MIUI has come a long way, spanning 6 years, from a simple fork of CyanogenMod to a full-fledged operating system - the title one for smartphones and tablets Xiaomi company. But it is also installed on tens of thousands of devices from other manufacturers, because... Many users find MIUI more convenient and functional than the native firmware of their gadgets. Over the past couple of years, the system has become less relevant, largely due to the development of stock Android and competitive shells. The operating system had already become “adult” by the fifth version; in MIUI v6 they radically changed the design of the graphical shell and made it flat. The seventh version brought little new and the update could be called rather minor, but MIUI 8 has greatly changed both externally and in terms of functionality.

Attention: When writing this review, the English-Chinese firmware installed on . The names of applications and settings items are given in English and Russian. The international (global) version of the firmware may differ slightly from the interface and set of applications shown in the review.

Lock screen

By default, the device can be woken up by pressing the Power button (optionally using the volume rocker), double tapping on the screen, or opening the Smart Case. The last option involves direct unlocking; in all other cases, after waking up, the gadget must be unlocked by swiping from bottom to top in any part of the screen. The system can prevent inadvertent unlocking of the smartphone when it is in your pocket, using a proximity sensor above the screen for this purpose. For security purposes, you can set an unlock password in three ways: create a graphic key, set a PIN code or password. In parallel with the password, in those devices where a fingerprint sensor is installed, you can use your finger. In addition, you can configure unlocking using the MiBand bracelet; it will occur if the bracelet is in close proximity to a locked smartphone or tablet.

By default, the lock screen displays: status bar, clock, date and day of the week. Optionally, you can display information about the phone owner on the lock screen. If there are missing events, they are displayed as a list of cards. When you double tap on one of the cards, the user will be sent to the corresponding application.

By swiping from the top edge, you can pull out the notification curtain, and swiping from the left-right edges launch applications of the user’s choice. By default, swiping from the right edge is set to launch the Camera application.

Desktop and multitasking organization

In the operating system, the application menu, and the main workspace is the desktop, they scroll horizontally. Application icons and widgets can be located on the desktop. At the bottom of the desktop is the Dock, which can hold up to 5 shortcuts or folders.

One desktop in MIUI 8 can accommodate up to 20 application icons and widgets arranged in a 4*5 grid; the number of desktops is unlimited. Icons of newly installed applications appear on the last desktop in free space. Icons can be grouped into folders; a folder is created by simply dragging one icon onto another. A folder can contain an unlimited number of icons; scrolling inside the folder is vertical.

Icons and widgets can be moved across desktops by simply dragging and dropping. You can remove a widget from your desktop by dragging it to the trash can at the top of the screen. If you try to do the same with the icon, the system will offer to remove the application from the system. The menu for managing desktop settings is called up by pinching your fingers on the screen or by holding down the “Multitasking” button. The menu consists of four items: Sorting, Widgets, Wallpaper and Effects. When you select the first item, a screen opens where you can sort application icons in a more convenient form, move them from one table to another and create folders. The second and third points allow you to add a widget or change the wallpaper. In the last menu item: Effects – you can select one of the table scrolling animation options. In addition, you can add additional tables or remove unnecessary ones.

Multitasking in MIUI 8 has the same principles as in “naked” Android, and is not further regulated. True, the system has a function for blocking background activity of applications with two profiles: Off. – the system does not interfere with the background activity of applications; On – the system completely blocks background activity of applications whenever possible. It is possible to add individual applications to exceptions or select one of four control options for them: MIUIBattery Saver – the system will manage the background activity of the application at its discretion; No restrictions – has two sub-options: either the system will not interfere with the background activity of the application at all or will partially restrict access to geolocation services; Restrict background apps – the application will not be closed, but some background activity will be prohibited; Restrict background activity – the application will be unloaded from memory.

The multitasking button calls up the corresponding menu screen, at the bottom of which the following are displayed: the amount of free random access memory, just above the Memory Clear button. Above all this, a list of running applications is displayed, it scrolls horizontally and can be presented in the form of icons or thumbnails; up to 4 icons or up to 3 thumbnails are visible at the same time. Swiping up on the icon closes the application, swiping from top to bottom brings up two buttons, one of them sends to the settings window this application, the second – blocks the application so that it is not unloaded during Memory Cleanup. Locking can be very useful when you want to preserve the state of an application, but need to clear the RAM.

Controls, keyboard

Controlling a smartphone in MIUI 8 involves the presence of a power button, volume control buttons and three control buttons: Multitasking, Home and Back. For certain actions, swipes, long taps and context menus are actively used. The built-in search in MIUI 8 is triggered not by holding the Home button, but by swiping from bottom to top anywhere on the desktop; it’s obvious that the idea was picked up in iOS7+. For the international version of the firmware, the search is called by holding the Home button.

Like stock Android, MIUI has a notification curtain, which is combined with a switch panel. On the desktop, the curtain can be pulled out by swiping from top to bottom in any part of the screen, which is convenient; in applications, traditionally, by swiping down from the top edge of the screen. There are two modes for displaying information in the curtain; the default is Combined mode, when all switches are displayed in one scrollable row, and notifications are presented in a list below. Split Mode has two screens: one screen with a list of missed events/notifications and a notification settings shortcut; the second screen contains: 20 switches, a backlight adjustment slider and a Settings application shortcut. In both modes, the search bar and the current day of the week and date are displayed at the top.

