How to change the desktop to Xiaomi: setting up the interface

Xiaomi smartphones are known for their flexibility in customization, which is especially true for users accustomed to the standard Android interface. Desktop (or launcher) is the first thing you see after unlocking the device, so its appearance directly affects the usability of the gadget. Many owners want to personalize their device immediately after purchase, changing the standard wallpaper or the location of icons.

With MIUI and the new HyperOS, changing the look of your desktop can be confusing because of the abundance of features. However, knowing the right paths in the menu can make a boring screen into a stylish control panel. Changing the launcher to a third-party completely changes the logic of how you interact with your phone, as opposed to simply replacing wallpaper.

In this article, we will discuss in detail all the available ways to transform the interface: you will learn how to change the background image, adjust the application grid and install alternative shells, which will allow you to adapt the Xiaomi smartphone to your personal preferences and improve ergonomics.

Basic change of wallpaper and locking style

The easiest way to refresh the look of your device is to replace the background image. The standard shell offers a huge selection of static and live wallpaper, as well as access to an online gallery. → Wallpaper.

Here, the system will offer several categories: popular, nature, abstraction, and others. You can choose the finished image or click on the Gallery button to set your own photo from the device's memory. Once you select the image, the system will suggest using it only for the lock screen, only for the desktop or for both screens at the same time.

Importantly, newer versions of the firmware have a "Wallpaper Carousel" feature, which, if you activate this option, will change automatically every time you turn on the screen, which creates a dynamic effect, but can slightly increase battery consumption, albeit slightly.

• 🖼️ Static wallpaper is a classic image that doesn’t change without your intervention.
• 🎬 Live wallpaper – animated backgrounds that respond to touch or just moving pictures.
• 🔄 Wallpaper carousel – automatic change of images from the selected collection when the screen wakes up.

⚠️ Note: When installing very heavy live high-resolution wallpaper on budget models (Redmi series), there may be a slight decrease in interface performance.

Set up the grid and size of the icons

The default app grid on Xiaomi is a certain size, but it can be easily changed.This is especially useful if you want to place more shortcuts on one screen or, conversely, make the icons larger for convenience. To do this, you need to pinch two fingers on the desktop or go to Settings → Desktop.

In the settings menu that opens, you'll find Grid, and clicking on it will offer you a few layout options, like 4x6, 5x6, or 6x6, and choosing a denser grid will allow you to fit more applications without creating additional pages, which makes navigation easier.

You can also customize the font size of icons, and increasing the font makes the signatures of the apps more readable, which is true for people with visual impairment, and remember that changing these parameters applies to all desktops at once.

It is worth mentioning that in some design themes, the grid sizes may be ignored or displayed incorrectly. If the grid is gone after changing the theme, try resetting the launcher settings or choosing another theme that is optimized for your screen resolution.

Addition and removal of widgets

Widgets are mini-applications that display important information directly to the desktop, and they are given special attention in the MIUI and HyperOS shells. To add a widget, swipe up on the desktop or pinch with two fingers, then select the "Widgets" (or "Add") button.

The system will offer two types of widgets: classic Android and Xiaomi branded widgets. The latter look more stylish and often have advanced functionality, such as weather widgets with animations or music players with album covers. You can drag them anywhere on the grid.

To remove the widget, you just need to pinch it with your finger and drag it to the top of the screen in the "Delete" zone or click on the cross, appearing in the corner of the item. Some widgets, such as "Clock" or "Calendar", have several size variations (1x1, 2x2, 4x2), which allows you to flexibly arrange the space.

• ⏰ Watch and date are the basic elements for a quick look at time.
• 🌤️ Weather – displays the current temperature and forecast for several days.
• 🎵 Music – control of track playback without logging in to the application.
• 📊 Stepmer – Tracking activity in real time right on the screen.

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Use Smart Folders in the new MIUI to open apps from the folder with one touch, without fully revealing it.

Using design themes to change style

If you don't have a standard set of settings, the Themes app is a powerful tool that allows you to completely change the visual style of the system, including icons, sounds, fonts and, of course, the desktop, and you can find it in the Tools folder or search it.

There are thousands of options available in the theme catalog, from minimalistic black and white designs to vibrant anime styles. When you install a new theme, you can choose which components to use. For example, you can only take icons and wallpapers, leaving the system sounds unchanged. When you install, click "Tune theme" and uncheck the unnecessary items.

Some themes are paid or require ad viewing, but there are also many free quality options, and after applying the theme, the desktop transforms: the shape of the icons will change, a new dock bar at the bottom of the screen will appear, and the wallpaper will be updated.

⚠️ Attention: Installing themes from third-party, unverified sources can lead to unstable interface operation or the appearance of banner ads in the system menus.

Installation of a third-party launcher

The most radical way to change the desktop is to install a third-party launcher from the Google Play Store.This completely replaces the standard Xiaomi shell with an interface from other developers such as Nova Launcher, Microsoft Launcher or Niagara. This gives maximum customization freedom.

Once you install the application and start it, the system will ask which launcher to use by default. Select the one installed and press "Always." Now, when you press the Home button, a new interface will open. The standard MIUI launcher remains in the system and can be returned at any time through the settings.

Third-party launchers often offer features not available in stock firmware: hidden gestures, advanced animation settings, unlimited desktops, and deep integration with Google Assistant.

To return to the standard view, you need to go to Settings → Applications → All applications, find the Desktop (or System Launcher) list, click on it and select Start by default, then specify the system option.

Organization of space and folder

Whatever style you choose, it's important to organize your apps correctly. Chaoticly scattered icons reduce productivity. Xiaomi is comfortable with folders for grouping. Just drag and drop one app onto another, and you create a folder. You can name it and even change the background color in some versions of MIUI.

It is also recommended to use the bottom panel (dock bar) for the most important applications: phone, messages, browser and instant messengers. This panel remains visible on all screens, which speeds up access. In the desktop settings, you can turn on the "Fix in memory" function so that the dock bar does not hide when scrolling pages.

Cleaning your desktop of unused widgets and shortcuts regularly helps keep the system on track, and while modern smartphones are powerful, the overloaded interface with a dozen widgets that update in real time can cause micro-latency when swiping.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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The main conclusion: Full customization of the desktop on Xiaomi is possible both through built-in theme tools and through the installation of third-party launchers, which makes the interface unique for each user.