Beautiful desktop on Xiaomi: 10 ways to design with instructions

Xiaomi's desktop is not just a set of icons, it's a business card of your style. A poorly organized screen with chaotic shortcuts and default wallpapers creates the impression of a mess, even if the phone has the perfect folder structure. But a well-designed interface not only makes you happy, but also increases productivity: the right apps are always at hand, and widgets show you the latest information without unnecessary taps.

Many Redmi users, POCO Or Mi doesn't even know that the standard shell MIUI It hides a lot of customization tools, and you can change everything from icon shapes to transition animations, without having to root or install third-party launchers. 10 Proven ways to transform your Xiaomi screen, including hidden chips MIUI 14/15, It works on budget models like the Redmi Note. 12 or POCO X5.

But before you start making a change, remember that beautiful design is a balance between aesthetics and functionality. Don't chase fashion trends at the expense of convenience. For example, minimalist wallpaper with dark colors saves battery life. AMOLED-The widgets can distract from the main tasks, and then step-by-step instructions with photos, video examples and compatibility tables for different Xiaomi models.

1. Change of wallpaper: where to download and how to install

Wallpaper is the basis of desktop design. MIUI There's a built-in wallpaper gallery, but it's limited in collection. To find unique options, use specialized services:

• 🌄 WallpapersCraft – wallpaper with resolution up to 4K, The best for Xiaomi 13 Ultra or Redmi K60 There is a filter for color and theme (space, nature, abstraction).
• 🎨 Backiee – here collect wallpaper with gradients and geometric patterns, ideal for minimalist style.
• 🖼️ Zedge – over 10 million wallpapers and icons, but beware: some packages contain ads.
• 📱 MIUI Theme Store is the official theme store for Xiaomi, where wallpaper is tied to specific themes of design (more on this in the next section).

To install wallpaper from the Internet:

1. Download your favorite image (the resolution should match the screen of your Xiaomi – check the characteristics of the model).
2. Open the gallery. → Download Album (or folder where the file was saved).
3. Slip on the wallpaper and choose to Set as → Desktop wallpaper.
4. In the wallpaper settings (Long press on the desktop) → Wallpaper) turn on the option Blurring when scrolling for the parallax effect.

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If the wallpaper looks blurry, check their resolution.For Xiaomi with Full HD+ screen (2400×1080) fitting 1440×3120 (vertically).

Important. AMOLED-Black wallpaper with minimal bright elements reduces power consumption by 15-20% compared to light themes. 12T Pro, Redmi K50 Gaming and other devices with organic matrices.

2. Installation of the themes of registration through MIUI Theme Store

Official MIUI Theme Store is a storehouse of ready-made styles for desktop, icons, fonts and even sounds, and not only are the themes changing wallpaper, but the design of system applications, the notification bar and animations. Here's how to use them:

• 🛠️ Open the Settings. → Theme of the design.
• 🔍 In the search box, type in the keywords “minimal”, “dark”, “ios” or “material you” (for a style similar to Android 12).+).
• 🌙 Note the themes marked "Super Wallpaper" - they support dynamic wallpaper (e.g. Mars or Earth with variable lighting).
• ⚙️ After applying the theme, go to the theme settings → Customize to disable unnecessary items (such as changing icons in the app menu).

Some topics require MI-If you see the message "Registered", create an account through Settings → Accounts. → Mi Account. also some of themes are paid (from 50 to 300 rubles), but there are also free alternatives.

The table below shows popular themes and their compatibility with different versions. MIUI:

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Topics from MIUI Theme Store automatically updates, but after resetting settings or updating the firmware, they will have to be installed again.

3. Customization of icons: from standard to unique

Standard icons in MIUI They look boring, but they can be replaced in three ways:

1. Through the theme of design (as in the previous section) is the easiest method, but the choice is limited.
2. With the launcher (for example, Nova Launcher or Hyperion Launcher) – allows you to install custom packages of icons from the Play Market.
3. Manually replace through apps like Icon Changer (requires manually selecting an image for each icon).

For the first method:

1. Download your favorite icon package (such as Whicons, CandyCons or Delta).
2. Install the launcher (we recommend Nova Launcher – it is free and supports Russian).
3. In the launcher settings, select the Appearance → Style of icons and apply the downloaded package.

If you want to replace the icons of individual applications:

1. Install Icon Changer Free from Play Market.
2. Select the app you want to change the icon.
3. Upload a new image (you can create it yourself in Canva or download it from Flaticon).
4. Save the changes – a new icon will appear on the desktop.

For Xiaomi models with MIUI 14+ And you can have Adaptive Icons, which automatically adjust to the wallpaper color scheme. → Theme of the design → Customization of icons.

4. Widgets: which to choose and how to set up

Widgets turn the desktop into an information panel. MIUI There are built-in widgets for weather, calendar, notes and even health monitoring (if you have Mi Band devices connected:

• 📅 Month: Calendar Widget is a minimalist calendar with dark theme support.
• 🌡️ Overdrop – weather widget with animation (for example, falling snow or rain).
• 📊 KWGT Kustom Widget Maker – a designer for creating unique widgets (takes time to set up).
• 🎵 Musixmatch – displays the lyrics of a song currently playing.