The native keyboard in MIUI 8, as I understand it, is not available for widespread use. Instead, two third-party keyboards Sogou Keyboard for MIUI and Baidu IME for MIUI are preinstalled in the system, and a keyboard from Google has been added to the global firmware version. In some situations, for example, when entering a password on the lock screen, a completely different keyboard appears, which is more similar to the native one. The dialer keyboard is comfortable, the buttons are large, and there is a smart dial.

Settings

To the application Settings You can access it directly by clicking on the icon on the desktop or through a shortcut in the notification shade. The application has only one screen, where all the settings are divided into categories, which in turn are collected into five groups.

Among the innovations that immediately catch your eye, it is worth highlighting the search bar among the settings and the discolored section icons. Most of the categories and settings items coincide with those in stock Android; others can be discussed in more detail.

NETWORK / WIRELESS NETWORKS

SIM cards & mobile networks / Management SIM cards and mobile networks– in this section you can configure the operation of SIM cards: enable data transfer, block data in roaming, configure defaults for calls and the Internet for SIM cards.

WLAN– contains a switch and Wi-Fi settings. Also here you can find a function switch Switch between data and WLAN, this function Allows you to automatically switch to cellular data when the quality or speed of your Wi-Fi connection is poor.

Bluetooth– contains the Bluetooth switch and settings.

Personal hotspot– setting up the access point, which was previously located in the More section, has been selected as a separate settings item.

More / More- placed in this section VPN settings, tethering and wireless monitor. The Airplane mode switch is also located here.

PERSONAL / PERSONAL SETTINGS

Display / Screen– a section that contains screen settings. Here you can adjust the screen brightness, set up the screen saver, auto-rotate, contrast, color balance and activate the screen wake-up by double tap. This section also configures the reading mode added to MIUI7, which can be activated both for the entire system and for individual applications. When activated, the screen backlight changes and the white fields become yellowish. The manufacturer claims that in this mode the eyes are less tired. The settings for system fonts and text size have been moved to this section.

Wallpaper– in this section you can change the wallpaper for the lock screen and desktop by selecting from the preset ones or downloading from the store. Added to MIUI 8 new feature– Wallpaper carousel, when activated, the wallpaper of the locked screen will automatically change at some intervals. New wallpapers will be loaded from a special bank of images.

Themes / Themes– in this section you can set a theme by selecting from the list of available ones or downloading from the theme store.

Sound & vibration / Sound and vibration– in this section you can adjust the sound volume separately for: notifications, alarm clock, conversation, multimedia and bluetooth. You can set ringtones for calls and notifications, and set vibration for various events. In the Audio Settings subsection you can configure the action of pressing the headset buttons; there is an Equalizer and the Mi Sound sound adaptation system.

SYSTEM & DEVICE / SYSTEM AND DEVICE

Lock screen & password / Lock screen and password– to lock your smartphone you can use a pattern, password or PIN; In parallel with this, you can use a fingerprint scanner and a Mi Band bracelet. In this section, you can configure a delay for turning off the screen, specify whether the screen will turn on when receiving notifications, and activate the function of preventing taps on the screen in your pocket. Here you can specify information about the owner, they will be displayed on the lock screen. The system has introduced support for so-called Smart Cases, which use magnets to lock or unlock the device.

Notifications & status bar / Notifications and status bar– in this section you can manage the list of applications from which the user wants to receive notifications. You can enable or disable the display of the operator's name in the status line or set a custom name, you can also enable the display of the current data transfer speed in the status line. It is possible to disable the notification curtain on the lock screen or enable the curtain to be minimized after clicking on one of the switches, configure the order of the switches and select the type of battery charge indicator. Among other things, you can now choose the display mode for notifications and switches in the curtain - combined or split.

Second space / Second space– the Second Space function allows you to create two independent workspaces, like two profiles, each of which will contain its own set of applications, security settings and design. It is understood that this will allow the user to separate work and personal space.

Do not disturb / Do not disturb – this section closely resembles the settings section of the same name in iOS. Here you can activate the “Do not disturb” mode, and calls/SMS will not go through. It is possible to configure the activation of the mode according to a schedule, set exception numbers and activate the ability for other subscribers to call on the second try.

Battery & performance / Battery and performance– in addition to the standard Android battery consumption details, in this section you can choose one of two power modes: Balanced or Performance. Additionally, to save battery, you can disable system animations. Here you can also find settings for blocking background activity (see).

Storage / Memory– contains statistics of used disk space broken down by category and a link to the memory cleaning utility.

Lite mode / Simple mode– in this section there is only one switch that activates the mode of the same name. After its activation, a mandatory reboot follows. In simple mode GUI desktop and main applications are as simplified as possible; a maximum of 6 application or contact icons can be placed on one screen.

Additional settings/ Additional settings – this is a very large section where settings that are not included in other groups and sections are collected.

Additional settings > Date & time / Advanced > Date and time– standard for Android settings time, date and time zone.

Additional settings > Language & input / Advanced > Language and input– standard Android system language and keyboard settings.

Additional settings > Child mode / Advanced > Parental control mode of the same name, in which you can limit access to certain applications, as well as prohibit sending SMS any applications. Exiting this mode is possible only after entering the password.

Additional settings > Privacy / Advanced > Privacy– this section contains settings that allow you to protect personal information from prying eyes. Encrypt phone – allows you to encrypt all data on the phone. In addition, this section contains settings for certificates, administration, access to geolocation, and others.

