How to Add an Icon to Xiaomi Redmi Desktop: The Complete Guide

Xiaomi and Redmi smartphone owners running MIUI shells or the new HyperOS often face the unconventional logic of organizing a workspace. Unlike “pure” Android, where any installed application automatically creates a shortcut on the home screen, Xiaomi’s ecosystem by default hides new programs in a separate menu. This is done for the sake of minimalism, but many users are annoyed by the need to climb into the depths of the system every time you need to launch a fresh application. Understanding how to add an icon to the Xiaomi Redmi desktop is a basic skill for comfortable operation of the device.

There are several scenarios that require manual configuration: installing new software, creating a shortcut for a website, or even returning a randomly deleted icon of a system utility. The shell interface allows you to manage these elements flexibly, but access to the desired features is not always obvious at first glance. Some options are hidden in special editing modes, and others require activation through system settings. To understand this chaos, a detailed guide covering all possible options will help.

In this article, we will go into detail about the mechanisms of adding shortcuts, working with widgets and solving common problems when an icon simply does not want to appear on the screen. You will learn how to use the app menu, how to create shortcuts for sites and why sometimes only a complete reset of the launcher settings helps.

Configure the display of installed applications in MIUI and HyperOS

The first thing that a user encounters after buying Xiaomi or Redmi is the absence of shortcuts for newly downloaded programs on the desktop. This is not a bug or a bug, but a feature of the built-in launcher. The system offers two modes of operation: the classic one, where all applications are scattered across the screens, and the application menu mode, where only selected shortcuts remain on the desktop. To change this setting, you need to go to the settings.

Find an empty area on your desktop and pinch it with two fingers, or press and hold your finger in a vacant position until the screen vibrates. In the bottom menu that appears, select Settings (the gear icon). Here you will be met by a switch Desktop Mode. If it is activated, all new programs will only enter the application menu. If it is turned off, shortcuts will be created automatically.

However, even with the app menu mode on, you can manually pull the program to the home screen. To do this, swipe the center of the screen from the bottom up (or press the special "Menu" button in the navigation bar) to open a list of all the programs. Find the desired application, click on it and hold your finger. The screen will fold up, and you can drag the icon to any free space on the desktop.

• 📱 Classic mode: new icons appear immediately after installation.
• 🗂️ Mode from the menu: new programs hidden, shortcuts need to be added manually.
• ⚙️ Flexibility: You can switch between modes at any time without losing data.
• 🚀 Folders: In both modes, you can create folders for shortcut grouping.

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App Menu mode helps keep the desktop clean by hiding rarely used utilities, but requires getting used to manually adding shortcuts.

Adding widgets and shortcuts through editing mode

The MIUI shell provides a powerful customization tool, the editing mode, which allows you not only to move existing objects, but also to add completely new elements, such as weather widgets, watches, calendars or quick access shortcuts, and to enter this mode, you just need to make a long tap over an empty area of the screen or make a finger-mixing (pinch).

At the bottom of the screen, you'll see a toolbar. We're interested in the Widget button. When you click on it, you'll see a complete list of available items, sorted by category or application. You'll find not only standard watches, but also widgets for Google, Yandex, notes and system features. Choose the right size and style, then drag it to the vacant space.

App shortcuts are particularly noteworthy. If you click and hold the icon of an already installed app in edit mode and then release it, sometimes (depending on the firmware version) a pop-up menu with additional options appears. Here you can choose Add a widget if the app supports this feature. For example, for the Calendar application you can display a widget with upcoming events, and for Music you can display a player control panel.

⚠️ Note: Some system widgets may require permission to access geolocation or contacts to display information correctly. When moving the widget to another screen, make sure it does not overlap important interface elements.

If you want to add a shortcut for quick customization, like turning on a flashlight or Bluetooth, use the Settings or Switch widget. In some versions of the firmware, they are placed in a separate category of system widgets, which allows you to create a control panel similar to the notification curtain, but accessible directly from the desktop.

Creating website shortcuts on the desktop

Often users need to access a specific site without having to open a browser and enter an address each time. Xiaomi allows you to create full-fledged site icons that look and behave like regular apps. To do this, you will need a browser installed on your device, such as Google Chrome, YaBrowser or a standard MIUI Browser.

