Xiaomi’s current smartphones, which run on the MIUI or HyperOS shell, offer users a huge opportunity to customize the interface. However, standard settings do not always allow you to achieve the perfect picture you imagine. Many gadget owners are faced with the desire to increase or reduce the size of app icons to make the screen look more neat or contain more information.
The process of rescaling interface elements can vary depending on the version of the operating system and the device model. In this article, we will discuss in detail all available methods, from basic screen settings to advanced manipulation of developer parameters.
Before we start to make changes, it's worth noting that visuals are not just about beauty, but also about ergonomics. Large icons are more convenient for people with visual impairments, whereas smaller ones allow you to place more widgets and folders. The right balance is based solely on your personal preferences and screen diagonal.
Standard screen and grid settings
The easiest and safest way to change icon size is to change the density of the desktop grid, which in the MIUI shell is directly related to the number of items that can fit on a single page, and the more cells you choose, the smaller each individual interface element will appear.
To access these settings, you need to run a long tap (press and hold) over a free space on the desktop. In the bottom menu that appears, you should select Settings (or the gear icon), Here you will see the Grid option, which offers several layout options, for example, 4x5, 4x6 or 5x6.
⚠️ Attention: Changing the grid can lead to the displacement of already installed widgets and rearrange the location of folders, so before experiments it is better to remember the current arrangement.
After selecting a denser grid (e.g., switching from 4x5 to 5x6), the system will automatically recalculate the sizes of all shortcuts to ensure they evenly fill the allocated space.This is a standard method that does not require superuser rights and works on all models, from the budget Redmi to the flagship Xiaomi 14.
Use of Pocket or Full Screen Display mode
Some users confuse icon size with the overall interface scale. There is a feature in Xiaomi's system settings that affects how content is displayed on the screen, especially on devices with cutouts or holes in the display.
Go to Settings → Screen and find the section associated with Full Screen Mode or Control Elements. Here you can choose whether apps will occupy the entire display area or have standard indentations. While this does not change the physical pixel size of the icon, it changes the available space around it.
Also worth checking is the theme settings. The Themes app allows you to apply global design changes. Some themes use enlarged or reduced icon sets by default. Switching to a standard Classic or Default theme will return sizes to factory values, which is useful for resetting display errors.
It's important to understand the difference between zooming and actually resizing an image file. System settings affect rendering, but they don't replace the graphics files themselves, so if standard tools are not enough, you have to go deeper.
Setting the font size and its impact on icons
In the Android ecosystem, and MIUI in particular, font size is often related to the size of interface elements. As you zoom in on text, you can see that icons in the settings menu or in some system applications are also getting larger, which is part of the overall accessibility logic of the system.
To check this, go to Settings → Screen → Text Size and Display. Here you'll see a slider adjusting the font. By moving it to the right, you zoom in on text, and sometimes indentations between elements. By moving to the left, you make the interface more compact.
- 📱 Standard size provides optimal readability balance.
- 🔍 Enlarged font can make icons in the list of applications visually larger.
- 📉 Reduced font allows you to fit more lines of text under the label.
It's worth noting that on some firmware versions, changing this setting only affects the text, leaving the graphic elements unchanged. However, when combined with changing the grid, this gives a better visual result. Experiment with combinations of grid and font settings to achieve the ideal.
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If after changing the font, the text in the applications looks “got”, try resetting the font settings to the standard and applying the theme again.
Hidden opportunities through developer parameters
For advanced users who don’t have enough standard tools, there is access to hidden menus. Developer settings are a partition of the system designed for debugging, but containing useful features for customization. To activate this partition, you need to go to Settings → About phone and quickly click 7 times on the MIUI version (or OS version).
When activated, a new option will appear in the settings menu → For developers. We are interested in the section related to the Smallest width. Changing this value directly affects the density of dots per inch (DPI), which causes the system to redraw all interface elements, including icons.
| Parameter | Standard value | Change effect |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum width (DPI) | 360-400 (depending on model) | Reducing the number increases all elements |
| Scale of animation | 1x | It affects speed, but not size. |
| Font size (systemic) | Normal. | Changes only text blocks |
Be very careful when changing the minimum width. If you put too small a number (for example, less than 300), the interface can become unreadable, and it will be difficult to return everything back without resetting the settings. Write down the original value before any manipulation.
☑️ Checking before change DPI
Use of third-party launchers for complete freedom
If Xiaomi’s built-in tools seem too limited, the best solution is to install a third-party launcher, which completely replaces the desktop and app menu, giving detailed control over each pixel of the screen.
Popular options like Nova Launcher, Microsoft Launcher or Smart Launcher allow grid settings to set not only the number of rows and columns, but also a specific icon size as a percentage or pixel. You can make icons tiny or, conversely, giant, regardless of system constraints.
⚠️ Note: When installing a third-party launcher, some system functions MIUI, such as a control gesture or a double tap to turn on the screen may not work properly or require additional adjustment.
To install an alternative desktop, download the app from Google Play, launch it, and follow the instructions on the screen. The system will suggest you choose the default app for the home screen — select a new launcher. After that, you will have access to a rich arsenal of appearance settings.
Which launcher is the easiest to set up?
Solving scaling problems after updates
Often users notice that after updating the firmware HyperOS or MIUI, the size settings get confused, and the icons become unnaturally large or small, this can be due to a graphics subsystem caching error or a conflict of the theme applied.
The first step should always be to restart the device. If that doesn't work, try changing the theme to the standard one, and then return yours. Sometimes the system forgets the grid settings, and re-using the theme causes it to reread the configuration file.
In more complex cases, when the interface is “floating” or icons overlap, it may be necessary to clear the launcher cache. To do this, go to Settings → Applications → All Applications, find the System Launcher (or your launcher name) and select Clear Cache. Don’t confuse it with Clear Data, otherwise you will lose the widget layout.
- 🔄 Reboot your smartphone to reset temporary rendering errors.
- 🎨 Change the theme of the design for forced interface updates.
- 🗑️ Clear the system launcher cache through application settings.
If the problem persists, it may be caused by a specific bug in the software version, in which case it is worth checking for new system updates or, conversely, reading forums for known problems with a particular version of Android.
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Resetting launcher settings or changing theme often solves problems with “got” icons after updating the system.