Xiaomi Mi 9 How-tos, Tips and Tricks

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– Basic

1. Wake screen for notifications

You can see your notifications at a glance as they come in because you can set to turn on your screen automatically when you receive notifications.

1. Go to Settings > Lock screen & password.
2. Turn on Wake Lock screen for notifications.
   

2. Make use of the built-in unit conversion tool

The Mi calculator has built-in unit conversions that can convert everything from currency and mortgage to length measurements to temperature and speed.

In the calculator app, you can tap the Life tab to find the unit conversion categories.

3. Check if a surface is level or not

Need to check for a level surface when hanging a painting? Use the built-in level tool on your phone.

1. Open the compass app, and then slide left to get the level tool.

4. Disable the navigation buttons

Sure, you can go for full screen gestures to hide the navigation buttons. But, if you’re not doing so, and wish to disable the navigation buttons when you’re using certain apps, you can do that automatically or manually.

i. Disable navigation buttons manually

1. Open the Toggle panel from the top of the screen.
2. Tap Buttons to disable/enable the navigation buttons.

Note: If you can’t find Buttons on the Toggle panel, go to the device’s Settings >Notifications & status bar > Toggle positions, then tap and drag the Buttons toggle above the active bar.

ii. Disable navigation buttons automatically
Save yourself the hassle of opening the toggle panel and tapping the Buttons toggle . You can set to disable the navigation buttons automatically when certain apps are running.

1. From your device’s Settings, go to Additional settings > Button and gesture shortcuts > Automatically disable navigation buttons.
2. Set Always disable for the apps you want the navigation buttons to be disabled.

5. Long tap the toggle buttons to access their settings

On the toggle panel, you can long tap a button to access its settings directly. For example, long tapping the Wi-Fi button will open the Wi-Fi settings screen.

6. View your phone information

Go to your device’s Settings > About phone, and tap on Internal storage for 5 times.

7. Access the hardware test menu

If you wish to test out your phone hardware, use either one of these methods to access the hardware test menu.

1. Enter *#*#6484#*#* on the dial pad.
2. Go to your device’s Settings > About phone, and tap on Kernel version 5 times.

8. Take a screenshot

Taking a screenshot is easy, and there are many ways to do that. Here are all the possible ways to capture your phone’s screen.

1. Press the Power button and Volume down button at the same time.
2. Press the Recent button and Volume down button at the same time.
3. Open the Toggle panel from the top of the screen, and tap the Screenshot button.
4. Slide 3 fingers down on a screen. (Make sure you’ve the ‘Take a screenshot’ option set in Settings > Additional settings > Button and gestures shortcuts > Take a screenshot)
5. Tap the Screenshot button on Quick Ball.

9. Take a long screenshot

Got a long webpage you want to capture as a whole? Use the scrolling screenshot feature.

1. As per normal, press the Power + Volume down at the same time to capture a screenshot.
2. Tap the generated thumbnail and followed by the Scroll button.

10. Double tap or lift the phone to wake the screen

You don’t have to reach for that power button just to wake your phone, because you can do it with double tapping the screen or as easy as just lifting your phone.

1. From your device’s Settings, tap Display.
2. Turn on Double tap screen to wake or Raise to wake.

11. Turn off and lock screen using the Lock button

If you want to avoid pressing the Power button too frequently, you can place a Lock button on the Home screen that allows you to turn off your phone display.

1. Pinch a home screen using 2 fingers.
2. Tap Widgets and find and drag the Lock button to a Home screen.
3. The next time you want to turn off your screen, just tap this Lock button.

Tip: You can also get a similar Lock button from the toggle panel.

12. Turn on torch quickly

Sure, you can open the toggle panel from the top of the screen and tap the Torch button for a flashlight to find things in the dark. But if you’re looking for a faster way, you can set to turn the light on by double pressing the power button. Follow the steps here to make this work:

1. Go to Settings > Additional settings > Button and gestures shortcuts > Turn on torch.
2. Select Double press the Power button.

13. Use your phone with one hand

The 6.4” display of Mi 9 can be a bit big for you to handle with one hand. But the good thing is that the phone has the one-handed mode.

Go to Settings > Additional settings > One-handed mode to turn on this feature. You can then pick the size of the virtual screen from the three options: 4.5 inches, 4.0 inches and 3.5 inches.

Once you’ve done the above, you can swipe left or right from the Home button to shrink the screen to one side.

14. Use split-screen to run two apps at the same time

The huge screen of Mi 9 comes in handy for multi-tasking, letting you run two apps at the same time, one at the top while the second app at the bottom of the screen.

