How to hide or remove the main menu on Xiaomi Redmi: the complete guide

The main menu on Xiaomi Redmi smartphones is the MIUI system element that displays a list of all installed applications. For some users, this menu becomes redundant, especially if they prefer to use only a desktop with shortcuts or third-party launchers. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to hide or completely remove the main on the Redmi menu (including the Redmi Note 12/13, Redmi 10/11 and others with MIUI 14/15).

It is important to understand the difference between hiding and deleting: the first simply removes the menu icon from the screen, and the second disables the function at the system level. Also note that after MIUI updates, some methods may stop working - we will note such cases and suggest alternatives. If you use custom firmware (for example, LineageOS or Pixel Experience), some instructions will not be relevant.

Before you start, check your shell version: go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version. This will help avoid errors when choosing a method. We also recommend backing up data through Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset – in case you need to roll back changes.

1. Hiding the main menu via MIUI settings (no root)

The easiest and safest way to do this is to disable the main menu icon without removing it completely, which works on most Redmi devices with MIUI 12-15 and does not require superuser rights.

Instructions:

• 📱 Open the phone settings.
• 🔍 Go to the Desktop section (or Home Screen in some versions).
• 🔄 Find the Desktop Style option and select No Main Menu (or Desktop Only).
• 🔙 Return to the home screen – the main menu icon should disappear.

If you don’t have this option, try an alternative route:

1. Hold your finger on the free space on the desktop.
2. In the menu that appears, select Desktop Settings.
3. Turn off the switch Show the main menu (if available).

⚠️ Note: Some Redmi models (e.g. Redmi) 9A or Redmi 8) this method may not work due to manufacturer limitations.

2.Use of a third-party launcher

If the system settings do not allow you to remove the main menu, installing an alternative launcher will be a universal solution.

• 🌟 Nova Launcher – supports hiding the app menu, flexible gesture settings.
• 📱 Lawnchair is an open source lightweight launcher optimized for Xiaomi.
• ⚡ Microsoft Launcher – Windows integration, but limited menu settings.
• 🎨 Apex Launcher – a classic interface with the ability to disable app drawer.

How to set up:

1. Install the selected launcher from Google Play.
2. Start it and select the Home Screen (or App Drawer) option in the settings.
3. Turn off the option to Show the application menu (the wording may vary).
4. Make the launcher the main one: go to Settings → Applications → By default → Launcher.

The advantage of this method is that it can return the standard interface at any time, but note that some MIUI features (such as Game Turbo or Second Space) may not work properly with third-party launchers.

Make sure you have 100+MB of free memory

Disable battery optimization for launcher

Download APK from the official website (if the Play Market is not available)

Make a backup of the current desktop settings-->

3. disable main menu via ADB (for power users)

If previous methods didn’t work, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a low-level system setup tool that requires connecting your phone to a PC and basic command line knowledge.

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on Developer Mode on your phone: go to Settings → About Phone and click on MIUI Version 7 times.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and activate Debugging over USB.
3. Connect Redmi to your computer via USB-Cable (use the original cable for stability).
4. Download and install ADB Tools on PC.
5. Open the command prompt (cmd in Windows or Terminal in macOS/Linux) and type:

adb devices

(Your device name should appear – if not, check the drivers.)

adb shell pm hide com.miui.home

This command hides the MIUI system launcher, but it doesn't remove it completely. To get it back, use:

adb shell pm unhide com.miui.home

⚠️ Attention: Misuse of the right ADB Do not follow commands unless you are sure of their purpose. On some Redmi models (e.g. Redmi). K50) This method can block access to system applications.

4. Delete the main menu through editing system files (root)

For root users, a radical way to delete files that display the main menu is irreversible and requires caution.

Tools required:

• 🔧 Root access (obtained via Magisk or SuperSU).
• 📁 Root-access file manager (e.g., Root Explorer or Solid Explorer).
• 📄 Backup of the system (required!).

Instructions:

1. Open the file manager and follow the path:

/system/priv-app/MiuiHome/MiuiHome.apk

1. Rename the file to MiuiHome.apk.bak (this will disable it).
2. Reboot the phone.

After the reboot, the MIUI system launcher will stop working and the main menu will disappear, but this will also entail other changes:

• ❌ Access to Control Center (Control Center) will disappear).
• ❌ The gestures will stop working. MIUI.
• ❌ You may lose access to the settings of themes and wallpapers.

To get it back, rename the file back to MiuiHome.apk or restore the backup.

💡

Before you delete system files, check for dependencies. `MiuiHome.odex` (If there is one, you also need to rename it, otherwise the launcher will not shut down completely.

5.Resetting launcher settings to factory

If the main menu starts to work incorrectly (for example, badges are missing or lags occur), you can reset the launcher settings without completely resetting the phone. This will not delete the main menu, but return it to its original state.

How to reset:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the MIUI (or MiuiHome) launcher in the list.
3. Click Warehouse → Clear the data and Clear the cache.
4. Confirm the action and restart the phone.

After discharge:

• ✅ Standard wallpaper and icon location will return.
• ✅ User folders on the desktop will disappear.
• ✅ The main menu will be sorted by alphabet.

⚠️ Note: This method does not remove the main menu, but only resets its settings. If the goal is to hide the menu, use the methods from the previous sections.

6. Features for different Redmi models

Depending on the Xiaomi Redmi model and the MIUI version, the available methods may vary, and the table below provides current data for popular devices:

If your model is not in the table, focus on the MIUI version:

• 📱 MIUI 14/15: All options are available except for Android Go models.
• 📱 MIUI 12/13: There may be no hidden option in the settings, but ADB root works.
• 📱 MIUI 11 and below: Most methods are irrelevant, an update is recommended.

💡

On Android Go models (like the Redmi A1 or Redmi Go), customization options are extremely limited, with the only working option being installing a third-party launcher.

Possible problems and solutions

When trying to remove the main menu, you may find it difficult to consider typical situations and ways to eliminate them:

Problem 1: After using ADB, the desktop is missing.

• 🔄 Install any launcher from Google Play via your computer (download) APK and put it on the phone).
• 🔙 Return MiuiHome with adb shell pm unhide com.miui.home.

Problem 2: The error "Luncher stopped" appears on the screen.

• 📛 Go to Settings. → Annexes → MiuiHome → Warehouse → Clear the data.
• 🔄 Reboot the phone.

Problem 3: After the MIUI update, the main menu returned.

• 🔧 Repeat the selected method (settings or ADB).
• 📵 Turn off automatic updates MIUI In Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.

Problem 4: The gesture to call the main menu (swipe up) does not work.

• 🔄 Install a launcher with support for custom gestures (for example, Nova Launcher).
• 📱 Set up a new gesture in the launcher settings.

💡

If after manipulating the launcher, the phone began to brake, clear the system cache: go to Settings → Additional → Memory → Clean up and select Deep Clean.

FAQ: Frequent questions