How to Create a Folder on the Xiaomi Redmi 9 Desktop: The Complete Guide

Xiaomi smartphone owners often face the need to clean up a huge number of installed programs. The device desktop over time turns into a chaotic heap of icons where it is difficult to find the right application in a second. This is especially true for the Redmi 9 model, which comes with a pre-installed set of services and utilities. Foldering is a basic but critical skill for comfortable use of the MIUI shell.

Many users mistakenly believe that folder creation on Xiaomi is radically different from other Android smartphones. In fact, the algorithm of actions is intuitive, but has its own nuances related to the logic of the launcher. In this article, we will discuss the step-by-step process that will allow you to structure the menu, you will learn not only to combine programs, but also to name them correctly, and use additional grouping functions.

The way you organize your screen space is very effective in making you work with your gadget, and when important contacts, games, or tools are scattered across pages, it's annoying and time-consuming. UI optimization starts with creating logical groups. Let's look at how to make your Redmi 9 a handy tool.

Basic method of grouping applications

The simplest and most common way to create an application container is to drag and drop one icon to another, which works across all versions of the MIUI shell on Redmi 9. You don't have to search for hidden menus or use complex commands. You just have to take one program with your finger and move it over another.

Once you let go of your finger, the system automatically creates a new folder, which usually gets a standard name based on the category of applications (for example, "Tools" or "Social Networks"), but you can change it at any time.

If you accidentally release the icon next to the other, nothing happens, and they stay on their own. Make sure the top icon completely covers the bottom icon when you let go. The visual response of the system will tell you about success: animations of the combination will appear, and both programs will be inside the new border.

Rename and customization of folders

Once you've combined multiple applications, the system assigns the default name to the group, and often those names are too generic or not at all consistent with the content you put there, such as a folder with games called "Utilities." To fix this, you need to tap the folder name, and the text will be editable.

In the keyboard that opens, type in any word that you like, you can use emojis to make navigation even faster, visual markers help your brain read information faster, like a folder of banking apps with a symbol. 💰 will be found instantly.

It's worth noting that the length of the title also matters. Headers that are too long can get cropped on the screen, especially if you have large fonts on or a certain size of desktop grid chosen. The optimal length is up to 10-12 characters. This is enough to understand the purpose of the group without cluttering the interface.

Adding and removing programs from the group

The folder structure is not static. You can add a new application at any time, or you can remove the unnecessary one. To add, just drag the program icon from the desktop into the open folder. The logic is the same as when you create one icon on top of the others.

If you want to remove an application from the group, open the folder, and you'll see all the icons that are embedded inside, press the program you want to use and drag it outside the folder to the desktop space, and Redmi 9 instantly responds to that action by disbanding the connection.

There's an important caveat: if you delete all but one of the apps from the folder, the folder will automatically disappear. The rest of the program will return to the desktop as a separate icon. This protects the system from creating empty containers that just take up space. Automatic deletion of empty folders is standard Android behavior.

Set up the grid and display icons

The effectiveness of folders depends on how the desktop grid is configured. In MIUI, Redmi 9 can change the number of rows and columns. The more cells you choose, the more applications will fit in one folder without scrolling, but the smaller the icons themselves will be.

To change the grid, press the empty space on your desktop and select the settings. Here you will see layout options like 4x6 or 5x6. Choosing the best option is a matter of taste, but a denser grid is better for creating spacious folders, which allows you to see the contents of the group without opening it completely.

You should also pay attention to font size. If the font is too large, folder names can take up too much space. Balance between readability and spaciousness is key to convenience. Experiment with settings until you find the perfect one.

⚠️ Attention: When grid density changes, icons may shift from their usual places. Before a global interface overhaul, make sure you remember the location of important widgets so you don't lose them.

Working with widgets inside folders

The MIUI shell allows you to put not only apps but also widgets inside folders, and it's a unique feature that turns the folder into a mini dashboard, like a temperature widget in the Weather folder, and a currency widget in the Finance folder.

To add a widget, open a folder and find the add button (usually a plus or special menu) and select the desired size and type of widget from the list of available ones, which helps save space on the home screen by hiding bulky controls inside thematic groups.

But be careful: too many widgets inside a folder can overflow, take up more screen space, or require scrolling, which reduces usability, and the optimal number of widgets in one group is no more than two.

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Use switch widgets inside folders to quickly access functions, such as a flashlight or voice recorder widget in the Tools folder will save time.

Delete folders and clean the desktop

If you decide that you don't need a particular group of apps anymore, you can delete it easily, so open the folder and start extracting all the apps from it one by one, and once there are fewer than two items left inside, the folder will disappear by itself.

There is no "Delete folder" button, because a folder is not a single file, it's the status of the icons. An empty folder makes no sense in an Android file system, so the only way to get rid of it is to empty the contents.

Cleaning the desktop from unused groups regularly helps keep the launcher running. While modern processors like Redmi 9 can handle a lot of objects, visual order is still more important to the user.

Comparison of methods of space organization

There are several approaches to organizing a desktop on Xiaomi, some users prefer to create many small folders by topic, others - one large folder "Everything." Below is a table that will help you choose the right method.

The method you choose depends on your smartphone usage style, and if you install dozens of new apps every week, thematic folders are a lifeline, and if your software set has been stable for years, you can do minimal sorting.

⚠️ Warning: Don't create a folder inside the folder. MIUI It doesn't support folders nested in any layer, and trying to drag one folder to another will cause the first folder to move as an object into the second, which can confuse navigation.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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Creating folders is the first step to personalizing the Xiaomi Redmi 9, allowing you to turn the standard interface into a convenient working tool in a few minutes.