To use two apps in the split-screen mode, go to the Recent apps view, long tap the thumbnail of the first app you want to be in split-screen, and tap the Split screen button.

You can then open another app at the lower half of the screen (or on the right half if your phone is in landscape orientation).

15. Switch between two previous apps quickly

If you’re using the navigation buttons, you can jump back and forth between two apps instantaneously by just double tapping the Recent button.

If you’re using the full screen gestures, swipe left or right from the edge of the screen and hold for a while.

16. Create a separate space for guest or work

You can create a totally separate work space within your phone with the Second Space feature. The whole separate space will have separate emails, apps, photos, wallpapers and passwords.

So, if you want to share your phone with a family member or simply want a separate space for guest, just head over to Settings > Second space to turn on this feature, and follow the on-screen instructions to set a password.

17. Sign in to two Facebook, WhatsApp and other social media accounts

In MIUI, you can clone the Facebook, WhatsApp and other popular social networking apps with its Dual apps feature.

This feature is very useful for dual-SIM users who wish to use two WhatsApp accounts on their devices. And, if you have two facebook accounts, you can sign in both accounts at the same time – one in the main Facebook app, and another in the cloned Facebook app.

To clone an app, head over to the device’s Settings > Dual apps, and turn on the switch next to the apps that you want to clone.

Then, the cloned app icons (which come with a dual circle symbol) will be added to your home screen and app drawer for second sign in.

18. Move and uninstall multiple apps in one go

Instead of moving or uninstalling apps one by one, you can select multiple apps to do it at once.

Pinch a home screen and you’ll will see a grey bubble on top of each app icon. Select the apps by tapping their icons. You can now tap and drag them to a screen thumbnail at the bottom of the screen for moving, or tap and drag them to Uninstall at the top of the screen for uninstalling.

19. Use gesture controls

Mi 9 includes gesture controls for navigating around the entire interface, giving you the option to hide the navigation bar permanently. To use gesture controls, simply head over to Settings > Full screen display, and select Full screen gestures. You should get a prompt to learn what gestures you can perform, and it’s good that you tap Learn to practise all the gestures: Go to home screen, open recents and go back.

21. Use reading mode

Reading mode reduces blue lights, which is known to negatively impact sleep cycles and cause eye strain. If you often work or read on your phone before going to sleep, this feature can help.

Go to Settings > Display > Reading mode, and you can turn it on manually or schedule a time to let it turn on automatically.

24. Enable Developer Options

The hidden Developer Options, as the name suggests, is built in for the benefit of developers, but you don’t have to be an Android developer to turn it on. Well, it’s cool to know how to turn it on, but you don’t need it most of the time.

1. Go to your device’s Settings > About phone, and tap MIUI version 7 times.
2. You can find the Developer options in your device’s Settings > Additional settings.

25. Force restart

If your phone encounters failing situation like freezing, you can force restart it by pressing and holding the Power button for about 10 seconds to resume its normal operation.

26. Use the AI button for something else

If you use Google assistant, chances are you’ll love the dedicated AI button on the side of the phone that lets you access Google Assistant quickly. Actually, the AI button can do more for you such as opening the camera, flashlight or previous app. Just head over to Settings > Additional settings > Button and gesture shortcuts > AI button to set what you want.

– Personalization

1. Customize the carrier name

If you wish to show a custom text instead of your carrier name in the status bar, go to Settings > Notifications & status bar > Edit carrier name to personalize it.

If you appreciate simplicity, you can turn off the carrier name display all together. Go to Settings > Notifications & status bar, and turn off Show carrier when device is locked.

2. Customize your phone with more than one theme

Do you like everything about the theme you’ve just downloaded? If you do, great. If not, you can use other themes that offer a better lock screen style, set of icons, dial pad, status bar or messaging interface to make your phone more unique. Here’s how:

1. Open the Themes app.
2. Download the themes that you like.
3. Tap the ‘Smiley’ icon in the lower right corner > Customize theme.
4. Pick the component you want to customize, and then pick a theme.
5. Repeat step 4 for other components.

4. Change the navigation button positions

Are you still using the navigation buttons? If yes, do you know you can switch the Recent and Back button around. Perhap, you’ve gotten used to the Samsung’s phones.

1. Go to Settings > Full screen display, and turn on Mirror buttons.

5. Remove blank spaces between app icons automatically

Want your icons to automatically slide over to fill in the ugly empty space after uninstalling apps? Turn on the Fill cells of uninstalled apps option in Settings > Home screen & Recents.

