How to remove unnecessary icons from the Xiaomi Redmi desktop

Xiaomi and Redmi smartphone owners often face a situation where the lock screen or main desktop turns into a chaotic piling of shortcuts, both due to pre-installed software and the active installation of new applications. A crowded desktop not only worsens the visual perception, but can also reduce the performance of the device, forcing the system to constantly index new items.

MIUI interfaces and the new HyperOS offer flexible customization tools, but not all of them are obvious at first glance. Some icons are widgets, others are folder shortcuts, and others can only be removed through system settings. In this article, we will look at all the ways to bring order to your digital space.

Removing the extra items is the first step to digital hygiene, and organizing the screen space in a way that makes it easier to find the right features and feel more confident when using your gadget, and how to effectively manage the shortcuts on your Xiaomi.

Basic removal of application shortcuts

The easiest way to clear space is to remove shortcuts to apps you no longer use. In Xiaomi’s shell, this can happen in two ways, depending on whether you want to simply remove the icon from the screen or remove the program completely.

Once the icon shakes, there will be additional buttons at the top of the screen. If you see the words "Delete with a red cart icon, drag the shortcut there. This action completely uninstalls the application from the smartphone memory, making room for photos or other files.

However, if you want to leave the app, but just remove it from the home screen, you'll need a Remove button (often indicated by an "cross") that will hide the label from the desktop, but the program will remain on the menu of all applications and will be available through search, ideal for system utilities that you rarely use.

• 🗑️ Delete: Completely erases the app and all its data from the device.
• ❌ Remove: Hiding the icon only from the desktop, leaving the application in the system.
• 📂 Move: allows you to drag the icon to another folder or to a free screen.
• ℹ️ About the application: opens the settings where you can clear the cache or forcibly stop the process.

It is important to distinguish between the two modes so that important system components such as Explorer or Security are not accidentally removed.The system often warns of critical actions, but user alertness is a major security factor.

⚠️ Note: When you delete system applications through the standard menu, you may disrupt some of the smartphone’s features. If the Remove button is inactive (gray), then the program is critical to the Android or shell operation. MIUI.

Managing widgets and large labels

Often, the cluttering of the screen is due to widgets — large information blocks that display weather, currency rates or news. Unlike conventional icons, widgets occupy several grid cells. To remove such an item, click on it and hold it until the control menu appears.

In the top corner of the widget, you might see a gear or a cross icon. If you click on the cross, the widget will disappear from the screen. If you want to change its size or contents, select the widget settings, which will allow you to leave a useful feature, but make it less intrusive visually.

Some widgets are part of the theme, and if you can't remove a certain block of weather or music, it might be built into an active theme, so you can change the theme to a standard or a more minimalist one.

You can also use the desktop editing menu to remove the widget. Push two fingers across the screen (put them together) to go into view mode of all screens. Here you can see the layout of the elements and remove the extra blocks by clicking on the appropriate removal icon.

• 🌤️ Weather: Most often it takes 4x2 cells and updated in the background.
• 🎵 Music: a player widget that can slow down work on weak devices.
• 📰 News Feed: consumes traffic and battery power at constant synchronization.
• 📅 Calendar: useful, but often duplicates notifications in status curtain.

Cleaning the screen of heavy widgets is not just a matter of aesthetics: fewer active elements on the desktop reduces the load on RAM, which is especially true for entry-level Redmi models.

Hiding applications through system settings

The MIUI and HyperOS shells have an inbuilt application hide feature that works better than simply removing shortcuts. Hidden apps disappear from the shared menu and desktop, but remain accessible through special password input or settings. It's a great way to remove rarely used but necessary programs.

To activate this feature, go to the Settings menu, then select the Apps section and find Hide Apps. In some firmware versions, this path may differ: Settings → Home → Hide Apps. In the list that opens, just switch the switch to the switchboard opposite the desired program.

Once hidden, the icon disappears. To return the app to the screen or launch it, you will need to go back to the hidden app menu. In older versions of MIUI, there was a method of entering secret code in the "ringer" or swipe in the gallery, but in current builds, control is transferred to security settings.

This feature is especially useful for parents who want to restrict children’s access to certain programs, or for those who want to keep messaging confidential.The hidden app won’t pop up in recent tasks if the appropriate setting is activated.

Using built-in privacy protections allows you to keep your desktop clean without losing important data, a more reliable method than creating empty folders that simply mimic order.

Cleaning up system debris and advertising

Sometimes users confuse unnecessary icons with banner ads or recommendation tapes that are embedded in the interface. Xiaomi has an MSA (MIUI System Ads) service that can add shortcuts to recommended games or applications to the desktop without the user’s knowledge.

To stop these guests from appearing, you need to turn off personalized ads. Go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Access to Personal Data. Find the msa list and turn off the switch. The system will ask you to wait 10 seconds, after which it will confirm the disconnection.

Also worth checking the settings of the theme itself. Some third-party themes contain built-in news or advertising widgets. Go back to the Themes app, select your current theme, and click Remove or Apply Standard. This is guaranteed to remove all intrusive design elements.

Another source of clutter is the Tools folder, which has all the system utilities in it by default, and you can delete the entire folder by dragging it into the trash, or you can take all the items out of it. However, if you delete the folder, the shortcuts inside it can crumble across the desktop, so it's best to sort through the contents manually.

• 📢 GetApps: an app store that often offers to set “recommended” shortcuts.
• 📁 Explorer: Can create shortcuts for recently opened files on the desktop.
• 🎮 Game Turbo: A game panel that adds game shortcuts to a separate folder.
• 🌐 Browser: Often suggests adding a site shortcut to the home screen.

Regularly checking the list of installed applications will help to identify the sources of unwanted shortcuts. If you notice that the icon appeared immediately after installing any program, delete it.

Organization of space with folders

If you can't delete apps because you need them, you should organize them properly. Creating folders is the best way to visually clean your desktop. To create a folder, drag and drop one icon to another. The system automatically creates a container that you can rename.

It is recommended to group applications according to the functional characteristics: "Social networks", "Finance", "Travels". Do not create too large folders with more than 9-12 items, as this will make it difficult to find the desired program. The optimal folder size is 4-6 icons.

In HyperOS and newer versions of MIUI, folders can be different sizes. By clicking on a folder and selecting a Size, you can make it big so you can see the content without opening it, which makes the folder a convenient, fast access widget.

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Use neutral folder names such as Systems or Services to keep them from corny. Avoid bright colors in titles if you use a dark theme.

Remember, folders take up space, too. If you have more than 5-6 folders on one screen, it makes sense to move some of them to the second page of the desktop or in the menu of all applications, leaving only the most important things on the home screen.

Resetting desktop settings

In cases where the desktop is not working properly, icons disappear or, conversely, duplicate, you may need to reset the launcher. This will return the location of the shortcuts to the factory state. Go to Settings → Apps → All applications.

Find the Desktop (or System Launcher) in the list. Click on it and select Clear → All Data. The screen will blink and all your widgets and folders will be deleted, the standard application grid will return, and your personal files and installed programs will not be affected.

This method is radical, but it's effective if you want to start with a clean slate. After resetting, you'll have to reconfigure the widgets and distribute the apps across the screens, but it ensures that there are no software display errors.

⚠️ Warning: Launcher data reset will remove all folders and widgets you created from desktops.Make sure you remember which apps you need to quickly restore the structure after the reboot.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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Regular desktop revision is not just an aesthetic, but a way to speed up the smartphone and protect yourself from random clicks on advertising modules.