Xiaomi phones: 7 things complete beginners should know

Have you purchased a Xiaomi phone for the first time? Or are you planning on getting yourself a Xiaomi phone? In this article, I will discuss seven things complete beginners should know about Xiaomi phones.

The article will include a mixture of basic features, some frequently asked questions and some tips for advanced features. Let’s dive into it.

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Xiaomi is a Chinese electronics company that was founded in 2010. Xiaomi and MI are two different companies. However, they produce MI and Redmi in collaboration with each other.

What to do after unboxing your phone

This might seem pretty obvious but we shall not take it for granted. You will need to protect your phone with a phone case and screen protector. This, in most cases, comes in the phone packaging.

Read the 1-page Quick Start Guide that comes in the box, and quickly learn about the device layout and the locations of the SIM card and SD card slots.

In case you are looking for the Redmi user guide, there’s one on the phone itself. Just launch the Readme app to read the user guide and FAQ.

How to set up the phone

When you turn on your new Redmi for the first time, the setup assistant will walk you through connecting to home Wi-Fi, entering account information and turning on certain features.

You will be prompted to select a language and tap next. For Redmi of the model number: HM1W, there are only 3 languages: English (United Kingdom), English (United States) and Chinese to choose from.

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On the Input method screen, select the virtual keyboard you want and tap Next. Yes, you can stick with the first option: SwiftKey

On the Wi-Fi screen, tap your home Wi-Fi network ID, and then enter the password to get connected. Once it’s done, tap Next to continue.

Next, you will create a new account. If you would like to do this later, tap Skip this step.

On the Data usage monitor screen, enter your monthly data plan limit, and then tap Next. You can also choose not to do anything, by tapping Setup later.

On the Add an account screen, tap the accounts that you would like to sign in and then follow the on-screen instructions to complete the login. Once you’ve all the sign-ins completed, tap Next.

On the Other services screen, tap Next and you should see the congratulatory screen. Tap Start using MIUI to conclude the initial setup.

How to change phone themes

To change a theme on your Redmi, please follow the steps below:

  • On your phone, find and launch the Themes app.
  • Find and tap the thumbnail of the theme you like.
  • On the Theme details screen, tap Download. The downloaded themes are stored under the Local tab.
  • When the download finishes, tap Apply to use this theme.

Lite mode on Xiaomi phones

If you find dealing and navigating home screens on your Xiaomi phone hard, you can switch to Lite mode. Lite mode is a feature available in Xiaomi Redmi 1S or Hongmi 1S which brings in simplified UI on the device instead of the regular MIUI.

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How to enable Lite mode

  1. On your phone, find and launch the Settings app.
  2. Select Lite mode.
  3. Tap the Lite mode switch to turn it on.
  4. Next, you’ll be prompted to reboot the phone to enter Lite mode. Tap OK.

How to disable Lite mode

  1. On your phone, find and launch the Settings app.
  2. Select Lite mode.
  3. Slide the Lite mode switch to the left to turn it off.
  4. Next, you’ll be prompted to reboot the phone to exit Lite mode. Tap OK.

Related Article: A List of Xiaomi smartphones in Uganda


How to filter contacts on Xiaomi phones

By default, all the Xiaomi phones show all contacts from all online accounts you’re logged in to. When your contacts list gets too long, you can choose which contact accounts to show.

  1. On your Redmi, find and launch the Contacts app.
  2. Tap the Menu button.
  3. Tap Settings.
  4. Select Display preference.
  5. Select Configure contact lists.
  6. Now, instead of All contacts, tap the contact account you want to display.

How to block a number/call

Nuisance calls can make life miserable. Here’s how to block an unwanted caller’s phone number.

  1. On your phone, find and launch the Messages or Phone app.
  2. Tap the Menu button.
  3. Select Blocklist.
  4. Tap the Blocklist tab.
  5. Tap Add.
  6. Enter the number you want to block, then hit Add.

How to delete multiple apps at once

  1. Place two fingers on any home screen and pinch them together to switch to Edit mode.
  2. Tap the apps you want to delete to put them to the taskbar.
  3. Use 2 fingers to pinch the apps together on the taskbar.
  4. Tap and drag them up to the Dustbin icon.
  5. Tap Uninstall

Xiaomi makes some great devices and I totally understand why you might want to switch to any of the Xiaomi phones. Above are 7 things a new beginner should know about Xiaomi phones.


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