Additional settings > Quick ball / Additional > Quick ball– settings for Quick ball – a small round translucent icon very much reminiscent of AssistiveTouch in iOS, on which you can assign several basic functions.

Additional settings > Notification light / Additional > Indication– here you can enable/disable the missed events indicator and assign your own display color for each of the three notification options: missed events, missed calls and missed messages.

Additional settings > Headphones & audio effects / Additional > Headset– this section completely duplicates the Audio Settings subsection from the Sound and Vibration section.

Additional settings > Buttons / Advanced > Keys– here for each of the three touch buttons you can press one of the functions with a long tap: Recent applications, Launch Assistant, Close current application and Show menu. It is possible to set the backlight interval of the touch buttons or turn off the backlight altogether.

Additional settings > One-handed mode / Additional > One-handed control– at this point you can activate one-handed control and select the equivalent of a reduced screen from several options: 3.5/4/4.5 inches. The mode itself is activated by swiping from the Home touch button to the Back or Multitasking buttons.

Additional settings > Accessibility / Advanced > Special features – Standard Android settings for people with disabilities.

Additional settings > Developer options / Advanced > Developer settings– standard Android developer settings. In order for this section to appear in the settings, you need to tap the MIUI Version line in the About phone section several times in a row.

Additional settings > Backup & reset / Advanced > Recovery and reset – in addition to the sometimes necessary Reset settings item, in this section you can control the function Reserve copy phone settings and applications both through Google service, and using local backup.

Additional settings > Mi Mover / Additional > Mi Transfer– a function that allows you to transfer contacts, call history, messages, desktop view, applications, settings and other data from/to another smartphone.

ACCOUNTS / ACCOUNTS

Mi Account– Mi account settings. Here you can view the contents of the Mi Cloud cloud storage and a list of linked devices and accounts.

Other accounts / Other accounts– this section allows you to manage all accounts added to the device.

Sync / Synchronization– here you can enable/disable automatic synchronization accounts or disable auto-sync via mobile network.

APP SETTINGS / APPLICATION SETTINGS

System apps / System applications – built-in application settings

Mi Cloud– this section contains settings for synchronization with cloud storage Mi Cloud. Here you can configure what exactly should be synchronized and view statistics of the space used.

Call settings / Calls– this section contains the settings of the Phone application. In the subsection Call recording You can set up automatic recording from the line and specify which numbers to call from. Also in this section you can configure: auto answer, smart number search, reminders of missed calls, etc.

Contacts– in this section you can activate Easy mode display contacts when additional contact data is hidden; import/export contacts to SIM memory; disable the display of contact photos.

Messaging / Messages– in this section you can activate Cloud messages(similar to iMessage), set up message notifications and set up MMS.

Calendar / Calendar– calendar settings.

Mail / Mail– this section contains the settings of the built-in email client.

Security / Security– this section contains the settings of the Security application. Here you can connect a widget to the notification panel or place a shortcut to one or all application components on the desktop. It is possible to activate Cleaning RAM when the device is locked.

Camera / Camera– this section contains settings for photo and video shooting.

Gallery / Gallery– Gallery application settings.

Music / Music– Music application settings. Here you can set up a display filter sound files by size (default – 800KB), duration or location.

Mi Video / Mi Video– It is possible to limit video downloads for cellular data.

Browser / Browser– system browser settings. There are a lot of settings, there is a built-in ad blocker.

Notes / Notes– very simple settings for the Notes application.

Recorder/Dictaphone– Voice Recorder application settings – you can select the recording quality: high, standard and low.

Search / Search– selection of applications to be searched.

Assistant / Assistant– voice assistant settings.

Scanner / Scanner– Scanner application settings.

Virtual SIM / Virtual SIM– settings for a virtual SIM card from Xiaomi, relevant only for residents of the Middle Kingdom.

Mi Credit

App Store -

Games

Installed apps / Installed applications

Dual apps– settings for a very interesting feature called Dual apps, which allows you to create a clone of an application for a second account. For example, you can sit in two Facebook accounts without having to log in every time.

Permissions– a shortcut to the utility of the same name that allows you to manage the startup list and application rights (see).

App lock / Application lock– Guest Mode was removed from the system, but in return allowed the user to block access to any application or several applications at once. Unlocking is done using a pattern key or fingerprint.

About phone / About phone– information about the Android version, MIUI version, and hardware is shown here. There is a system update button.

Basic Applications

Application Phone / Telephone, on the one hand, ascetic, on the other hand, it has all the necessary functions. The main screen is divided into three tabs (for the international version there are only two tabs): Recents / Calls - last activity, Contacts / Contacts and Yellow pages / Directory. The Calls tab displays a list of calls with filtering options and a dialer. The dialer has a smart-dial; it only works with the Latin alphabet and numbers. Contacts display from top to bottom: contact groups, favorites and the contacts themselves; This tab has its own icon on the desktop. By default, contact photos are not displayed, but this can be enabled in the settings.

Application screen Messaging / Messages displays a list of dialogs and a search bar. The interface of the dialog window is simple: in the upper right corner there are two buttons: call a contact and a contact card. Above the keyboard are located: the current message typing field, the send message button and the + button, the latter allows you to add to the message: a message template, emoticon, contact, picture, video, etc. A long tap on a message calls up context menu, through which you can delete a message, forward it, copy the text of the message, view detailed information about it, or send it to favorites.

