How to change the places of the icons on the Xiaomi phone: a detailed analysis

Personalizing the interface of a smartphone is the first step that every new device owner takes, seeking to arrange the controls as convenient for him. On Xiaomi smartphones running the MIUI shell or the new HyperOS, this process is implemented quite intuitively, but has its own nuances that can confuse the beginner. Often users do not understand why the application does not move to another page or how to properly change the order of icons inside the folder, considering this a limitation of the system.

In this article, we will discuss all the available ways to change the layout of elements on the desktop, including hidden functions and settings that are not always obvious at first glance. You will learn how to properly group applications, create convenient access zones and avoid common errors when editing the workspace.

Before you start actively sorting, it is important to understand the basic principles of the launcher from the Chinese manufacturer. The system separates the concepts of desktop and application menu, and the logic of moving in these two modes may differ depending on the chosen theme. In the standard theme, the default movement is carried out by long press, but some third-party themes can block this feature or change the algorithm of actions. So if you can not move the icon from the place, first of all, check whether you have a custom theme that can make adjustments to the behavior of the interface.

Basic principle of moving icons on the desktop

The basic interface interface mechanism in Android and its shells is based on Drag-and-Drop, which translates to "pull and let go." On Xiaomi devices, this process is initiated by a prolonged finger-to-touch of the screen in the area where the shortcut is located. Once you feel a slight vibration or see that the icon has started to "float" and slightly increased in size, you can start moving. This is the standard behavior for most versions of MIUI, starting with the eighth version.

Once you've captured an object, you can drag it to any free area of the screen, change its position relative to other applications, or swipe it sideways to the next page. If you swipe the icon to the edge of the screen, the system automatically scrolls through the desktop, allowing you to place the application on another page without unnecessary movements. It's important not to let your finger go too early, otherwise the icon will return to its original place, and the procedure will have to be repeated.

There is also the ability to quickly move multiple objects at once if they are already grouped or if you are using editing mode. In some versions of the firmware, with a long press on the empty space of the screen, a menu appears where you can choose the sorting mode, but the classic method of “capture” remains the most reliable and fastest way to organize space. Users often note that on large screens of flagship models such as Xiaomi 14 or Mix Fold, it is more difficult to perform these actions with one hand, so it is recommended to use both hands for accurate positioning.

⚠️ Warning: When you drag and drop an icon into an area where another app is already located, they will automatically merge into a folder. If your goal was just to swap them, be careful not to hold your finger over another icon so you don't accidentally create a new group.

To position things more accurately, you can use a grid that becomes visible when you drag and drop, and the system itself will tell you the optimal place to place, shifting adjacent elements slightly. This is especially useful when you want to build applications in a strict order, for example, by colors or frequency of use. Owners of high-pixel density devices may notice that the animation of the movement looks very smooth, which is a merit of optimizing the graphics engine of the shell.

Set up the grid and density of the elements

One of the key features of the MIUI shell is the flexible configuration of the desktop grid, which directly affects how your icons will be located. You can change the number of rows and columns through the screen settings, which allows you to place more applications on one page or, conversely, make the interface more spacious. To access these options, you need to go to Settings → Desktop, where the appearance configuration menu will open.

In this section, you'll find sliders or drop-down lists to select the number of items in a row and column.The standard value is usually a 4x6 or 5x6 grid, but high-resolution options up to 6x7 or more are available. Increasing the density of placement allows you to keep more shortcuts on hand, but can make them too small for comfortable pressing, especially for people with large fingers or vision problems.

Changing the grid automatically rewires all existing icons and widgets, so after applying the settings, you will most likely have to re-switch the icons, as they will shift according to the new logic of filling the cells. Widgets that occupied a large area can be moved to the end of the list or to a new page if they do not fit into the updated grid settings.

Also available on this menu is the option to resize the signature font under the icons. Cutting down text allows you to visually relieve the space and focus on graphic elements, while increasing the font improves readability but takes up more space. Balance between aesthetics and functionality is a key point when setting up Xiaomi, and experimenting with the grid helps to find the perfect ratio for a particular user.

Working with folders: sorting and grouping applications

Foldering is a fundamental way to organize space on Xiaomi smartphones, allowing you to compactly store dozens of applications. To create a folder, you just drag one icon over another, as mentioned earlier. Inside the folder, there is also a Drag-and-Drop rule that allows you to change the order of applications, which is especially true for often used programs that should be in the top row or at the top of the list.

When you open the folder, you see a grid with the applications that are in it. By pressing and holding any icon inside the open folder, you can move it to any free position. If the last cell is filled in the folder, adding a new application will automatically create a new page inside the folder, which is swiped left or right, which allows you to create thematic groups, such as "Social Networks", "Games" or "Work", and structure their content as you wish.

