How to Make Badges Less on Xiaomi: All Ways for MIUI 14 and 15

Why Users Want to Reduce Badges on Xiaomi – and When to Really Need It

The size of the icons on Xiaomi’s desktop is one of the most talked-about topics on the brand’s fan forums, with some finding standard icons too bulky, some wanting to put more shortcuts on one screen, and some just not liking the visual heavyweightness of the MIUI interface. But before you resize, it’s worth understanding that reducing icons doesn’t always solve the problem of screen congestion.

V MIUI 14/15 Developers have added more flexibility to the desktop setting, but many of the features remain hidden, for example, few people know that icon sizes can be changed not only through standard settings, but also through the developer mode, ADB-It is important to consider that excessive reduction of icons can make them uncomfortable to click — especially on smartphones with large screens (for example, Xiaomi). 13 Ultra or POCO F5 Pro).

In this article, we'll look at all the current ways, from basic to advanced, and also tell you which ones can cause MIUI failures if used without preparation. If you need to not just reduce icons, but completely redesign your desktop, look at the last section on alternative launchers.

Method 1: Standard MIUI settings are the safest method

Since MIUI 12, the firmware has built-in icon resizing, which doesn't offer the flexibility of third-party solutions, but it doesn't require superuser rights and doesn't affect system stability. Here's how it works:

1. Open Settings → Desktop (or Home in some versions).
2. Select the Size of Application Icons (in MIUI 15 it can be called Desktop Layout).
3. Move the slider to the left to reduce the size, usually 3-5 positions.

Limitations of the method:

• 🔄 The minimum size is still quite large – the icons will not become “point».
• 📱 It doesn’t work on all models: some budget Redmis (e.g. Redmi) 10A) This option may not be available.
• 🔒 Does not affect the icons in folders – their size remains fixed.

💡

If the icon size slider is missing, try updating MIUI to the latest version or resetting the launcher settings through Settings → Applications → Application Management → Launcher → Storage → Clear data.

Method 2: Developer Mode – Hidden MIUI Opportunities

For those who are willing to dig a little deeper into the settings, the developer mode opens up additional customization options, which works on most Xiaomi devices, including the POCO X5 Pro, Black Shark 5 and other models with MIUI 13+.

To activate the developer mode:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Click 7 times on the MIUI version (you will be notified “You are a developer”).
3. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.

Now find the parameters associated with the interface:

• 🔧 Minimum width (dp) – Reducing this value will make all interface elements, including icons, more compact.
• 📏 The scale of animation – indirectly affects the perception of icon size.
• 🖼️ The density of the display - changes DPI Screen (caution: may cause problems with displaying some applications!).

⚠️ Note: Changing the developer’s settings may lead to:

Incorrect display of some system menus (for example, in Settings or Quick Switches). – Failures in the operation of applications that are not adapted to non-standard DPI (most often these are banking programs and games). – Reset settings after updating MIUI (it is recommended to fix the current values with screenshots).

Method 3: ADB-Teams – for experienced users

If standard methods are not enough, you can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge) to deep-tube the interface, which requires connecting your smartphone to your PC and basic command line knowledge, but allows you to control the size of the icons more accurately.

Instructions:

1. Install ADB Tools on your computer.
2. Activate USB Debugging in Settings → For developers.
3. Connect your smartphone to your PC and type in the command line: adb shell settings put global icon_scale_factor 0.8 Meaning 0.8 can be changed 0.6 (the smallest icons, up to 1.0 (standard-size).

Advantages of the method:

• ⚙️ Accurate size adjustment with step 0.1.
• 🔄 Retrieval of standard values by one command: adb shell settings put global icon_scale_factor 1.0
• 📱 It works even on models where there is no slider in the settings (for example, Redmi Note 11).

Install Xiaomi drivers on PC

Turn on USB debugging on your phone

Check the connection with the adb device command

Make a backup copy of the data-->

⚠️ Note: Some users encounter a bug when they are ADB-The icons are getting blurred by the commands, and this is due to the wrong rendering system, to fix it:

— Reboot the device. – If the problem persists, reset the launcher cache: Settings → Annexes → Launcher → Warehouse → Clear the cache. – In extreme cases, return the standard scale command adb shell settings put global icon_scale_factor 1.0.

Method 4: Third-party launchers – maximum customization

If the built-in methods don't work, you can completely replace the standard MIUI launcher with an alternative one, which gives you not only control over the size of the icons, but also access to additional functions: gestures, themes, adaptive grids.

Top.-3 Launcher for Xiaomi with support for small icons:

How to adjust the size of the icons in Nova Launcher (the most popular option):

1. Install a launcher from Google Play.
2. Press the finger free space on the desktop → Settings.
3. Go to the desktop → Icon size and select a value (e.g. 80%).
4. For even more compactness, change the grid: Desktop → Desktop grid (for example, 10×6).

Standard MIUI

Nova Launcher

Niagara Launcher

Hyperion Launcher

Other-->

⚠️ Note: When using third-party launchers:

Some MIUI system functions (e.g., Dual Applications or Second Space) may not work properly. – Notifications of missed calls are sometimes not displayed on application icons (you need to set up in the launcher itself). – Quick MIUI commands (e.g., calling the flashlight down) may conflict with launcher gestures.

Method 5: MIUI Topics - Unobvious Lifehack

Few people know, but some MIUI themes from the official theme store automatically resize icons, which works because the themes can redefine system styles, including icon scale.

How to find the right topic:

1. Open the Themes app (if not, download it from Google Play).
2. In the search, enter queries: mini icons, compact desktop, small icons.
3. Look for those where the icons are visually smaller than the standard ones.
4. Apply the theme and check the result (some themes only change the icons of system applications).

Popular themes with small icons (for 2026):

• 🎨 Minimal UI — Minimalist design with reduced icons.
• 🖼️ Compact Dark is a dark theme with a compact grid.
• 🌌 Cosmic Small – Futuristic style with small icons.

⚠️ Attention: When using topics:

Not all icons will change: some apps (such as Google Play or WhatsApp) may remain standard size. – Themes may conflict with the launcher settings: if you previously changed the size of icons through ADB, after applying the theme, you may need to reset. – MIUI updates sometimes reset themes to standard ones – it is recommended to save favorite themes to Favorites.

💡

MIUI themes are the easiest way to resize icons without risking the system, but the effect depends on the specific theme and may not be complete.

Frequent problems and how to avoid them

When changing the size of the icons on Xiaomi, users often encounter common mistakes, and here’s how to prevent or fix them:

If after all the manipulations the icons still seem too large, check:

• 🔍 Font size in Settings → Screen. → Text size – Large text can visually increase the perception of icons.
• 📱 Screen resolution: on some models (e.g, POCO X4 Pro) when choosing FHD+ instead HD+ Icons are displayed more clearly and compactly.
• 🎨 Style of icons: in Settings → Desktop → Style icons try the default option (MIUI) — Sometimes custom styles artificially increase icons.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions