How to move icons on Xiaomi smartphone: 7 proven ways

Xiaomi’s desktop is your personal space, where the convenience depends on the location of the app icons. But not all users know that you can move them in a standard way, not only “tap and drag”. In the shell of MIUI (version 12-15) there are several alternative methods that make it easier to organize the desktop, especially if you have 100+ apps installed or use the “No-beze” mode.

In this article, we will analyze all the current methods - from basic to advanced, including moving icons between screens, creating folders "on the fly", and even managing through Launcher Settings. We will also focus on the typical errors, because of which the icons "do not listen", and give recommendations for models with a high-quality design. AMOLED-screens where optimal arrangement is important to save battery.

1. Standard method: dragging with a finger

The most obvious method that works on all Xiaomi smartphones, from the budget Redmi Note 12 to the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra.

• 👆 Click on the app icon and hold it. 1-2 A few seconds before it gets off the desktop.
• 📱 Keep your finger on, drag the icon to the right place, and then you'll see gray-square clues on the screen, showing your possible positions.
• 🎯 Release your finger when the icon is in the desired position. If you drag it in the wrong place, repeat the action.

This method also works for moving icons between screens: just drag the icon to the edge of the display, and the desktop will automatically scroll. If you have Gesture mode enabled (in Settings → Display → Full-screen mode), hold the icon a little longer, otherwise the system may perceive the touch as a swipe to return.

⚠️ Note: On some models (e.g, POCO F5) post-update MIUI 14 can trigger the "sticking" of the icons. If the icon does not move, try to restart the smartphone or reset the launcher settings in Settings. → Annexes → Application management → Launcher → Warehouse → Clear the data.

2. Move icons through the application menu

If there are too many icons on the desktop, it is easier to manage them through a full list of apps, which is especially convenient for users of the Xiaomi Pad 6 or other devices with large screens:

1. Open the application menu by swiping up from the bottom of the screen (or clicking on the ••• icon in the dock panel).
2. Find the right app and hold its icon for 1-2 seconds.
3. In the context menu that appears, select Add to the desktop.
4. The icon will appear in the first place, and now it can be moved in the standard way.

This method also allows you to duplicate icons on different screens, for example, you can place Google Maps on both the main desktop and the second screen with a weather widget, and when you remove the icon from the desktop, the application is not removed from the system, it remains in the application menu.

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To quickly find the app in the menu, use the search bar at the top of the screen. In MIUI 15, the search works even for keywords (for example, type "social network" - the system will show VK, Telegram, Instagram).

3. Creating folders and groups of icons

If the desktop is captured by dozens of icons, the best way to clean up is to combine them into folders. MIUI It's done intuitively:

• 📂 Drag one icon to another and hold on for 1 second.The system will automatically create a folder.
• 🏷️ Name a folder (for example, “Social networks”, “Games”, “Work”) – this will help you navigate faster.
• 🔄 To add more icons, just drag them into a folder, maximum 16 icons in one folder. MIUI 14+).
• 🗑️ To delete the folder, drag all icons from it back to the desktop.

Folders can be moved between screens in the same way as individual icons. AMOLED-displays (e.g., Xiaomi) 13T Pro) folders with dark wallpaper consume less power - keep this in mind when setting up.

4. Use of desktop editing mode

It's more convenient to activate editing mode for mass icon movement.

• 🔄 Moving multiple icons at the same time.
• 🗑️ Remove icons from the desktop without removing applications.
• 📏 Change the size of the widgets (if supported).

To enter editing mode:

1. Click and hold the empty space on your desktop (not on the icon!).
2. At the bottom of the screen will appear toolbar with options Widgets, Wallpaper, Settings.
3. Now you can drag and drop icons without long hold – just one touch is enough.

In this mode, the option to align icons is also available (in the Settings menu). → Desktop, which automatically distributes icons across the grid, is useful if, after manual movement, the icons are randomly scattered.

Take a screenshot of the current location|Close all background applications|Turn off the screen autoturn|Check the battery charge (minimum 20%)-->

5. Moving icons through launcher settings

For advanced Xiaomi users, there are hidden launcher settings where you can fine-tune the behavior of icons. This method works on all devices with MIUI 12+, but the path to the menu may differ:

Open Settings → Applications → Application Management, then:

1. Find the launcher (or MIUI Launcher) in the list.
2. Click on it and select Permissions.
3. Scroll down and tap on Additional Settings (or Launcher Settings).
4. Here you'll find the options: 🔄 Self-sorting icons – disable if you do not want the system to place new applications. 📏 Grid size – change the number of rows and columns for icons (e.g, 5×6 opportunistic 4×5). 🎨 Icon Style – Choose between standard, round or adaptive icons.

You can also reset the launcher to factory settings if you start to glitches after experimenting with the icons. Note: the reset will delete all the folders and widgets you created, but it will not affect the applications themselves.

6. Moving icons with gestures (MIUI 14+)

Recent versions of MIUI have added gesture support for icon management, which is not enabled by default, but can be activated:

• 👉 Quick Moving: Swipe down the icon opens a context menu where you can choose Move or Delete.
• 🤏 Multiple choices: hold one icon, then tap the other icons, they'll be framed. Now you can move them all together.
• ↗️ Drag between screens: If you swipe the icon to the edge of the screen and hold your finger, the desktop will scroll automatically.

To enable these gestures:

1. Go to Settings → Desktop → Additional functions.
2. Activate the icon gesture switches and Multiple Selection.
3. If necessary, adjust the sensitivity of gestures (swipe speed option).

On models with a high frequency of screen updates (120/144 Hz gestures work smoother, but may conflict with system swipes (e.g., Google Assistant call) in which case, disable conflicting gestures in Settings → System system → Gestures.

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Icon gestures are only available on devices with a MIUI of 14+ and at least 4GB of RAM; on budget models (such as the Redmi A2), this feature may not be available.

7 Problems and Solutions: Why Icons Don't Move

Sometimes, icons on Xiaomi refuse to move despite their best efforts, and here are the most common reasons and ways to eliminate them:

If neither of these methods worked, check if guest mode or parental controls are enabled, which can block desktop changes, and it’s also worth updating MIUI to the latest version: older builds (such as MIUI 11) had bugs that stuck icons that were fixed in newer versions.

⚠️ Note: Some firmware (e.g. Xiaomi.EU) may have different icon movements due to custom modifications. If you use unofficial firmware, check its documentation or forums (e.g., forums, 4PDA) nuance.

FAQ: Frequent questions about moving icons to Xiaomi