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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11MIUI has been a treasure trove in terms of all the features and value propositions that it brings. We even have seen Google port some of these features onto the stock Android builds after they are proven worthy in custom ROMs.
With each consecutive MIUI build, we have gained a few new features apart from the obvious UI changes that these builds have. While you could make out some of the obvious MIUI features that are not available on other custom skins that easily. In this post, we have compiled some of the hidden features that are available in the latest build of MIUI 12 that you might not be aware of.
For the purpose of this post, we will be using a Redmi Note 7 Pro running the latest build of MIUI 12, wherein most of the features mentioned here work quite well.
Top MIUI 12 Hidden Features
Screen Recorder
Something that was added recently in the stock Android builds. MIUI 12 and for that matter, other builds have had the Screen Recording feature. To access this, from the settings app or simply by pulling down the notification shade and searching for the screen recorder toggle.
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- nano SIM 1 + Hybrid (nano SIM or microSD)(No Esim supported), 5G: 1/2/3/5/7/8/20/28/38/40/41/48/66/71/77/78 4G: LTE FDD: B1/2/3/4/5/7/8/18/19/20/26/28/66/71 4G: LTE TDD: B38/40/41/42/48 -3G: WCDMA::B1/2/4/5/6/8/19 - 2G QUAD BAND
- 6.77" Flow AMOLED display172.1mm Flow AMOLED displayResolution: 2392 x 1080Refresh rate: Up to 120Hz*Refresh rate can be adjusted to 120Hz for supported apps.Touch sampling rate: 240HzInstant touch sampling rate: 2560Hz*2560Hz instant touch sampling rate is activated under Game Turbo Mode.16x super-resolution touchBrightness: 3200 nits peak brightness, 800 nits (typ)Color depth: 12-bit (68.7 billion colors)Contrast ratio: 8,000,000:1DCI-P3 wide color gamutSunlight displayReading mode3840 PWM dimming | 16,000 (Hardware Solution) | TÜV Rheinland Circadian Friendly Certification | TÜV Rheinland Flicker Free CertificationScreen-to-body ratio: 92%
- 50MP main cameraLight Fusion 4001/2.88"1.22μm 4in1 Super Pixel5P lensf/1.82MP depth cameraRear camera video recording4K at 30fps1080p at 30fps720p at 30fps --- 20MP front camera1/4" sensor sizef/2.24P lensFront camera video recording1080p at 30fps720p at 30fps
- NFC - GPS: L1 | GLONASS: G1 | BDS: B1I+B1C | Galileo E1 - Virtual proximity sensor | Ambient light sensor | Accelerometer | Electronic compass | IR blaster | Gyroscope - In-screen fingerprint sensorAI face unlock
By getting into this, you can set the native resolution and can also tweak the source of the audio, be it the system audio or an external microphone.
Scanner
The new MIUI 12 build also comes with an in-built Scanner feature. Using this, you can scan QR codes and documents. Eliminating the need for any third-party app to scan your documents or QR Codes. You can simply head to the quick setting on your Xiaomi/Redmi smartphone and select Scanner from there and start using it.
Battery Saver
We know all the features that have been packed in MIUI 12 can be a battery hog sometimes. To counter this, MIUI has an excellent implementation of a battery saver. Within that battery saver, you will find modes like the new Ultra Battery Saver alongside other features. The new Ultra Battery Saver mode can offer up to five additional hours of usage on your device, Xiaomi/Redmi smartphone at least is what the brand claims. The Ultra Battery Saver mode on MIUI 12 lets you select a set of apps that you want the phone to run when this battery saver is turned on.
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- 【4K UHD Audiovisual Experience】Xiaomi 4K UHD resolution delivers exceptional clarity, while support for HDR10+ and Dolby Vision delivers cinematic picture quality. Dolby Atmos and DTS:X also create a cinematic audiovisual experience.
- 【Powerful 6nm Platform Performance】Powered by a 64-bit 6nm high-performance platform, featuring a quad-core A55 CPU (up to 2.5GHz) and large memory (2GB + 32GB), it ensures smooth operation.
- 【High-Speed Wi-Fi 6 Connectivity】Supports Wi-Fi 6 (requires a Wi-Fi 6-enabled router), utilizing OFDMA and MU-MIMO technologies to provide greater bandwidth and significantly improved transmission speeds, enabling instant playback of online content.