6. Change the fingerprint unlock effect

With the fingerprint sensor under the screen, Mi 9 shows an animation to help with finger placement. The good news is, you can customize that animation by going to Settings > Lock screen & password > Manage fingerprints > Fingerprint animation.

7. Change the home screen layout

Changing the home screen layout used to be only possible via by switching to a theme that supports a particular layout . With the recent update, there’s a dedicated Home screen layout option in Settings > Home screen & Recents for you to choose either 4 x 6 or 5 x 6 home screen grid size.

– Camera

Mi 9 is Xiaomi’s first flagship with an AI triple-camera setup, with the main camera utilizing the latest 48-megapixel(MP) Sony IMX586 1/2″ sensor. Users can choose the 48M mode in the camera to shoot high-resolution 48-megapixel images.

In addition, there’s a 12MP telephoto module for zoom shots and a 16MP ultra-wide-angle with a 117-degree field of view for users to take better shots of wide landscapes, buildings and group photos. It even corrects distortion usually seen on ultra wide-angle lenses so all your friends and family will be happy no matter where they stand in a group photo. This 16MP camera can also take shots of objects as close as 4cm, allowing for extremely detailed macro photos.

The laser autofocus system allows the camera to focus quickly and accurately, so you don’t miss your precious moments.

1. Take super wide photos

Perhaps there are some users out there that don’t know when to shoot with the ultra-wide-angle function. In this case, the Mi 9 intelligent ultra-wide-angle function can help.

Using the AI algorithm, whenever the camera detects that you’re taking photos of a group of people or some famous scenic spots and buildings, it will recommend you to turn on the ultra-wide-angle camera (just tap the x icon) to take the photos with a broader view.

2. Take close-up shots

The 16MP camera can also focus on a subject at a really short distance. Simply select and use the Macro mode when you need to capture a creepy insect (or any other object) that’s 10cm away from your phone.

3. Photograph the moon

The moon is beautiful to the naked eye, but it can be tricky to capture with a camera. If you wish to do that with your Mi 9, follow the steps here:

1. Open the camera and aim at the moon (make sure the AI option is turned on)
2. Zoom more than 4 times and you should see the Moon photo mode.
3. Tap the Shutter button.

4. Read QR codes using the Camera app

You can use the pre-installed Camera app to read QR codes. But, before doing so, you’ll need to enable this option in the camera settings.

1. From your device’s Settings > System apps > Camera.
2. Turn Scan QR codes.

5. Open camera using the Volume down button

If you wish to open the Camera app as quickly as you can when your phone is in standby mode, press the Volume down button twice. To enable this feature, follow these steps:

1. Go to Settings > Lock screen & password.
2. Turn on Launch Camera.

6. Mute the shutter sound

You can turn off the Camera shutter sound even if your phone isn’t muted. Here’s how:

1. From your device’s Settings, tap System apps > Camera.
2. Slide the Camera sounds switch to the off position.

7. Preserve the last camera mode

If you want the last used camera mode to be the default mode when you next open Camera, turn on the Save previous mode option in the settings. This tip should come in handy for those who use a particular camera mode over and over again.

8. Take photos while recording videos

Do you know you can take photos even while you’re recording a video on your phone? You don’t have to switch mode, and you just need to tap the Shutter button next to the Record button to take still images.

– Clock

1. Stopwatch runs non stop

Do you know restarting your phone doesn’t stop the stopwatch?

2. Remove an alarm automatically

If there’s an alarm that you only need for one time, you can turn on the Delete after goes off option in the alarm settings to have it removed automatically.

3. Enable alarms to ring after powered off

Relax, turn off your phone and go to sleep. The alarm will still work even when your phone is switched off as long as you have the Shutdown alarm option turned on in the clock settings

4. Dismiss alarms early

If you happen to wake up earlier than your alarm, you can drop down the notification panel, find the alarm notification and turn it off from there. Easy.

– File Manager

1. Hide sensitive files in the hidden folder

You don’t need third party tools to hide sensitive files on your phone. There’s a password protected hidden folder in the File Manager, you just need to enable it and transfer over the files you want to hide away.

1. Open the File Manager.
2. Swipe down on the screen and you’ll be prompted to enter your privacy protection password. If you haven’t created one, you’ll be prompted to do so now.
3. In the hidden folder, tap the three-vertical-dot Menu button > Add files to select the files you want to hide.

