How to move icons on the phone Xiaomi Redmi 9: all ways + hidden chips MIUI

Xiaomi Redmi 9 desktops eventually become a mess of messy icons, especially if you’re actively installing new apps. Unlike iPhones or pure Android, MIUI offers several unique ways to organize the screen, from classic drag and drop to hidden features like smart folders and gestures. But not everyone knows how to use these tools properly so as not to encounter bugs like stuck icons or sudden resetting.

In this article, we will discuss 5 proven ways to move icons on Redmi 9 (relevant to all versions of MIUI 12 to 14), including little-known tricks for quick sorting. Separately, we will focus on common mistakes — for example, why applications return to their previous places after updating the system, and how to fix this without resetting. If you want to not just move the icon, but completely optimize the desktop for your tasks, here you will find step-by-step instructions with illustrations (in text format) and a table of compatibility of methods with different versions of firmware.

1. Classic drag and drop: the basic method

The most obvious way is to hold the icon and then move it, but even here there are nuances that are not mentioned in the official manuals. For example, on Redmi 9 with MIUI 13+, with a long click on the icon, the context menu (with options for Delete, Information) first appears, and only after the second tap the icon “fells” from the screen, which often confuses new users.

To move the icon without unnecessary actions:

• 🔹 Click on the app icon and hold on to 1-1.5 seconds (no longer, otherwise the menu will open).
• 🔹 When the icon “pop up” above the screen, without letting go of your finger, drag it to the right place.
• 🔹 To move to another screen: drag the icon to the edge of the display and hold 0.5 seconds – automatic scrolling will occur.
• 🔹 To cancel the action, simply “throw” the icon into a free space or click on the cross at the top of the screen (will appear when dragging and dropping).

⚠️ Warning: If the icon is stuck and does not move, check if the mode for children is activated (disables in Settings). → Special opportunities → In this mode, all desktop changes are blocked.

2. Quick sorting through the application menu

If too many icons are piled up on the desktop, it’s easier to organize them first in a shared list of apps and then transfer them to the screen, a technique that’s especially useful after resetting settings or updating MIUI, where all icons are reset in a chaotic order.

How to sort apps in the menu:

1. Open the app menu (swipe up from the bottom of the screen).
2. Slip on three dots in the upper right corner → select Sort.
3. Choose one of the options: 📌 Alphabetically (A)→Me or me→And) 📅 By date of installation (new or old first) ⭐ Frequently used (MIUI analyze your activity)

After sorting, hold the desired icon and drag it to the desktop.

💡 Useful tip: To speed up the process, use the search on the application menu (the magnifying glass icon at the top). Find the desired application, hold its icon and drag it to the screen so you do not have to scroll through long lists.

3. Using folders to group icons

The folders on the Redmi 9 desktop work differently than on the Android stock, where they support automatic sorting by category (social networks, games, tools) and can even change color depending on the theme of the design. However, many users face the problem when the Suddenly folder disappears after the phone reboot, this is due to a bug in MIUI 12-13, which is fixed by upgrading to MIUI 14.

How to create and configure a folder:

• 📁 Drag one icon to another – folder will automatically be created.
• 🎨 To change the name: Open the folder → Put her name on top.
• 🔄 To sort icons inside the folder: Open it → press three points → Choose Sort Automatically or Manually.
• 🚫 To delete the folder: drag all the icons out, after which it will disappear by itself.

⚠️ Note: Do not create folders with more than 30 icons – this can lead to a launcher (the application responsible for the desktop) hanging and the need to restart it through the settings.

4. Hidden MIUI features for advanced users

The MIUI shell hides a few tools for fine-tuning the desktop that are not obvious at first glance, such as fixing frequently used apps in a dock panel (bottom bar with 4-5 icons) that appears on all screens, or turning on the Big Icon mode for people with visual problems.

List of hidden functions:

• 🔒 Secure icons in the dock panel: drag the application to the bottom panel and hold for 2 seconds until the inscription “Attached” appears».
• 👁️ Mode of large icons: go to Settings → Display. → Size of text and icons and move the slider to the right.
• 🔄 Resetting the location of icons: hold your finger in the free screen space → Screen settings → Resetting the layout (returning the standard location).
• 📱 Horizontal orientation of the desktop: activated in Settings → Additionally. → Horizontal screen (not working on all versions) MIUI).

💡 Useful Lifehack: To quickly find an app that has been lost among icons, use voice search. Say, “OK, Google, open [app name],” and the system will show its location, even if it is hidden in a folder.

5. Solving problems with "stuck" icons

One of the most common problems with Redmi 9 is that icons stop moving or stick to the screen, because the launcher (the standard desktop app) is out of order, and 80 percent of the time, a simple reboot helps, but if the bug is repeated, you'll have to use more radical methods.

Step-by-step correction instructions:

1. Clear the launcher cache: Go to Settings → Apps → App Management. Find the Launcher app (or MIUI Launcher). Tap Storage → Clear the cache.

Resetting the launcher settings:

• In the same menu (Luncher), select Warehouse → Delete data.
• ⚠️ This will reset all your desktop settings (wallpaper, widgets, folders)!
• Reinstallation of the launcher: 1. Download APK latest MIUI Launcher from the official Xiaomi website. 2. Install the file through any file manager. 3. Reboot the phone.

If the problem persists, check to see if the launcher conflicts with other applications.

• 🛡️ Antivirus (Avast, 360 Security)
• 🔧 Optimizers (Clean Master, DU Speed Booster)
• 🎮 Launchers from third-party developers (Nova, Apex)

💡

Before resetting the launcher data, take screenshots of the current location of the icons or use the backup function in Settings → Desktop → Backup.

6.Alternative launchers: when the standard MIUI Launcher is not satisfied

If you are annoyed by the limitations of Xiaomi’s standard launcher (like the inability to change the size of icons or the lack of gestures), you can install a third-party solution.

How to install an alternative launcher:

1. Download. APK-file from the official website (for example, Nova Launcher).
2. Allow installation from unknown sources in Settings → Applications → Special Access → Install unknown applications.
3. Install the launcher and when you first start, select it as the default application.

⚠️ Note: When using third-party launchers, some chips may stop working MIUI, for example:

• 🔍 Search by phone (replaced with Google Search)
• 📱 Navigation gestures (separate settings required)
• 🎨 Design themes (you will have to use launcher themes)

FAQ: Frequent questions about customizing icons on Redmi 9