- 【Smart Google TV Entertainment Center】Built-in Google TV integrates personalized recommendations for movies, shows, and more from various apps and subscriptions, along with powerful cross-app search for a customized entertainment experience.
- 【Convenient Voice Control】Use the voice button on the 360° Bluetooth remote to use Google Assistant for voice search, playback control, and smart home management. Easily cast content from your phone/tablet to the TV via Google Cast. Easy to install.
Universal Casting Tool
Most of the Xiaomi/Redmi smartphones support casting features, no matter at what price point they launch. MIUI 12 comes with a universal casting tool that allows you to cast anything onto a bigger display from your smartphone. This feature uses MiraCast technology to cast and it also comes with a private casting option that lets you receive calls and check notifications without interfering with the casting which is a nifty addition.
Super Wallpaper
Xiaomi has had live wallpapers on their smartphones. But with the MIUI 12 build, they took it up a notch. This new MIUI build introduced some really cool Live Wallpapers and themes. Xiaomi calls them Super Wallpapers that are just like live wallpapers with planets’ 3D models and Nature-based themes and wallpapers. These wallpapers zoom into the surface when you unlock the phone and stay on as Always-on-display elements on phones that have the Always-on-display capability. The planets wallpaper comes in two variants Earth and Mars, while there are similar options in the Nature version as well.
Floating Window
The floating Window option was introduced by Samsung first on their top-of-the-line Note series smartphones and Xiaomi quickly ported this feature to MIUI. This is a very useful feature for Xiaomi/Redmi smartphones that have large displays or people with small hands. This is also majorly used by heavy users who like to use their smartphones as a productivity tool. MIUI 12’s floating window feature lets any app freely float anywhere on the screen and you can open another app meanwhile. This app window can also be resized by the gesture and moved around on the screen.
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- Dual SIM (nano SIM 1 + nano SIM 2) (NO MICRO SD OR ESIM) 5G: n1/2/3/5/7/8/20/26/28/38/40/41/48/66*/71/77/78 4G: LTE FDD: B1/2/3/4/5/7/8/18/19/20/26/28/66*/71 // 4G: LTE TDD: B38/40/41/42/48 -- 3G: WCDMA: B1/2/4/5/6/8/19 - 2G QUAD BAND
- 6.83" CrystalRes AMOLED displayResolution: 1.5K (2772 x 1280)447PPIRefresh rate: Up to 120Hz*Refresh rate can be adjusted to 120Hz for supported apps.Touch sampling rate: Up to 480HzInstant touch sampling rate: 2560Hz*2560Hz instant touch sampling rate is activated under Game Turbo Mode.16x super-resolution touchBrightness: 3200 nits peak brightnessBrightness: HBM 1800 nitsColor depth: 12-bit (68.7 billion colors)Contrast ratio: 8,000,000:1DCI-P3 wide color gamutOriginal color PROHDR10+ | Dolby VisionCorning Gorilla Glass Victus 2Sunlight display
- 50MP main cameraLight Fusion 8001/1.55"2.0μm 4-in-1 Super Pixel6P lensf/1.6OIS8MP ultra-wide cameraf/2.2Rear camera video recording4K at 30fps1080p at 30/60fps720p at 30fps - 32MP front camera1/3.6" sensor sizef/2.24P lensFront camera video recording1080p at 30/60fps720p at 30fps
- GPS: L1 | GLONASS: G1 | BDS: B1I +B1C | Galileo E1 | QZSS:L1 | A-GPS supplementary positioning | Wireless network | Data network | Sensor Assisted Positioning - In-screen fingerprint sensorAI face unlock - Proximity sensor | Ambient light sensor | Accelerometer | Electronic compass | IR blaster | Gyroscope
Pocket Mode
Pocket Mode has been available in MIUI since the days of MIUI 7. I still remember the time it was first introduced on a beta build that I was so eager to flash on my Redmi 1S. It is available in the Lock Screen settings. When turned on, this feature locks the touch gestures of the phone when it is placed in a pocket or a bag. This option saves you from accidental taps on the screen.
