Camera Modes Layout: Tab or Panel
Switching between Photo, Video, and other capture modes takes an extra tap when your camera app hides them behind a 'More' tab instead of a swipeable panel. This layout setting decides how the mode bar behaves at the bottom of the viewfinder, and the wrong choice can slow down quick mode changes while shooting. The option lives inside the camera app itself, not in the general phone settings.
Delete Photos or Videos from Gallery
Storage on your Xiaomi phone fills up fast once photos and videos pile up in the Gallery app. Many users don't realize they can select several items at once instead of deleting them one by one. This guide covers the exact steps to clear out unwanted media quickly.
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.
Rename a Gallery Album
Album names like Camera, Screenshots or a random date string get confusing fast once your Gallery fills up with dozens of folders. Renaming an album on your Xiaomi phone does not touch the photos or videos inside it, so nothing gets lost or reordered. This only affects how the folder is labeled in the app, not where the files are stored.
Manage Displayed Calendar Accounts
If every linked account shows up in the Calendar app at once, work meetings and private appointments end up mixed together in one view. This happens because the Calendar app displays all synced accounts by default, with no separation between personal and work calendars. You can turn individual accounts on or off without removing them from the device.
Turn On/Off Dark Mode
If your Xiaomi screen still glares white at night, straining your eyes and eating into battery life, Dark Mode is probably still switched off. MIUI can flip the whole interface to a dark layout, but many users never find the schedule option that would turn it on automatically at a set time. Without that schedule active, you end up switching the toggle by hand every evening.
Auto-Fill Empty Home Screen Cells After Uninstalling Apps
When you uninstall an app on a Xiaomi phone, the empty cell it leaves behind can sit unused or the whole layout can shift, depending on one home screen setting. Most people never notice this toggle exists until their icons suddenly rearrange themselves. Knowing where it lives lets you decide whether gaps stay put or close automatically.
Change Press-and-Hold Shutter Button Function
On Xiaomi phones, holding down the shutter button in the Camera app usually triggers a burst shot instead of a single photo. If you actually want continuous autofocus or a locked focus point for a tricky shot, that burst behavior gets in the way. MIUI lets you swap this hold action to Focus or Record video instead.
Turn Screen Locking Sounds On or Off
Every time your Xiaomi phone locks or unlocks, a short click plays, and it keeps repeating as you use the device throughout the day. That sound comes from the Screen locking sounds option buried in the sound settings, not from notifications or Focus mode. It can be muted or restored in a few taps once you know where it hides.
Clear Speaker Sound Cleaner
If your Xiaomi phone's speaker sounds muffled or noticeably quieter than it used to, dust or lint trapped in the speaker grille is usually the reason. MIUI has a built-in tool that plays a short cleaning tone to help shake particles loose before you reach for compressed air or a pin.
Name Format for Call History
If some entries in your call log show the first name before the surname while others do the opposite, the phone app is mixing display styles from different contact sources. This happens often after importing contacts from a SIM, another account, or a backup. The call history keeps the format each contact was saved with instead of applying one consistent style.
Filter Contacts by Account
If your contact list mixes phone numbers, WhatsApp entries, and other synced accounts, finding the right person gets messy fast. MIUI keeps every synced account in one long list by default, which makes Calls and Messages harder to scan. A built-in filter lets you narrow that view down to only the account you actually need.
Add a City to World Clock
Your Xiaomi phone only shows the time for your home region, and comparing time zones means switching apps constantly. The World Clock widget can hold several cities at once, but the option to add one sits inside a menu that is easy to overlook. Removing a city later works differently too, since it needs a long-press instead of a simple delete button.
Turn On/Off Mono Audio
If music, videos or calls sound identical from both speakers on your Xiaomi phone, Mono audio is switched on. This accessibility feature merges the left and right channels so every clip and call plays the same content on each side. It's meant for hearing support, not everyday stereo listening.
Restore Deleted Photos or Videos from the Recycle Bin
Deleted a photo or video on your Xiaomi phone and now need it back? The Gallery app does not erase files right away - they sit in a hidden trash folder for a limited time before they disappear for good. Missing this window means the memory is gone permanently.
Save a Webpage in Mi Browser
Closing a browser tab often means losing an article for good, especially without a stable connection to reload it later. Mi Browser includes a built-in save function, but most people only notice the screenshot option and overlook the HTML and PDF alternatives. Each format behaves differently once you try to reopen, edit, or share the saved page again.
Enable or Disable Google Assistant via the Home Button
Holding down the virtual home button on your Xiaomi phone launches Google Assistant automatically, even when you only meant to go back to the home screen. If that accidental trigger bothers you, or you actually want the shortcut and it is not working, the setting sits in a spot most people never check.
Change SIM Card Name
Two SIM cards from the same carrier look identical on your Xiaomi phone, so it is easy to grab the wrong one for a call or a mobile data session. MIUI shows a generic carrier label for each slot by default, which does not tell you which SIM is your personal number and which one is for work or travel. Giving each SIM card its own name in the phone settings clears up that confusion for good.
Merge Duplicate Contacts
When contacts get saved by different apps or sync sources, the same person can end up listed twice in your Xiaomi contact list. This duplication clutters your call log, messages, and search results, making it harder to reach the right entry fast. MIUI includes a built-in way to link matching entries back into a single, clean contact.
Set Default Account for New Contacts
If you keep getting asked which account to save a new contact to on your Xiaomi phone, MIUI has no default target set. This happens when Google Account, Mi Account, and one or both SIM cards are all active on the same device. Every save then triggers a manual account pick, which slows down quick contact entry.
Turn On/Off Switch to Speaker Automatically
If your Xiaomi phone keeps the call on the earpiece even after you pull it away from your face, or the speaker never kicks in on its own, a hidden accessibility feature is likely involved. This function relies on TalkBack and sits inside a section labeled Experimental, which is why most people never find it. Without it enabled correctly, calls stay locked to the earpiece no matter how you hold the phone.
Turn Google Location History On or Off
If Google Maps keeps suggesting places based on where you have been, or your Timeline fills up with stops you never meant to save, Location History is still active in the background. On Xiaomi phones this tracking can run even when no Google app is currently open, which surprises a lot of users checking their data usage or battery drain.
Set Monthly Data Usage Limit
If your Xiaomi phone still enforces the data limit from an old tariff, warnings or automatic data cut-offs can trigger at the wrong point in your billing cycle. The Monthly data limit value under Data usage does not update itself when your plan changes or your provider raises your allowance. You have to adjust it manually to match the new tariff.
Turn USB Tethering On or Off
When you plug your Xiaomi phone into a PC or laptop to share its mobile data, the computer often prompts you to pick a connection type instead of connecting automatically. This happens because USB tethering sits in a separate toggle from your regular USB file-transfer mode. Without switching it on first, the cable only charges the phone or transfers files instead of sharing the data connection.