How to change the size of icons on the Xiaomi desktop

Personalizing the smartphone interface is not just a matter of aesthetics, but also a way to improve the efficiency of the device. Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices often face the desire to make the screen more informative or conversely more concise. The standard shell of MIUI and the new HyperOS provide ample opportunities for customization of the appearance, but some settings can be hidden from the eyes of the inexperienced user. Changing the size of the application icons allows you to place more elements on the screen or, conversely, increase them for ease of navigation.

The process of scaling icons is directly related to the density of items on the desktop. Unlike standard Android, where settings are often disparate, the Xiaomi ecosystem offers centralized management tools. You do not need root rights or install third-party launchers for basic changes. However, to achieve the perfect result, you need to understand the relationship between grid size, fonts and the scale of graphics. In this article, we will detail all available methods for transforming the interface.

It is worth noting that the visual perception of information depends on the diagonal of the screen and the resolution of the matrix of your gadget. On models with AMOLED displays, large bright icons look especially impressive, whereas on budget IPS panels it is better to use more contrasting and larger elements. Before starting any manipulations, it is recommended to back up important data, although standard theme settings rarely lead to critical system errors.

Use of built-in desktop grid settings

The easiest and safest way to change the visual size of icons is to adjust the density of the desktop grid. When you reduce the number of cells in the grid (for example, go from 5x6 to 4x5), the system automatically increases the size of each icon to fill the available space. This is a built-in feature of the MIUI shell that does not require additional applications. To access these parameters, you need to perform a simple sequence of actions in the settings menu.

Press the free area of the screen and hold the touch until the bottom menu appears. Select Settings (cogs), then find the Additional section. This is where the Grid parameter hides. When you change the values, you immediately see the result in real time, which allows you to find the optimal balance between the number of applications on the screen and their readability.

It's important to understand that changing the grid affects not only icons, but also widgets. If you're actively using large weather or calendar widgets, reducing the number of cells can disrupt their display or shift other elements. In such cases, the system may suggest that you automatically rewire the location of objects, and be prepared to reassign the shortcuts to the screens after changing the grid.

⚠️ Note: When switching to a very large grid (a small number of cells), some widgets may stop fitting on the screen or look distorted. Always check the performance of important widgets after changing the grid settings.

To fix the result, make sure that the locking of the icons is turned off. If you have the function of Layout Lock, the system will not allow you to move or delete the icons, but the change in the size of the grid will still be available. However, to apply the new settings correctly to all pages, it is better to temporarily remove the lock, this ensures that the launcher correctly recalculates the coordinates of all elements.

Scaling up through the developer mode

For a more subtle setup that goes beyond the standard grid, you can use the hidden Developer Mode menu, which allows you to change the global scale of the interface, including the size of text, buttons and, of course, application icons. This approach is more advanced and produces results that you can not get through the usual theme settings. However, you need to act carefully, because incorrect values can make the interface unreadable.

First, activate the hidden menu. Go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click 7 times on the MIUI Version (or OS Version) field. After you have a message that you have become a developer, go back to the main settings menu and select Additional → For Developers. Find the section related to drawing or display, and find the Smallest width.

The value in this field is measured in dp (density-independent pixels). The standard value for most Xiaomi smartphones varies from 360 to 411 dp. Reducing this number (for example, to 320) will make all interface elements, including icons, larger. Increasing the number (to 500 and above) drastically reduces the size of icons, allowing you to fit a huge amount of information on one screen. The changes are applied instantly, without the need to reboot.

Remember, changing the Minimum Width parameter affects the entire system, which means that the fonts in the messages, buttons in the apps and navigation elements will also change their size. If you set a value too high, the text in some applications can become microscopic and unreadable, in which case you will have to blindly try to get into the settings or perform a data reset.

