How to make a folder on the Xiaomi desktop: step-by-step instructions

Modern Xiaomi smartphones running MIUI shells or the new HyperOS have a huge functionality that is often hidden behind many application icons. Users installing dozens of programs for work, games and communication inevitably face the problem of chaos on the home screen. Scattered icons make it difficult to find the right software and visually overload the interface, reducing the usability of the device as a whole.

Organizing your workspace is the first step to making your gadget comfortable, and folder creation is a basic skill that allows you to group your apps into categories like social media, games, or work, and it's not only an aesthetic solution, but also a way to optimize your navigation, especially on large-screen devices where you have to reach the opposite angle.

In this article, we will discuss in detail all the ways of grouping icons available to owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO. You will learn not only about the standard drag and drop method, but also about the hidden features of the system that allow you to create structures in the application menu and even use advanced tools like QuickShortcutMaker for working with system shortcuts.

Basic method of creating folders on the main screen

The easiest and most intuitive way to organize space is out of the box for everyone. First, you need to unlock your smartphone and go to the main screen where all your widgets and shortcuts are located. The Android system, in conjunction with the shell from Xiaomi, uses the logic of direct manipulation of objects, which makes the process as natural as possible.

Find two app icons that you want to combine, like Telegram and WhatsApp, and click on one of them and hold on for one to two seconds until the icon sticks out of its place and starts to vibrate or zoom in slightly, and that's a signal that the object is in editing mode.

Without letting go of your finger, drag and drop the selected icon directly over the second icon you want to place in the same group. The moment the top icon overlaps the bottom icon by about 70-80%, the system automatically creates a new folder. Release your finger, and you will see how both programs are inside a new structure with an automatically selected name, for example, "Social Networks" or "Tools".

And it's important to note that if you drag an icon into an empty area of the screen, you create a widget, or you just move the shortcut, but not the folder. It's critical to get to the center of another icon. If the folder isn't created the first time, try changing the angle of your finger or the drag and drop rate.

Set up and rename the created groups

Once you've successfully formed a group of applications, the system will offer you a standard name based on the categories of programs inside. However, automatic names like "Utilities" or "Google" don't always reflect the content or just dislike the user. Fortunately, renaming takes only a few seconds.

To change the name, tap the area above the icons inside the folder where the current text is displayed. An input cursor will appear, and you can erase the old name and enter your own. You can use emojis to make navigation even more visual, for example, by adding an airplane icon for Travel applications.

Inside the structure, you can change the order of the icons just like you would on the home screen: you can pinch the app and drag it to another location, and if there are more than four or six apps in the folder (depending on the version of MIUI), they automatically go to the second page inside the folder, which is accessed by swipe left or right.

To delete a folder, you don't have to look for a dedicated "Delete" button. Just pull all the applications out of it. The empty folder can't exist, so once you move the last icon outside the container, it disappears automatically, which protects the system from accumulating junk configuration files.

⚠️ Note: When renaming folders, avoid using exotic characters or very long names, as in some design themes, text may be cropped or superimposed on icons, making the interface unreadable.

Working with folders in the application menu (App Drawer)

Many users prefer to hide all installed programs in a special application menu, leaving the main screen clean. Xiaomi owners often wonder whether it is possible to create folders directly in this menu.

In the classic mode, where all the icons are on desktops, folders are created in the way described above. However, if you have the Application Menu mode enabled (when the desktop only has selected shortcuts, and everything else is in a separate menu by swipe up), the logic changes. In the standard Xiaomi application menu, you can not create folders by drag and drop.

However, there is a workaround for those who want to see structures there, and you need to create a folder on your desktop and then drag and drop the apps into it. After that, if you remove the shortcuts of these apps from your desktop (but not from the folder!), they will stay in the system. However, it is often necessary to use third-party launchers to display folders inside the curtain of the application menu, since the standard launcher System Launcher limits this feature.

If you use a third-party launcher like Nova Launcher or Microsoft Launcher, the grouping options in the app menu are limitless. You can create nested folders, change their transparency and open animations, and that gives you complete control over Android Stock-style navigation.

