[GUIDE] Changing min width/DPI of MIUI 9 without rooting

[nicholaschum]

Hi all, this may have its own dedicated thread but I was not able to find it during my time with my Mi 6 and Mix 2.

When I moved over to MIUI I was shocked that they removed Min Width in Developer Options, because opening apps such as Telegram gave it such a horrid text size I could not adjust.

This will require you to have 5 minutes of your lunch break, a PC, and also depending on where you are accessing your Mi device, a VPN.

ATTENTION: To those who have used this command before on other devices, the device WILL RETAIN the density after a reboot. Don't worry about doing this every reboot, because you DO NOT HAVE TO.

NOTE: This will NOT cause any reboots of any kind, and you can still use themes from MIUI or wherever. The only apps I have noticed have a weird design will be the Themes app, where the app will look off tilted. Other than that, Xiaomi should have just left this in instead of neglecting their own app's density adaptation.


I am located in Hong Kong, or a China based region!

1. Turn off wifi, and ensure your device is linked to a Mi Account
2. Go to Settings -> About Phone -> Tap MIUI Version 7 times
3. Go back, and go to Additional Settings -> Developer Options -> USB Debugging
4. Then click on USB Debugging (Security settings)
5. Go through the three prompted Apply dialogs with countdown, and ensure the toggle is enabled.
6. If it isn't, ensure your wifi is disabled, mobile data is enabled and Mi account is linked
7. Go to a PC with adb set up: https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2588979 (Windows)
8. Open a Command prompt and type:
   

   adb shell
   wm density 380
   exit

9. I picked 380, but you can make it smaller
10. To reset the density, type:
    

    adb shell
    wm density reset
    exit

I am not living in a China based region!

1. Turn off wifi, and ensure your device is linked to a Mi Account
2. Install a VPN, such as Tunnelbear, and VPN back to an HK or China server (REQUIRED): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tunnelbear.android&hl=en
3. Go to Settings -> About Phone -> Tap MIUI Version 7 times
4. Go back, and go to Additional Settings -> Developer Options -> USB Debugging
5. Then click on USB Debugging (Security settings)
6. Go through the three prompted Apply dialogs with countdown, and ensure the toggle is enabled.
7. If it isn't, ensure your wifi is disabled, mobile data is enabled and Mi account is linked
8. Go to a PC with adb set up: https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2588979 (Windows)
9. Open a Command prompt and type:
   

   adb shell
   wm density 380
   exit

10. I picked 380, but you can make it smaller
11. To reset the density, type:
    

    adb shell
    wm density reset
    exit

Screenshots:

 

[bleached45]

I assume the vpn is for turning on ADB debugging? Does the global ROM require this as well? I'm 99% that I've used it without a vpn (though, my device is unlocked). I can't confirm now though as I'm no longer on MIUI.

 

[nicholaschum]

I assume the vpn is for turning on ADB debugging? Does the global ROM require this as well? I'm 99% that I've used it without a vpn (though, my device is unlocked). I can't confirm now though as I'm no longer on MIUI.

USB Debugging (Security settings) only.

I am on global ROM.

Having your device BL unlocked means most, if not all restrictions have been lifted.

 

[allrockedout]

Rogers is Canadian?

 

[nicholaschum]

Rogers is candian?

Yes

 

[rxl.noir]

I've tried the adb shell method a few times before on MIUI 9 on my Mi4 (from 480 to 400), but it wrecks the notification shade, especially on the quick tiles (it enlarge by themselves) and some notification row icons (somehow the icons ended up having small black-ish frame overlaid on the top-left). Possibly only on MM MIUI 9, since that's all Mi4 gets at best.

Is it because of how MIUI theming heavily uses bitmaps (with flawed asset scaling on their own default theme) rather than vector drawables for their glyphs?

 

[OverLord2901]

Great work around buddy, but in the end you'll have to change the rows and columns size too as those look horrid then.
Though I used EasyDPI and Xposed to rearrange these BASIC settings, one can always use the Default Theme Layouts.

 

[nicholaschum]

I've tried the adb shell method a few times before on MIUI 9 on my Mi4 (from 480 to 400), but it wrecks the notification shade, especially on the quick tiles (it enlarge by themselves) and some notification row icons (somehow the icons ended up having small black-ish frame overlaid on the top-left). Possibly only on MM MIUI 9, since that's all Mi4 gets at best.

Is it because of how MIUI theming heavily uses bitmaps (with flawed asset scaling on their own default theme) rather than vector drawables for their glyphs?

Hmm that's weird, I never had issues with my notification shade.

That is a possibility if they don't use vector drawables, but I believe it's just like how Samsung once upon a time made all their apps at a fixed DPI so scaling just looks really bad.

I've been using default theme and another theme called Flam[DD] and changing DPI works flawlessly.



Sent from my Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 using XDA Labs

 

[nicholaschum]

Great work around buddy, but in the end you'll have to change the rows and columns size too as those look horrid then.
Though I used EasyDPI and Xposed to rearrange these BASIC settings, one can always use the Default Theme Layouts.

Do you mean for the notification toggles? Yeah, it's pretty bad, but I usually don't root so it's better than seeing huge texts in apps haha.

Sent from my Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 using XDA Labs

 

[OverLord2901]

Do you mean for the notification toggles? Yeah, it's pretty bad, but I usually don't root so it's better than seeing huge texts in apps haha.

Yeah the toggles and even the rows and colums in a folder. These are actually basic things. Have to do these after every Weekly Updates too. Sucks.

 

[Beamstra]

Thanks for the nice Guide!! Works awesome on my Mi Max 2.

Cheers!

 

[mkdot]

The following may be much easier. You don't need adb, unlock or root.
http://en.miui.com/thread-1093064-7-1.html
I confirmed this works on MIUI 9 Chinese stable ROM with developer mode turned on.

In advance you have to install Google Play. As you know, this doesn't require unlock or root.
http://en.miui.com/thread-718159-1-1.html

 

[matrix07]

Finding difficult using this on my windows 10
Can't find adb on my device manager

 

[VincentJoshuaET]

I did this on my Redmi Note 5 Global and I didn't need to use a VPN. Thanks!

Sent from my Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 using XDA Labs

 

[inVain_theGenuine]

succeeded!

I just root my mi 6x and have it done on "termux",
guess my custom roms days are over, I can just live with whatever miui with the custom dpi )