Application Mail / Mail can work with various mail delivery protocols, including IMAP. I liked the swipe system in the email list. Swiping from left to right cyclically changes the read mark (read/unread), swiping from right to left brings up two buttons: delete and add to favorites.

Browser / Browser Its interface resembles the Chinese UC Browser. On start screen selected sites are located, on the second screen there is a list of popular services divided into categories. The search bar is combined with address bar, there is a built-in QRcode-reader for quickly entering the site address. In general, the interface seemed convenient and thoughtful to me, and in my opinion it is nicer than Chrome’s.

Application Clock / Clock Includes: alarm clock, world clock, stopwatch and timer. The alarm can be set to go off even if the device is turned off.

Camera / Camera– the main screen of the Photo mode contains 8 buttons: flash control, HDR mode control, filters, a button that calls up the shooting mode selection screen, a button to switch to front camera, gallery, shutter button and switch to Video. Focus is achieved automatically or by tap. In the second case, tapping the focus area again takes a photo, and by sliding up and down to the right of the focus indicator you can adjust the exposure. The updated interface has completely eliminated swipes. Absolutely all the manufacturer’s devices have a manual control mode for photographic parameters, but in budget smartphones It only allows you to adjust white balance and ISO. There are two for video shooting additional modes: Fast motion (time lapse) and slow motion.

Calendar / Calendar– there are three types of representation: Month, Week and Day. You can add events and reminders to them.

In the application Gallery / Gallery there are two tabs: Photos / All - an analogue of the camera roll in iOS, absolutely all photos taken with the phone’s camera are collected here; and Albums / Albums where everything else was moved. The app can automatically sync all photos and videos to the cloud and detect faces in the photos. A Photo Editor and a Video Editor have been added to the system, which have all necessary tools for basic editing.

Music / Music- simple music player. There is online music, apparently it is free.

Mi Video / Mi Video– a video player similar to the Music application combined with online video.

Application Calculator / Calculator upgraded, now, in addition to the simple and engineering modes, there are several conversion modes, including for currencies.

One of the advantages of MIUI is that it comes pre-installed with quite functional file manager Explorer / Explorer. The main screen of the application contains three tabs: the Recent tab displays a list of recently open files; The Categories tab displays 6 categories of files and 5 places where these files can be located. In the Storage tab, you can view all files in the form of a folder hierarchy. All three tabs at the bottom have two buttons: Mi Drop, a tool for transferring files to other devices with MIUI, and Clean up - a shortcut to the utility of the same name.

It’s probably hard for you to imagine your life without newfangled technologies, especially without a smartphone. It has become an integral part of our lives - a thing that we do not part with even when we go to bed. Therefore, it is not surprising that when choosing a smartphone, we want it to be not only fashionable, but also convenient. Now Xiaomi smartphones are attracting attention, or rather, their new firmware Miui 8. It was released quite recently, but has already managed to please users who did not expect that the OS could be so functional. Not surprising, considering how many shortcomings there were in previous versions.

The first thing that catches your eye when looking at the shell is its brighter, richer design. Also, the miui 8 interface has changed its color, becoming more saturated, thanks to which young people will be delighted with it. But it all started with the simplest CyanogenMod, and now users have a full-fledged, functional operating system that is suitable for both phones and tablets. Moreover, it can be used not only on parent Xiaomi devices, but also on equipment from other manufacturers, so such attention to this OS is not surprising.

The review of the Miui 8 firmware begins with its design, because it has undergone significant changes, which immediately catches the eye of the user who starts using it for the first time. It somewhat resembles the standard Android design 6.0, but still has a number of features that will allow you to switch to this firmware without significant discomfort. Users even indicate that using a device with MIUI is more convenient.

We tried to highlight several features of the new Miui 8:

• The firmware was able to get rid of the blur effect that bothered users;
• The developers decided to abandon the incomprehensible bright, but somehow “dirty” colors. For example, blue became the main color, which looks much nicer than orange;
• Application icons have been changed, making it easier to find the desired function it has become much easier, since the search is intuitive;
• The bottom bar buttons have been made more elegant and thinner, making the interface installed on the eighth firmware look more noble;
• The changes affected the clock image on the lock screen. The decision to execute them in the original Mi Lanting font was a good one, because the gadget began to look more stylish without taking up half the screen.

So the beauty of Miui 8 pleasantly surprises the user. The result is a symbiosis of iOS and Android, maintaining functionality with external elegance. Just what the younger generation needs. For example, from iOS developers took the display on the screen like this useful information, like the weather, the current date, missed messages, and if you look in the settings, you can even display data on Internet speed on the screen.

But from Android, the Miui 8 user got the opportunity to change and customize themes, including animation, which looks great on any smartphone.

Give gifts

Peculiarities

The company spared no time in developing various innovations that were made not just to change something, but actually make the OS more reliable, functional and accessible. Compared to the seventh firmware version, the eighth is very different from its earlier counterparts, and this is clearly noticeable.

The most noticeable changes affected the settings of Miui 8. In addition, several functions were added for the active application manager. For example, if you need to protect one of the installed applications from cleaning or any other system actions, you can pull it down. In the same way, you can look at the details of the application and check whether there are any glitches or other failures. Very convenient if there is a suspicion of a system failure. Look detailed review MIUI 8 in the video below.