Virtual Identity
MIUI 12 comes with a new virtual identity feature that lets you save your personal data on any app or website. The virtual identity conceals the real user data and replaces it with a virtual id. You can choose what data you want the device to share with apps and websites. You can even sign in with this id as you use a Google account to sign-up. This virtual identity feature is something that other skins and stock Android should implement in future builds.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →App permissions and Privacy
With MIUI 12 and most recently MIUI 12.5, Xiaomi’s main focus is on Privacy. MIUI 12 brings several strict privacy policies, especially to protect your data as you use these apps. When you set privacy access and when you open an app, you will get notified about the data being accessed by that app in the background. Knowing which app is accessing what kind of data could safeguard your crucial information. A similar feature has been implemented in the Beta build of Android 12.
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- Dual SIM (nano SIM + nano SIM or nano SIM + eSIM) (NO MICRO SD) 5G: 5G SA: n1/2/3/5/7/8/20/26/28/38/40/41/66*(70M)/71/77/78/485G NSA: n1/3/5/7/8/20/28/38/40/41/66*(70M)/71/77/784G LTE TDD: B38/40/41/42/484G LTE FDD: B1/2/3/4/5/7/8/18/19/20/26/28/66*(70M)/713G WCDMA: 1/2/4/5/6/8/192G GSM: 2/3/5/8Supports 4x4 MIMO*5G SA/NSA N66(70M) and 4G B66(70M): UL 1710MHz～1780MHz, DL 2110MHz～2180MHz*5G connectivity may vary based on region availability and local operator support.
- 6.83" 1.5K 120Hz ultra-bright AMOLED displayResolution: 2772 x 1280Contrast ratio: 8,000,000:1Refresh rate: Up to 120Hz*Refresh rate can be adjusted to up to 120Hz for supported apps.Peak brightness: 3500 nits covering 25% display areaHBM brightness: 2000 nitsTypical brightness: 800 n: 2560Hz*480Hz touch sampling rate is activated under Game Turbo Mode.*2560Hz instant touch sampling rate is activated under Game Turbo Mode.12-bit color depth, 68 billion colorsDCI-P3 wide display 2.0HDR10+TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light (Hardware Solution) CertifiedTÜV Rheinland Flicker Free CertifiedTÜV Rheinland Circadian Friendly CertifiedDolby VisionCorning Gorilla Glass 7i
- MediaTek Dimensity 9500s3nm manufacturing process1 x Cortex-X925, up to 3.73GHz3 x Cortex-X4, up to 3.3GHz4 x Cortex-A720, up to 2.4GHzImmortalis-G925 MC11NPU 890 - 8500mAh (typ)100W HyperChargeUSB Type-C charging portUp to 27W reverse chargingSupports PD3.0/PD2.0Smart charging
- Wi-Fi Protocol: Wi-Fi 7/ Wi-Fi 6/ Wi-Fi 5/ Wi-Fi 4 and 802.11a/b/g*Wi-Fi 7/Wi-Fi 6 capability may vary based on regional availability and local network support. Wi-Fi connectivity (including Wi-Fi frequency bands, Wi-Fi standards and other features as ratified in IEEE Standard 802.11 specifications) may vary based on regional availability and local network support. The function may be added via OTA when and where applicable.WLAN frequency: 2.4G Wi-Fi | 5G Wi-FiSupports Multi-Link Operation, 2x2 MIMO, 8x8 Sounding for MU-MIMO, Wi-Fi Direct, MiracastBluetooth 6.0, Dual-BluetoothSupports SBC / AAC / LDAC / LHDC 5.0 / LC3 / ASHA / AuracastNFC
Dark Mode
With the AMOLED and OLED display tech being accessible to more users, Dark Mode is the new trend these days. MIUI 12’s dark mode can force apps in dark mode even if they do not support native dark mode by inverting the colors. This is similar to OPPO’s ColorOS which also lets users select a dark theme in any app.
We have added a handful of MIUI 12 features that we found nifty in this post. That being said if you come across more features that you found useful, share them in the comments.
Quick Recap
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Pocket Mode on 12.0 and 12.5 is no longer an option as featured in this article. Any one know why? It’s quite frustrating when my phone downloads apps and basically burns up my mobile data. 😠