How to Add a Website to Xiaomi’s Desktop: The Complete Guide

Xiaomi’s modern smartphones make it a powerful tool for work and entertainment, where access to your favorite resources should be instant. Instead of opening your browser and typing in an address or looking for a tab in your story, it’s much more convenient to have a separate icon right on the home screen, saving time and eliminating unnecessary activities, especially if you use a particular service several times a day.

The shortcut may seem trivial, but the MIUI shells and the new HyperOS have their own nuances that often put users at a loss. Xiaomi’s security system sometimes blocks the automatic creation of shortcuts by third-party apps, requiring manual permission. In this article, we’ll take a look at all the ways to create shortcuts, solve typical problems, and make your interface as user-friendly as possible.

It is worth noting that the method of creation depends not only on the version of the operating system, but also on which browser you prefer to use. The standard Mi Browser, the popular Google Chrome or Yandex.Browser - each of them has its own algorithm of actions. We will consider all the options so that you can choose the most suitable for your scenario using a smartphone.

Using the standard Mi Browser to create shortcuts

Xiaomi’s built-in browser is optimized for shelling, so shortcuts are the most smooth, without too many permission requests. To add a site, open the app and go to the desired page. At the bottom of the screen, find the menu, which is usually presented as three dots or a menu icon, and select the option “Add to desktop”.

The key feature of this method is that the system automatically recognizes the application as trusted. You do not need to go through additional steps in the security settings, which often happens when using third-party browsers.

If you don't add automatically, check your browser settings. In some regions of global firmware versions, the functionality may be limited or renamed. In this case, try updating the app through the GetApps store or Google Play to the latest current version.

⚠️ Note: In some versions MIUI When you try to add a shortcut, a system window may pop up asking, "Let Mi Browser create shortcuts?". Be sure to click "Allow", otherwise the action will not perform and you will be left waiting for the result in vain.

For those who prefer minimalism, the built-in browser allows you not only to create a shortcut, but also immediately rename it.This is useful if the original site name is too long and takes up a lot of space on the screen. A short and clear name will make navigation easier, especially for the elderly or people with visual impairment.

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Use short names for shortcuts (1-2 words) so they don’t crop on your smartphone screen and are clear at first sight.

Instructions for Google Chrome users on Xiaomi

Google Chrome is the standard for many Android users, and on Xiaomi smartphones it works stably, but requires the right permissions to be configured. The shortcut creation process here is intuitive: open the desired site, click on three dots in the upper right corner and in the drop-down menu select "Add to the home screen".

However, unlike the built-in browser, Chrome on newer versions of Android and MIUI shells may not be eligible to create default shortcuts.If nothing happens after clicking the button, or a lock notification appears, you will need to manually activate the resolution in the system settings of the smartphone.

So go to Settings, find the Apps section or All Apps. Search Chrome in the list, click on it, and select Other Permits or Additional. There should be an option called "Create Desktop Shortcuts" that you need to switch to "Allowed."

Once you have permission enabled, go back to your browser and repeat the add-on procedure. Now the icon is guaranteed to appear on your desktop. It's a versatile solution that works on everything from the budget Redmi to the flagship Mi and Xiaomi series.

How to add a site through Yandex.Browser and other alternatives

Users who value integration with the Yandex ecosystem often use the browser of the same name. The principle of operation here is similar to the competitors, but the interface may differ. Open the site, click on the menu icon (three dots or three bars) and find the option "Add to the home screen".

It is important to consider that Yandex.Browser sometimes suggests adding not just a shortcut, but a widget or a site card that can display more information, such as the weather or currency rate, if the site supports it, making the icon more functional, turning it into a mini-app.

Similar actions can be performed in other popular browsers, such as Opera, Firefox or DuckDuckGo. The algorithm is approximately the same everywhere: the menu is the same —> I want you to add it to the home screen, and the key thing is to remember the system permissions that we talked about above, because they're the same for all browsers on the device.

Some users prefer to use specialized launcher apps or widgets to group links, which allows you to create whole panels of quick access to news feeds or work tools, which is especially true for those who use a smartphone for business.

Solving problems with MIUI permissions and locks

The most common problem faced by Xiaomi owners is the aggressive shell security policy, which can silently ignore the shortcut command if the app does not have the right to do so, and is not a bug, but a feature designed to protect the user from viruses that can clog the desktop.

To solve this problem globally for all browsers, you can use the hidden menu or the standard way through the settings. Go to Settings -> Apps -> All Apps. Find the desired browser, click Other Permissions and make sure that the Creation of Shortcuts is active.

If you’ve tried all the options but don’t get a shortcut, try restarting your smartphone. Sometimes the system process behind the desktop (System Launcher) may freeze and not update the list of widgets and shortcuts.

Organization of space: folders and widgets

Just adding a site to your desktop is only half the battle. To keep the interface clean and user-friendly, it's important to organize the space properly. On Xiaomi screens, you can create folders where you can shortlist sites by topics like "Work", "News", "Shops".

To create a folder, just drag and drop one site shortcut to another. The system will automatically create a container that you can name, which is especially handy if you've added a lot of sites and don't want to clutter up a few pages of your desktop.

In addition, many browsers allow you to add not just icons, but widgets of different sizes. The widget can take up the place of two or four icons and display a page preview or search bar. To add a widget, press the empty space on your desktop, select "Widgets" and find your browser in the list.

Using widgets makes navigation more visually pleasing, but remember that they can consume more power, as they often update content. If autonomy is critical for you, it is better to use static icons.

⚠️ Warning: Don’t place too many active newswidgets on one screen, which can lead to increased battery consumption and slow interfaces when scrolling through pages.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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Creating site shortcuts on Xiaomi requires not only actions in the browser, but also checking system resolutions in the phone settings.