How to move icons on the screen of the smartphone Xiaomi Redmi: 5 ways + chip-trick MIUI

The desktop of Xiaomi Redmi is not just a set of icons, but your personal digital space, which should be convenient and functional. However, many users face chaos on the home screen: apps are scattered without a system, important icons are lost among dozens of others, and new programs are automatically added to the bottom of the list. If you want to clean up, but do not know how to move icons on the screen, create folders or hide unnecessary applications, this article is for you.

Unlike iPhones or smartphones on pure Android, the shell MIUI (Especially in versions 12-14), it has its own nuances of desktop control, and there are both standard drag and drop gestures and hidden settings that not everyone knows about. We will not only analyze basic actions, but also advanced tricks – for example, how to fix frequently used applications in the docking panel or disable the automatic addition of new icons. And if you accidentally deleted the icon or can not find the right application – at the end of the article there is a solution to this problem.

1. Basic method: dragging icons with your finger

The simplest method that works on all Redmi models (from Redmi Note 10 to Redmi) 13C) — This is manually moving icons, and you don't have to go into settings or install additional programs:

Press and hold your finger on any app icon for 1-2 seconds until it is stuck off the screen and a vibration appears.

• 📱 Drag the icon to the right place on the screen (it will follow the finger).
• 🗂️ To create a folder, move one icon to another – a new window with the name of the folder will appear.
• 🗑️ If you drag the icon to the top of the screen (where the “Delete” appears), the application will disappear from the desktop (but will remain in the menu of all applications).
• 🔄 To cancel the action, simply swipe the icon back or click on the free screen space.

Important: on some models (for example, Redmi) A2 or Redmi 9A) You may need to first unlock the movement of the icons in the settings. If nothing happens when holding your finger, check the settings settings. → Desktop → Allow modification of layout.

⚠️ Note: If you move system applications (such as Phone or Messages), they can automatically return to their original location after rebooting. MIUI, and can only be circumvented by disabling the system protection (see Section 5).

2. How to move icons between screens

If there is not enough space on the home screen, you can spread the icons over several pages. MIUI Up to 5 additional screens are available by default (depending on the model) to move the icon to another screen:

1. Press the icon before the vibration appears.
2. Without letting go of your finger, swipe left or right to switch to the adjacent screen.
3. Release the icon in the right place.

If there are no additional screens, you can add them:

• 📲 Flip your finger to the left on the main screen until the button appears «+» or the inscription "Add screen».
• 🖼️ Press on «+», to create a new page.

Tip: To quickly switch between screens, swipe your finger on the dot indicator at the bottom of the display (above the dock panel). MIUI 14 also supports a swipe up gesture with a delay to open a review of all pages.

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If you use the same app often, fasten it to the dock panel (bottom panel with 4-5 icons).

3. Sorting icons by alphabet or category

Manual movement is fine if you don't have many apps, but what if you have 50 on your smartphone?+ In programs? MIUI There is an automatic sorting function built-in:

1. Open the menu of all applications (click up from the dock panel).
2. Press three points (⋮) top-right.
3. Select Sort and specify one of the options: 🔤 Alphabetically (A)→Me or me→And). 📁 By category (social networks, tools, games, etc.). ⏱️ Installation time (new or old first).

After sorting, the icons on the desktop will remain in their places, but in the menu of all applications they will appear in the selected order. To apply sorting and on the home screen, you will have to manually drag the icons or use a layout reset (see section 6).

⚠️ Note: Once sorted by category, some system applications (such as Security or Themes) may end up in the System folder. To return them to the home screen, you will have to drag and drop them manually.

4. Creating and managing folders

Xiaomi Redmi desktop folders help you group similar apps and save space, for example, you can combine all the messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber) into one folder or put games into a separate category.

• 📂 Drag one icon to another and a folder with an automatically generated name will appear (e.g., Apps»).
• ✏️ To rename a folder, tap its name and enter a new one (for example, “Social Network” or “Work»).
• ➕ To add another app, just drag it into a folder.
• ➖ To remove the application from the folder, open it, press the icon and drag it outside the folder.