To add a widget:

1. Make a long press on the free place of the desktop.
2. Select the widgets in the menu that appears.
3. Scroll through the list and drag the desired widget to the screen.
4. Customize (some widgets support scaling).

Install only 2-3 most necessary widgets|Place them at the top of the screen|Disable animations to save battery|Check for updates to widgets once a week-->

On Xiaomi models with Always-On Display (e.g. Xiaomi 13 Pro or Redmi) K60) You can configure the widgets even on a locked screen. → Lock screen → Always-On Display and select the display style of time, notifications or weather.

5. Application organization: folders, gestures and hidden functions

The chaos of icons on the desktop is a major problem for many users. MIUI There are several ways to clean up:

• 📁 Folders: Drag one icon to another to create a folder. MIUI 15 supported folders (up to 3 levels).
• 🔍 Application search: swipe down on the desktop will open the search bar – so you can quickly find the right application without unnecessary icons.
• 👆 Gestures: In Settings → Additionally. → Gestures can be assigned to swipe to run commonly used applications (e.g. swipe upwards with two fingers for the camera).
• 🚫 Hiding applications: in Settings → Annexes → Hidden apps can be removed from unnecessary icons (they will remain in the menu of all applications).

For advanced users, there is a function "Double Space" (Settings) → Special facilities → It allows you to create a second desktop with a separate set of apps and wallpapers — convenient if you use your phone for both work and personal use.

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To quickly hide all the icons on the desktop, make a pinch gesture (swipe two fingers together) – the zoom menu will open, where you can turn off the display of applications.

If you don’t have the built-in capabilities, install Nova Launcher or Apex Launcher.

• Create tabs in folders.
• Customize gestures for any action (for example, double tap to start a flashlight).
• Hide the status bar or navigation bar.

6. Animations and transitions: how to make the interface smooth

The speed and smoothness of animations greatly affect the perception of the interface. MIUI There are hidden settings that allow you to speed up or, conversely, make transitions more pronounced:

• 🔄 Animation setting: Enable Developer Mode (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI — Tap 7 times, then go to Settings → Additionally. → For developers and change the settings: The scale of animation windows — 0.5x Transition animation scale — 1x Duration animator -- Turn off for instantaneous transitions.
• 🎞️ The effects of transitions: in Settings → Theme of the design → Animations can be selected to open the application style (for example, "Increase" or "shift").
• 🖥️ Screen refresh rate: on models with 120 Hz (POCO F5, Xiaomi 12T) Enable high frequency in the settings → Screen. → Update frequency for smoother scrolling.

On devices with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor (such as Xiaomi 13) 120Hz inclusion + Disabling animations can increase battery life by 10-15% as the system spends less resources on processing visual effects.

If after the changes the interface began to lag, return the animation settings to the default values or clear the system cache in Settings. → Memory. → Cleanup.

7.Sounds and tactile feedback

Desktop design is not just about visuals, it's about sound and response when you touch. MIUI tune in:

• 🔔 Notifications: Go to Settings → Sound. → Notification sounds and select a tune or download yours via Add.
• 🎶 System sounds: in the same menu you can change the sounds of locking, unlocking, charging and even screenshot.
• 📳 Tactile feedback: in Settings → Sound. → Vibration when pressed, turn on the option for navigation buttons and keyboards. On models with a linear vibrator motor (Xiaomi) 12S Ultra) the effect will be more precise.
• 🔇 Silent mode with vibration: in Settings → Sound. → Modes to adjust the behavior of the phone with a silent profile.

To set custom sounds:

1. Download the audio file in format.mp3.ogg (up to 5 seconds).
2. Place it in the Ringtones or Notifications folder on the internal storage.
3. Select it in the sound settings (reboot may be required).

On devices with stereo speakers (Xiaomi) 11T Pro, Redmi K50) You can adjust the sound balance between the top and bottom speakers in Settings → Sound. → Sound effects.

8 Additional chips: Always-On Display, lock wallpaper and gestures

V MIUI There are features that often go unnoticed, but can dramatically change how you interact with your phone:

• 🌃 Always-On Display (AOD): Supported models (Xiaomi 13, Redmi) K60 Pro) you can configure the display of time, date, notifications and even animations on the screen off. → Lock screen → Always-On Display.
• 🔒 Lock screen wallpaper: you can make it separate from the desktop wallpaper. To do this, select the Lock Screen and upload another image from the wallpaper menu.
• ✋ Lock screen gestures: in Settings → Lock screen → Gestures can be assigned to double tap (for example, launching a camera or flashlight).
• 🔄 Automatic wallpaper change: the Wallpaper Carousel app (from Xiaomi) changes the wallpaper on a schedule or when changing the geolocation.

For AOD The following styles are available:

• The digital clock is a minimalist look.
• Analog clock - with hands and animation.
• Text: A time-representation of words (e.g., “Ten minutes of the first”).
• "Castom” – loading your wallpaper for AOD (Supported by.png with transparency).

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Always-On Display consumes about 1-2% of the charge per hour. AMOLED-On screens, on devices with LCD (For example, Redmi Note 11) this feature is not available, as it requires constant pixel illumination.

If you have a model with an infrared port (POCO X3 Pro, Redmi Note 10), do not forget that it can also be used to control equipment - add the Remote widget to the desktop for quick access.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the design of the Xiaomi desktop