Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus Tips and Tricks

Android 7 (Nougat)
Phone: Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus
Factory OS: Android 7 (Nougat)

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Then view tips for the most recent OS version(s): Android 9 (Pie) & Android 8 (Oreo)
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If you have used up all of your Quick Launch spaces, then there is a trick to provide you more.

First, press and drag an App from the home screen and move it over the top of an App in the Quick Launch area. Then release your finger.

This will create a folder containing the original App plus the new one.

This is a great way to have access to regularly used Apps.

To add a widget, simply long press on a blank part of one of your home screens.

Then select Widget.

Scroll through the list of available widgets and choose one.

It will be placed on your home screen and you can move it around as you desire.

If you want to clear your website browser history, cache or cookies on the Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus because you don’t want other people to snoop around (or you just want to clean up your list), then that is actually very easy to do. Just follow these steps:

  1. First, open the browser you use and look for the Menu or “More” button/icon.
  2. Then go to History → Clear Browsing Data.
  3. At the top, you will see that you can choose to delete data from a week or several months ago. You may also choose to delete everything by tapping “All Time.”
  4. You will see a list of data that you can tap to clear. You can clear cache, cookies, passwords, browser history and more.
  5. Be aware that if you delete cookies you will have to login to your online accounts again.
  6. Then, select browser history, then tap “Clear Data.”

This method generally works if you use Chrome on your phone. If you have multiple devices that use your Google Chrome account, you might notice that your browser history, cache and cookies are also reflected on other devices. These may get deleted too if you delete them from your phone.

If you don’t want this to happen, you can turn off sync on your device. This means that the browser history, cache, cookies, and other private data will just be removed from your phone alone.

To turn off sync on your Chrome, just follow these steps:

  1. Make sure you have already logged in your Google Account on Chrome.
  2. On Chrome, click on your Profile / Account icon (located at the top right portion).
  3. Look for Sync is On → Turn Off
  4. After this, you can delete your browser history, cache, and cookies on your phone without removing it on your other devices.

For Samsung phone users who are using the default Samsung Internet browser, you can clear your browser history, cache and cookies in a similar way to that of Chrome users. Just follow these steps:

  1. Open the Samsung Internet browser.
  2. Tap on the Menu icon.
  3. Go to Settings → Privacy and Security
  4. Scroll down to Personal Data then tap “Delete Browsing Data.”
  5. A list will open up and you can tap to delete other data such as cache, cookies, passwords, location data, among others.
  6. Select “Browsing History” then tap “Delete.”

If you are using a different browser, the steps are almost the same. The key is to look for your browser’s settings and look for the “Privacy” or “Data” section.

How to clear the cache on your Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus

To clear your phone’s cache, the steps are similar with that of clearing your browser history. All you have to do is click on your browser and open its Menu. For Google Chrome users, just follow these steps:

  1. Open Chrome and go to Menu or tap on the More (three-dotted) icon.
  2. Then go to History → Clear Browsing Data.
  3. At the top, you will see that you can choose to delete data from a week or months ago. You may also choose to delete everything by tapping “All Time.”
  4. You will see a list of data that you can tap to clear. You can clear cache, cookies, passwords, browser history and more.
  5. Just select Cache, then tap “Clear Data.”

For those who are using the default browser on Samsung phones, the steps are also similar with that of clearing your browser history:

  1. Open the Samsung Internet browser.
  2. Tap on the Menu icon.
  3. Go to Settings → Privacy and Security
  4. Scroll down to Personal Data then tap “Delete Browsing Data.”
  5. A list will open up and you can tap to delete other data such as cache, cookies, passwords, location data, among others.
  6. Select “Cache” then tap “Delete.”

If you are using a different type of browser, the steps are still quite similar. What you really have to look for is the Privacy, Data, or Security settings of your browser. Just open your browser and look for its Settings or “More” option.

How to Clear Cookies on the Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus

Clearing cookies from your phone is done similarly with clearing your browser history and cache. For Google Chrome users, just use these steps:

  1. Open Chrome and go to Menu or tap on the More (three-dotted) icon.
  2. Then go to History → Clear Browsing Data.
  3. At the top, you will see that you can choose to delete data from a week or months ago. You may also choose to delete everything by tapping “All Time.”
  4. You will see a list of data that you can tap to clear. You can clear cache, cookies, passwords, browser history and more.
  5. Just select Cookies, then tap “Clear Data.”

For those who are using the default Samsung browser, you can follow these steps:

  1. Open the Samsung Internet browser.
  2. Tap on the Menu icon.
  3. Go to Settings → Privacy and Security
  4. Scroll down to Personal Data then tap “Delete Browsing Data.”
  5. A list will open up and you can tap to delete other data such as cache, cookies, passwords, location data, among others.
  6. Select “Cookies” then tap “Delete.”

For those who are using other types of mobile browsers, the steps would be similar. Just look for the Menu then look for your browser’s Privacy, Data, or Security options.

If you don’t want to hear the shutter sound when you take photos, then there are a few things you can try.

Firstly, some countries have laws to force the phone to play these sounds. Assuming you’re not in one of these countries, then the first thing you can try is to go to the Camera App – Settings – Shutter Sound – Off.