Sound settings

The new Miui 8 firmware makes sound settings more convenient. It’s just that the firmware has a built-in equalizer, which in the “Sound and Vibration” item allows you to improve the sound quality, which is adjusted by the user. In addition, special attention should be paid to the “Improve Mi sound” item. Its function is to select additional presets, which will differ for each specific headset. After all, the sound in regular in-ear headphones and powerful on-ear headphones requires various settings to make the sound really good.

Data protection

Data protection is another pleasant bonus that pleased us latest version Miui. You can protect literally everything - from pictures to single messages. Now you can set passwords for each Miui 8 menu item, and each has its own password. The main thing is not to get confused in them yourself. For those who have children, you can install child mode, and the child will not be able to use some functions.

And if there is a risk of losing your phone, then you can create a clone of the programs that you use most often in the “Dual Application” menu. This feature allows you to work from another account if you need urgent access.

Other features

The “Second Space” function is a nice and functional new feature from Miui 8, which allows you to divide the memory of your smartphone or tablet into two parts. Each of them will have its own access rights, so that no one else can enter the protected space. In addition, this function allows you to almost completely change the information field, dividing one device into two completely different ones.

And of course, the competent construction of Miui’s points is striking. The menu has become much more convenient, and now it is more convenient to rebuild applications. The design is very similar to standard Android, although, as already mentioned, not without external differences. Whereas the functional differences are really strong. For example, at the top of the screen you can perform a global search for settings without going into the menu itself. Incredibly convenient and time-saving.

Power and Energy Saving

Naturally, every smartphone owner is familiar with the annoying signal that indicates that the device’s battery is low. Unfortunately, with active use of the device, the battery discharges extremely quickly. Sometimes it’s not enough even for a day, and there’s simply nowhere to charge it. On Miui 8 firmware, the developers tried to minimize battery costs. It’s worth saying that they did a good job, but a lot still depends on your activity. Traditionally, some applications consume more battery than others, so you need to be careful with them.

So, have you managed to optimize and rationalize the nutrition process? The developers spent a lot of time and effort solving this problem, and it seems that they achieved a positive result - at least as soon as the Miui 8 firmware was released, the review showed this.

Of course, the capabilities of the phone's battery have not changed, but they have become more thoughtfully distributed among applications, and, if necessary, unnecessary applications can be turned off, thereby saving battery.

Here are some interesting innovations from Miui 8:

• When the phone or tablet is charging, a report appears on the notification panel indicating how much time is left until the end of the process;
• You can view all power indicators, including the level of battery wear, through “Security” > “Power”;
• All power settings management is collected in one place: scheduled power saving, battery usage monitoring and much more;
• If the battery overheats above the specified mark, you can turn on auto mode energy saving, or simply force the device to show a notification about such an incident.

In addition, the shell impresses with a special energy saving mode. This program is a feature that distinguishes the eighth version of the firmware from the previous one. Essentially, this mode can disable all programs that you do not use on your device. this moment. To avoid turning off particularly important applications, it is advisable to set restrictions on those functions that you want to continue working. Most often, synchronization is turned off, automatic update and other programs without which the system can operate without damage.

Differences between MIUI 7 and 8

Naturally, the shells are similar, although there are a number of minor but important differences between them, which I would like to consider in more detail.

• Access to the second space can be opened using fingerprints or a password;
• The alarm clock can be set separately in two spaces;
• The process of managing and operating some applications can be carried out in landscape mode, but the main menu remains unchanged;
• By sending photos to the gallery, they are automatically enhanced, the shades become better, etc., but if the user does not need this feature, there is a problem because it cannot be disabled.

Here are only the main differences between the Miui 8 firmware and the previous version. In the video below you can get to know them better.

Manufacturer mobile gadgets Xiaomi is already well known all over the world, although a few years ago you might not have heard anything about this company. Such a breakthrough is quite natural, since the company produces very high-quality mobile devices at affordable prices. The manufacturer installs its own MIUI operating system shell on smartphones. It is similar to Android, but at the same time significantly different from it.

Although this OS is no longer a new product and many people know about its features, some users are not even aware of the existence of some useful functions. Today we will talk about what hidden functions your Xiaomi Redmi phone has. The model will be taken as an example Xiaomi Redmi 4 Pro is one of the most popular options for the fourth generation of the budget line.

If you look closely at the display when the screen is locked, you will see an interesting button in the upper right corner. By clicking on it, you will launch the so-called wallpaper carousel. That is, right after clicking, the wallpaper begins to change, although the screen remains locked. For this function to work as correctly as possible, you must connect your smartphone to the Internet.

Give gifts

Setting a picture as wallpaper

Each user wants to adapt as much as possible mobile device according to personal preferences. Installing original wallpaper can help with this. Surely you know that there are special applications containing various options. But among the offered options there is not always one that suits your taste.

To solve this issue, you can put your own picture instead of wallpaper. It will appear on the desktop or when the screen is locked. There are actually two ways to do this:

1. Long press the menu button. The option is provided by default in the firmware and will be relevant if you have not changed any settings. After pressing, you will see a menu for detailed settings widgets, wallpapers, desktop and effects. Click on "Wallpaper", where we see many options for factory pictures. Scroll all the way to the left and you will see a button "Other". Select this option, after which a window will appear in front of you in which you can see the desired picture.
2. Phone settings. Through settings you can also get to the menu "Wallpaper". We go there and make changes to the wallpaper of the lock screen or desktop. In the lower right corner there is a circle with a plus sign. He is responsible for adding the user’s personal picture as one of the wallpaper design options. Here you can also customize the wallpaper carousel described earlier.