An interesting feature is the ability to rename folders and change their color or style if you use a supporting theme. However, standard MIUI tools can not change the color of the background of the folder, it depends on the overall theme. For advanced sorting inside folders, you can use the folder widget, which displays the contents of the folder directly to the desktop as a list or grid, bypassing the need to open the folder itself every time.

It's important to note that when you remove an application from a folder, it doesn't disappear from your phone, but just returns to the general menu or desktop, depending on your display settings. If you want to completely remove the program, it needs to be deleted through the context menu or system settings. Structure of folders takes time, but in the long run it saves seconds every time you search for the desired function.

Display modes: classic menu vs. non-classical

The Xiaomi launcher has a fundamental separation into two modes: Classic Menu and No Classic Menu (sometimes called iPhone Mode) and the choice between them dramatically changes the logic of how you swap icons and interact with the system. In classic mode, all installed applications are in a separate menu called upwards by swipe, and on the desktop the user places only selected shortcuts and widgets.

In "No Classic Menu" mode, all apps automatically roll out to desktops, just like in iOS. Here, icons move directly between the pages of the home screen, and there is no separate list of all programs. Switching between these modes is done in the Settings menu → Desktop → Desktop Mode. When you change mode, the system will warn that the current icon placement will be reset, so think ahead of time which scheme is closer to you.

If you choose a mode with a classic menu, you have more freedom to form a "clean" desktop, where you can only swap 10-15 apps that you use daily. In a mode without a menu, you have to constantly sort hundreds of icons, which can be uncomfortable on medium-sized screens. However, for those who are used to visual search and do not like unnecessary actions to access the list of programs, the second option may seem more convenient.

It's also worth mentioning that in the classic menu mode, you can sort apps inside the menu by name or by installation time, which doesn't affect the desktop, but makes it easier to find rarely used programs. In the menu-free mode, this sorting is impossible, since the order is determined exclusively by the user, an important aspect that is often missed when you first set up a new smartphone.

Use of widgets and their interaction with icons

Widgets in MIUI have a special place and behave a little differently than standard application icons. They can come in different sizes, from small squares to large panels that occupy half the screen. When you try to swap the widget and the usual icon, the system will try to fit them into the grid, but due to the difference in size, this can not always be done in one move. Often you first need to free up space, temporarily removing neighboring elements.

To move the widget, you press it and hold it until the editing frame appears, and in this mode, you can not only drag the widget around the screen, but also change its size by pulling special markers around the edges. If the widget occupies, for example, 2x2 cells, it will "push" other icons, occupying free space, which creates a dynamic grid where elements are constantly adapting to each other.

Some widgets, especially those that are part of system applications like Security or Weather, have priority in display and can overlap other elements if space is not enough. When moving such widgets to a new page, they can automatically adjust to the available screen width. Users are encouraged to group widgets at the top of the screen for quick access to information, and app icons to lower, more accessible to the thumb zone.

⚠️ Note: When you remove the widget from the desktop, the app that owns it is not deleted. However, if you delete the very icon of the app that created the widget, the widget may stop updating or displaying an error. Always check the dependencies before clearing the space.

The "construction" method is often used to create the perfect one, with large widgets placed first, and then the free space filled with application icons, avoiding the situation where there is nowhere to put an important widget because the little things are scattered all over the screen. Experiment with sizes using standard watch, calendar and pedometer widgets to understand the logic of their behavior.

Frequent problems and ways to solve them

Despite the system’s fine-tuning, Xiaomi users sometimes face situations where icons don’t want to move or behave unpredictably. One common cause is a launcher memory overflow or a temporary GUI failure. In such cases, simply moving the icon can lead to a “stick” or instant return to place. The solution often lies in clearing the System Launcher cache through the application menu.

Another problem is blocking icons, and in the desktop settings, there's a "Block layout" option that prevents items from being randomly shifted. If you're trying to swap icons but the system doesn't respond to a long press, check if this mode is activated, and it's useful once you've completed the setup, so that kids or random pocket movements don't disrupt the order.

Also worth mentioning is the impact of the system updates. After a major Android or MIUI update, the display settings can reset and the grid can change its proportions, in which case you have to re-go through the process of organizing the space. If the problem is software-based and not solved by rebooting, (you can try) reset the launcher settings to factory, but this will require re-manually adjusting all widgets and folders.

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If the app icon disappeared after the update, but the app itself remained in memory, find it in the menu of all applications, press and select "Add to desktop" to return the shortcut to a prominent place.

In rare cases, the problem may be related to a specific theme that is not fully compatible with your firmware version. If the standard theme works and the downloaded one doesn't, try removing the theme or contacting its developer. Quality themes are tested for compatibility, but there are amateur bug works at the Xiaomi theme store.

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The stability of the interface depends on the free RAM and the relevance of the system launcher version. Regular MIUI updates often contain bug fixes related to animation and object movement.

Questions and Answers (FAQ)