How to Put a Third-Party Launcher on Xiaomi: The Complete Guide

The MIUI ecosystem, and now HyperOS, is famous for its functionality, but the standard interface sometimes seems overloaded or not flexible enough for power users. Many Xiaomi smartphone owners are eager to change the look of the menu by adding new widgets, animations and work logic that are not available out of the box.

The process of replacing the standard interface on the Android device brand Xiaomi has its own features that can be confusing to a beginner. the system of protection against accidental changes and aggressive optimization of memory often interfere with the normal operation of third-party software. In this article, we will discuss in detail how to choose, install and configure a third-party launcher so that it works stably and does not unload from memory.

Before you start actively replacing the interface, you need to understand that you are only changing the visual shell without touching the kernel, which means that all your data, photos and accounts will remain completely safe, but some features will require a number of specific settings in the MIUI security menu to work properly.

Choosing a suitable alternative shell

The customization app market is overloaded with offerings, and it can be hard to choose a really good product. Some shells are minimalist, others offer tremendous customization options for every icon and font. It's important to decide on priorities: do you want speed or visual overload with effects?

Among the industry leaders, several time-tested options stand out. Nova Launcher is considered a benchmark for stability and flexibility of settings, allowing you to change literally every pixel of the screen. Lawnchair offers a clean Pixel-style interface that fits perfectly on modern versions of Android.

• 🚀 Nova Launcher is the best choice for those who like to customize every aspect of the interface and gestures in detail.
• 🎨 Smart Launcher 6 – smart sorting of applications and widgets, perfect for those who appreciate order.
• 📱 Microsoft Launcher – excellent integration with Windows services and cross-platform synchronization.
• ⚡ Niagara Launcher – a unique minimalist list for quick access to applications with one hand.

When choosing, consider the frequency of developer updates. If the app hasn’t been updated for more than a year, there’s a high chance of conflicts with the new versions of Android your Xiaomi is using.

Download and initial installation of the application

The installation process starts with a standard download of the installation file, and the safest way to do this is to use the official Google Play Store, where all the apps are virus-tested, but if you don't have the right version in your area, you can use trusted repositories like APKMirror.

Once downloaded and installed, the system will automatically prompt you to select a new app for the home screen.At this point, MIUI may display a warning that a third-party app may access your data.This is Android's standard security procedure, and for the launcher, such rights are necessary.

Don't rush to accept all the suggestions for installing additional software that may appear in the process. Often, free version developers offer to install antivirus or cleaners that you don't need. Carefully read the text on the buttons when installing.

It is important to note that immediately after installation, the interface may not work as smoothly, because the system has not yet “dealt” with the new application and allocated enough RAM to it, and full configuration will occur after the next steps to resolve the rights.

Configure access rights to MIUI and HyperOS

This is the most critical stage at which most users run into problems. MIUI is known for its aggressive energy savings, which can kill off third-party launcher processes, returning you to the standard interface every time you unlock the screen.

First, you need to fix the app in memory. Open the menu of running applications, find the window of your new launcher and click on the lock icon. Then the lock icon will appear in the corner, which will prevent the system from unloading the process when cleaning the memory.

⚠️ Warning: Without installing a blocker in the multitasking menu, the system will constantly reset the launcher, especially if there is a shortage of RAM.

Then set up autostart. Go to Settings → Applications → Autostart and find the shell installed in the list by activating the switch. This will allow the application to start immediately after the phone is turned on, bypassing the standard MIUI lock screen.

You also need to change your battery settings. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps, find your launcher, select Battery and set No Limits mode. This will disable background restrictions and allow widgets to update in real time.

Default launcher installation

After all the work, you have to get the results fixed, and the system has to understand that you want to use the new application all the time, not just occasionally. In older versions of MIUI, this happened automatically, but in newer versions of HyperOS and MIUI 14, the process has become more stringent.

Go to Settings → Desktop. Here you will see the "Default Desktop App" option. Click on it and select the previously installed launcher from the list. If this is not available, search by settings by entering the "default" request.

If the device returns the standard interface after the reboot, the system security application may conflict, in some cases disabling MIUI optimization through the developer menu helps, but this requires connecting to the computer and using ADB commands.

Solving navigation and gesture problems

One of the most common problems when changing the launcher to Xiaomi is the incorrect operation of the navigation bar or gestures. the standard navigation bar MIUI can overlap the bottom of the widgets or conflict with swipe gestures of the new launcher.

To solve this problem, most popular launchers have a special section in their settings, often called System Integration or Navigation, where you need to select the type of navigation bar that suits your system. MIUI often requires you to choose the Two Lines option** or the specific button style.

If you use gesture control (swipes instead of buttons), it may be difficult to call the menu of recent apps, in which case installing a launcher plugin or using third-party utilities to emulate navigation buttons helps. For example, for Nova Launcher, there are separate plugins that improve compatibility.

⚠️ Note: When using full-screen gestures, the swipe from the bottom may not open the application menu if the launcher does not have the appropriate accessibility permissions (Accessibility).

Also worth checking is font and screen size settings. MIUI system fonts that are too large can break the layout of third-party interfaces, making icons unreadable, and setting the font size on the system to Standard or Default.

💡

Use the Button Mapper app or analogs if standard navigation gestures don’t work properly with the selected launcher.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

💡

The right setup of access rights and battery mode is more important than choosing the launcher itself – without this, even the best interface will work unstable.