Owners of Xiaomi, RedMi and POCO smartphones often face the need to expand the functional space of their device. The standard screen quickly fills with app shortcuts, weather widgets and news, making the interface cluttered and uncomfortable. The desktop in the shells of MIUI and HyperOS is not just a background, but a powerful tool for organizing digital space that allows you to group programs into categories and bring the most important information to the fore.
The process of adding new screen pages on Xiaomi devices has its own features that differ from pure Android or iOS. Many users mistakenly believe that this requires looking for hidden settings in the depth of the menu, when in fact everything is controlled by intuitive gestures. In this article, we will discuss in detail how to create a new page, move objects to it and optimize the launcher for maximum productivity.
It's worth noting that the interface may vary slightly depending on the version of the operating system. If you have HyperOS installed or a fresh MIUI 14, the animations and item names can be updated, but the logic of the work remains the same throughout the brand ecosystem.
Basic methods for creating a new screen page
The easiest and most obvious way to add a new desktop is to use the drag and drop function. When you move an app icon or widget to the very edge of the current page, the system automatically creates a new blank area. It's the basic mechanism that works on all firmware versions, including the older RedMi Note series models and Xiaomi 13/14 flagships.
To implement this method, you need to go into editing mode. Just tap any free area on the screen with your finger and hold the press for about one second. The screen will shrink, and you will see all the pages available as thumbnails. You can swipe left or right between them.
If you want to create a page from scratch, drag any widget or folder with apps outside the last existing page to the right. The system will instantly generate a new slide.
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Use empty desktops as temporary buffers to sort through large numbers of photos or files before they are deleted or moved to the cloud.
There's also an alternative method through the widget menu, where you swipe down the widget menu or you swipe down a long time, and you can choose a space-consuming item, like a calendar or a big clock, and when you try to place it on a crowded screen, the system will suggest you create a new page or move existing objects to make room.
Configure widgets and folders to organize space
Once you've added a desktop, it's a question of filling it up. Xiaomi shells are famous for their deep customization capabilities. Widgets are divided into two types: standard Android widgets and proprietary MIUI/HyperOS widgets, which look more stylish and support interactivity.
To add items, click and hold your finger on the blank space of the new page, then select "Widgets" in the bottom menu. Here you will find not only the clock and weather, but also fast switches, step counters and even live streams from surveillance cameras.
- 📱 Whistleblowers: Display news, currency rate or battery status without opening apps.
- 📁 Widget folders: allow you to open applications directly from the widget, bypassing the entrance to the folder.
- 🎨 Wallpaper: for each desktop, you can install an individual image, creating a depth effect.
And you have to pay special attention to folders. Unlike many other launchers, MIUI can have folders of different sizes, and by clicking on the folder you've created, you can change the folder format to take up 2x2 or even 4x2 cells, becoming a full-fledged interface design element.
☑️ Optimizing the new desktop
Use the Infinite Scrolling feature, if available in your launcher version, so that when you reach the edge of the screen, you automatically move to the next desktop, rather than the boundary, which speeds up navigation on devices with more pages.
Editing Mode and Interface Grid Management
To fine-tune the layout of the elements, you need to understand how the grid works. In the launcher settings, you can change the number of rows and columns, which directly affects the capacity of a single screen. The standard value is usually 5x6 or 6x6, but for people with large print or weak vision, it is better to choose 4x5.
To get into these settings, do a long tap from scratch and select the Settings gear in the lower right corner. Here is the key setting Grid Size. Changing this setting will apply to all desktops at once, so items can shift.
| Grid parameter | Impact on the interface | Recommended use |
|---|---|---|
| 4 x 5 | Larger icons, fewer elements | For the elderly or visually impaired |
| 5 x 6 | Standard balance sheet | Daily use by the majority |
| 6 x 6 | Maximum density | For advanced users and large screens |
| 5 x 7 | Elongated netting | For narrow-body devices |
Remember that changing the grid can go on widgets that are already configured, so it is recommended to set up the grid first, then add the desktop and fill it with content, which will save time on the subsequent editing of the icons.
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Hiding and Removing Excess Desktops
Sooner or later, there comes a point where added pages become unnecessary. Deleting a desktop on Xiaomi is as easy as creating. To do this, you need to enter editing mode (tweaking two fingers or pressing long) and find a thumbnail of the unnecessary screen.
The thumbnail will show a basket or cross icon in the top corner, and if you click on it, you will confirm the removal. All widgets and shortcuts that were on this page will be permanently deleted unless they were duplicated elsewhere.
⚠️ Note: Deleting the desktop on which the system widgets are located (for example, Google search widget or global Mi search) can cause a launcher to crash.
There's also a hidden page feature, which is useful if you want to temporarily remove the screen of games or banking apps from prying eyes without removing them completely. In editing mode, some versions of firmware allow you to lock individual pages or hide them from a common list.
If you accidentally delete an important page, use the undo function, which appears immediately after removal in the form of a pop-up notification “Cancel”. It is active for only a few seconds, so you need to react quickly.
Problems with the launcher and their solution
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where a new desktop is not created or the interface is unstable, this may be due to overflow of the cache of the system application System Launcher, in which case it helps to clean the data of a particular application, not the entire phone.
To do this, go to Settings → Apps → All apps, search the System Launcher list. Go to Memory and click Clear Cache. If the problem is serious, you can select Clear Everything, but then you will reset all icons to the factory.
- 🔄 Update: Make sure Google Play components and launcher itself are updated through the GetApps store or Play Market.
- 🔋 Energy saving: Aggressive energy saving settings can block widgets from running on new tables.
- 🎨 Topics: Third-party topics may conflict with grid. Try switching to standard topics.
In rare cases, the problem lies in the widget’s incompatibility with the current screen resolution. Try replacing the heavy widget with its lightweight counterpart or using widgets from third-party developers that are better optimized.
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The system launcher is the heart of Xiaomi’s interface, and its stable operation is more important than having beautiful but heavy widgets.
Using third-party launchers to enhance opportunities
Staffing resources MIUI And HyperOS is powerful, but sometimes it's not functional enough, if you want to add a desktop with unique logic, like vertical scrolling, or 3D-Popular launchers like Nova Launcher, Microsoft Launcher or Smart Launcher completely replace the standard interface.
Installing a third-party launcher allows you to create an unlimited number of desktops, customize gestures for each of them and use an unlimited number of widgets. However, this can increase battery consumption, since third-party applications are less optimized for Xiaomi hardware than native ones.
To install another launcher, download it from the app store, launch it and follow the instructions. The system will request default permission to use it, and then you can configure your desktops in a way that you can't do in a standard shell.
⚠️ Note: When installing a third-party launcher, some Xiaomi system features, such as Universal Search or one-hand gestures, may not work properly or be available.
Remember that you can always go back to the standard launcher. To do this, go to Settings → Desktop (or Home Screen) and select System Launcher as the default application. All your shortcuts will stay in place, as they are stored in the system, not in the launcher.