How to set up a desktop on a Xiaomi Redmi phone: a complete guide to MIUI

Why Desktop Setting Is Important for Productivity

The desktop of the Xiaomi Redmi smartphone is not just a background image with icons, but your personal digital assistant. 30% It's the time to find the right apps, reduces distractions, and even affects battery power. AMOLED-Redmi Note screens 12 Pro+ or Redmi K60 reduce energy consumption by 15-20%. A competent placement of widgets allows you to get important information (weather, calendar, steps) without opening the application.

Branded shell MIUI (version 13-15) It offers dozens of hidden customization features that most users don't even know about, from dynamic paralax wallpapers to one-hand gestures, these features make the standard interface a unique tool for your tasks. But how do you find the ones that are really useful in hundreds of settings? MIUI For Redmi, which you won’t find on Android, and show you how to set up your desktop so it works for you, not against you.

Basic setting: wallpaper, themes and icon styles

Let's start with the visuals. Xiaomi Redmi's wallpaper changes are not standard: not only are there static images, but there are live wallpapers with animations (like Super Earth or Space Travel) and depth-effect wallpapers that respond to the tilt of the phone, to activate them:

1. Long pressing on the free space of the desktop → Wallpaper.
2. Select the category Live or Super wallpaper (not available on all models)
3. For the paralax effect, turn on the Depth option in the wallpaper settings

Feature MIUI 14/15: The wallpaper automatically adjusts to the dark/light mode of the system. If you need to turn off this behavior, go to Settings. → Screen. → Wallpaper. → Wallpaper settings → Adaptive color.

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Download the wallpaper in the permit 1080×2400 (for most Redmis, or 1440×3200 (Pro-models – so they will not stretch and lose quality.

The next step is the themes and icon styles, and in Xiaomi, this is done through the Themes app.

• 🎨 Install ready-made themes (there are categories "Minimalism", "Dark", "Game")
• 🔄 Change the shape of the icons (round, square, "curling")
• 🖌️ Customize accent color in the system (color tab)
• 📱 Apply animations of transitions between screens

Important: Some themes require an internet connection to download additional resources. 10C or Redmi A2 With limited memory, it can take up to 5 minutes.

Application organization: folders, hidden apps and gestures

The chaos of icons on the desktop is the main reason for loss of productivity. MIUI There are some unique tools for organizing applications that are not available in pure Android:

1. Automatic folders: Drag one icon to another → The system will prompt you to create a folder and select a name for it (for example, “Social Networks” for WhatsApp and Telegram)
2. Hidden applications: in the application menu swipe left → Hidden applications → Choose the ones you want to hide (they will stay in the system, but will not be displayed)
3. Second desktop: in the launcher settings (Long press) → Settings → Additional settings) enable the option Double Desktop – useful for separating personal and work applications

For quick access to frequently used functions, set up gestures on the desktop:

• 👆 Swipe up – Opening the app menu (you can replace it with Google Search or Voice Assistant)
• 👇 Swipe down – notification panel (some models also display weather and quick settings here)
• 🤏 Pike – transition to one-touch mode (to control one hand)

On the Redmi Note 11 Pro models+ And now there's Smart Grouping, which automatically sorts icons by frequency of use, placing the icons you want at the bottom of the screen. → Desktop → Smart group.

Widgets and Quick Tools: What’s Really Useful

Widgets in MIUI They're often underrated, although they can replace individual apps. For example, the Notes widget allows you to quickly create a text or voice memo right from your desktop, and the Calendar widget shows you a week ahead schedule:

1. Long pressing on the free screen space → Widgets
2. Select the widget you want (e.g. Weather, Stepmer, Smart Home Management)
3. Drag it to your desktop and resize (if supported)

The most useful widgets for Redmi:

In the models with MIUI 14+ There are dynamic widgets that change depending on the context. For example, the widget Music shows the cover of albums from Spotify or Yandex Music, and the fitness widget adapts to your activity (running, cycling, swimming).

Remove unnecessary widgets (long press) → "Delete")

Place the most important widgets on the first screen

Customize the widget size (not everyone supports resizing)

Check permissions for widgets (for example, the Weather widget needs location access)-->

Hidden functions MIUI desktop

Shell MIUI It's known for its Easter eggs and its hidden features, and these are the ones that are really good for the desktop:

• 🔄 Automatic wallpaper change: in the wallpaper settings, turn on the Automan and select the interval (every hour / day.
• 🖼️ "Big Screen" mode: for models with resolution FHD+ (Like Redmi. K50) You can increase the number of icons on the screen. → Special facilities → Display size → Big screen.
• 🎮 Desktop Game Mode: If you add a game to a folder and call it "Games", when you open any game from this folder, the Game Turbo Mode is automatically activated (disables notifications, optimizes performance).
• 🔍 Desktop search: Swipe down on the home screen not only calls up the notification bar, but also a search bar that searches not only in apps but also in notes, messages and contacts.

