for a quick alert. Trimming the file first keeps notifications short and easy to recognize.
Filter Call History
When your Xiaomi call log fills up with dozens of entries, finding a specific missed or outgoing call turns into scrolling work. The Phone app on MIUI stores every call in one long list without separating calls by type or SIM card by default. A built-in filter option sorts the log so you only see the calls that matter.
Adjust Screen Timeout Duration
If your Xiaomi display turns off after a few seconds or stays lit far longer than you expect, the sleep timer is set to the wrong value. This setting decides how long the screen stays active before it locks, and it has a direct effect on battery drain and how often you have to unlock the phone.
Turn Call Barring On or Off
If your Xiaomi phone keeps racking up charges while roaming abroad, or you need to stop all incoming or outgoing calls for a while, call barring is the setting responsible. Unlike silencing a contact or using Do Not Disturb, call barring blocks calls at the network level and requires a password to change. Getting the wrong option enabled can also cut off calls you actually want, like international or roaming numbers.
Turn On/Off Proximity Sensor During Calls
If your Xiaomi screen stays lit while it is pressed against your ear during a call, you can end up muting yourself, switching to speaker, or hanging up by accident. This usually happens when the proximity sensor is switched off, so the display keeps reacting to touch instead of going dark near your face. A quick check in the call settings tells you whether the sensor is active.
Set Up Fingerprint Unlock
Setting up fingerprint unlock on a Xiaomi phone only works if you already have a Pattern, PIN, or Password configured, and MIUI asks for it before it lets you enroll a finger. If you cannot remember that unlock code, the fingerprint menu will not let you proceed at all. Many users also get confused about how many fingerprints they can add and what each one can be used for.
Hide or Show Notification Content for Locked Apps
Locking an app on your Xiaomi phone stops others from opening it, but the notification banner can still show the full message text on the lock screen. That means a locked banking app or messenger can leak private content even while the app itself stays protected. Xiaomi lets you control notification previews separately for every app you have locked, without switching notifications off entirely.
Auto-answer for Incoming Calls
If calls on your Xiaomi phone connect themselves before you even touch the screen, Auto-answer is likely switched on in the background. This MIUI feature can pick up every call after a set delay, or only when a Bluetooth headset is connected. Missing that toggle means you lose the chance to reject a call while it is still ringing.
Change Preferred Network Type
If your phone shows no or barely any 4G/LTE signal in certain spots, calls drop and data stalls even though older 3G or 2G networks are still available nearby. The Preferred network type setting decides which mobile network your SIM tries first, and the wrong choice can leave you stuck searching for a signal instead of connecting to one that actually works.
Turn On/Off Long-press for Symbols
If numbers, accents or special characters only appear after holding down a key on your Xiaomi keyboard, Long-press for symbols is doing its job in the background. When this setting is off, those hidden symbols stay invisible and you cannot access them at all through a long press. The delay before a symbol gets inserted can also feel too short or too long, depending on how you type.
Dark or Light Theme for Messages App
If the Messages app on your Xiaomi phone still shows a bright white background while the rest of your system runs in dark mode, the app theme is set independently. Calls, Contacts and Messages each carry their own display setting in MIUI, so a system-wide dark mode switch does not always carry over automatically.
Show or Hide Carrier Name on Lock Screen
If your Xiaomi lock screen shows the SIM carrier name under the clock, a MIUI status bar setting is behind it. Some people want that text gone for a cleaner lock screen or extra privacy, while others lose it after a reset and want it back. Either way, the toggle sits in one specific settings screen and is easy to miss.
Notch Display per App
If one app stretches its content behind the notch while another leaves a black bar around it, the per-app notch setting is likely mismatched with that app's layout. This shows up mostly in games or video apps that were not built with a notch in mind. The fix depends on a setting Xiaomi lets you configure separately for each installed app.
Hide the Full Screen Indicator (Gesture Bar)
With gesture navigation active on a Xiaomi phone, a thin bar stays visible at the bottom of the screen at all times. It sits on top of apps, videos and games, and some people find it distracting during full-screen use. This line is a system indicator tied to gesture navigation, not a bug.
Set the Default Media Volume Level
Videos, music, and games on your Xiaomi phone start way too loud or too quiet, and pressing the Volume buttons only helps once something is already playing. That happens because Media volume runs on its own channel, separate from ringtone and notification levels in MIUI.
Sort Contacts by First or Last Name
If your Xiaomi contact list feels out of order, it usually comes down to whether the Contacts app is sorting entries by first name or last name. This becomes a real problem when you are searching for someone by their surname but the list is alphabetized by given name instead. The rule that controls this sits in one setting inside the Contacts app.
Document Scanner Shortcut: Enable or Disable
If the camera keeps popping up a scan icon every time you point it at a sheet of paper or a presentation slide, the Document scanner suggestion is active. Some people find this shortcut useful for quickly digitizing paperwork, others just want the extra button gone from the viewfinder.