Size change through the Topics app

Xiaomi's official Theme Store is a powerful tool that is often underrated. Many users are looking for complex engineering codes, forgetting that icon design is completely changed by installing a new theme. There are thousands of options in the theme library where icons can be minimalistic, voluminous, monochrome or, importantly for our task, visually enlarged or scaled down by design.

To find the right design, open the Themes app and go to the Icons section or search for "Large icons" or "Big." When using the theme, the system will suggest choosing which components you want to update: wallpaper, system icons, lock screen. To change only the size and style of shortcuts, select System icons, which will save your favorite wallpaper, but completely change the geometry of the desktop.

Some themes have built-in settings inside themselves. Once you set up a theme, if you click on it in My Pages → Set up, an additional menu can open. There you can often choose the size of the signature font, the transparency of the icon background and their rounding. This gives flexibility that is not available in standard Android settings. You can create a unique combination that will look perfect on your Xiaomi model.

It’s worth considering that third-party themes can affect device performance, especially on older models with low RAM. Heavy animated themes can cause slowdowns when scrolling through the desktop. If you notice that the phone has become slower after changing the design, try choosing a lighter theme or turning off animations in the developer settings.

Hiding signatures and changing fonts

The visual size of the icon often seems small because of the text signature underneath it. By removing the text, you free up space and make the icons themselves visually more dominant on the screen. The MIUI and HyperOS shell have a regular feature to hide application names. This is especially true for users who have already learned the layout of programs and want a clean, minimalist interface.

To do this, press your finger on the empty desktop, select Settings, and find the Hide Application Names switch. Activating this option will instantly remove all text under the labels. The effect of increasing the free space will be noticeable immediately. In addition, it allows you to use larger grids (for example, 6x8) without creating visual noise.

You can also experiment with the size of the system font. Go to Settings → Screen → Text Size. Reducing the font will make the signatures (if you choose to leave them) less visible, which will also visually "enlarge" the icons. However, too small text can worsen the readability of notifications in the curtain and other parts of the system, so balance is important here.

⚠️ Note: Hiding app signatures can create confusion if you have many programs with similar logos installed (e.g., multiple browsers or instant messengers.

There is also the option of installing third-party fonts through the Topics → Fonts section. Some fonts have wider or narrower glyphs, which can indirectly affect the perception of the space around the icon. While this does not change the physical size of the label, the overall visual style of the desktop will become more harmonious.

Application of third-party launchers

If standard tools aren't enough, the best solution is to install a third-party launcher. Apps like Nova Launcher, Microsoft Launcher or Smart Launcher give you full control over every pixel of your desktop. Unlike a standard shell, they allow you to set the exact size of icons in percentages, adjust the indentations between them, and rescale the grid in 1 increment.

Once a launcher is installed (like Nova Launcher), it needs to be given the necessary permissions. Xiaomi can aggressively close the background processes, so for a third-party launcher, you should turn on auto-start and remove battery restrictions. In the launcher settings, find the Desktop → Desktop Grid section. Here you can set any combination of rows and columns.

The main advantage of third-party solutions is that you can individually resize each icon. In Nova Launcher, for example, if you press an icon long enough and choose Change, you get a size slider. You can make one important icon huge and the secondary icons small, and this functionality is not available in standard MIUI without using complex scripts.

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When installing a third-party launcher on Xiaomi, be sure to allow display on top of other apps and auto-start, otherwise the system may periodically return the standard MIUI launcher after restarting or cleaning the memory.

However, switching to a third-party launcher has its downsides: You may lose some of the integration with the system, such as one-hand gestures or specific MIUI chips. Also, some system applications may look incorrect if the launcher has not updated support for the latest version of Android.

Decision (FAQ)

Users often face the same questions during the setup process, and the following are answers to the most popular ones to help avoid typical errors and quickly resolve the problems with the display of the interface.

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The best way to change the size of icons depends on your goal: for simple enlargement, use the grid settings, for full control of each pixel - third-party launchers, and for a change of style - the Theme store.