Advanced folder settings:

• 🎨 V MIUI 13/14 You can change the color and style of the folder. Open the folder, click three dots (⋮) and choose to change style.
• 🔒 To fix the folder on the screen (so that it does not shift when sorting), press it, then click on Secure in the menu that appears.
• 📊 The folder can have up to 16 applications (older versions). MIUI — If you need more, create a second folder with a similar name (e.g., Game 1 and Game 2»).

V MIUI 14 Smart folders are available, and they automatically group apps into categories (e.g., Work, Rest) based on your behavior. To enable it, go to Settings. → Desktop → Smart folders.

Press the icon and drag to another to create a folder|Rename the folder for convenience|Add all similar applications to the folder|Check the limit on the number of icons in the folder (16 pieces.)|Secure important folders so they don’t move.-->

5. How to hide unnecessary icons (without deleting applications)

Not all apps are needed on the home screen, for example, system utilities like Security or Themes can be opened through the menu of all apps, and messenger or game icons can be distracting. MIUI There are two ways to hide icons:

Method 1: Remove from the desktop (remains in the menu)

1. Press the badge you want to hide.
2. Drag it to the top of the screen where the “Delete” sign appears (it’s not actually a deletion, but a hiding from the desktop).
3. Release your finger – the icon will disappear, but the application will remain in the system.

Method 2: Hide all applications from the menu (complete hiding)

This method is suitable for system programs that cannot be removed, but which interfere with the list:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the desired application in the list and click on it.
3. Choose Hide (not all apps have this option).
4. Confirm the action – the icon will disappear from the menu and from the desktop.

To return the hidden app:

1. Open the menu of all applications.
2. Press three points (⋮) → Showing the hidden.
3. Select the desired application and click Show.

⚠️ Note: Some system applications (such as Google Play Services) cannot be hidden or removed, which can disrupt your smartphone, and hiding apps does not cancel their background activity (for example, Facebook will still use up battery).

6. Reset desktop layout to factory settings

If you've been experimenting with icon layouts and now there's chaos on the screen, you can go back to the original state.

1. Go to Settings. → Desktop.
2. Select Reset layout (or “Restore by default” in older versions) MIUI).
3. Confirm the action – all icons will return to their places, and the additional screens will disappear.

What happens after the reset:

• ✅ All icons of system applications (Phone, Messages, Camera) will return to the main screen.
• ✅ Additional screens (if any) will be removed.
• ❌ User folders and their contents will not be saved – they will have to be created again.
• ❌ Widgets (weather, clock, notes) will disappear and need to be added again.

Resetting the layout does not affect:

• 📱 Installed applications (they will remain in the menu of all programs).
• 🔧 System settings (wallpaper, themes, sounds).
• 📁 Files and data in the phone memory.

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Resetting a layout is not resetting a phone to factory settings! it only affects the location of icons on the desktop without deleting data or programs.

7. Additional chips: widgets, gestures and dock panel

Xiaomi Redmi desktop supports not only icons, but also widgets, gestures and dock panel settings. Here are some useful tricks:

1. Addition of widgets

Widgets allow you to quickly get information without opening an application, for example, a weather widget shows the temperature, and a calendar widget shows the nearest events.

1. Hold the empty space on the desktop.
2. Select the widgets in the menu that appears.
3. Scroll through the list and select the widget you want (such as “Clock” or “Notes”).
4. Press the widget and drag it to the screen.

2. Set up the dock panel

The dock panel (bottom panel with 4-5 icons) is always visible on any screen, to change its contents:

• 📌 Press the icon into the dock panel and drag it up to remove it.
• 📱 Drag the new app into the docking panel to secure it.
• 🔄 V MIUI 14 you can change the number of icons in the dock (3-5 pieces) through Settings → Desktop → Dock panel.

3. Desktop gestures

V MIUI There are hidden gestures that speed up the work:

• 👆 Swipe up from the dock panel – opens the menu of all applications.
• 👇 Swipe down on desktop – opens the notification panel.
• ☝️ Double tap on the screen – locks/unlocks the phone (configured in Settings) → Screen locking → Double touch).
• 🔄 Two-finger swirling – quick switching between the latest apps (included in Settings) → Additionally. → Gestures).

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If you use the same app often, add it to the dock and set up a double-click gesture on the icon. For example, double-clicking on the Camera can immediately open the selfie mode.

FAQ: Frequent questions about moving icons on Xiaomi Redmi