Modern smartphones, including the popular Xiaomi Redmi 9, allow you to install hundreds of different applications, which inevitably leads to cluttering the desktop. Endless rows of icons not only make it difficult to find the right program, but also visually overload the interface, making navigation less comfortable for the user.
Android, combined with MIUI, provides user-friendly and intuitive tools for structuring content. Foldering allows you to group programs according to thematic principle, frequency of use, or any other criteria that is important to you, which takes only a few seconds, but the result remains relevant throughout the life of the device.
In this article, we will discuss in detail all the available ways to group applications, from the classic drag and drop method to advanced display settings. You will learn how to quickly find the right features, hide the excess and make the interface of your Redmi 9 really convenient and personalized.
Basic method of grouping applications by drag and drop
The easiest and most common way to combine multiple icons into a group is the Drag-and-Drop method, which is familiar to most smartphone users. First, find two programs on your desktop that you want to put in one folder, such as instant messengers or banking apps. Touch the first icon with your finger and drag it directly over the second icon without taking it off the screen.
When you release your finger, the system automatically creates a new folder with a default name, like "Folder" or "Tools", depending on the type of application, both programs will be included inside, and a compact icon will appear on the screen containing thumbnails of nested applications, a basic feature that works stably on all versions of MIUI firmware.
If you accidentally release your finger next to the target icon, but not exactly on it, the function of creating a widget or moving to the next page may work. In this case, just repeat the action, making sure that the finger is held on the first icon until the second icon completely overlaps.
☑️ Pre-grouping checks
It's worth noting that when you create a folder, the system might suggest you rename it right away, and you shouldn't ignore that, because standard names like "Folder 1" will become completely uninformative in a month's time, so you should immediately give a clear name that reflects the content, so that you don't waste time opening each group in the future looking for the right application.
Alternative ways to create a structure through a menu
It is not always convenient to make precise finger movements across the screen, especially if you have large hands or are on the move. In such cases, the desktop editing menu, available through prolonged pressing, comes to the rescue. Press and hold your finger on any free screen spot or on any icon until the menu at the bottom of the display appears, and select the option “Add” or “Edit”.
In some versions of the MIUI shell, it is possible to create an empty folder through the widget menu, although this is less common. Most often, users resort to creating folders inside existing structures or using third-party launchers for more flexible management. However, drag and drop, which we described above, remains the most effective tool.
For those who prefer minimalism, there's a hidden app feature, and although it's not literally folder creation, it's an effective way to get the extra out of sight, you can move the rarely used programs to a special hidden folder that you can access through a special gesture or password.
⚠️ Note: When dragging icons, try not to touch the edges of the screen where the navigation buttons or return zones are located, so as not to accidentally go to another menu or close the application.
And there's also the Pocket feature, which allows you to hide applications from prying eyes, which is not really a folder on your desktop, but a powerful space organization tool, and to access it, you have to go to the settings and activate the appropriate mode, and then you can display the hidden applications to your desktop as a separate secure folder.
Editing and renaming created folders
Once the folder is created, it needs to be given a meaningful name. Click on the newly created folder to open it, and you'll see a field with the name at the top. Tap the title text, and the keyboard will let you type in any convenient designation, whether it's Work, Games or Finance.
In addition to renaming, you can change the folder, and to add a new application, just drag and drop the icon from the desktop directly to the open folder, and if you want to remove the application from the group, just drag and drop it outside the folder to the free screen space, which is instantaneous and does not require confirmation.
Visual design is an important aspect. Depending on the design theme installed in MIUI, folders can look different, be transparent, color or have rounded corners. You can change the theme in the Themes app to make the folders better fit into your personalized style.
How to change the font size of the folder name?
Remember, you can also change the order of the apps inside the folder, open the folder and drag and drop the icons so that the most important programs are at the top of the list, or at the top of the list, and this will save you a fraction of a second each time you run, which adds up to a tangible comfort of use.
Removal of folders and distribution of applications
Sooner or later, your desktop structure may require changes, and if the folder is no longer relevant, it can be easily deleted, open the folder and start dragging applications from it to the desktop one at a time, and when there are fewer than two items left in the folder, it will disappear automatically, because the folder cannot exist with one or zero icons inside.
There is a faster way: open the folder, click on the edit icon (if available in your version of MIUI), or simply drag and drop all the apps at once if the interface allows multi-touch selection. Most Redmi 9 uses the method of sequentially extracting applications until the container disappears completely.
Once you delete the folder, you can take up the space on your desktop with widgets or new shortcuts, and the system automatically shifts the remaining icons, filling the voids to keep the interface neat, which is the standard launcher behavior that helps you maintain order effortlessly.
| Action. | Method of implementation | The result |
|---|---|---|
| Foldering | Drag the icon to the icon | Formation of a group of 2+ applications |
| Rename | Click on the name of the open folder | Changing the text label |
| Deletion of the folder | Extract all applications from the outside | Automatic Disappearance of Container |
| Addendum | Drag the icon into an open folder | Increase the number of elements in the group |
Display settings and sorting within groups
MIUI offers a variety of options for sorting applications inside folders. While automatic sorting by alphabet or installation time is standard, the user can manually arrange items as they like, especially for folders with a large number of applications, where finding the right one can take time.
In the desktop settings available through the long-press menu, you can resize the grid. Increasing the number of icons on the screen (for example, from 4x6 to 5x7) will allow you to bring more applications from the folders to the main screen, making them available in one click. However, this can lead to visual overload, so it is important to find a balance.
And you also have to look at the Hide Signatures feature, which is that if you turn off icon signatures, folders will look more concise, taking up less space, and it's a purely aesthetic change, but for many users, it's critical to creating a clean and minimalist desktop design.
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Use folder widgets for quick access. Some themes allow you to create widgets that open an entire folder of applications at once, which speeds up the launch of groups of programs.
Remember to periodically review your folders. Apps are removed, new ones appear, and old structures may no longer meet your current needs. Regular cleaning on the Xiaomi Redmi 9 desktop helps maintain high speed and pleasant visual perception.
Expanded MIUI capabilities for space organization
Xiaomi Redmi 9 owners have access to the “Second Space” feature, which actually creates a second desktop with their folders and applications, which can be used not only to separate work and personal life, but also as a way to organize a huge number of programs by scattering them across two independent environments.
Another interesting feature is the One-Hand mode, which when activated, shrinks the desktop and makes folders more compact, which is convenient when using the phone with one hand, although it doesn't create new folders, but it changes the way you interact with existing structures.
For advanced users, third-party launchers like Nova Launcher or Microsoft Launcher are available, and they provide much more customization options for folders: reshaping, opening animations, background transparency, and even adding tabs inside a single folder, which is not possible in a standard shell.
⚠️ Note: Installing third-party launchers may affect some system functions MIUI, It is recommended to create a restore point or backup of settings before installation.
Using widgets inside folders is a trend that is also supported by some launchers: You can put a weather widget or calendar right inside the thematic folder, turning it into an information hub. On the standard Redmi 9 launcher, this feature is limited, but there is always room for experimentation.
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The key to organization is regularity: Create folders as soon as you install a new application, without waiting for the desktop to turn into a chaos of dozens of motley icons.