- Display: 5 inches IPS LCD, 1280×720p, 294 ppi
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 425
- RAM: 2 GB, LPDDR4
- Flash memory: 16 GB + microSD up to 128 GB
- Main camera: 13 MP with f/2.2
- Front camera: 5 MP with f/2.0
- Battery: 3000 mAh
- Navigation: GPS, GLONASS
- Wireless interfaces: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
- Operating system: MIUI V8 (Android 7.1.1 Nougat)
- Dimensions: 140.4×70.1×8.35 mm
- Weight: 137 grams
The phone has a 5-inch screen with a resolution of 1280x720p. Xiaomi Redmi 5A has 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal memory. There is also a slot for a microSD card up to 128 GB. The device comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 chipset and a 3000 mAh battery. The main camera on the phone is 13 megapixels, and the front one is 5 megapixels. The new product is sold at a very low price - $75.
How to insert a SIM card
This device can accommodate two SIM cards, as well as a microSD card at the same time. To install SIM, turn off the device. Find a paper clip in the phone box to open the tray, which is located on the left side of the device. You can install Micro and Nano SIM cards in it. Check carefully that you have placed them correctly in the tray.
Physical button to launch the camera built into the smartphone
On the left side of the Xiaomi Mi 9 - directly opposite the power key - there is a special physical button, which is required as standard to launch the Google intelligent assistant.
Using MIUI, it can be reconfigured to activate the camera. This summer I shot a lot underwater at sea using a universal transparent bag-type case. You won’t be able to activate the viewfinder through a wet screen , but using a button is very easy.
By the way, it’s a shame that Samsung doesn’t have such a convenient way to reconfigure an additional button in our country. To opt out of the branded voice assistant, you will need a SIM card from a foreign operator.
How to install different themes on your smartphone
The MIUI shell has always been famous for its enormous customization. Thanks to it, you can install various interface themes on Redmi 5A. There are two ways to change the default theme. The first way is to find the Themes app. The second is to go to the device settings and find the “Themes” item there. In both cases, you will have the opportunity to choose one of the standard themes or go to the “Online” section and download any one you like.
Flexible work with notification center and control center
You can even add a weather widget to the notification center.
I remember the days when you could add widgets to the iOS Notification Center. If my memory serves me correctly, it disappeared after the transition from iOS 6 to iOS 7. In the world of skeuomorphism, there was a place for weather between messages from Push, and then it disappeared.
On any Android, and the MIUI shell is no exception, you can add functional widgets to the curtain. Now I have the weather hanging there, and previously there was a list of upcoming things to do from the Any.do application.
I also like that the “Notification Center” and “Control Center” in the MIUI version are not separated, like in iOS. They can definitely be combined without loss of functionality.
How to calibrate the screen
As mentioned above, the smartphone has a 5-inch display with a resolution of 1280×720p and a density of 294 ppi. The screen on the phone has rich, bright colors, but in the “Standard” mode there is a slight “yellowishness”. But thanks to the highly customizable MIUI shell, you can change the screen color by going to the phone settings, and then to the “Screen” section.
Storage
The screenshots taken are graphic files and are automatically placed in the “Gallery” section. There is a Screenshots program folder there.
If necessary, you can work with screenshots in the same way as with any image:
- read or view;
- move to other folders;
- process in a graphic editor;
- insert into text files, documents;
- forward by email;
- print;
- change format;
- delete.
Each user can try different options for taking a screenshot and determine the most convenient and practical for themselves.
By activating the night mode, the user may notice an increase in battery life and less strain on eyesight. But not everyone knows how to enable dark theme on Xiaomi and Redmi from the phone settings and theme store. We will talk about the current options for MIUI 10 and MIUI 11.
How to set up notifications
The combination of Android Nougat and MIUI 9 allows you to flexibly customize your Redmi 5A. Starting from adjusting the phone sound in headphones to adjusting multitasking, for example, when splitting the screen into two parts. But one of the most important and useful features is setting up notifications.
You can prioritize multiple apps so that their notifications always appear first. You can also set the display of an icon in the status bar, enable vibration, sound, LED indicator and much more. To configure all this, go to your phone settings and find the “Notifications” item there.
Full multitasking and running applications in the background
We have long forgotten about the main difference between the iOS and Android operating systems. The first never had full-fledged multitasking, and the second is built on it.
On iPhone, apps practically don't work in the background. After a couple of minutes of inactivity, they are paused, and this has its advantages: iOS works faster, it uses battery power more efficiently.
There are also some downsides. Some programs can only work fully on Android.
For example, Google maps monitors the situation around me in the background and reports about accidents and traffic jams while I’m in the office, rather than going somewhere and turning on the navigator.
How to customize your lock screen
There is a very convenient function on the Redmi 5A, thanks to which, after turning on the screen, the password will immediately appear and if entered correctly, without confirmation, the smartphone will immediately unlock. To enable this feature, go to the “Lock Screen” section in your device settings. There you can also set up a lock screen password, enable the wake-up feature for incoming notifications, and much more.
Wallpaper carousel
Oh, this carousel. It disappears, then appears, then they abandon it, then re-include it in the system. For me, this is quite a fun option, pleasing to the eye when the display “lights up”. The change of scenery (welcome photos) upon unlocking was liked by many.
It appeared in the eighth version of the proprietary shell, but for some reason later disappeared. Then it appeared again, but was no longer active by default. Therefore, it fell out of sight of users and, if you don’t know anything about it, you might not even use it.