If that doesn’t work, then you can try turning the volume of the phone down or put it in silent mode when taking photos.

The last option is to Root your phone. If you don’t know what that means, then it’s best not to attempt it unless you have thoroughly read about the process. Once Rooted, go to this folder on your phone: /system/media/audio/ui and rename the camerashutter and/or cameraclick OGG files to something else.

Alternatively, on a rooted phone you can use a Root Browser, to edit /system/csc/feature.xml and set the option to TRUE. Then you should be able to go to Camera App – Settings – Shutter Sound – Off.

There is no need to be stuck with the standard Android keyboard, which isn’t always great for typing quickly.

Go to the Play Store and search for ‘Keyboard’ to see some great alternatives, many of which are more accurate and make typing much easier.

One of the very best is SwiftKey. They provide a free trial, but once the trial is over it is well worth the small amount of money they charge. It can increase your typing rates massively.

Another good one is GoKeyboard.

If you see a warning saying the keyboard will collect all information (including credit cards) just ignore this. This is just a security feature that Android shows for every third-party keyboard that you install.

When taking photos or videos, tap the screen where you want to focus on.

The phone will automatically adjust the settings to improve the image or video

When browsing on your phone you may notice images are quite blurry. This is because your telecom provider is compressing the images before they are downloaded on to your phone.

There is no way to prevent this, but if you have a WiFi connection nearby, then you can turn that on. This will mean that all browser downloads come through the WiFi connection, rather than the carrier, and your images will appear normally.

Looking for a great pair of headphones for your Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus? We provide the best deals, brands and information to guide you through the process.

How to decide

When choosing headphones, the main factors to consider are: price, quality and headphone type. Taking a moment to consider these factors will not only ensure you get the best value headphones, but also the best sound quality to listen to your music or movies. Remember that the Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus comes with a standard 3.5mm stereo plug meaning all headphones will work on your device.

Price vs quality

As with most things, you get what you pay for and headphones are a very good example of this. A cheap pair of headphones may save you money in the short term, but may cost you when the cable snaps or your music sounds muffled or tinny. It is possible to get some great discounts, but we do recommend that you read the reviews and invest in a quality set of headphones. Beware of brands that you haven’t heard of, but be equally aware of big flashy brands that offer more style than substance.

Headphone types – Below we have listed the types of headphones to choose from:

Ear bud / earphones – These are the smallest type of headphones and are commonly included in the box when you buy phones and tablets. Our advice is to throw these away though, as they’re normally made very cheaply to increase the profit of the phone manufacturer. Invest in a quality pair from a reputable brand and you’ll be amazed at the difference in sound. Portability is the key advantage of ear bud style headphone as they can be stored almost anywhere; although it often means a few seconds of de-tangling before use. Ear buds are ideal for running, commuting or using in the office when you want to avoid distractions. Many people also buy two pairs in case one is temporarily missing down the side of the couch!

On ear headphones
– On ear headphones normally sit on top the ear, but don’t enclose the ear completely like the over ear or closed variety. These are handy if you want to store them in a jacket pocket or bag, but the sound can get a little lost out of the sides of the speaker so if you’re in a noisy environment, you may need turn them up in order to hear properly. If you’re moving around a lot they can also dislodge meaning you may need to frequently reposition them. Some people don’t like the bulk of the over ear style, so on ear headphones provide a good compromise between size and quality.

Over ear / closed headphones
– These are designed to completely cover the ear and are often used by DJs, for listening at home or for people who are a little more serious about their listening experience. Some models can fold up, but they are generally less portable than on ear headphones. Prices range from very cheap, up to the most expensive headphones on the market. Because all sound is directed into the ear, they provide the best quality sound and choosing a really top-end pair can be a truly pleasurable listening experience.


Noise cancelling headphones
– All of the above headphones also come in noise cancelling varieties. This works by filtering out background noises such as airplane engines or train noises. They are perfect for commuting and long distance train or plane travel, however they are often bulkier due to the need for some kind of battery pack. Some cheaper varieties might advertise passive noise cancelling which can simply means the plastic or foam casing naturally blocks out noises, so be careful of that. We recommend you choose active noise cancelling which employ a special technology to generate their own sound waves, which then cancels out the unwanted waves. Again, we recommend reading product reviews to choose the best value options.

Choose the best headphones below:

To help you choose, we’ve listed the best-selling headphones for the Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus. Simply click on the categories below to find out more:

 

Shop for: Ear bud / earphones

 

Shop for: On ear headphones

 

Shop for: Over ear / closed headphones

 

Shop for: Noise cancelling headphones

 

To add an email or phone number to your contacts from a text message, you can long-press on the email / phone number. Then select Copy text.

Once that has been copied to your clipboard, go to your Contacts App and select the Create New Icon.

Enter the contact details, then select either email or phone and long press on the field. Then select Paste to paste the info from the original text message.

Android has a useful feature called Talkback or Voice Assistant which is designed for blind and vision impaired users.

The feature provides voice feedback as you navigate your phone and will also tell you what you can interact with as you tap areas of the interface.

To enable this, go Settings – Accessibility – Vision – Voice Assistant. Change the setting to On.

Then your phone will give you an ongoing narration of its various functions.