2. Transfer files between your phone and computer using FTP

If, for some reason, the USB data cable doesn’t work on your computer, you can transfer files between your computer and phone wirelessly using FTP. To do so, you’ll need to turn on the FTP server services in the File Manager. Here’s how:

1. Open File Manager.
2. Tap the FTP button.
3. Tap Start to start the FTP service, and you should see the FTP address that you can enter on your computer’s FTP client to connect to your phone. The default is that you can connect to your phone via FTP anonymously (without the need to enter username and password). If you need a tighter security you can set a username and password in the settings.
4. On your computer, enter the shown FTP address in Step 3 in the FTP client and connect to your phone for file transfer.

Tip: If you’re using a Windows computer, you can enter the shown FTP address in the File Explorer, and use the standard drag and drop method to transfer files.

– Gallery

1. Combine multiple photos into a collage

You don’t need a third-party photo editing app to combine multiple photos. MIUI has this feature baked in. Here’s how to create a collage:

1. Open the Gallery app.
2. Tap the three-vertical-dot Menu button > Collage.
3. Now, you can select up to 6 photos, followed by selecting a layout and save.

2. Hide unwanted albums

If you don’t want your photo library to be cluttered with albums that are automatically produced by some apps, you can hide them. Here’s how:

1. Open Gallery.
2. Go to Albums tab, long tap the album you want to hide, and select Make invisible.

3. Keep your private photos private

If you have some pictures you would rather not shown alongside your regular photos, you can keep them in a special hidden photo album. The hidden album is separated from the regular album views, though it’s easily accessible from the Gallery app. To hide pictures in Gallery:

1. In Gallery, select the photos you want to hide, and tap Add album > Hidden album.
2. To access the hidden album, you can swipe down on the Albums tab. Enter your privacy protection password (you’ll will be prompted to set one up if you haven’t done so).
3. Here, you can select the photos to unhide as well.

– Messaging

1. Pin a conversation

If you want a conversation (with your favorite friend) to always appear at the top of the message conversation list, just pin it. Here’s how:

1. Open the Messaging app.
2. Long tap the conversation you want to pin, and then tap the Pin button at the bottom of the screen.

2. Add messages to favorites to prevent them from being deleted

When you have important text messages, adding them to favorites can help to keep them from being deleted.

To add messages to favorites, select the messages and tap More > Add to favorites. When deleting messages or conversation, just make sure you don’t check the ‘Delete locked messages’ option and you important messages will be saved from deletion.

3. Hide private conversations

The pre-installed messaging app allows you to hide any conversations you want to keep private.

To hide your conversations, please follow these steps:

1. Open the Messaging app.
2. Swipe down on the screen and enter your privacy protection password to open the Private messaging space.
3. Tap the Settings button at the bottom of the screen > ‘Add private contact’ to enter a contact that you want the messages to be hidden privately.
4. All messages to this contact will appear in the Private messaging space instead of the main inbox.

– Phone

1. Record calls manually or automatically

Forget about the 3rd party call recording app, you can record calls automatically or manually using the built-in call recording function.

i. To record calls automatically

1. Go to your device’s Settings > System apps > Call settings > Call recording.
2. Turn on Record calls automatically.
3. Here, you can also set whether to record all incoming calls or just the selected numbers.

ii. To record calls manually
When a call is connected, press the Record button on the call screen to start/stop the recording.

2. Press the Power button to end calls

If you find the common method of ending calls (bringing your phone away from your ear and tapping the End call button) is way too slow, use the Power button. Follow these steps to enable this feature:

1. From your device’s Settings, tap Additional settings > Accessibility
2. Turn on Power button ends call.

3. Silence phone ringing quickly

When there’s an incoming call, you can quickly silence the ringer with the following methods:

1. Press the Power button.
2. Press either Volume + or –
3. Flip the phone to face down. Note: For this method to work, you’ll need to enabled the Flip to silence ringer option in the Incoming call settings.

– Security

1. Use face and fingerprint unlock

Want to use your face for security? Go to Settings > Lock screen & password > Add face data to scan your face in.

If you prefer using fingerprint, then you can tap Add fingerprint in the same Lock screen & password settings to add your fingerprints.

Once you’ve your face and fingerprint recorded, you can use either one to gain access to your phone.

– Wi-Fi and connectivities

1. Share your Wi-Fi network using a QR code

If your friend wants to connect to the same Wi-Fi network you’re currently using, you can share the Wi-Fi password using a QR code. Here’s how:

1. In the device’s Settings, tap Wi-Fi.
2. Tap on the Wi-Fi network you’re currently connected to, and it will show a QR code.

2. Share your phone’s Wi-Fi connection with others

Your Mi 9 isn’t limited to sharing its mobile Internet by tethering. It can share its Wi-Fi connection with others as well. Simply turn on the hotspot feature in Settings > Portable hotspot, and have the other devices connected to your phone to use its Wi-Fi connection.