The modern smartphone is no longer just a phone, becoming a personal digital life management center. Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices often seek to personalize the interface to quickly access important information. Widgets allow you to display weather, currency rates, steps or a calendar on your desktop without opening an application.
The MIUI shells and the new HyperOS offer a lot of options for customizing the look of the system. However, the standard layout of elements may differ from the usual Android, which sometimes causes difficulties for users. In this article, we will discuss in detail all the ways to add, customize and remove widgets to improve productivity.
You'll learn not only to place standard elements, but also to use the hidden power of the system to create a unique design. The smart organization of the screen space saves time and makes interaction with the gadget more enjoyable. Let's start tweaking your interface.
Basic principles of working with the MIUI desktop
Before we get to specific actions, we need to understand the logic of organizing space in Xiaomi smartphones. The desktop here is divided into a grid, the size of which depends on the screen resolution and the theme chosen. All elements, including icons and widgets, are tied to the cells of this invisible grid.
Unlike stock Android, MIUI has a separation between the app menu and desktops, and widgets can be placed on both the home screen and a special left screen (Google Discover or Mi Vision) if this feature is activated.
⚠️ Note: When RAM is overflowing, active widgets may stop updating in the background. The system may force them to stop working to save battery life.
It uses a long-pressing mechanism to control space, and this universal action opens up an editing menu that allows you to add new objects or delete existing ones, and understanding this principle is key to successfully navigating interface settings.
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Use dark wallpaper with Neumorphism or minimalist widgets to reduce eye strain and save energy on your eyes. AMOLED-screen.
The classic way to add widgets through the menu
The most common method of mounting elements on a screen is available in all firmware versions, requiring a simple sequence of actions that takes only a few seconds, which is suitable for installing standard system widgets such as a clock, weather or calculator.
First, unlock the device and go to any free screen, then you need to do a long finger tap on an empty area of the screen where there are no app icons, and then the screen will shrink, and at the bottom there will be a toolbar with several tabs.
☑️ Algorithm of installation of the widget
In the menu that opens, select the Widget tab, and you'll see a list of all available items, sorted by category or alphabetically, and find the desired object, such as "Weather" or "Notes," and tap it. The widget will automatically take the nearest free space on your desktop.
If the widget is not installed, there is not enough space on the screen to contiguously remove the extra icons or move them to another page, and some large widgets require a 4x2 or larger block, which is something to consider when planning.
Use the Always on Screen function and sidebar
Xiaomi’s ecosystem offers alternative ways to interact with information that doesn’t require unlocking your phone or opening apps. AOD (Always On Display) allows you to display watch, pedometer or calendar widgets directly onto the screen if the matrix supports this mode.
To set up, go to Settings → Lock screen andAlways On Display, where you can choose the display style and add useful data. AMOLED-It's important to remember that the display is always running and it's not using any power, but it's important to remember that the display is running constantly and it's increasing battery consumption.
Another tool is the Sidebar, which, although not a widget in the classical sense, does a similar quick-access function, and you can add commonly used apps and even mini-widgets for messengers or notes that will pop up on top of any window.
The secret of the sidebar
Sidebar activation is done via Settings → Special Features → Sidebar. Once swipe is turned on from the edge of the screen, it will trigger a list of favorite tools, which greatly speeds up multitasking and allows you to keep the right tools on hand.
Size and appearance of elements
Once installed, the widget often needs to be adapted to the desktop design. Modern versions of HyperOS and MIUI 14 have the ability to resize some elements directly on the screen. To do this, tap the widget and hold your finger until the context menu appears.
Select Change size (if available for a given object) and you will see a frame that you can drag and drop by changing the widget area, making the element more compact or stretching it for better readability.
The design of widgets also depends on the theme you set. Themes store offers packages that completely change the visual style of watches, switches and calendars. Google's standard black widgets can be replaced with color and animated counterparts from third-party developers.
| Type of widget | Place(s) required | Necessity of the network | Impact on the battery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digital watches | 2x1 or 4x1 | No. | Low. |
| Weather. | 2x2 or 4x2 | Yes (constantly) | Average. |
| Calendar | 2x2 or 4x3 | Yes (periodically) | Low. |
| Dictaphone | 1x1 | No. | Minimum |
When resizing, make sure that the widget does not overlap important application icons. Logic should remain ergonomic: frequently used elements are better placed in the reach of the thumb.
Solving Display and Update Problems
Users often experience a widget that stops updating or displays incorrect data, such as weather showing yesterday’s temperature and steps not reset, and most of the time, the problem lies in Xiaomi’s aggressive energy-saving policies.
To fix this, you need to go to the settings of the specific application that owns the widget. Search the list of applications for "Weather", "Security" or "Calendar." Go to Activity Control or Auto Run.
Set the No Limits mode, which will prevent the system from "freezing" the application process in the background, and it is also recommended to allow auto-start so that the widget is activated immediately after the phone is turned on.
⚠️ Warning: Allowing autoruns for a large number of applications can result in accelerated battery drain.Tune this setting only for mission-critical widgets.
Another cause of failures can be a crowded cache: Cleaning the app cache through the App menu → Application management often helps to return the widget to work. Once cleaned, the data will be updated the next time you connect to the network.
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The main reason for the widgets on Xiaomi is the restriction of background activity by the MIUI system.
Third-party widgets and Google widgets
Xiaomi’s standard widget set may seem limited. Fortunately, the system is fully compatible with Google Play widgets. You can install Google widgets (Search, Maps, Photos) or download specialized apps like Google Keep, Trello or Evernote.
The process of installing third-party widgets is similar to the system: once an app is installed from a store, its widgets automatically appear in the general list. Accessing Google widgets often requires installing a separate shell app or simply finding them at the end of the widget list in the Google folder.
The Google Feed widgets, which are on the far left screen, are particularly noteworthy, and you can configure them to display news, traffic jams and reminders, and swipe right to the end and click on the gear in the corner of the screen.
Using third-party launchers like Nova Launcher or Microsoft Launcher gives you even more freedom, allowing you to place widgets anywhere, overlay them, and change the screen grid beyond recognition, but this may require additional permissions and settings.