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How To Access Hidden Options in MIUI System Settings

MIUI, Xiaomi’s custom Android skin, is packed with hidden options and settings that allow you to customize and tweak your device beyond what is visible in the default system settings. While some of these hidden settings are buried deep within nested menus, others require using third party apps to access.

Here is a guide to help you unlock the full potential of your MIUI device by accessing these hidden settings and options:

Use a Third Party App

The easiest way to find hidden settings in MIUI is to use a third party app like “MIUI Hidden Settings” or “Hidden Settings for MIUI”. These apps categorize all available hidden options in an easy to navigate interface so you can tweak them as needed.

Some of the key things you can do with such apps:

  • Enable Developer Options
  • Customize status bar and navigation gestures
  • Manage special app permissions
  • Toggle experimental features like multi-user support

The main advantage of using such an app is that it saves you the trouble of digging through complex settings menus to find these hidden options.

Enable Developer Options

Enabling Developer Options is the first step to unlock many hidden features in MIUI. To do so:

  1. Go to Settings > About Phone
  2. Tap on MIUI Version 7-10 times until you see a pop-up saying Developer Options have been enabled
  3. Go back and you will now see Developer Options in the settings menu

Developer Options give you access to tweaks like:

  • Changing animation speeds
  • Toggling MIUI optimizations
  • Enabling freeform windows
  • Using wireless ADB debugging

Customize the Status Bar

You can customize the status bar in MIUI to show network traffic data, disable Bluetooth icons, and more by following these steps:

  1. Go to Settings > Notifications & Control Center
  2. Tap on Status Bar
  3. Here you will find options to add network speed data, disable Bluetooth icons when disconnected etc.

Manage Special App Permissions

MIUI has a special permissions manager that lets you control access to sensitive functionality for apps. To access it:

  1. Go to Settings > Passwords & Security
  2. Tap on App Permissions
  3. You can toggle permissions like auto-start, background activity, display pop-ups etc. for each app

Use Hidden Camera Options

The MIUI camera app has lots of customization options hidden in its settings. To access them:

  1. Open the Camera app
  2. Tap on the hamburger menu icon
  3. Go to Settings > Customize
  4. Here you will options like enabling scan documents and quick sharing modes which are disabled by default

Lower Screen Refresh Rate

You can save battery life by lowering the screen refresh rate from the default 120Hz/90Hz to 60Hz:

  1. Go to Settings > Display
  2. Tap on Refresh Rate
  3. Select 60Hz

Lower refresh rates reduce system animations and scrolling smoothness but give you much better battery endurance.

Disable Memory Extension

MIUI has a feature called Memory Extension that uses your storage as virtual RAM. While this can boost performance, it tends to slow down devices and cause lag over time.

To disable it:

  1. Go to Settings > Additional Settings
  2. Tap on Developer Options
  3. Find and disable Memory Extension

Remap Navigation Buttons

If your MIUI device has hardware navigation buttons, you can customize their functions like toggling torch, taking screenshots etc:

  1. Go to Settings > Additional Settings
  2. Tap on Button & Gestures
  3. Tap on Navigation Key Customization
  4. Now remap the buttons by tapping on each

Unlock More Home Screen Customizations

To get more icon layout, size and spacing options for the MIUI home screen:

  1. Long press empty space on home screen
  2. Tap Home Settings in the pop-up
  3. Tap on the settings cog icon on the top right
  4. Enable Advanced Settings
  5. You will now get additional grid, spacing and icon size options

Get Fine Grained Battery Controls

To configure exactly which apps can run in the background and control battery usage:

  1. Go to Settings > Battery & Performance
  2. Tap on Manage Battery Usage
  3. Tap on each app to set background activity and auto-start permissions

This way you can restrict specific battery draining apps while allowing others that need background access for notifications/chats.

Conclusion

While MIUI already has extensive customization options in the default settings, third party apps and digging deeper unlocks many more hidden tweaks. Features like revoking app permissions, lowering refresh rate, remapping buttons and disabling memory extension can significantly improve performance, battery life and customizability.

So explore your MIUI system settings, make use of specialized apps, and try out some of the tweaks given in this guide to unlock the full potential of your Xiaomi/Redmi/Poco devices. With these steps, you will be able to customize the look, feel and performance of MIUI to suit your usage needs.

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