MIUI, the custom Android user interface utilized by the Chinese smartphone giant Xiaomi recently received a major update in form of MIUI 8. While this well-known Android variation has dependably offered a good quantity of features over stock Android, the rundown became much further with the most recent discharge. So today, we are posting a portion of the best tips, traps, and concealed components of MIUI 8. Let’s begin!

1. Second Space:

One of the biggest and most interesting components that MIUI 8 brings is Second Space. This feature gives you a chance to design a moment workspace on your telephone, like how client accounts in Windows and macOS work. Both the spaces act independently, with a different set of apps, photos, passcode, files, themes, Mi account, and so on. One example usage is to use one space as ‘Personal’, with your Facebook, WhatsApp, and personal email, and the other as ‘Work’, containing your office-particular applications and work email account.

To enable it, go to Settings > Second space > Turn on Second space. You will then be prompted to set up a passcode, transfer apps, photos, and other data, and finally customize the second space to your liking.

 2. Scrolling Screenshots:

Another handy new feature in MIUI 8 is ‘scrolling screenshots’. .It is valuable when you have to  capture a screenshot of a webpage or application that traverses a few pages in substance. To do this, take a screenshot (hold Volume Down + Power button). You will see a small thumbnail of the screenshot you just went up against the upper-right corner of the screen. Tap on this thumbnail to open it. Here, you will see an icon labelled “Scroll” on the bottom left. Tap it, and start scrolling. Tap the Done at whatever point you need to stop, and you’re looking over screenshot will be spared.

 3. Video Editing:

The newly-updated Gallery app brings a brand-new interface, and several new features to video editing, such as the ability to trim videos, add filters, subtitles, and audio. Simply tap on a video in the default Gallery app and select Edit.

 4. Dual Apps:

Sometimes, you might want to run two cases of a similar application on your phone. For instance, you may have two SIM cards, and might want to run WhatsApp on both the numbers. This would be incomprehensible on whatever other ROM without establishing or without utilizing any outsider application like Parallel Space, yet is an inherent component of MIUI 8. To empower this, go to Settings > Dual apps. Here, you can select the apps of which you want to run two instances. The first application will remain unaffected, and you will see another symbol of the same application, with a yellow image on the base left corner. This is your cloned application, and will run freely of the first application.

 5. Advanced Calculations and Conversions:

The built-in calculator is now an all-in-one tool for advanced calculations and conversions. It includes a scientific mode, converters for various units such as length, area, temperature, speed, and mass, a real-time currency converter, and even a mortgage calculator!

Notes App Features:

The built-in notes app in MIUI 7 worked great, and had some handy features such as reminders, checklists, folder support, and more. With the MIUI 8 update, the interface received an overhaul, and added new features. Here are two of our favorites:

6. Background Templates:

Every note can now be made to look prettier by adding a template background. The choice includes the playful ‘Candy’, ‘Dark’, ‘Stars’, and many more.

7. Hide and Lock Notes:

It is possible to hide and lock notes in the default Notes App. Long press on a note to select it, and tap the Hide button on the bottom. This will keep the note from showing up with alternate notes, and make it unsearchable utilizing the pursuit work. To open such a concealed note, hold down the inquiry bar, and drag downwards till you see a lock icon. You can then access your hidden notes after you enter your lock pattern or passcode.

8. Birthday Alarm:

You can set the Clock app to play “Happy Birthday” rather than your ordinary alert on your birthday. To empower this, go to the Clock app, click on the Menu button on the top right corner, and select More settings.  There, you will discover the choice to turn on Birthday alert towards the bottom.

Other Hidden MIUI Features

The following features are not exclusive to MIUI 8, as they are also present in MIUI 7. However, many users do not know about them, as they are not so straightforward to access. Hence, we are including them in our list.

9. Quick Ball:

Quick ball is a transparent shortcut menu that sits on your screen, above your apps. Tapping on it lets you choose from 5 shortcuts – Home, Menu, Lock, Screenshot, and Back. The shortcuts are customizable, and you can remap all of them, including the possibility to use them as application shortcuts.

To enable Quick Ball, go to Settings > Additional Settings > Quick ball, and tap Turn on Quick ball. You will also find several customization options here, including the option to hide automatically in chosen apps, hiding in full screen mode, and visibility on Lock screen.

10. One-handed Mode:

Often while traveling in a bus or metro, one of our hands is engaged, but we still need to use the phone. With the ever-increasing screen sizes of smartphones, it gets difficult to use them with just one hand. To make life easier, turn on one-handed mode by sliding your thumb from the physical Home button towards the left or right. Your screen area will shrink to the dimensions of a 4 or 3.5-inch phone (customizable by clicking the Gear icon in the dark area).

To turn this mode off, do the same sliding thumb gesture you did to turn it on, and your screen area will return to normal.