Screenshot with three fingers on the screen

Making a screenshot on the screen of a Xiaomi smartphone, or any other one running on Android based, is performed by simultaneously pressing the power and volume down buttons. You can also use the top curtain by pulling it down and selecting the appropriate screenshot button from the available options. Many people even download special programs to take screenshots.

But few people know about the unusual ability to save a screenshot by swiping three fingers down the screen. The reason may be that this feature is not enabled by default. But it can be easily turned on. Go to "Settings" and follow the following path: "Additional settings" – "Screenshot". Here we activate the screenshot function by swiping across the screen and can use the new option.

Fast access

Through the settings you can also provide fast access To various functions systems. Again, let's go to "Additional settings", finding among the available items "Fast access". We enable this function, after which a small transparent button will appear on the screen. By clicking on it, you will immediately see five other buttons in front of you - lock screen, take a screenshot, menu, home and back.

Keyboard

There are some useful secrets and in the functioning of the keyboard on Xiaomi phones. Surely you haven’t heard about the ability to erase words and move the cursor with a simple gesture!

If you need to delete a word, make a gesture with the delete key, and if you need to move a space, make a gesture with the spacebar. The function is also not activated by default, but can be easily enabled through the settings. "Additional settings" – "Language and input" – « Google Settings Keyboards/Continuous Input". All that remains is to check the boxes in the right places and you can try typing text this way. We have no doubt that this will save you a lot of time.

Cloning applications

Another useful feature of Xiaomi Redmi 4 pro is the ability to clone installed applications. Why is this necessary? First of all, for social networks and programs that you can log into from different accounts. It is very useful. So, from one smartphone you can simultaneously log in to your personal and work social network pages. Any application can be used for multiple accounts.

Cloning happens like this:

1. Let's go to "Settings".
2. Finding the point "Application Cloning"
3. In the list provided, select which application you want to clone.
4. We go to the desktop and see that another icon has appeared with the application that you wanted to clone.

Led indicator

The very fact of the presence of an LED indicator in a Xiaomi phone will not surprise anyone. But did you know that you can independently set the colors with which it will light up in a particular scenario?

Let's go to "Additional settings" and look for the item "LED Control". Here you can determine what color the indicator will be for a missed call, and what color it will be for notifications from various social networks. Just don’t get confused about what color means what.

We hope this article was useful for you and you will effectively use these main features of Redmi 4 Pro.

MIUI 10 is the most awaited firmware from Xiaomi. The main news even for the XDA community and many tech blogs. Millions of users have already personally tried the firmware and the same number are still looking forward to installation. What's special about MIUI 10? The developers of MIUI 10 really started from scratch so that the user gets something compared to the “bare” operating system Android system. MIUI 10 firmware offers completely new version product. It's no secret that the developers' main focus was on integrating gestures and many other useful properties. Regarding the functions, we will look at a few of the main ten that are most often used.

Gesture integration

Gestures are designed to make the operation of the smartphone on the new firmware convenient and fast. And MIUI coped with the task perfectly.

Gestures such as swiping left or right and pressing allow you to return to the previous application, and not to the previous page as was previously the case.

Recent apps menu reimagined

This menu has been used in the company’s proprietary shell for quite a long time, so modernizing it appearance and increasing stability was a real challenge for the development team. And this is how they did it. We accepted the challenge and completely transformed the menu, creating a new user interface. To bring up the Recent Apps menu, simply swipe up. Applications are displayed in a mosaic with a scroll down option to show recently opened/running applications.

Also, by holding your finger on the application, you will launch options such as “Lock in background", Split Screen mode and application settings. Swipe right or left to exit the recent apps menu. Google could borrow a trick or two from the new MIUI 10.

New volume control interface and notification shade

MIUI developers are integrating all the new features according to the wishes of users. One of the most long-awaited, according to information from the forums, was the volume control and notification curtain, as in Android P. The developers, inspired by such interface features in Android P, duplicated them in MIUI 10.

The notification shade includes a quick settings panel and a volume control on a white background. The regulator is controlled via a user interface with blue audio level indicators on a white background. Also at the bottom near the action menu there is a “Mute” button. To activate options such as ringer, news, and alarm volume settings, you need to touch this button. In addition, you can set the mode to Silent or Do Not Disturb with a countdown timer. If you forget to switch your device to normal mode from Do Not Disturb mode. This feature is a real gift for forgetful users.

PIP or Picture in Picture mode

What kind of PIP mode is this? Most ordinary users who have Android 8 installed already know about this mode. It allows the user to easily work with applications, quickly switch between them without closing them completely. For example, you are watching a broadcast on your phone and need to respond to a message; In PIP mode you can chat without interrupting viewing.

Autocomplete support

Finally MIUI now supports autofill feature. Fewer passwords in your head, less worries. The idea was originally applied in Chrome browser, then made it into a feature for Android P, and now officially supported by MIUI 10. With the autofill feature, you can log into apps securely without having to memorize passwords. The system encrypts and stores the password. As soon as you open the site and enter the first character, you will see the “Username” and “Password” fields filled in and all you have to do is log in by clicking the button.

The Future Belongs to Artificial Intelligence

All technical developments bring us closer to implementation artificial intelligence in smartphones and other equipment. Naturally, it’s interesting what AI features will smartphones get with the update package new firmware. MIUI 10 includes many features, as well as its own AI-powered voice assistant, although it still speaks Chinese.

