Owners of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 smartphone often face the desire to personalize the interface to their own needs. The standard design offered by the MIUI shell can seem too small or, conversely, cumbersome for daily use. Changing the size of the icons is the first step to creating a unique visual style that not only pleases the eye, but also increases the ergonomics of interaction with the device.
Unlike pure Android, where customization is limited, Xiaomi’s ecosystem provides users with flexible tools to manage their appearance: You can adjust the density of items, scale the fonts under icons, and even completely hide text signatures to create a minimalist design.
In this guide, we will take a look at all the available desktop configuration methods, including the standard system features, the Themes app features, and the nuances of working with the desktop grid, and understanding these mechanisms will allow you to make the most of the screen space of your Redmi Note 7.
Use of built-in display settings
The easiest and safest way to change the visual perception of icons is to use the system settings of the screen. In the MIUI shell, there is a direct relationship between the font size and the size of the graphic elements themselves. By zooming in, you automatically make the icons more visible and larger, which is especially true for visually impaired users.
To access these options, you need to go to the device's settings menu. Find the section that's responsible for the display and select Text Size and Display. Here you'll see a slider that moves in real time to scale all interface elements, including application icons.
- 📱 Open the Settings app on the main screen.
- 🔍 Go to the Display or Screen section.
- 📏 Select Text Size and Display for Calibration.
- ✅ Press the confirmation button to save the changes.
⚠️ Warning: Excessive zoom can cause some interface elements to go beyond the visible area of the screen, making it difficult to control a smartphone with one hand.
It's worth noting that this is a system-wide impact, which means that not only will the desktop change, but the text size in messages, settings menus, and other applications will change, and if your goal is to change only icons, leaving the fonts in the apps the same, it may not be flexible enough, but it remains the most stable.
Setting up the desktop grid
The fundamental parameter that affects the size of the icons in the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 is the configuration of the grid. The system allows you to choose different layouts of elements, for example, 4x6, 5x6 or 6x9. The logic here is simple: the fewer cells you choose to place, the more free space each individual icon gets.
To change the grid configuration, you need to make a long tap (tap and hold) on any free desktop space. In the bottom menu that appears, you should select Settings. This is where the key "Grid" parameter, which determines the number of rows and columns, hides.
The way to set up the grid:
Desktop (hold) → Settings → Grid → Schema Selection (e.g., 4x6)If you choose a scheme with fewer columns (for example, 4 instead of 6), the icons will become visually larger and less often located. This is ideal for those who prefer minimalism and large controls. Conversely, choosing a scheme with more cells will reduce the size of the icons, allowing you to fit more applications on one screen.
☑️ Checking the grid settings
It is important to understand that changing the grid also affects widgets. Large widgets, such as watches or weather, can occupy different numbers of cells depending on the configuration chosen, so after changing the grid, you may need to re-arrange the widgets to achieve a harmonious look.
Hiding signatures under icons
One of the most popular ways to visually zoom in on the Redmi Note 7 icons is to hide the text signatures underneath them, and when you remove the app name, the system redistributes the space that has been vacant, making the graphical part of the icon itself noticeably larger and more expressive.
This feature is especially useful if you know the location of your apps well or use unique icons that are easy to recognize without text. To activate this feature, you also need to log into the desktop settings menu through a long click on the free area.
- 🚫 Find the Signature Switch in the Settings menu.
- 👁️ Turn it off to hide the names of the apps.
- 🎨 Enjoy a clean and minimalist interface.
- 🔄 You can return the signatures at any time.
When you disable the signatures, the desktop is transformed, icons become the centerpiece of the design, but be careful: if you install many similar applications (like multiple browsers or messengers), without signatures, they will be difficult to distinguish, in which case only individual color coding or memorizing order will help.
How to return the signatures if you forget the location?
Application of third-party design themes
Themes, which is preinstalled on all Xiaomi smartphones, is a powerful tool for changing the size and style of icons. Unlike system settings, themes allow you to change not only the scale, but also the shape, color and detail of each icon, replacing the standard set with the author’s.
The theme catalog has thousands of options, many of which are specifically designed with enlarged, plump or ultra-thin icons, and when you install such a theme, the system replaces standard graphic elements with new ones that can be significantly larger or smaller than the original ones.
| Type of topic | Impact on size | Style. | Where to find out. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classical | Standard. | Strict | The Top tab |
| Cartoon | Enlarged | Bright | Category "For children" |
| Minimalism | Reduced | Black and white. | Search for Mono. |
| 3D/Neon | Big one. | Spectacular | The New Products tab |
To apply the theme, you just have to open the app, find the one you like, and click Download and then Apply. The system will warn you that wallpaper, icons and possibly sounds will be changed, and you can choose a selective application, leaving your wallpaper, for example, but changing the icons to larger ones.
⚠️ Warning: Some third-party themes may not be optimized for Redmi Note 7 screen resolution, which may result in fuzzy graphics display or shifting elements.
Use of third-party launchers
If you don’t have the full-time MIUI capabilities, you can always install a third-party launcher from the Google Play Store. Software like Nova Launcher, Microsoft Launcher or Smart Launcher provide almost limitless options for customizing the size, shape and behavior of icons.
Once a third-party launcher is installed, it becomes the main screen of your device. The new launcher usually has a separate Desktop or Icon section where you can set an exact size in percentages or pixels, which gives you the maximum configuration accuracy that is not available in standard tools.
However, using third-party launchers on Xiaomi has its own peculiarities: the system can aggressively unload them from memory to save energy, which leads to twitching of the interface or returning the standard launcher after rebooting.
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To keep the third-party launcher running consistently, open Settings → Apps → Find your launcher → Battery → select No Limits.
Also, some MIUI features, such as swipes to call menus or hide apps, may not work properly or at all when using a third-party interface, a trade-off that users make for complete customization freedom.
Scaling problems and their solution
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where after updating the system or installing a new theme icons become disproportionately large or small, or disappear altogether. This can be due to a cache system or permission conflict, in which case the cleaning of the data component of the desktop helps.
To do this, go to Settings → Apps → All Apps. Find the Desktop (or Launcher) app in the list. From within the app menu, select Clear → Clear All Data. Don't worry, your apps and files won't be deleted, only the icon layout and grid settings will reset.
After this procedure, the desktop will return to the factory state, and you can re-set the size and location of the icons, starting with a clean slate, which often solves problems with the “go” layout of the interface.