Xiaomi has been on a roll in India. After the success of the Redmi Note 5 Pro from earlier this year, the company recently launched the Mi A2 in the country. The Mi A2 is the successor of Xiaomi’s first Android One device from last year, the Mi A1. The handset builds on the Redmi Note 5 Pro and offers a more powerful internal and camera experience.
Being an Android One device, the Mi A2 does not run on MIUI. Instead, it runs on a stock build of Android 8.1 Oreo, with a promise of quick and speedy software updates. The Mi A2 is the perfect handset for those who are not a fan of MIUI but still want a Xiaomi handset for the excellent value for money they offer.
If you have recently purchased the Mi A2 or plan on purchasing one soon enough, you have definitely made the right decision. Now, check out some tips and tricks for the handset below which should further improve the experience of using the device.
Best Mi A2 Hidden Tips and Tricks
Quickly Switch Between Apps
The Mi A2 might come with 4GB RAM but given that the phone runs on stock Android, it is more than enough even for the most hardcore users out there. If you are a heavy multitasker, here’s a tip that’s going to greatly enhance the multitasking experience on the Mi A2.
You can quickly switch between two open apps by simply double pressing the Recent apps button. It is a feature that Google first debuted with Nougat and its one of those little features that can have a huge impact on one’s productivity.
Quick Charge 4.0
The Mi A2 comes with a 3,000mAh battery that offers plenty of juice to last through a day. However, if you find this insufficient or just want to spend less time charging your Mi A2, you should get a Quick Charge 3.0/4.0 charger for the Mi A2.
The Indian variant of the Mi A2 supports Quick Charge 4.0, while units sold in other parts of the world feature Quick Charge 3.0 support. However, since Xiaomi only bundles a regular 9V/2A charger with the Mi A2, one will have to invest in a Quick Charge 3.0 or higher charger separately. On the bright side, Xiaomi itself sells a Quick Charge 3.0 charger in India for Rs 499 which is an absolute steal for its price.
Mi Remote
Despite being an Android One device, the Mi A2 comes with a number of features and goodies that are a key part of a Xiaomi device. One such little feature is the inclusion of an IR blaster on the Mi A2.
When paired with Xiaomi’s own Mi Remote app, one can easily control other common electronic home appliances around them like TV, AC, music system, and more. The Mi Remote is even smart enough to organize the remote depending on your location. So, if you are in office, the remote of your office AC will automatically be shown at the top of the list. Similarly, when you are in your house, the AC or TV remote of your home AC/TV will be shown at the top.
Screenshot Gesture
In MIUI, it is incredibly easy to take a screenshot. A simple three-finger swipe down anywhere on the screen is enough to take a screenshot. On the Mi A2 though, things are a bit different. Since the phone runs on stock Android, it does not have any such gesture. Instead, one can take a screenshot on the device by pressing and holding the Volume down + Power button simultaneously for a few seconds.
The three finger swipe down gesture has become increasingly common and its definitely more convenient than the physical shortcut. However, until and unless Google gets around to adding this gesture support in stock Android, there’s not much that Mi A2 owners can do except perhaps using a third-party app from Google Play.
Quick Access to Camera
If you love taking photos, you are going to love this shortcut on the Mi A2. A simple double press of the power button is enough to open the camera app. The shortcut works from anywhere in the OS and even when the device is sleeping. As soon as you double press the power button, the camera app will open in less than a second and you can snap away to glory.
Hidden Service Menu
If you want to make sure that the Mi A2 you are buying is free from any hardware defects, you can use the hidden service menu on the device to check the various hardware components. You can access the hidden service menu by keying in*#*#6484#*#*. A list of various hardware components that you can test will be shown. Simply select them one by one to run a diagnostic test.
Lock Apps
The Mi A2 runs on a stock build of Android 8.1 Oreo. This means it lacks useful features like being able to password protect installed apps on the device and more. Not to worry though since you can easily get this functionality by downloading a third-party app from Google Play.
Read: How to Lock Apps Using Fingerprint Scanner on Xiaomi Mi A2
Customize Quick Settings
By default, you get 12 tiles in the Quick Settings panel of the Mi A2. If you don’t like the default tiles or just want to reposition them, you can do so.
To customize the Quick Settings panel on Mi A2, expand it and tap the edit button — the pencil icon being displayed on the left of the Settings button. Once you have entered the edit mode, you can rearrange tiles by dragging and dropping them anywhere you like. Similarly, you can add new tiles by dragging them from the bottom section to the top. To add custom tiles, you will have to use third-party apps from the Play Store like Quick Settings Tiles.
Increase/Decrease Display Density
By changing the display density on the Mi A1, you can tweak the amount of content being displayed on the screen. This occurs without adjusting the font size so the UI elements will not cut off as it generally happens when one changes the font size. By lowering the display density, you can display more information on the Mi A1’s display, while increasing it will make all the content on the screen bigger and easier to read.
To change the display density on your Mi A2, head over to Settings -> Display size and depending on your preference, change it to ‘Small’ or ‘Larger’.
Storage Manager
The Mi A2 comes with 64GB of storage along with a hybrid microSD card slot. This should be good enough for most users but if you are a heavy user, here’s a tip on how to easily keep sufficient storage space on the handset.
Simply head over to Settings -> Storage and enable the Storage manager option. This will automatically ensure that all photo and videos which are backed up to Google Photos are deleted after a set period of time. The period of time can vary between 30 days, 60 days, and over 90 days which is going to be good enough for most users.
No FM Radio
This is less of a tip and more of a thing to know. If you frequently listen to FM radio, the Mi A2 is definitely not for you since it lacks FM radio capabilities. While the Mi A1 also lacked an FM radio, there was still a way to access it using the hidden service menu. While the service menu is still found on the Mi A2, the FM radio option is missing from it.
What are some of your favorite tips and tricks for the Mi A2? Drop a comment and share them with us.
