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Xiaomi is a Chinese OEM that gained popularity due to is value for money smartphones aimed at budget buyers. Over the years, it has also established itself in the premium segment where its flagships deliver beasty performance for relatively cheaper pricing. The Xiaomi 12 is one such example that costs around $500 but delivers high-end specs and features.
The phone boasts Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, AMOLED display with Dolby Vision/HDR10+, 50MP camera setup, 67W fast charging, and 50W wireless charging. If you have recently bought a Xiaomi 12, these are the 11 things you should do right away.
New apps on home screen
MIUI adds newly downloaded applications to the home screen by default. It is meant to make it easier for you to find newly installed apps but it can make your home screen look cluttered in no time. You can prevent this by stopping new apps from getting added to the home screen.
Open the app drawer on your phone and tap the three-dot icon in the top right corner. You will see an option called Place new apps on the home screen. You need to disable this option and MIUI will not add new apps to the home screen anymore.
Double-tap/Raise to wake
If you want to check the time on your phone or previously received lockscreen notifications, you need to pick up the phone and press the power button. You can make this process a little faster by enabling double-tap to wake or raise to wake options. These allow you to wake up the display by simply double tapping or raising the phone up.
One-handed mode
The Xiaomi 12 has a 6.28-inch display which could prove to be too big for some users. It could be inconvenient for those users to reach the top corners of the phone with one hand. This is where the one-handed mode comes to the rescue. It shrinks the UI in a way that you are able to access all the corners.
It can be enabled from Settings > Additional Settings > One-handed mode and turning on the toggle. Whenever you want to use the mode, simply swipe downwards near the bottom edge.
Get a protective case
Even though Xiaomi 12 costs about half of what other flagships do, it is no excuse to not invest in a good protective case. A good case will protect your beloved smartphone from getting damaged after accidental drops and slip-ups. Xiaomi does bundle the phone with a protective case but you can always spend some bucks to get a better one.
Stop MIUI scanning apps
MIUI has a security feature that scans each app during the installation to make sure they are safe to install. This is a handy feature but kind of redundant because of Google Play Store’s own Play Protect security feature. To disable MIUI scanning, tap the settings icon in the top right corner when you see the scanning screen next time. This should give you an option that reads, Scan apps from the Google Play Store. Turn off the toggle for this option and you are set.
Bring the traditional notification tray back
The Xiaomi 12 comes with a new MIUI version which brings various new features. One such feature is Control Center which is essentially a hub for all the quick settings shortcuts. You access it by swiping down from the right but if you wish to access notifications, you need to swipe down from the left.
This might be confusing or even annoying for some users. If you wish to go back to the traditional notification panel access that you get on Android, you can do so anytime. Simply visit Settings > Notifications and Control Center > Control Center Style > Old version and that’s it.
Blur previews in recent apps
Recent apps feature lets you switch from one app to another quickly. It also shows you a preview that gives you an idea of what you were up to on a particular app. While it is meant to be useful, it could also give away sensitive information to someone next to you. This is why you may want to consider blurring previews in recent apps. You can do this by visiting the home screen settings and looking for the Blur app previews option. Choose the apps for which you want to blur the preview and you are good to go.
Clone apps
Clone apps is an MIUI feature that lets you have two instances of select applications like Facebook and WhatsApp. You can use this feature to run two different accounts on the same device without having to log in and out. This can be enabled by visiting Settings > Apps > Dual Apps and tapping the Create button to get started.
It will show you Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp as recommended apps along with a list of apps that support the dual apps feature. Simply choose the ones for which you want to have dual apps on your phone.
Display refresh rate
The Xiaomi 12 has a display panel with up to 120Hz refresh rate. It adjusts dynamically according to the content displayed but it is also possible to lock it at a particular refresh rate value. Visit Settings > Display > Refresh Rate > Custom and then choose from 60Hz, 90Hz, or 120Hz as per your preference.
Manage app categories
One of the many handy MIUI features is app categories on the home screen. These categories are created and relevant apps are added automatically. It works as it is but if you wish to make any changes, it is possible through system settings.
Visit Settings > Home Screen > Home Screen > Manage app categories. You can choose to disable app categories completely, remove individual categories, and rearrange them in any order. There is also a Custom option that lets you create custom categories and add relevant apps manually.
System Navigation
The Xiaomi 12 has a gesture-based navigation system for accessing recent apps, going back, and going to the home screen. This is the default navigation approach on all modern Android smartphones but if you prefer the layout of the classic buttons, it is possible to make the switch. Visit Settings > Home Screen > System Navigation and choose between buttons and gestures.
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