App icons on Xiaomi’s screen are too small or take up half the display? This problem is familiar to many owners of the brand’s smartphones – standard MIUI and HyperOS settings do not always offer flexible customization of the interface. Fortunately, there are several ways to adjust the size of the icons to your preferences, from embedded tools to third-party launchers.
In this article, we’ll break down 5 working methods, including hidden shell features, launcher settings, and even system file editing for advanced users. All the instructions are relevant for the MIUI 14/15-based Redmi, POCO, and Xiaomi models and the new HyperOS. If you want to not only scale icons, but also optimize the home screen space, read on.
1. MIUI/HyperOS Standard Settings: What You Can Change Without Third-Party Apps
To start with, the simplest of them is the built-in shell tools, and Xiaomi offers limited but useful options for setting up the desktop grid and icon size.
- 📱 Resize the grid: allows you to increase or decrease the number of icons on the screen, indirectly affecting their size.
- 🔄 Big Badges Mode: Hidden feature for users with vision problems (not available on all models).
- 🎨 Icon themes and styles: Some themes from Themes official store offer alternative sizes.
To set up the grid:
- Press and hold the empty space on the main screen.
- Select Screen Settings (or Home Screen in HyperOS).
- Go to the Desktop Grid and select the appropriate option (e.g. 4×5 or 5×6).
Limitation: This method does not change the physical size of the icons, only their density. Extra steps will be required to actually scale (see the following sections).
⚠️ Note: On some models POCO (for example, POCO X5 Pro option Desktop grid may not be available, in which case use alternative launchers (section 3).
2 Hidden MIUI functions: how to enable the "Big icons" mode
Few people know, but MIUI has a hidden magnified icon mode, originally designed for visually impaired users, that resizes all interface elements, including app icons, text and buttons, and that's how to turn it on:
- Open the Settings. → Special facilities.
- Go to Visual Settings → Font size and display.
- Activate the slider Large text or enlarged scale (the name depends on the version of the shell).
- Select the level of increase (125% or 150%) recommended.
- Restart the device to apply the changes.
This method has a side effect: along with icons, all interface elements will increase, including fonts in the menu and system notifications. If you only need to change icons, skip this method and move to the next section.
What to do if the “Big Badges” mode does not work?
| Method | Changes the size of the icons | Influences other elements | Reboot required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desktop grid | Indirectly (density) | No. | No. |
| Big Badges mode | Yes (along with the text) | Yes. UI-component) | Yes. |
| Third-party launchers | Yes (flexible setup) | No. | No. |
| ADB-team | Yeah (exact calibration) | Partially. | Yes. |
3.Third-party launchers: the best options for flexible settings
If Xiaomi's built-in tools aren't enough, third-party launchers offer much more features, allowing you not only to resize icons, but also to customize animations, gestures, and even hide unnecessary interface elements.-3 solution:
- 🚀 Nova Launcher: Supports icon scaling from 50% to 150%, responsive grids and folder customization.Paid version adds gestures and backup.
- 🎨 Apex Launcher: free analogue with the ability to resize icons and text underneath. Supports icon themes from Icon Packs.
- ⚡ Lawnchair: Lightweight open source launcher optimized for Android 12+. Allows you to fine-tune indentations and scale.
Instructions for setting up Nova Launcher:
- Install a launcher from Google Play.
- Press and hold the empty space on the screen → Settings.
- Go to Desktop → Icon size and select a value (e.g. 120%).
- For accurate setting of indentations, go to the desktop → Retreats.
Backup your current settings (via Settings → System → Backup)
Check the compatibility of the launcher with the Android version (Settings → About Phone → MIUI version)
Disable battery optimization for launcher (Settings → Applications → Battery Management)
Restart the phone after installation-->
Important: Some launcher features (such as adaptive icons) may conflict with Xiaomi’s system fonts. If icons are not displayed correctly after installation, return the standard font to Settings → Display → Font.
4 Advanced Methods: Size Resizing Through ADB and System Files
For users who are ready to dive into technical details, there are ways to resize icons at the system file level, which require an unlocked bootloader and root rights (or access via ADB).
Method 1: Change the parameters through ADB
- Connect your phone to your PC and activate Debugging via USB (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version → 7 times press the build number → return to Additional → For developers).
- Open the command line on PC and type: adb shell settings put global icon_size_scale 1.2 (where 1.2 — scaling factor; range: 0.8–1.5).
- Reset the device.
Method 2: Manual editing framework-res.apk (power users only!)
- 🔧 Use it. MT Manager or Root Explorer to access the file /system/framework/framework-res.apk.
- 📝 Find a line. <dimen name="app_icon_size">48.0dip</dimen> and change the value (for example, to 60.0dip).
- 🔄 Save the file, set the correct permissions (644) and restart.
⚠️ Attention: Editing system files without backup can lead to bootloop ( looped reboot). TWRP Or OrangeFox.
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If after changes through ADB, the icons are displayed blurred, clear the launcher cache: Settings → Applications → Application Management → Launcher → Storage → Clear the cache.
5. Features of the configuration for HyperOS: what has changed in the new shell
With the release of HyperOS (replacing MIUI on new Xiaomi models), some interface settings have been reworked, including:
- 🔄 Adaptive grid: now automatically adjusts to the screen size, but manual setting is saved in Settings → Home screen → layout.
- 🎨 Dynamic icons: Animated icons are supported, the size of which can be changed in the theme settings.
- ⚙️ New parameters ADB: Sizes put global command is now used hyperos_icon_scale.
To change the size of the icons in HyperOS:
- Open Settings → Home screen → Style of icons.
- Select Set Up → Badge size.
- Drag the slider in the range from Small to Very Large.
If your model (Xiaomi 14, Redmi K70, etc.) is running on HyperOS, but there is no option, upgrade to the latest version through Settings → About Phone → System Update.
Frequent problems and their solutions
When you change the size of the icons, Xiaomi users encounter common mistakes.
| Problem. | Reason. | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| The icons have become blurry. | Conflict with screen resolution or theme | Return the standard theme or clear the launcher cache |
| No launcher settings are saved | Optimizing the battery for the launcher | Disable optimization in Settings → Applications → Battery Management |
| ADB-team is not working | Insufficient rights or an outdated version of ADB | Update platform-tools and repeat command with sudo |
| After the update, the settings were reset. | Resetting the system cache | Restore settings from backup or reconfigure |
If none of the methods worked, check:
- 📱 Model of the device: on some POCO Redmi (like Redmi Note 10 Pro) limited launcher settings.
- 🔧 Shell version: in MIUI 12 or below, some functions may not be available.
- 🔒 Access rights: for ADB-The teams need to be debugged on USB.
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Before experimenting with system files or ADB, always back up through Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset, or TWRP.