How to change widgets on Xiaomi: full instructions for all models

Why Xiaomi Widgets Are Important

Widgets on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones are not just desktop decoration, but a powerful tool for quick access to information, which can track the weather, manage a smart home, control battery power, or even run your favorite tracks — without having to open apps, but many users still don’t know how to set them up properly.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can work with widgets on MIUI 14/15, from basic add-ons to hidden features that aren’t covered in the official instructions, how to get around the system’s widget limit, where to find hidden widgets from Xiaomi, and how to return deleted items if something goes wrong.

We will pay special attention to the problems faced by owners of budget models (for example, Redmi Note 12 or the Redmi Note). POCO X5), where the interface may differ from the flagships. All instructions are relevant for firmware MIUI 14.0.5+ HyperOS (for new devices in 2026).

How to add a widget to Xiaomi’s home screen

The basic process of adding widgets to Xiaomi is the same for most models, but there are nuances depending on the version of MIUI. Consider a universal method that works on 90% of devices:

1. Unlock the screen and go to the main desktop (not in the app menu!).
2. Make a long tap on any free screen spot until the settings menu appears.
3. At the bottom of the screen, select the Widget tab (some firmwares call it Elements).
4. Scroll through the list of available widgets left/right, and display both system widgets (Weather, Calendar) and widgets from installed applications.
5. Press the widget with your finger and drag it to the free space on the screen. On some models (POCO F5, Xiaomi 13T), you first need to click on the widget and then select its size.

If the widget is not added, check:

• 📱 Free screen space – some widgets (such as Music Player) take up 4×2 cell.
• 🔄 Update MIUI — Older versions (below 14.0.3) may not display a widget tab.
• 📦 Installed apps – widgets only appear after the first program launch (e.g. Google Weather or Spotify).

Check the version of MIUI in Settings → About the phone

Free up space on the home screen (remove unnecessary shortcuts)

Make sure that the widget app is installed and running at least once.

Restart your phone if the widgets don’t appear in the list-->

On HyperOS devices (such as Xiaomi 14 or Redmi K70), the process has changed a little: widgets are now added via the Home Screen menu, which opens with a swipe to the right, and there is a separate widget section and tools where you can control all the elements.

Where to find hidden widgets on Xiaomi

Many users don't know that Xiaomi has hidden system widgets that don't appear in the main list, and can be activated through MIUI Lab or special commands.

Method 1: Through the Laboratory (operates on MIUI 14+):

1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
2. Tap 5 times on the line MIUI version until the notification appears You became a developer!
3. Return to the main settings menu and find a new section Additional → Lab.
4. Activate the switch Show hidden widgets (the name may vary).
5. Reboot the device. Then you'll have additional elements in the widget list, like, for example: 📊 Usage statistics (shows screen time by application) 🔋 Detailed battery (discharge schedule with application indication) 📡 Network Monitor (real-time Internet speed)

Method 2: Through ADB-Teams (for advanced users):

adb shell settings put global hidden_widgets_enabled 1

This command will unlock all hidden widgets, including those that Xiaomi has disabled for certain regions.

How to change the size of the widget on Xiaomi

Not all widgets on Xiaomi support resizing, but most system widgets (like Weather or Calendar) can be scaled.

Step 1: Press and hold the widget on the home screen until a highlight frame with corner markers appears.

Step 2: Pull on any marker (usually they look like white dots) to enlarge or shrink the widget. The size changes in increments of 1 grid cell.

Step 3: Release your finger when you get the right size. Some widgets (like Google Search) are fixed sizes and don't scale.

HyperOS devices have a new feature called dynamic widgets that automatically adjust to free space, such as the Weather widget, which can shrink to 2×1 cells if there is little space on the screen.

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If the widget doesn't scale, try removing it first and then adding it again, sometimes resetting the size constraints.

How to remove or hide the widget from Xiaomi

Removing the widget from Xiaomi’s home screen is a simple procedure, but there are nuances that few people know about: For example, some system widgets (like Google Search) can’t be removed in the standard way – they can only be hidden.

Standard method of removal:

1. Press and hold the widget you want to remove.
2. At the top of the screen will appear the icon Remove (basket) – drag the widget there.
3. If there is no basket, try dragging the widget to the Remove (cross) icon at the top of the screen.

2 The widget disappeared after the MIUI update

This is a common problem when switching to a new firmware version.

1. Check if the launcher settings have dropped.
2. Reinstall the application to which the widget belongs.
3. If the widget is system (e.g., Watch), reset through Settings → Applications → Application Management → System Apps → Watch → Storage → Reset.

3. widget is displayed incorrectly (blurred, cropped)

This problem often occurs on devices with non-standard screen resolution (for example, POCO X3 Pro with FHD+).

• 🖼️ Change the size of the widget (see section above).
• 📏 Change the screen size: Settings → Screen. → Text and display size → Display size.
• 🔄 Restart the device – sometimes it helps to reset the display cache.

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If the widget stopped working after the MIUI update, first check it in Safe Mode (press the power button → Safe Mode). If it works there, the problem is in conflict with another application.

Best widgets for Xiaomi in 2026

Not all widgets are equally useful.-5 widgets that should be installed on Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO into 2026 year:

1. ViMusic (alternative to Spotify) Widget with player control and album cover. Supports YouTube Music, local tracks and even VK Music. Download (required installation via APK).
2. Another Widget is a customizable weather widget with animations and dark theme support, even running older versions of MIUI.
3. Mi Home Widget is the official widget for managing Xiaomi Smart Home devices. Allows you to turn on lamps, sockets and robot vacuum cleaners directly from the main screen.
4. Google Keep Widget for quick note creation and checklists synced with Google account.
5. Battery Widget Reborn Shows detailed battery statistics: temperature, voltage, time to full discharge. Useful for devices with a problem battery (Redmi Note 9, POCO X3 NFC).

For the installation of third-party widgets:

1. Download. APK-file from an official website (for example, APKMirror).
2. Allow installation from unknown sources: Settings → Applications → Application Management → Browser → Install unknown applications.
3. After installation, restart the device and add the widget in the standard way.

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If the widget doesn’t appear in the list after installation, try clearing the Lawnchair cache (system launcher) through the application settings.

How to Create Your Own Widget on Xiaomi (without Root)

If you don't like standard widgets, you can create your own with the KWGT Kustom Widget Maker, a powerful customization tool that works even without root rights.

1. Install KWGT from Google Play.
2. Open the app and select Create a new widget.
3. In the editor, add elements (text, images, progress bars) and customize their appearance.
4. For dynamic data (weather, battery), use variables. For example, to display battery power, add a text element with the code: $bf(if(battery < 20, "Low charge!", battery))$%
5. Save the widget and add it to the home screen via the standard widget menu (it will be in the KWGT section).

Examples of what can be done in KWGT:

• 🎨 Minimalist watch with animation.
• 📊 System monitoring panel (CPU, RAM, network).
• 🎵 Customized player for Spotify or VLC.
• 🌡️ Weather widget with data from OpenWeatherMap.

Note: on devices with MIUI 15 and HyperOS, KWGT may require additional permissions to work with battery and network data.

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → KWGT → Permissions.
2. Enable access to Device Information and Exact Location (for weather widgets).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)