Delete folders and retrieve applications

Sooner or later, you have to reorganize the space or remove the group that has become unnecessary, and the process of deleting in MIUI and HyperOS is implemented through the principle of "emptying." As mentioned earlier, a folder is only a container, and without content it does not exist.

To eliminate the folder, open it. Squeeze the first application and drag it outside the folder to the free desktop space. Repeat the procedure until there are no icons left inside, and when you extract the last item, the folder will collapse and disappear.

If your goal is not to delete the folder, but simply to move it to another place (for example, to the dock bar at the bottom of the screen or to another page), use the same long-press method. Press the folder itself (you can click on its name or free space inside, if any) and drag it to the desired area. The dock bar (bottom line) allows you to fix the folders, and they will be visible on all pages of the desktop, which is very convenient for frequently used groups.

In some cases, when you change the theme, folders can become visually distorted or transparent. If you encounter a bug when the folder does not open or disappears, try resetting the launcher settings. To do this, go to Settings → Applications → All Applications → System Launcher and select Clear Data. This will return the icon grid to its original state, but save your installed applications.

Comparison of features in different versions of MIUI and HyperOS

Xiaomi’s shell is constantly evolving, and the desktop functionality may vary from one version to the next, and below is a chart showing the key differences in space organization between popular versions of the system.

New versions of HyperOS have put a focus on visuals, folders are more airy, icon curls are more consistent with the design of the system, and widgets are also better, so you can put not only apps, but also mini widgets into the folder, making it a complete information block.

Users of older versions of MIUI (10-11) may not be able to change the font size of the folder name regardless of the system. In such cases, the only solution is to install a custom theme that redefines these parameters. Themes are a powerful customization tool built into the Themes app on your smartphone.

Advanced Methods: Hidden Folders and Second Space

For those who don’t have the standard methods, Xiaomi offers enhanced security and isolation features. “Second Space” is actually creating a second profile on the phone with its set of apps, passwords and, of course, folders on the desktop.

To activate this feature, go to Settings → Second Space and follow the instructions. This will allow you to have two fully independent work environments. You can switch between them with a swipe from the edge of the screen or a special fingerprint. This is the perfect way to hide personal folders from prying eyes.

Another level of privacy is Hidden Apps. While this does not create a visible folder on the desktop, it allows you to remove icons of selected programs from public access. They are only accessible through special code in the Security application or through search. To access hidden applications, enter a specified password in the search bar or in the security application.

Using ADB (Android Debug Bridge) allows you to perform more complex manipulations, such as forcibly hiding system folders or changing their identifiers, but this requires a connection to a computer and having the appropriate knowledge.

⚠️ Warning: Remember the password or graphical key to the Second Space, and it is almost impossible to reset it without losing data inside this space, since it is encrypted separately from the main system.

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Expert advice: Use One-Hand Mode in conjunction with folders. Place the main folders in the bottom third of the screen so that they can be easily reached with your thumb when one hand is activated.

Solving common folder problems

Despite the system's fine-tuning, users can encounter bugs. One of the common problems is sticking the icon when trying to create a folder. If the icon isn't drag-and-drop or the folder isn't created, try restarting the device, which clears the launcher's RAM and eliminates temporary glitches.

Another problem is that folders disappear spontaneously after updating the system or changing the theme, which happens if the new theme doesn't support the old folder format, in which case resetting the launcher settings mentioned earlier helps, and also make sure that there is enough free space on the desktop; if all the cells are occupied, the system can't create a new object.

Sometimes users complain that the folder is delayed, which may be due to overloading with animations on the chosen topic, try to go to the standard theme "Classic" or "Basic" to see if the problem persists, and if the lags disappear, then it is a heavy graphics of a third-party theme.

For advanced users who want to create a system folder that is not in the interface, there is a method by creating an activity shortcut, which requires installing QuickShortcutMaker, which can find hidden system activities (such as com.android.settings) and create a shortcut for them, which can then be placed in the folder, which allows you to quickly access even the functions that the manufacturer has hidden in the depth of the menu.

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Main conclusion: Standard tools MIUI HyperOS fully covers the needs of 95% of users in the organization of the desktop, but for unique scenarios there are always the capabilities of third-party launchers and other devices. ADB-team.

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