[MIUI Central] XDARoni:
Lite Mode is a new feature that is included with the MIUI 12 update. This mode is designed to bring you larger text, less visual clutter, and bigger icons. Overall, it's a way to offer an easier UI to those who prefer these different settings. Lite mode will only be available on compatible Xiaomi devices. So even if you have the MIUI 12 update, you might not be able to use lite mode.

How to Enable Lite Mode

To enable lite mode on your Xiaomi phone, you must first make sure that you are running MIUI 12. To update your phone to the latest software version, go to:

Settings > About Phone > MIUI Version > Download Update

Once your phone is running MIUI 12, you will be ready to enable lite mode.

Lite mode can be found in your settings menu. Go to:

Settings > Special Features > Lite mode

Once you find the lite mode settings menu, you'll be shown the menu from the photo below. Select "Turn on Lite mode". Your phone may freeze for 1 or two seconds as it relaunches your home screen. Now you should notice the larger icon and text. This means you have enabled lite mode successfully.

Larger Icons

Lite mode enables large icons to be displayed on your home screen. The larger icons are easier to see and are displayed in a 3x4 grid layout. Here is a side-by-side comparison showing the different icon sizes.

Note: Once you're in lite mode, your home screen options are no longer available in the settings. This means you cannot use the app drawer feature. Instead, all of your apps will be shown on the home screen.

The larger icons can be very helpful to people with vision problems. Sometimes it can be difficult to see the icons or read their titles in standard mode. By switching to lite mode, you still maintain most of the functionality of your home screen, while making your icons bigger and easier to select.

Larger Text

Larger text will be enabled throughout the MIUI system when you activate lite mode. These screenshots compare the text size in the settings menu.

It's important to be able to easily read any text on your phone, at a glance. If there's even a slight struggle to see your information, using your phone becomes very frustrating. Lite mode helps make this easier for anyone who struggles to see smaller text on your Xiaomi phone display.

Less Clutter

More advanced features are removed throughout the system, when you are using lite mode. The goal of this is to simplify your experience on your Xiaomi phone. You'll notice menus for home screen and other settings have been removed, to make a more clutter-free UI. Since MIUI 12 is such a feature-rich system, the idea of lite mode is to remove some of the features that you're less-likely to use. Any of these missing features can be brought back, by switching off lite mode.

Tap to Dial

Since lite mode is about creating a more simple experience, some features are enabled that help you use your phone for basic calling. This feature is called "Tap to Dial". You can access the instant dial page by swiping left from your home screen. You will see a large "add" button that will let you put your selected contacts directly on this screen. At this point, when you tap your contact, it will dial them.

This is a great feature for anyone who struggles to use more advanced features on their phone. Consider this for your grandparents, parents, or maybe someone who is differently-abled.

When you want to remove a contact from the tap to dial page, just press and hold on their icon and drag it to the top of your screen.