So, we need the wallpaper on the lock screen to flash like in a kaleidoscope. Therefore, we launch the carousel, let it spin various pictures in front of us, maybe it will cheer someone up. We go along the path: Settings - Lock and protection - Wallpaper carousel. All its functions are in front of you, let's begin to configure it.
They are positioned as high quality wallpaper, and in fact they are. Turn on the carousel and set the frequency of changing the image on the screen. From 15 minutes to once a day. In addition, all existing subscriptions will be displayed in the settings. It's up to you to choose and sort what to include and what not. For greater effect, you can activate swapping from the Internet, but remember about traffic.
How can you use the infrared port
All Xiaomi phones have an IR port on the top of the case. It can be used to control various household appliances. To connect to it, find the “Mi Remote” application on your device. Open it and there you will need to select the category of equipment that can be controlled. Then, from the proposed list of manufacturers, find exactly the one you need. After this, go through the connection stage.
Options for creating a screenshot on Xiaomi
The manufacturer uses the Android software platform on its devices. All its functions are available for Xiaomi smartphones (for example, on Redmi 4 and 4x models), including the ability to take a screenshot.
Ways to create a photo (copy) of the screen on Xiaomi:
- pressing a key combination;
- function on the notification shade;
- pressing with three fingers;
- pressing the combination “touch menu button + volume down key”;
- electronic assistant.
Keyboard shortcut
There are two ways to photograph the display using the function buttons of your smartphone.
The first is universal for all devices on the Android platform. It requires the user to coordinate their fingers when pressing the keys.
Procedure for creating a screenshot:
- This process must be performed by simultaneously pressing the On/Off button and the Volume Down key with two fingers.
- Then they are held for 2-3 seconds. until there is a characteristic click, signaling the creation of a screenshot, and the captured image appears on the screen.
The second method of obtaining a screenshot is typical only for Xiaomi phones. In it, the function of the “On/Off” key is performed by the “Menu” button on the touch screen. It is located at the bottom left. When you press it simultaneously with the “Volume Down” key (lower on the volume control), a photograph of the current image on the display is taken.
How to block apps
Redmi 5A has the ability to install a pattern lock for all standard and third-party applications. For example, you don't want anyone to go into the gallery and look at your photos. To set a password, go to the Security application. Find the “Applications” section there and click on “Protection”. After this, a list of all applications will appear. Find what you need and install the security key.
Activate dark mode for individual apps
We already know how to set a dark theme for the entire system. Now let's look at enabling Dark Mode on Xiaomi in individual applications.
You cannot set the default dark theme in the application itself. Instagram will receive a black design only when the mode is enabled in Settings . To do this, we follow the procedure described in the “Enable in MIUI settings” paragraph.
Dark theme on Instagram
YouTube
- Go to the application and click on your account icon in the upper right corner. Next, click "Settings" — "Are common".
YouTube Settings - Activate the slider next to the option "Night mode". Done, now the YouTube design is in black.
YouTube dark theme
In contact with
- Click three stripes in the lower right corner. Now to the image of a gear up.
VKontakte settings - Move the slider near "Dark Theme". That's all, these simple steps will activate the night mode in the application.
Dark theme on VKontakte
Telegram
- Click on the three stripes in the upper left corner. Afterwards we select "Settings" — "Chat settings".
Telegram settings - In chapter "Color spectrum" indicate "Dark". You can also choose a subtone of completely different colors: blue, green, orange, etc. Just a few clicks and you will get the desired design.
Dark theme in Telegram
Google Chrome
- Go to the browser application and click on the ellipsis in the upper right corner. In the menu that appears, select "Settings".
Google Chrome Settings - Scroll down the page to the point "Themes". Place a check mark next to it "Dark". No difficulties.
Dark theme in Google Chrome
Yandex browser
In Yandex, the night theme is installed very simply and quickly. Find the search line and click on the ellipsis. An expanded menu appears, in which we tap on “Dark Theme” . After a few seconds, the black design is activated.
Dark theme in Yandex
WhatsApp and Facebook
In the WhatsApp messenger, the night mode is in the testing stage . Those interested can install the beta version of the application and try out the new features. The situation is similar with Facebook.
How to set your own ringtone
If, for some reason, you don’t like the list of standard ringtones in the device settings and you haven’t found an interesting ringtone in the Xiaomi online library, then you can set your own ringtone. To do this, you need to download the audio file you need. Find the “ringtons” folder, which, in turn, is located in the “MIUI” folder and move it there.
Or go to your device's settings. Find the “Sound and vibration” section and click on “Incoming call”. There you will see a “+” sign. Click on it and set the downloaded ringtone as your ringtone.
What can affect the work of Orientation?
Most often, failures in the operation of Orientation are associated with minor software bugs within the system, which can be easily resolved by a simple reboot.
However, sometimes rebooting may not help. Since the correct operation of Auto Rotate on Xiaomi is ensured by a special sensor inside the smartphone, the most obvious reason for the failure of “Orientation” is the breakdown of this very sensor.
Let's look at how to check the functionality of the sensor.
Checking if the Orientation sensor is broken
To check the sensor we need to enter the engineering menu. Let us remind you that not so long ago we wrote a detailed text about this section of Xiaomi smartphones – we advise you to read it too.
We enter the necessary command, get into the engineering menu and look for the “Gyroscope” and “Accelerometer” items. We go into each of them and try to twirl the smartphone in our hands. If you notice that the numbers on the screen change in these tests, then the sensors are working correctly.
If the numbers have not changed, then, unfortunately, your smartphone needs more in-depth diagnostics and, possibly, repair. Obviously, only a specialized service center can help you with this.
In this simple way you can find out the reason for the failure of Auto Rotate on your Xiaomi.