The shortcut process is universal for most browsers. Open the desired website, wait for the page to load fully. Then click on the browser menu (usually three dots in the corner of the screen). In the dropdown list, you need to find Add to the home screen or Create a shortcut. The system will suggest editing the name that will appear under the icon and confirm the action.

The algorithm of actions in Chrome:


1. Open the site.




2. Press the menu (three dots).




3. Select "Add to the main screen".




4. enter the name (if desired).




5. Press "Add."

Once confirmed, a new icon with the site logo will appear on the desktop, and when you click on it, the site will open in a mode close to the full app, often without the browser address bar, which creates a nativity effect, which is especially convenient for web versions of social networks, email services or news portals that do not have official applications on Google Play.

• 🌐 Universality: This method works for any website available on the Internet.
• 🎨 Visualization: the icon automatically pulls up the favicon of the site.
• 🚀 Speed: Direct access to a resource in one click.
• 📉 Savings: Does not take up space in memory like a full-fledged app.

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If after creating a site shortcut, it appears as a standard browser icon, try clearing the browser cache or using the “Desktop Version” mode when creating a shortcut.

Working with folders and grouping icons

As the number of apps installed grows, the desktop becomes a mess. To keep things order, MIUI offers folder creation, not just a way to stack icons, but a powerful tool for organizing space. Folders allow applications to be grouped into categories: Social Networks, Work, Games, Finance.

To create a folder, you just drag and drop one app icon on top of another. The system automatically creates a container that will put both programs in. By clicking on the folder, you can rename it by changing the standard name to a more understandable one. You can place up to a few dozen apps inside the folder, as well as small widgets, if the shell version allows it.

An important feature is the ability to resize the folder. In editing mode (long tap on the folder), you can choose the display format: 2x2, 2x3 or 2x4. This allows you to adapt the folder to the number of applications in it and the visual preferences of the user. Large folders take up more space, but you can keep many tools at once.

Solving the Problems with Missing Icons

Sometimes users are faced with a situation where the app icon has disappeared from the desktop, although the program is precisely installed.This can happen after a system update, a launcher failure or accidental removal of the shortcut. Xiaomi has built-in protection mechanisms against loss of access to system functions, but sometimes manual intervention is required.

The first thing to check is if the app is hidden. In some design themes or when using Simple Mode (for older people), icons may hide. Go to Settings → Advanced Settings → Simple Mode and check if it is activated. If the mode is on, the icons can only be displayed in enlarged form and only on the first screen.

If the application is system (e.g., Phone, Messages, Camera) and it is missing, it has most likely been removed from the visible list. You can return it via the launcher settings. Go to desktop editing mode, select Add (or a similar item depending on the version), and find the missing application in the system list. Check the box opposite it, and the icon will return to its place.

⚠️ Note: If icons are missing after installing a third-party theme, try changing the theme to a standard one. Third-party themes often have their own icon sets and may not display new app shortcuts correctly.

In a pinch, if nothing helps, you can clear the data of the Theme app or the launcher itself, which will return the desktop to factory status by restoring all standard icons, but your personalized widgets and shortcut location will be reset.

Using third-party launchers to enhance opportunities

The MIUI launcher is functional, but sometimes it’s not enough for advanced users. Installing a third-party launcher like Nova Launcher, Microsoft Launcher or Smart Launcher completely changes the logic of adding icons. In these shells, adding a shortcut to the desktop occurs automatically when you install any application, as in classic Android.

To install a third-party launcher, download it from Google Play. Once installed, the system will prompt you to select the default home screen app. Choose a new launcher. Now, when installing any new application, its icon will automatically appear on the desktop. Moreover, third-party launchers allow you to create shortcuts for specific functions within applications (for example, the New Message shortcut for a specific contact).

• 🎨 Customization: thousands of themes, icons and animations.
• ⚡ Performance: Some launchers are faster than the regular.
• 🔧 Flexibility: The ability to create complex gestures and profiles.
• 🔄 Synchronization: Save settings in the cloud when changing devices.

However, it’s worth remembering that third-party launchers can consume more battery resources and don’t always integrate perfectly with Xiaomi’s system features, such as control gestures or notification curtains.