Xiaomi’s smartphone is not just a communication tool, it’s a powerful tool for work and entertainment that we use hundreds of times a day, but over time, the screen is becoming a slew of tags, news widgets and banner ads, turning into a chaotic pile of icons. Putting things in order on your desktop means not only improving your visual experience, but also speeding up access to the right features, reducing digital noise.
MIUI (and its new version of HyperOS) offers flexible customization tools that are often underrated by users. Unlike pure Android, it has its own grouping, widget folders, and grid settings. In this article, we’ll look at how to turn a cluttered screen into an aesthetic and functional space.
The process of organizing requires a systematic approach, from removing unnecessary to fine-tuning animations. Deleting system applications through ADB is only possible with an unlocked bootloader and knowledge of the consequences, otherwise you can disrupt the system. Let's start with basic training and move on to advanced design techniques.
Audit and Cleanup: The First Step to Order
Before you move your icons, you need to get rid of digital garbage, and many users don't even notice that their device accumulates unused applications that are left over after purchase or downloaded for one task.
Go to Settings → Apps → All apps and carefully review the list. Remove everything you haven’t used in the past three months. Pay special attention to pre-installed software that often duplicates the functionality of standard Xiaomi tools.
Desktop cleaning also involves removing unnecessary widgets. Standard Horizon or News widgets can consume traffic and battery resources even if you are not using them. Remove them from the screen by holding your finger on the empty area and selecting the appropriate menu item.
Once you remove the extra, you'll see the real picture: how much space is left for the really important tools, which will free up the CPU resources and make navigation more responsive.
Organization of space: grid and folders
The foundation of a clean interface is to set up the screen correctly, and the standard layout of icons is often too sparse or too tight, and you can change this in the theme settings or through the editing menu.
To access the grid settings, press the empty space on your desktop and go to the settings (cog icon). Here you can select a grid format, such as 5x6 or 4x6, which will allow you to place more items without losing readability.
Foldering is a classic method of grouping, and in MIUI, folders are particularly convenient: when you click on a folder, it can open over the interface without moving the other widgets, so you can keep only the most important categories on the first screen.
It is recommended to group applications by functionality, not just by icon color, for example, create a folder “Finance” for banking applications or “Transport” for cards and taxis, which speeds up the search for the right program in a stressful situation.
☑️ Desktop cleaning plan
Working with widgets and folders-widgets
One of the unique features of MIUI is the widget folder, a hybrid of a regular folder and an information widget that displays the contents of the folder and useful information (weather, time, steps) without having to open.
To create such an item, just drag and drop one app icon onto another, but don't let go of your finger right away, but hold it for a fraction of a second longer than usual. The folder will turn into a large widget that can be stretched or squeezed.
Using widgets allows you to bring important information to the desktop: currency exchange rates, task lists, event calendars, but it is important to observe the measure: the screen overloaded with widgets loses its functionality and begins to slow down.
Remember that active widgets are constantly updating data, and excessive widgets can significantly reduce the battery life of the device, especially on models with a smaller battery.
The Secret of Big Widgets
Customization of the appearance of icons and fonts
Visual order is not just about location, but also about uniformity of elements. If the icons of different applications are out of the general style, the interface seems dirty. Themes help solve the problem.
Xiaomi’s Themes app allows you to change not only the wallpaper, but also the style of icons, fonts and system sounds. Choose a theme with a minimalist design to remove visual noise.
You can also use the Second Space feature to separate work and personal applications, creating a separate desktop with its own set of widgets and settings, accessed by fingerprint or pin code.
For advanced users, third-party launchers like Nova Launcher or Lawnchair are available, giving even more control over animations, gestures and appearance, completely replacing the standard shell.
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Use monochrome wallpaper or “Material You” style wallpapers to make app icons look harmonious and not create visual chaos.
Comparison of methods of organization of the interface
There are several approaches to tidying up, and each user chooses his or her own, some prefer minimalism, leaving only the phone and messages on the screen, others create complex widget systems for productivity.
The table below compares the basic methods of organizing a desktop so that you can choose the best one for yourself.
| Method | Difficulty | Impact on the battery | Aesthetics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard folders | Low. | Minimum | Basic |
| MIUI widgets | Medium | Average. | Tall. |
| Third-party launcher | Tall. | Depends on the launcher. | Maximum |
| Second space | Medium | Low. | Separate |
The choice of method depends on your priorities: if speed is important, give up heavy widgets. If beauty is important, invest time in customizing themes.
Hiding applications and security
Not all apps should be visible; personal photos, banking services or instant messengers should be hidden from prying eyes. MIUI has a built-in Hidden Apps feature.
To access it, you need to go to the Security app, scroll down to the Hide Apps section, and activate the programs you want, and then they disappear from the desktop and menu.
⚠️ Note: Do not hide the system applications required for the phone to work (for example, “Themes” or “Conductor”), otherwise you may lose access to the system settings.
To return hidden apps, you just need to re-enter the Hidden menu and remove the ticks, and you can also use guest mode if other people are using the phone temporarily.
Remember that hiding is not encryption. For complete security, use Application Protection with a password or fingerprint, which will add an additional barrier when you start.
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Hiding applications is an element of privacy, but it is not a substitute for full-fledged data encryption for critical information.