Another little-known feature is the tuning of animations. MIUI 15 can change the speed of transitions between screens:

1. Enable Developer Mode (click 7 times on Version) MIUI In Settings → The phone)
2. Go to Settings → Additional → For Developers
3. Find the settings Window animation speed, Transition animation speed and Animator speed – set the value Animation disabled or 0.5x speed up

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Disabling animations not only speeds up the interface, but also reduces the load on the processor, which can extend the battery life on the processor. 5-10%.

Optimization for battery and performance

Incorrect desktop settings can increase battery consumption 15-25%. Here's what I need to check:

• 🔋 Live wallpaper: animations are constantly using the processor. Replace them with static or use live wallpaper only on lock.
• 🔄 Auto-Update widgets: Weather or currency widgets are updated every time 15-30 Limit the refresh rate in the settings of each widget.
• 📱 Background processes: some launchers (e.g, POCO Launcher on Redmi Note 12 continues to work in the background. → Annexes → Application management → Launcher → Battery → Limit background activity.
• 🌙 Dark subject: on AMOLED-screens (Redmi) K60 Pro, Redmi Note 13 Pro+) Dark mode reduces power consumption by up to 30 percent. → Screen. → Dark subject.

To check the impact of the desktop on the battery:

1. Go to Settings. → Battery and productivity → Battery utilization
2. Click on Launcher or System Interface in the list
3. Look at the percentage of expenditure in the last 24 hours. If it's above 5%, optimize your settings.

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In the models with MIUI 14+ It has a "Super Low Consumption Wallpaper" feature that uses static versions of animated wallpaper, saving charge without losing visual style.

Another thing is RAM optimization. If you have Redmi with a computer. 4-6 GB of RAM (e.g., Redmi) 10 or Redmi Note 11S), Turn off animations and widgets with constant updates. 200-300 MB of memory for background tasks.

Security and privacy on the desktop

A desktop can become a source of personal data leakage if not configured correctly. MIUI There are several levels of protection:

• 🔒 Block folders: create a folder with confidential applications (banks, instant messengers), then long-click on the folder → Lock the folder. Opening will require a password or a fingerprint.
• 👁️ Hiding notifications: Preview messages may appear on the home screen. Turn this off in Settings → Notifications → On the lock screen (select Do not show content).
• 📱 Screenshots Ban: For applications with sensitive data (e.g. SberBank Online) turn on protection: Settings → Special facilities → Screenshot ban.
• 🔄 Layout Reset: If you are transferring your phone to another person, reset your desktop settings to hide your usage history: Settings → Annexes → Application management → Launcher → Warehouse → Clear the data.

In the models with MIUI 15 has a "Private Mode" feature that creates a separate secure desktop to activate it:

1. Go to Settings. → Confidentiality → Private regime
2. Set a password (different from the main one)
3. Select applications and files that will only be available in private mode
4. Activate mode via notification panel or special gesture (configured in the same settings)

Problem Solving: Lags, Failures and Resetting Settings

If after setting up the desktop began to brake, reboot or reset wallpaper, use these tips:

• 🔄 Clearing the launcher cache: go to Settings → Annexes → Application management → Launcher → Warehouse → Clear the cache. This will delete temporary files without losing your settings.
• 📱 Related: Retreat of the update MIUI: If the lags started after the update, go back to the previous version via Settings → The phone. → Updating the system → Three points. → Select the update package (needs a firmware file).
• 🔧 Resetting launcher settings: if icons are missing or duplicated, reset settings: Settings → Annexes → Launcher → Warehouse → Clear the data (Warning: This will remove all your current settings!).
• 🛠️ Virus Check: Some Lags Cause Malware. Run a Scan in Xiaomi Security (Settings) → Security).

A common problem on Redmi is that it's a random wallpaper change, and it's because of the Smart Wallpaper function, which adjusts the background to the time of day, to turn off:

1. Long press on the desktop → Wallpaper
2. Click on three dots in the upper right corner → Settings
3. Turn off the Smart Wallpaper and Automan options

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If after resetting the launcher settings, widgets disappeared, they must be added again — MIUI does not maintain their location when cleaning data.

On the Redmi models with MIUI 13 and below, there may be a bug with disappearing icons after rebooting, due to an error in the system cache:

1. Turn off the phone.


2.Put the Power + Volume buttons up until the Mi logo appears




3. Select Recovery (use volume buttons for navigation)




4. Go to Wipe & Reset → Wipe Cache




5. Confirm the action and restart the phone

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions