How to reduce icons on Xiaomi: all the ways for MIUI 12, 13, 14 and 15

Small icons on Xiaomi’s screen are not just a matter of aesthetics, but also convenience. When dozens of apps are piled up on the desktop and the standard icon size takes up half the screen, it becomes uncomfortable to use a smartphone. Fortunately, MIUI offers several ways to reduce icons, from built-in settings to third-party launchers.

In this article, we’ll look at all the current methods for different firmware versions (from MIUI 12 to MIUI 15), including hidden features that aren’t mentioned in the official guides. You’ll learn how to resize icons on your desktop, in app menus, and even in folders, and which launchers are best for fine-tuning the interface. If you’re tired of huge icons that prevent you from seeing wallpaper or take up too much space, this is the stuff for you.

Why are Xiaomi’s big default icons?

The standard size of the icons in MIUI is optimized for touch-sensitive finger control, but not for all users, these are the main reasons why Xiaomi uses large icons:

• 👆 Ergonomics: Larger icons are easier to press with one hand, especially on 6.5 diagonal devices+ Inches (such as Redmi Note 12 Pro)+ Xiaomi 13 Ultra).
• 👁️ Visibility: For people with vision problems, large icons read better, even without enlarging the font in the settings.
• 🎨 Design MIUI: corporate style of the shell involves an "air" interface with a large distance between the elements.
• 📱 Adaptation to screens: on budget models (for example, Redmi) A2) permittingly HD+ The little icons would look blurry.

But these arguments don’t take into account the preferences of users who want to see more information on the screen, and fortunately, there are several ways to reduce the icons on Xiaomi, from standard settings to installing alternative launchers.

Method 1: Resize icons through MIUI settings

The easiest method is to use the built-in shell options. It works on all devices with MIUI 12 and later, including POCO, Redmi and Xiaomi's flagship series. Here's how to do it:

1. Open Settings → Desktop (or Screen on some models).
2. Select the icon size or desktop layout.
3. Move the slider to the left to reduce the icons. In some versions of MIUI, 3-5 fixed values are available (for example, "Small", "Mean", "Big").
4. Click Apply or Ready to save the changes.

⚠️ Attention: on certain devices (e.g, POCO X5 Pro) this option may be hidden. If you can't see the slider, try updating the firmware to the latest version or use alternative methods from this article.

Check the version of MIUI in Settings → About the phone

Make a backup of the desktop (Settings → Desktop → Backup)

Close all open applications (for correct application of changes)

Restart your phone after resizing (optional but recommended)-->

Method 2: Use the "Lite Mode" mode

If your version of MIUI doesn’t have a separate setting for icon sizes, you can use Easy Mode, which simplifies the interface and automatically reduces controls, including icons on the desktop.

To activate it:

1. Go to Settings. → Special facilities.
2. Select Light Mode (or Simplified Mode on some models).
3. Activate the switch and confirm the changes.

💡 Tip: If you don’t like the simplified interface, but only need small icons, try combining this mode with the method. №3 (third-party launchers).

Method 3: Installation of an alternative launcher (Nova, Hyperion, Lawnchair)

The standard MIUI launcher is limited in settings, but third-party solutions offer much more flexibility.

• 🌟 Nova Launcher – supports changing the size of icons with increments 1%, Desktop settings (up to) 10×10) and adaptive icons.
• ⚡ Hyperion Launcher – Optimized for Xiaomi, has built-in themes and the ability to reduce icons to 50% of the original size.
• 🍃 Lawnchair is a lightweight open source launcher that allows you to adjust the size of icons and indentations between them.

Instructions for setting up (for example, Nova Launcher):

1. Install a launcher from Google Play.
2. Click the Home button and select Nova Launcher as the default launcher.
3. Go to the launcher settings (hold your finger in the free desktop space → Settings).
4. Select the size of the icons in the Desktop section and move the slider to the desired value (70-80% is recommended for a balance between compactness and convenience).
5. In the Desktop Grid section, set the number of rows and columns (e.g., 5×6 for maximum density).

Important: Some Xiaomi models (such as Redmi 10C or POCO M5) may not have navigation gestures when using third-party launchers. In this case, turn on the classic navigation bar in Settings → Display → Full-screen mode.

Method 4: Manually resize icons via ADB (for advanced ones)

If you're ready to dive into the technical details, you can resize the icons via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a method that works on all versions of MIUI, but requires a computer connection and basic command line knowledge.

⚠️ Warning: Wrong commands ADB This can cause a shell malfunction, and we recommend backing up the data before starting.

Instructions:

1. Enable USB Debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times to unlock Developer Settings, then activate debugging).
2. Connect your phone to your PC and open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux).
3. Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices Make sure your device appears in the list.
4. Use one of the commands to change the size of the icons (pixel values, select under your screen): adb shell settings put secure icon_size 48 Where 48 — desired size (standard for the MIUI — 64-72, minimum — 36).
5. Reboot your phone: adb reboot

🔧 Technical reference:

• For screens with FHD+ resolution (for example, Xiaomi 12T), the optimal size of the icons is 48-56 px.
• On devices with AMOLED-displays (e.g., Redmi) K60 Pro) too small icons may look dull.
• To reset your settings, use the command: adb shell settings delete secure icon_size

Method 5: Configure icons in folders and application menus

Even if you've reduced the icons on your desktop, they can still be large in folders and app menus. Here's how to fix it:

For folders:

1. Open the folder on your desktop.
2. Touch the icons ⚙️ Settings in upper right corner.
3. Select the size of the icons and move the slider to the left.
4. Click Ready to apply the changes to all folders.

For the appendix menu:

• 📱 Open the app menu (swipe up from the bottom of the screen).
• Press three points (⋮) top-right.
• Select Settings → Size of icons.
• Set the value Small or Very Small (not available on all models).

💡 Useful advice:

💡

If there is no option to resize icons in the app menu, try installing a third-party launcher (like Nova Launcher) and using its app menu instead of the standard one.

Frequent problems and their solutions

When you change the size of your icons on Xiaomi, users face typical challenges. Here's how to solve them:

⚠️ Warning: If you lose your widgets after resizing the icons (such as weather or calendar), restart your phone or reinstall the widget manually (POCO F4, Xiaomi 11T) Widgets don’t scale with icons – this is a shell limitation MIUI.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions

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If none of these methods worked, check if your device has a “child” version of MIUI (for example, on some models in China), in which case you can reduce the icons only through the firmware of the global version or installing a custom launcher.