Drag and drop icons on Xiaomi smartphones seems like a simple task — until you encounter MIUI bugs or custom launchers. Unlike “pure” Android, Xiaomi’s shell has its nuances, from default gestures to conflicts with the themes of the design. This article covers all scenarios, from basic movement of icons to solving problems when icons “stick” to the screen or disappear after the update.
We will discuss the official ways for MIUI 12-15, alternative methods through launcher settings, and provide recommendations for users of POCO Launcher and HyperOS (new firmware for flagships), paying special attention to typical errors that do not drag and drop icons, such as activated mode Light touch or crashes in the cache of the system.
1. Basic method: drag and drop gestures in MIUI
The standard method works on all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones with MIUI shells (including HyperOS).The algorithm is simple, but there are pitfalls that the manufacturer does not mention.
To move the icon:
- 👆 Touch the icon and hold it for 1-2 seconds (not a short touch!). Vibration or animation will tell you that drag and drop mode is activated.
- 📱 Keep your fingers on the table, move the icon to the right place).
- 🎯 Bring the icon to a free cell or other icon (to create a folder) and release your finger.
- ❌ If the icon is “back to place”, it means that the target cell is occupied or blocked by the system (for example, Weather in the upper left corner on some models).
Important: on devices with AMOLED-screens (for example, Xiaomi 13 Pro or Redmi) K60) Sensor sensitivity may vary. If gestures don't work, check settings for additional settings. → Touch screen → Sensitivity of touch.
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On some models (e.g. POCO F5), you can enable Quick Edit in the launcher settings to speed up drag and drop, which reduces the delay before activating the move mode.
2. Why icons don’t drag over: top-5 cause
If icons don’t respond to touch or return to their original positions, the problem lies in one of these settings:
| Reason. | How to check | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Light Touch mode. | Go to Settings → Special. capabilities → Interaction and agility → Light touch | Disable the function or add the launcher in exceptions |
| Blocked launcher | Try dragging the icon in safe mode (hold the power button → “Safe Mode”) | Remove third-party launchers or reset MIUI settings |
| Launcher cache failure | Icons twitch or disappear after rebooting | Clear the Launcher app cache in Settings → Apps |
| Limitations of the subject of design | Try changing the theme to standard (Settings → Themes) | Use only official themes from the Mi Theme Store |
| MIUI Update | The problem arose after the system update | Reverse to the previous version or wait for the patch |
A critical feature of MIUI 14+: after upgrading to HyperOS on some models (e.g. Xiaomi 14), drag and drop icons can be temporarily blocked due to animation optimization, in which case a forced reboot (hold Power + Volume up to 10 seconds) will help.
3. Alternative ways to move icons
If the standard method doesn’t work, use one of these options:
- 🔄 Screen editing mode: touch the empty space on the home screen → In this mode, the icons are dragged around without long retention.
- 📂 Through the app menu: Open All apps (swipe up), hold the icon and drag it to the main screen.
- ⚙️ Launcher settings: in Settings → Main screen enable Allow icons to move (not available on all models).
- 🤖 ADB-commands: for advanced users - changing the launcher parameters through the adb shell (Developer Mode is required to be enabled).
On POCO Launcher devices (such as the POCO X5 Pro), an additional way is available: swipe left to open the App Drawer, hold the icon and drag it to the Favorites section at the top of the screen, which automatically adds the icon to the home screen.
Turn off "light touch"|Checking the free space on the screen|Clearing the launcher cache|Rebooting the device-->
4. Features of drag and drop on different Xiaomi models
The manufacturer uses different versions of launchers even within the same line.
- 📱 Redmi Note 12/13: It supports drag and drop gestures only in Standard Launcher mode. POCO Launcher may need to upgrade via Mi App Store.
- 🎮 Black Shark 5/6: The game launcher blocks the icons from moving in a horizontal orientation, so the solution is to turn the screen vertically.
- 🆕 Xiaomi 13T/14 (HyperOS: New firmware adds Free Location mode, allowing you to place icons without grid binding. Activated in Settings → Main screen screen → layout.
- 💡 POCO F4/F5: By default, you have the Smart Assistant enabled, which can block drag and drop. → Additionally. → Assistant POCO.
On dual screen devices (such as the Xiaomi Mix Fold 3), drag and drop icons work separately for internal and external displays. Changes on one screen are not automatically synchronized – this is done to prevent accidental shifts when folding the device.
How to return a standard launcher to POCO
5. Solving problems with "stuck" icons
Sometimes icons don't move, disappear, or duplicate after an update. Here's the diagnostic algorithm:
⚠️ Warning: If after dragging and drop, the icons disappear from the home screen but remain in the app menu, the problem is that the launcher database crashes.
- 🔍 Checking Conflict Themes: Change the Theme to Standard (Settings) → Topics → Standard and try dragging the icon again.
- 🧹 Cache Clearing: Go to Settings → Annexes → Application management → Launcher and press Clear Cache + Clear the data (this will reset the location of the icons!).
- 🔄 Resetting the launcher settings: in Settings → Select Reset layout, which will return the standard badge location.
- 🛠️ Manual discharge through ADB: Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command: adb shell pm clear com.miui.home This will completely reset the launcher settings (including folders and widgets).
If the problem persists, check the integrity of the system files.
- Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version.
- Tap 7 times on the MIUI version to activate Developer Mode.
- Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and select System File Checker.
6. Hidden functions of MIUI launcher
Many users are not aware of the additional features of the standard launcher Xiaomi:
- 🔒 Blocking icons: Hold the icon → Information → This will prevent accidental movement or deletion.
- 📏 Change of grid size: in Settings → Main screen screen → The layout can be selected by the number of rows and columns (from 4×5 before 6×7).
- 🎨 Color markings: in MIUI 15 there was a function of assigning color marks to icons for visual grouping (activated by a long tap) → Edit the tag).
- 🔄 Automatic sorting: in Settings → Main screen enable Auto-Sort icons so that icons are arranged alphabetically.
On devices with HyperOS (e.g. Xiaomi 14 Ultra), Dynamic Icons are available, which change color depending on the wallpaper. To activate it, go to Settings → Wallpaper → Dynamic Icons and select the appropriate style.
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If you use a third-party launcher (Nova, Apex), MIUI features for working with icons will not be available. To restore them, return to the standard launcher through Settings → Applications → Launcher by default.
7. Drag icons on POCO Launcher
POCO Launcher is a lightweight version of Xiaomi’s standard launcher, but with unique features. For example, there’s a gesture for quick editing: swipe two fingers down on the home screen to enter drag and drop mode.
Features of POCO Launcher:
- 📂 Application Categories: Icons are automatically grouped into categories (e.g. Social Networks, Games). To disable, go to Settings POCO Launcher → Categories of applications.
- 🔍 Icon search: Swipe down on the home screen to open the search bar. From here, you can drag and drop apps directly onto the screen.
- 🎯 Smart folders: If you drag and drop one icon to another, the system will automatically pick up the folder name (for example, Google for Google apps).
⚠️ Attention: on some models POCO (for example, POCO X3 NFC) When dragging icons in Dark Theme mode, there may be a bug with missing signatures, the solution is to temporarily switch to Bright Theme or update the launcher through the Mi App Store.