How to change the size of the icons on Xiaomi: 5 working ways for MIUI 12-14

Xiaomi’s MIUI desktop offers flexible look and feel settings, but not everyone knows how to quickly resize icons. Some want to make them bigger for convenience, others want to reduce them to fit more apps on a single screen. In this article, we’ll look at all the current ways to scale icons, including standard system tools and alternative solutions.

Many owners of Redmi, Poco or Mi smartphones are faced with the fact that after updating MIUI display parameters are reset or become unavailable. We tested all methods on the latest firmware versions (up to MIUI 14 inclusive) and selected only working versions.

If you use Xiaomi with a custom launcher (like Nova Launcher or Hyperion), the setup process will be different – for these cases we have allocated a separate section.

Before you start making changes, make sure your device has the latest version of MIUI installed. Check this out in the Settings menu → About Phone → MIUI version. If an update is available, install it, as new builds often add additional customization options.

1. Standard method: setting up the MIUI desktop

The easiest method is to use built-in shell tools, which is suitable for most Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco models on MIUI 12-14, and the main advantage of this method is that you do not need to install third-party applications, and all changes are instantaneous.

Open any desktop screen and make a long tap in the free space (not the icon!). At the bottom of the screen, a toolbar will appear. Here you need to select Desktop Settings (or Screen Settings in some versions).

In the menu that opens, look for the icon size or layout section, depending on the MIUI version, here you can find:

• 📏 Slider for smooth adjustment of size (from 75% to 125%)
• 🔢 Preliminary values (Small/Mediternary/Large/Very large)
• 🎨 Additional parameters (indentations between icons, signature font size)

When you resize, click Ready or Apply. The changes will take effect immediately, see if you're comfortable with the new desktop look. If the icons are too large and don't fit on the screen, the system will automatically transfer them to the next screen.

⚠️ Note: On some devices with MIUI Global Market (Global) ROM) The option of changing the size of the icons may be hidden, in which case try other methods from this article or update the firmware to the latest version.

2. Size change through display settings

If your desktop settings don’t have a direct option for scaling icons, try changing the screen density (DPI), which affects the size of all interface elements, including icons, fonts and menus, and is suitable for power users because it requires care.

Go to Settings → Screen → Text size and display. Here you will see two key parameters:

• 📱 Text size – only affects fonts
• 🔍 Display size – changes the scale of all elements (including icons)

To zoom in on the icons, move the slider Size to the right (for example, Large or Very Large). To zoom in, Left (Small). After the changes are applied, the system will suggest restarting the device - this is a mandatory step.

Changing the DPI through the engineering menu can cause some applications (such as banking or gaming) to crash. If the icons become blurry after setting up, return the standard settings.

3. Use of alternative launchers

If the built-in MIUI tools don't suit, the best solution is to install a third-party launcher.

• 🚀 Nova Launcher – flexible customization of icon sizes (from 50% to 150%), support for adaptive icons
• 🎨 Hyperion Launcher – optimized for Xiaomi, retains corporate identity MIUI
• ⚡ Poco Launcher – official launcher from Xiaomi with advanced options
• 🔧 Action Launcher – unique gestures and customization of icons

Let’s look at the Nova Launcher:

1. Install the launcher from Google Play and select it as the default launcher.
2. Press and hold your finger on the desktop → Settings.
3. Go to the desk. → Size of icons.
4. Adjust the slider or enter the exact value in percentage.
5. A launcher reboot may be required to apply the changes (usually offered automatically).

The advantage of third-party launchers is the possibility of fine-tuning:

• 🔄 Separate size for desktop icons and application menu
• 📐 Adjustment of indentations between icons (padding)
• 🎭 Support for icon packages from Google Play
• 🔒 Ability to hide signatures under icons

⚠️ Note: When using third-party launchers, some functions MIUI (For example, Double Application or Second Space may not work properly.

Download APK from official source |

Check compatibility with the Android | version

Backup the current desktop settings |

Disable battery optimization for launcher|-->

4. Editing via ADB (for advanced users)

If you need to control the size of the icons at the system level, you can use the ADB-This method requires connecting a smartphone to a computer and basic command line knowledge, suitable for devices with unlocked bootloader or root rights.

First, enable USB debugging in the developer settings:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Click 7 times on the MIUI version to activate the developer mode.
3. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
4. Activate Debugging on USB.

Install ADB Tools on your computer and connect your smartphone via USB. In the command line, type:

adb shell settings put global icon_size_scale 0.85

Where 0.85 is a scale factor (1.0 = standard size, 0.7 is a 30% decrease, 1.3 is a 30% increase). Available values are 0.5 to 1.5.

To apply the changes, reboot:

adb shell reboot

5. Features for specific Xiaomi models

Some devices have unique settings or limitations, and we tested popular models and found the following nuances:

For Xiaomi 13/13 Pro and 14 series:

For the Redmi Note 12/11 series:

For the Poco F5/F4 series:

On budget models (Redmi) A2, Redmi 10A) Often, you can’t change the size of the icons through standard settings, in which case the only working options are third-party launchers or other devices. ADB-team.

6 How to Get Back the Standard Icon Size

If after the experiments the icons became too large or small, you can return the standard settings in several ways:

Method 1: Resetting the desktop settings

1. Make a long press on the desktop → Desktop settings.
2. Find the option Reset to default values (may be called Restore Standard Settings).
3. Confirm the action – all parameters (including the size of the icons) will return to the factory.

Method 2: Through display settings

Go to Settings → Screen → Display size and select Standard. This will rescale all interface elements, including icons.

Method 3: For third-party launchers

In the launcher settings (like Nova Launcher), find the Backup and Reset section and select Reset Settings. Alternatively, reinstall the launcher.

Method 4: Through ADB (if the DPI has been changed)

Follow the command:

adb shell settings delete global icon_size_scale

And reboot the device.

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Before resetting the settings, take a screenshot of the current location of the icons – this will help to quickly restore the usual order after the changes.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the size of the icons on Xiaomi

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To quickly return to your desktop appearance after reset, save a screenshot of the icons’ location to the Mi Cloud. Once you update MIUI, you can manually restore them in a few minutes.