How to Drag Icons on Xiaomi Redmi 9C: From Basic Gestures to Hidden MIUI Features

Xiaomi Redmi 9C users often face non-obvious nuances when customizing the desktop — especially when it comes to moving icons. Unlike “pure” Android, the MIUI shell (even in current versions 14) has unique algorithms for interacting with interface elements. For example, standard (long-press) works differently here than on Samsung One UI or Google Pixel Launcher. And if you upgraded from MIUI 12 to MIUI 13/14, you may notice that the drag and drop logic has changed, now the system “sticks” more often to the icons automatically create folders.

In this article, we will discuss all the available ways to move icons on the Redmi 9C, from basic gestures to hidden launcher settings that Xiaomi does not advertise. We will focus on typical bugs (for example, when an icon “returns” to place after a reboot) and alternative solutions for users with root rights. You will also find a table of compatibility methods with different versions of MIUI and step-by-step screenshots for visual understanding the process.

If you’ve just purchased a Redmi 9C or upgraded your firmware, we recommend checking the MIUI version first in Settings → About Phone → MIUI. This will determine which options are available in your launcher. For example, MIUI 14 has a “silent icon location” feature that can block free drag and drop — you have to manually disable it.

1. Basic method: prolonged pressing and dragging

The most obvious method is to press the app icon for a long time, but on Redmi 9C, there is a caveat: the retention time must be at least 1.5 seconds, otherwise the system will perceive this as a normal touch, and if it is successfully triggered, the icon will rise above the screen, and at the bottom will appear a panel with options (Delete, Application Information, etc.).

To move the icon:

1. Press it and hold it until you feel a slight vibration (the signal to activate the edit mode).
2. Keep your fingers on the table, drag the icon to the right place. Note: on Redmi 9C, the desktop grid may be invisible, but the icons will still stick to its nodes.
3. Release your finger when the icon is in the desired position.

⚠️ Warning: If the icon returns to its original location after dragging it, this means that the “Model Fix” function is enabled (Settings) → Desktop → Set the layout. It needs to be deactivated before customization.

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On Redmi 9C with MIUI 14, you can speed up the response to long pressing. Go to Settings → Additional → Special features → Retention time and reduce the value to 0.5 seconds.

2. Drag by gesture (for MIUI 13/14)

Starting with MIUI 13, Xiaomi has added gesture support for icon management, a method that is handy if you have sensor issues or prefer to interact with multiple elements at once.

Activate desktop editing mode (with prolonged pressing on an empty section of the screen).

• 👆 Up/down gesture: Moves the icon vertically in 1 grid cell increments.
• 👉 Left/right gesture: Moves the icon horizontally. MIUI 14 added support for diagonal movements (e.g. left-up).
• 🤏 Pick gesture: Reduces or increases the size of the icons (only works when the Settings option is enabled) → Desktop → Size of icons).

Important: gestures only work in editing mode, and if you try to drag and drop an icon without first activating that mode, the system will perceive your actions as scrolling through the screen.

3. Moving icons through the launcher menu

If the Redmi 9C touch screen does not respond well to touch (for example, after changing the display), an alternative method can be used through the system menu.

Instructions:

1. Press and hold the empty space on the desktop, then select Desktop Settings (cog icon).
2. Go to the section "Icon layout" → Manual arrangement.
3. In the window that opens, you'll see a miniature copy of your desktop, and you can drag and drop icons with your mouse (if connected). OTG-adapter) or finger with increased accuracy.
4. Save the changes with the Ready button.

🔹 The advantage of this method is that the icons will not automatically align on the grid, which allows you to create custom layouts. MIUI manual arrangement can be reset - we recommend taking screenshots of the layout (Power button) + Turning down the volume).

Disable the layout fixation|Make a backup of the current layout (screenshot)|Check the version. MIUI (impact on the availability of options)|Connect OTG-Mouse for precise control (optional)-->

4. Foldering and group movement

On Redmi 9C, you can drag and drop multiple icons at the same time if you first combine them into a folder, which is convenient for massively rearranging applications (for example, when changing the theme of the design).

How to create a folder and move it:

• 📂 Drag one icon to another, and the folder will automatically form. Name it (e.g., Social Media or Games).
• 🔄 To add more icons, just drag and drop them on a folder. The maximum number in one folder is 16 apps (in a single folder). MIUI 14 limit increased to 20).
• 📱 Now the folder can be moved as a single object: click on it, hold it and drag it to the right place.

⚠️ Note: If after moving the folder its contents "split" into separate icons, this means that you accidentally activated the grouping mode (double tap on the folder in the folder). MIUI 13/14). To get it back, drag the icons back to the folder during the 5 Seconds: The system will remember the previous grouping.

5. Problem Solving: Icons are back in place

One of the most common problems with Redmi 9C is when the icons that have been moved are returned to their original positions after rebooting or updating MIUI, and this is due to the auto-restore layout system that is enabled by default in the firmware.

How to turn off auto-recovery:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the MIUI (or System Launcher) launcher in the list and open its settings.
3. Select Warehouse → Clear the data (this will reset the current layout, but disable forced recovery).
4. Return to Settings → Desktop and turn off the option to Restore the layout after a crash.

Critical feature of Redmi 9C: If you are using a third-party launcher (such as Nova Launcher), auto-restore layout MIUI It may conflict with its settings, and in this case, you need to disable the standard launcher through ADB-team:

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.home

Once this command is executed, all drag and drop functions will depend on the third-party launcher rules.

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If icons are “reset” after the MIUI update, make sure to back up the layout via Settings → Desktop → Backup of the layout before installing the new firmware.

6. Alternative methods for experienced users

If the standard methods don't work, you can use advanced customization tools, which require root rights or additional software.

Options for advanced users:

• 🛠️ Tasker + AutoInput: Automation of the movement of icons on a schedule (for example, night mode with a simplified layout).
• 📱 Xposed Framework: Module MIUI Tweaks allows you to disable all launcher restrictions, including grid fixing.
• 🖥️ ADB-Manually modifying layout parameters via wm size and wm density (requires knowledge of console commands).

Example ADB-commands to change the size of the grid icons (works on Redmi) 9C loader-free):

adb shell settings put global home_grid_size"5x6"

Where 5x6 is the number of cells horizontally and vertically respectively. Once you've run the command, restart the device.

FAQ: Frequent questions about dragging icons