Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphone owners often have to move data when they change devices or when they reset. The most valuable part of the user experience is the desktop personalization that you've been setting up for months. The layout of icons, folders, weather widgets and watches all form a unique ecosystem for your gadget.
Unfortunately, the standard reset process often ignores the home screen structure, returning the factory-like “desert” look. To avoid hours of manual reshuffling of applications and reconfiguration of widgets, you need to take care of backing up your desktop in advance, an action that will not only keep shortcuts but also keep them exactly on the grid.
In this article, we will discuss in detail all available ways to save the interface, from built-in cloud functions to advanced methods through ADB. You will learn how Mi Cloud works, what nuances the transfer to devices with the HyperOS shell has and how to restore the familiar environment after reinstalling the system.
Why to keep the structure of the desktop and what exactly is copied
Many users mistakenly believe that the standard backup of contacts and photos completely protects their data. However, the desktop structure is a separate layer of information that is stored in the system configuration files, and preserving this structure is critical for those who are used to a certain interface interaction algorithm.
When you back up your desktop, you don't just save application shortcuts, it remembers the exact coordinates of each icon, the size of the widgets, the folders you create, and even the transparency of the background, and this is especially true for users who use custom launchers or complex widget schemes to monitor activity.
There are a few key elements that need to be saved when done correctly, and it's important to understand the difference between a simple list of installed applications and visualizing them on the screen.
- 📱 Exact location of application icons across the screen grid and in the dock bar.
- 🗂️ Structure and content of all created folders with applications.
- 🌤️ Settings, size and position of widgets (weather, hours, news).
- 🎨 Desktop and lock screen wallpaper, if full reservation is selected.
⚠️ Note: Standard Google Account Sync Often Does Not Save the Icons on the Desktop MIUI. You can’t rely on it alone when changing your smartphone – you’ll get a clean screen without your usual structure.
Ignoring this stage can lead to the fact that after the reset, you have to re-search each application on the menu and line them up in the right order. For people with a lot of installed programs, this can take several hours of work.
Use of the built-in MIUI backup tool
The most reliable and proven way to keep the structure of the desktop is to use the built-in tool system, in the shells MIUI and HyperOS, it is implemented in a deep enough way to create complete images of the system settings, including the location of the interface elements.
To get started, you need to go to the device settings menu. The path may vary slightly depending on the firmware version, but the logic remains the same for all modern smartphones of the brand. You will need to find the section responsible for maintaining the device and recovering data.
Follow the following steps to start the process:
- Open Settings and go to About Phone.
- Click on Advanced Settings (or find it in the settings menu).
- Select the Recovery and Reset option.
- Click on Backup and Restore.
Once you log in, you will be asked to create a new backup, the system will request a password or fingerprint to protect your data, an important security step, as the backup may contain sensitive data about your usage habits.
☑️ Checking before creating a backup
In the copying data type list, make sure to tick the box against System Data, and that's where the desktop configuration is hidden, and if you only choose multimedia, the screen structure won't be saved.
Sync with Mi Cloud and Google
Xiaomi's ecosystem offers Mi Cloud cloud storage that is integrated directly into the device's launcher, which allows you to store some desktop settings in the cloud by linking them to your Mi Account, but the functionality of this synchronization has its own features and limitations.
Unlike a full local backup, cloud sync often stores a list of installed applications and basic system settings. Desktop structure can be partially synchronized, especially if you use a standard launcher.
The process of setting up cloud protection is as follows:
- ☁️ Go to Settings. → Mi Account.
- 🔄 Select Synchronization or Cloud.
- ✅ Activate the Desktop Switch (if available in your version of the Software).
- 📸 It is also recommended to enable synchronization of the Gallery and Contacts.
⚠️ Note: Mi Cloud syncs are not stable in global firmware versions. In some regions, the icons may not be saved, only the apps themselves are saved.
Why can't synchronization work?
Google One is a great service for keeping contacts, calendar and photos, but it can’t save the layout of the MIUI desktop.
Save settings through the "Security" application
Xiaomi’s smartphones have a system app called Security, which is often overlooked, which contains a powerful tool for cleaning up garbage and optimizing, but also has hidden functionality to create backups of certain system parameters.
This is useful if the standard settings menu is not available or is not working properly for some reason, and it allows you to create a reset point, which can include interface parameters, which is a kind of snapshot of the system state.
For the use of this method:
- Launch the Safety app (green icon with lightning).
- Scroll down to the Tools section or click on three dots in the corner.
- Find and run the Backup function (may be called Second Space or hidden in the menu).
It is worth noting that in new versions of HyperOS, the functionality of this application has been reworked, and the direct backup button may be missing, giving way to integration with Mi Cloud, in which case the system will redirect you to the cloud settings.
The use of built-in security tools guarantees compatibility, since the utility has system permissions to access configuration files that are closed to conventional applications.
Advanced Method: ADB Backup Launcher Configuration
For power users who want to get a full copy of the desktop configuration without being tied to the cloud, there is a method of using USB debugging and the ADB tool (Android Debug Bridge), which allows you to download a launcher database file that stores all the geometry of the screen.
This requires connecting your smartphone to your computer, you'll need to install ADB drivers on your PC and enable debugging on your phone, which is the most reliable way to keep the visual part of the interface.
The steps to create a backup through ADB:
- Turn on USB debugging in the Developer Menu.
- Connect your phone to your PC and open the command line.
- Enter the command for the launcher package backup:
adb backup -noapk com.miui.homeA request for backup confirmation will appear on the smartphone screen, you must enter a password (if installed) and click the Create Backup button, which can take several minutes.
| Parameter | Description | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| com.miui.home | Standard MIUI launcher package | Required for backup |
| com.android.launcher3 | Android System Launcher | Used in pure Android |
| -noapk | Flag of the exclusion of the APK files | Reduces backup size |
| adb restore | Recovery team | Requires a.ab file |
⚠️ Note: When restoring through ADB on a device with a different version of Android or MIUI Conflicts may arise as the launcher database structure may have changed. Use this method only to restore to the same or similar firmware version.
This method gives you complete control over the data. A backup file can be stored on an external medium and be sure that it won't be deleted when you reset the phone itself if you copy it in advance.
Restore your desktop after resetting or changing your phone
Once the backup is created, the correct use of the backup is achieved, the recovery process depends on the method you have chosen before, and if you have used the built-in MIUI tool, the system will suggest that you restore the data when you first set up the phone (or after the reset).
It's important to keep the initial setup stage in mind, and it's when you greet, select your language, and connect to Wi-Fi that the system will ask you to copy the data, and if you miss that point, it's harder to restore a full desktop copy through the standard menu.
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Restore your backup immediately after you first turn on, before installing third-party apps, and this will prevent version conflicts and duplicate shortcuts.
When recovering from a local copy (through settings):
- 📂 Go to Settings. → The phone. → Recovery and discharge.
- 💾 Click Restore from internal memory.
- 📅 Select the date of creation of your backup copy.
- ✅ Check the System settings and click Restore.
Once the process is complete, the phone will restart. The first turn on may take more than usual, as the system will reconfigure the icon cache and apply the desktop configuration. Don't panic if the screens flash or the icons don't appear immediately - this is normal for a launcher.
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Key point: Desktop Structure Restoration only works if the new device has the same app you're restoring, and if the app isn't in the Play Market or it's not installed, the shortcut may not appear.