Skip to content
TechBone
Xiaomi

Xiaomi: Turn One-handed Mode On or Off

If your Xiaomi phone feels too big to reach the top of the screen with one thumb, the built-in one-handed mode shrinks the whole display into a smaller window. Many users never find this option because it hides under Additional settings instead of the main Display menu. Without it enabled, you are stuck stretching or using both hands for every notification bar swipe or top-corner button.

4 min5 steps
Version

Step by step

1 / 5

Step 1 of 5: Tap on **Settings**

1

Tap on Settings

Live simulator

Android 11 · MIUI
Turn One-handed Mode On or Off – MIUI: step 1 – Tap on Settings
Tap on Settings
1 / 5

Scroll or use the buttons for the next step

Feedback

Was the guide correct?

Help others: confirm the path or report a problem.

66

Confirmations

Forum verified this path

Xiaomi

Turn One-handed Mode On or Off auf Xiaomi

One-handed mode on Xiaomi phones shrinks the entire screen into a compact window that fits into one corner. It is meant for people with large-screen phones who need to reach app icons, notification shades, or back buttons without shifting their grip.

The feature lives outside the main Display settings, which is why it often stays undiscovered. It sits under Additional settings in MIUI, where Xiaomi groups gestures and accessibility shortcuts that are not used daily.

Where to find one-handed mode

Open Tap on SettingsTap on Additional settingsTap on One-handed mode. From there you can Enable or disable One-handed mode and choose a window size: Set 4.5 / 4.0 / 3.5 inches.

Once enabled, swipe left or right from the home button area to shrink the current window and slide it toward the edge you swiped from. Swipe back the same way, or tap outside the shrunk window, to return to full screen.

The smaller size options work best on phones with 6.5 inch or larger displays. On smaller phones, a 3.5 inch window can feel cramped for typing or browsing, so test each size before committing to one.

If the swipe gesture does not trigger the shrink effect after enabling the setting, check whether another gesture navigation mode is active. Some navigation styles override the home button swipe and need to be switched to gesture-based navigation for one-handed mode to respond.

Frequently asked questions

This usually happens when your phone uses button-based navigation instead of gesture navigation. Switch navigation to gestures first, then repeat the swipe from the home button area.