One feature is smart preloading, which potentially reduces app load times to zero by constantly reading usage patterns and anticipating your actions. This means that the next time you unlock your device, the QQi or mail application, or the one you launch most often, will also open. AI Portrait mode “Smart Portrait” will give the user pictures with a bokeh effect.

Improved recording function at your service

Although this feature is not new, MIUI 10 offers much more than just screen recording. You can now add system sounds while recording your screen. You ask: “Who needs this?” Now with this feature it is very easy to explain to most techno authors or bloggers distinctive feature or show the game or any video material to your users. As a result, the recording has the following characteristics: a speed of 6 Mbps with a resolution of 1080. This means absolutely stunning videos, not inferior in quality to videos with a frame rate of 24 fps.

Application management

Thanks to the functionality of the security application, you can manage all applications of the gadget. This allows you to check for app updates, search for duplicates, grant permissions when prompted from each installed one, and even uninstall multiple apps with just a few taps. A convenient feature for users who install or test new applications for review or for a limited time.

Fast payment with Quick Ball

Now that fast payment integrated, sending money to friends is easier than ever. WeChat and AliPay are built into the China ROM version, probably soon they will be integrated into the Global ROM for faster payments payment system like Tez, WhatsApp or Paytm.

Greetings to all fans of Xiaomi and the MIUI shell. Today you will learn some more useful tips that may come in handy when using MIUI 10.

1. Smart Assistant (App Vault):

This is a one-stop place that contains all the most frequently used functions. This is an amazing option in MIUI 10 that provides quick access to frequently used apps. With it, you can use certain functions without searching for them. Calling a taxi, taking notes, viewing upcoming events and many more are included in the App Vault.

2. Voice note

Note App is a great feature in MIUI that helps you store important notes. In the era of advanced technology, you no longer need to write notes using touch keyboard. To provide you with an alternative, MIUI 10 has introduced a Voice Note feature that allows you to save an important note using a voice recording. Now taking notes has become faster thanks to the Voice Note feature. Isn't that cool?

3. Quick search

Going into the browser and then doing a search... Doesn't that take a lot of time? There are more quick way! MIUI 10 has added the Quick Search feature. Just swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen and you will be redirected to the page quick search, where you can search for whatever you want.

4. Quick application management

MIUI Security allows you to manage any installed applications. But to manage certain things, you need to take several steps, which take even more time. If you want to manage a specific application faster (for example, clear the cache, check its permissions, or make other settings) - no problem! Just tap on the app you want to control, hold it, and then tap settings. Ta-dam!! You will now be presented with a dedicated user interface for managing applications.

5. Quick date calculation

Do you have an exam or meeting on September 28? Perhaps not all of us have the habit of counting down the remaining days until an exam or some important date. Have you ever done this? How to calculate the number of days remaining? But did you know that you can do this in the MIUI Calendar app? Just open it and then click the down arrow next to the year, then two will appear additional options in the user interface. Tap the Quick Date icon next to the Settings icon, where the Calculate Date option will appear.

Give gifts

5 tips to help you quickly find what you need

Store a lot of messages, images in a gallery, or files in internal storage? Have you ever encountered difficulties in searching for important data? Having a lot of files or pictures can make searching on your phone difficult, especially if you're in a hurry. We present you 5 tips that will save your time and help you find a file, folder or message within a few seconds.

1. Attach an important message

MIUI offers a message display feature that will allow you to pin or pin important messages so that you can quickly view them whenever you need to. Open the messaging app and hold the message you want to pin, and the phone will display the Pin option. When you click Pin, your messages will move to the top, and you won't have to waste time searching for a message every time you need them.

2. Attach an important note

The MIUI Note app is a very powerful tool in MIUI. It offers a Pin feature that pins an important note to the app. If you have hundreds of notes in the Note app, it will be very difficult for you to find an important note right away. As a result, each time you search for it, it will take you longer. In this case, the Pin feature in the Note app will reduce the time it takes to find an important note. Open the Note app, hold important notes, and tap Attach. After that they will be displayed at the top.

3. Add a photo to Favorites using the applicationMIUI Gallery

The “Add photos to favorites” feature was already available in MIUI 9. Naturally, not all the photos on your smartphone are your favorites. And it’s quite difficult to find such photos out of hundreds of photos in the gallery. Moreover, it is a waste of time. This feature allows you to mark your favorite photo among thousands of others and save it in your Favorites album. Open the MIUI Gallery app, select your favorite photo, then tap Favorites or the heart icon, then the photo will be added to the Favorites album. Now, every time you want to find your favorite photo, you won't have to scroll through thousands of images. You will find them in the “Favorites” album. Very convenient, isn't it?

4. Add a file/folder to "Favorites" inMIUI File Explorer

Sometimes it takes a very long time to search for important files or folders in internal or external storage. The Add Folder to Favorites feature using the MIUI Explorer app allows you to keep your important folders in one place so you can quickly access them. Open MIUI File Explorer, select an important file or folder, and then go to options and select "Add to Favorites." After this, they will appear in the Favorites section in MIUI File Explorer. To view your favorites, tap on the top left switch in MIUI File Explorer and go to Favorites.

5. Add a contact to Favorites

Everyone has an important or frequently used contact. In MIUI, you can add a contact to your favorites and it will appear at the top of your contact list under the Favorites section. With this function, the contact will be in a separate list and this will reduce search time. Open your contacts app, hold your chosen contact, and then tap Add to Favorites to move it.

