Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones sometimes face a situation where the usual icon for calling disappears from the home screen or stops showing up in the menu. This causes panic as the device turns into a media player without the ability to make calls. However, in 99% of cases the application does not go anywhere, but only hidden by interface settings or system errors. In this article, we will discuss all possible methods for restoring access to Dialer on the shells of MIUI and HyperOS.
First, you have to understand that Android doesn't allow you to delete the system application Number in the usual ways without obtaining superuser rights. So, unless you've done the complicated root rights manipulations, your dialer is safe and sound. It can take a few minutes to find the icon if you know exactly where to look, and we'll look at the ways through settings, search through the system, and even hidden sections that users often ignore.
It is also important to note that the lack of an icon can be due to a launcher failure or conflict with newly installed software.The Xiaomi interface has many layers of nesting, which sometimes confuses beginners. Follow the instructions below consistently to return the functionality of your device.
Using Global Search in the System
The fastest way to find a missing app is to use the built-in search engine. On all modern Xiaomi smartphones, it is called by swipe down the center of the home screen or via the Search widget. Type the word "number", "phone" or "calls" into the search bar. The system will instantly show the app if it is not hidden at the deep level of privacy settings.
If the search results are not open, but only shows it in the list, try pressing and holding your finger on the icon you find. In the context menu that appears, select the "Open" option or see if there is a "Location" option, which will help you understand which folder or desktop icon was lost. Often users accidentally transfer important applications to the bottom of the menu or to the "Tools" folder.
In some cases, the search may not find the application because of the caching of the launcher data. Then you should try to enter the name in English — Phone or Dialer. System components often have these internal names, and Russian search can ignore them if the indexing was incorrect.
⚠️ Note: If a search on the system does not respond to the “number” request at all or gives an empty result, this may indicate a serious system file failure or damage to the application database.
💡
Use voice input in search – sometimes the phrase “Open a call” works better than manual text entry, especially if the screen sensor is intermittent.
Check the list of all applications and folders
The standard app menu on the MIUI shell can be organized in a classic style (all icons on the desktop) or as a separate button (like in iOS). If you have the second option, click the menu button and carefully review the alphabetical list. The icon can be displaced due to sorting by installation date or name. Notice the sections at the end of the list where system utilities often hide.
Often users forget about the folders they created before. Check groups called "Connection", "Google", "System" or "Tools". Inside, you can find the desired icon. Visual inspection of all desktop pages and menus is tedious, but effective method. On large screens of Xiaomi smartphones, icons can be small, so use zoom mode if available.
Also worth checking is the Simple Mode (for older people), which drastically changes the interface, and it has huge icons and different locations. If you accidentally activate this mode, the Number icon will be visible, but it will look different. To switch back, go back to Settings → Advanced Settings → Simple Mode and turn it off.
- 📱 Check all the pages of the home screen by swiping left and right.
- 📁 Open each folder on the desktop and in the application menu.
- 🔄 Change the sorting in the app menu to "By name" or "By frequency of use".
- 👁️ Enable the display of hidden applications in the launcher settings.
Display settings and hidden applications
The MIUI shell and the new HyperOS have a hidden app feature that often causes badges to go missing, a feature designed to protect privacy but can be a cruel joke. To check if the Number app is hidden, you need to go to the Security app, which is the system control center.
Inside the Security app, scroll down to Hidden Apps. You may need to enter a password or fingerprint if the security feature has been activated before. If you see a phone icon there, just switch the switch next to it to the "Off" position.
Another important aspect is the launcher settings. Go to Settings → Desktop. You can find options that affect the display of items. Make sure that filters that hide system applications are not turned on. Also check the theme: some third-party themes may not have icons for a standard call, replacing it with an empty space or transparent squares. Return the standard theme "Classic" or "Basic" to rule out this factor.
| Place of inspection | Access path | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Security Annex | Security → Hidden applications | Switch for the Phone application |
| Desktop settings | Settings → Desktop | Display and concealment options |
| Thame controller | Appendix Topics → Profile | Active theme of design |
| Digital well-being | Settings → Digital well-being | Restrictions on use |
Why do themes hide icons?
Resetting launcher settings and cleaning the cache
If the icon is not visually located anywhere, there may have been a malfunction in the launcher itself, the program responsible for the desktop, in which case cleaning its data helps. Go to Settings → Applications → All applications. Find the Louncher or System Launcher application in the list.
Inside the app menu, select Memory and click Clear. Select Clear All Data. Importantly, this action will reset all desktop icons to factory status, but it won't delete your personal files, contacts, or photos. Only the current widget and folder arrangement will disappear.
Once cleaned, the launcher will restart, and you'll see a standard screen with a basic set of icons, and if the number icon came up, the problem was the software failure of the interface, and if the icons didn't exist, the problem goes deeper and goes deeper and relates to the telephony application itself, not its display.
⚠️ Note: Before resetting the launcher data, it is recommended to take a screenshot of the current location of the icons, if it is important for you to restore them manually in the future, as there may be no automatic backup layout.
☑️ Launcher reset
Management of system applications
In rare cases, the "Number" app can be disabled by the user. Android allows you to disable some system components to save resources or to avoid accidental calls (for example, on children's phones). To check the status of the application, go to Settings → Apps → All apps.
In the list, find "Phone" or "Tirer." If you can't find it in the general list, click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select "Show System Processes." Now all the hidden components will appear in the list. Find the desired application and look at the button at the bottom of the screen. If it says "Enable", then the application is disabled. Press this button.
You can also see if the restriction on displaying notifications or using data is worth it, which sometimes affects the dial widget. Make sure the app has all the necessary permissions, especially access to contacts and microphone, although this affects the functionality rather than the presence of an icon.
💡
Disabling the system application "Phone" makes it impossible to make calls until it is re-activated through settings.
Solving Google Profile and Synchronization Issues
Sometimes the lack of an icon is due to problems syncing your Google account. If you just set up a phone or changed your account, contacts and call history may not load, creating the illusion of a feature being disabled. Check the account status in Settings → Accounts and Sync.
Make sure the Contacts switch is active for your primary account. If sync is suspended, the app icon may not display correctly (such as with a gray icon or exclamation point). Try to delete the account from the system and add it again, which will force you to start the process of downloading all Google services, including the phone book.
Also, check if you have an alternative Google Phone app installed. On global firmware versions, Xiaomi often preinstalled Google Dialer, not MIUI Dialer. They may have different icons. Look for a blue phone handset icon, not a green or yellow one if you have an international version of your smartphone.
- 🔄 Check the sync status in the Google account settings.
- 🗑️ Delete and add your account again for forced synchronization.
- 📞 Make sure that the desired number dialer is selected by default.
- 🌐 For global versions, look for the Google Phone app".