Xiaomi and Redmi smartphone owners often face the desire to personalize the desktop to access their favorite programs as convenient as possible. The standard layout of icons after the first turn on can seem chaotic, and it becomes necessary to move the app icon to another page or folder. In the MIUI operating system, this process is implemented in an intuitive way, but has a number of features that distinguish it from pure Android.
Moving shortcuts is a basic skill that allows you to create an ergonomic space for working with the device. You can group applications into categories, remove rarely used programs to secondary screens or, conversely, bring the most important ones to the main view. Long pressing is a key action that starts editing mode, after which there are many opportunities for organizing space.
In this article, we will explore not only standard drag and drop methods, but also the hidden launcher features that allow you to create duplicate icons, change their size and hide them from prying eyes. Understanding the logic of the Xiaomi interface will help you turn your smartphone into a truly personalized tool.
Basic method of labeling
The easiest and most common way to change the location of the icon on the screen is to use the Drag-and-Drop function. First, you need to unlock the device and go to the desktop. Find the desired application that you plan to move, and press your finger tightly against the icon for one or two seconds.
Once the device responds to the action, the icon will increase in size, and around it will appear a slight vibration, signaling the transition to editing mode, at which point you can, without taking your finger off the screen, drag the object to any free area of the current screen or pull it to the edge of the display to go to the next page.
If you drag and drop an icon to another app, the system automatically prompts you to create a new folder, which is a convenient way to group, for example, all social networks or banking applications in one place. Note that when you move between pages, navigation can be done not only by swipe, but also through thumbnails that appear when you pull the icon to the edge.
- 📱 Press and hold the app icon until vibrations appear.
- 📍 Drag the shortcut to the right place or to the edge of the screen to change the page.
- 📁 Combine applications into folders by overlaying one icon on another.
- 🗑️ To remove the shortcut from your desktop, drag it to the cart (if supported by a launcher).
☑️ Pre-movement checks
It's worth noting that some versions of MIUI firmware, when dragging the icon to the bottom of the screen, may show a quick access menu to additional app features if they support it. Don't confuse this mode with editing mode, although they are often combined. The main thing is to keep your finger on the screen long enough for the system to understand your intentions.
Multiple Pages and Navigation
When you have a lot of work pages, you need to navigate between them, and just dragging the icon to the right or left edge of the screen shifts the view to the next page, but this method can be slow if you want to move the file far, and in these cases, you get extra space management tools.
When the app icon is pinched, try swiping up or down (depending on the launcher version) to open the view mode of all desktops at once. In this mode, thumbnails of all pages are displayed by grid, and you can quickly drag the object to any of them, even if you have more than ten, which saves time during a large-scale reorganization.
⚠️ Warning: If you drag and drop an icon into the area occupied by a large widget, the app may not stand in place and the widget will move. Plan the location of large interface elements in advance.
There is also the option of adding new blank pages. To do this, drag the icon to the very end of the page list until a new blank area appears, and release your finger. The system automatically creates a new desktop. Deleting empty pages is similar: in edit mode, just remove all the icons from the last page and it disappears.
If you try to place an object in a occupied cell, it will stand in the first free position next to it, or create a new row by moving the rest of the elements, and the grid structure may vary depending on the chosen theme of design.
Copymaking and duplicating applications
Often users want to have the same program in different places on the desktop for quick access from different folders. In the standard Xiaomi launcher, simply dragging an existing icon leads to it moving, rather than copying.
To create a duplicate shortcut, you need to go to the menu of all applications (swipe up the desktop), find the desired program there, pinch it and drag it to the desktop. If the shortcut is already on the desktop, the system will still create a copy of it, since the application menu is considered a separate link storage space.
For advanced users who need multiple copies of one app with different settings or just for beauty, there is an app cloning feature that allows you to create a full-fledged second account for instant messengers, which will be displayed as a separate icon.
| Function | Location on the menu | Appointment |
|---|---|---|
| Duplicate label | Menu of all applications | Create a second link to the same apk file |
| Apps clone | Settings → Applications | Launch of the second social network account |
| Second space | Settings → Special Opportunities | Complete copy of the system with separate data |
The use of cloning is especially important for those who share work and personal life using the same phone, in which case two icons will appear on the desktop, such as WhatsApp, one of which will be marked with a special icon.
Set up the grid and size of the icons
The comfort of using a smartphone depends on how many items are placed on the screen. If the standard size of the icons you have is not enough, or, conversely, they are too large, MIUI allows you to flexibly adjust the desktop grid, which affects how the objects you move will be placed.
To change the grid settings, go to the theme settings or press long on the empty desktop and select Settings. Here you will find the option to change the grid size, for example, from 4x6 to 5x7 or denser options. When you change this setting, all icons will automatically redistribute.
The impact of themes on the grid
You can also set the size of the icons in this menu, you can make them bigger for finger-to-find purposes, or you can make them smaller to fit more information on a single screen, and you can resize them all at once, keeping the proportions.
Remember that when you change the orientation of the screen (if you turn the autorotate and the launcher supports it), the grid can be rebuilt. However, most Xiaomi users use portrait mode, where the grid is fixed vertically. Experiment with different options to find a balance between aesthetics and functionality.
Hiding icons and protecting against changes
Sometimes you don't just have to move an icon, you have to hide it from prying eyes or protect it from accidental movement by children. Xiaomi has built-in tools to solve these problems that work more efficiently than simple folders.
Hiding Apps removes the label from the desktop and from the menu of all apps, and access to hidden programs is through a special gesture in the Security app or through a set of secret code in the phone, ideal for privacy.
- 🔒 Go to the Safety app (green lightning icon).
- 📂 Select the “Hidden Apps” or “Hidden Apps” section».
- ✅ Activate the switch against the programs you want to hide.
- 🔑 Set a password or use a fingerprint to access it.
⚠️ Note: Hidden apps don’t show up in a system search and don’t show notifications on a locked screen until you’re in hidden mode.
To protect children from the accidental movement of icons, there is a "Block Launcher" mode, which prevents them from changing the location of icons, removing them or installing new widgets without entering them. PIN-This is useful when you give your child a phone to watch videos or games.
Solution: The icon doesn't move
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where the icon "sticks" and does not want to move, or after dragging it back to the place, most often due to a crowded memory launcher or cache conflict. First of all, try to restart the device.
If the problem persists, check to see if the aggressive mode is power saving mode, which can limit the background processes of the launcher.It is also worth clearing the cache of the Themes and Louncher app through the storage settings.This often solves problems with graphic artifacts.
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If the icon has become transparent or disappeared after updating the system, try changing the theme to a standard one and back again – this will overwrite the configuration files of the desktop.
In rare cases, a particular application may fail, try to delete it and reinstall it, but if you have a problem with all the icons, you might want to reset the launcher to the factory settings, but that will bring the icons back to their original position.
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Regular cleaning of the launcher cache and using no more than 10-12 pages of the desktop ensure the maximum response speed of the interface.