5 useful features in MIUI 10 that you should try!

This is the next part of the article in the series “ Useful tips" In it, we will talk about features in MIUI 10 that can be useful in everyday use of the phone. So let's get started.

1. Message with a set sending time

Do you always forget to congratulate a friend on his birthday or anniversary? A message with the set sending time in MIUI will help you. Now you may forget about the congratulations, but your phone will never forget about his birthday/anniversary. Open the Mi Message app and tap on the new message icon. Now tap the (+) icon next to the text input field, where you will find the “Timed” option. In this option, set the date and time. Next you will see the schedule above text message. Write a preliminary message and click on the send button. Next, after your message, you will see a warning icon that the message will be sent according to the schedule.

2. Quick note during a call

During telephone conversation With someone, sometimes you need to take important notes (for example, write down a contact number). But the pen and Notebook you don’t always have it with you, or you’re traveling somewhere and need to get a pen and paper to write down important information, is simply impossible. But in MIUI 10 you can quickly solve this problem. You don't have to ask someone to write down your information or give you a pen and paper. Just tap Note in the MIUI Call UI, which will redirect you to the notes app where you can enter text.

3. Merging duplicate contacts

Having multiple contacts of the same person is common. Are you thinking about how to merge duplicate contacts? MIUI offers this feature in the MIUI Call App settings. It finds duplicate contacts in the list and merges them. Useful, isn't it?

Has it ever happened to you that you turned on Personal Hotspot, but forgot to turn it off. MIUI provides a feature that allows you to automatically turn off the hotspot when there are no connected devices. Open Settings and go to the Hotspot menu and then activate Automatic shutdown access points."

TOP-7 tipsthat will help automate the useMIUI 10 !

The smartphone makes our life easier. With the help of a smartphone we can do everything: surf websites, watch videos or read books. To improve the quality of work with smartphones, MIUI developers always offer interesting features, which make using smartphones more convenient. MIUI 10 has provided many features that can be controlled automatically without having to worry about activating or deactivating. We have written 7 tips that will make your Xiaomi smartphone autonomous. You will only need to configure and enable the desired feature once. So let's get started.

1. Turn on reading mode

Reading mode is a useful feature for the health of smartphone users. This mode reduces the brightness of blue light from the display, which protects your eyes while using your smartphone. MIUI 10 offers a schedule option in Reading Mode that will allow your phone to automatically turn on or off according to a preset schedule. This means you don't have to click Reading Mode or go to Settings to enable Reading Mode. This task will be completed automatically according to the schedule you set.

2. Silent mode

Silent mode is an important feature for the user mobile phone. It allows us to use the phone silently during a meeting or important activities. But many of us sometimes forget to turn on silent mode, resulting in an awkward situation in the middle of a meeting. What if you set the silent mode to certain time? It would be fantastic. MIUI 10 offers a silent schedule feature that allows you to set this mode for a certain time. According to the time you set, the smartphone will automatically turn on silent mode and turn it off after the scheduled time. Now you will no longer find yourself in an awkward situation because you forgot to turn off the sound.

3. Do Not Disturb Mode

Imagine your phone ringing or vibrating at midnight as you fall into deep sleep? Of course, no one will like this. But in MIUI 10 there is a feature with a “Do not disturb” mode, which turns off all sounds and vibrations, except for alarms. In the updated version of the shell from Xiaomi, you can set a schedule to configure the operation of this function. After setting the schedule in certain moment After this time, your smartphone will switch from General mode to Do Not Disturb mode. Now you don't have to worry about being disturbed while you sleep.

4. Automatic cleaning

When we use applications, they generate and save cache and garbage files in our phone's memory. But most of us very often clear them only after warning of memory full. Did you know that MIUI 10 offers an automatic cleaning feature. If you enable it and detect the storage, the phone will automatically start cleaning when it is 90% full. You will also receive a reminder if you set the Remind and Clean mode.

5. Automatic acceleration

MIUI 10 has an automatic acceleration feature in the Security App that clears the cache and improves the speed of your phone. Did you know you can set up automatic cleaning? Instead of repeating this action manually through the task manager every time the phone starts to slow down. And MIUI 10 just offers this useful function. You can do this by choosing to clear cache when the device is locked. After a certain time, the phone will automatically clear the cache when your device is locked and improve the speed of your phone. You can also select apps that don't need to clear the cache and close them when your device is locked.

6. Disable mobile network access when your device is locked

Mobile network is expensive compared to broadband or Wi-Fi unless you have unlimited tariff or a large volume of Internet traffic. The smartphone performs many functions in the background, some of which require Internet access. If you're on a data plan with limited data usage, then background data consumption while your device is locked will be a problem for you. While other user interfaces require third party application To control access to the mobile network, MIUI 10 offers to disable mobile data when the device is locked. You can also set a time for accessing the mobile network, which will automatically disconnect your phone from it when the device is locked after the set time. Now, if you forget to turn off your mobile network, you don't have to worry about your account balance.

7. AssistantWLAN

WLAN Assistant allows your phone to automatically select a WLAN or mobile network by analyzing the connection status. If your mobile network works well enough and you don’t want problems with your Internet connection, you can enable the “WLAN assistant” option in the WLAN Advance settings. When using a Wi-Fi network, it will automatically switch the WLAN to the mobile network if the WLAN network does not work well, and you can enjoy uninterrupted internet access.