How to remove unnecessary icons from the screen Xiaomi Redmi: system icons, widgets and notifications

Why do the Xiaomi Redmi screen have extra icons?

Have you just unpacked the new Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 or updated the firmware on the old Redmi 9A and a dozen unnecessary icons are already on the screen? That's no coincidence - this is how the MIUI shell works. By default, the system adds weather widgets, Mi Browser, Xiaomi Cloud services and even banner ads (in some regions), and many apps automatically create shortcuts after installation.

Compounding the problem, MIUI is actively using notifications in the status bar and on the locked screen. For example, an NFC icon can burn constantly even if you do not use contactless payment, and the Battery icon displays a percentage of the charge, taking up precious space. In this article, we will discuss how to get rid of everything superfluous - from system icons to intrusive widgets without resorting to root rights.

It's important to understand that some icons, like network or time, can't be removed -- they're stitched up in firmware, but 80 percent of the junk on the screen can be removed with standard MIUI or hidden Android features.

Method 1: Removing application shortcuts from the home screen

The most obvious source of clutter is the shortcuts to apps you don't use, which can be removed in MIUI in two ways:

• 📱 Drag to the basket: hold your finger on the unnecessary icon, wait for the vibration and move it to the basket that appears at the top of the screen (Delete icon.
• ⚙️ Through the menu: click on the icon and hold 1-2 seconds → In the context menu, select Delete (not to be confused with Delete App!).

⚠️ Warning: This method only removes the shortcut from the home screen, but it doesn't uninstall the app itself. If you want to get rid of the program completely, go to Settings. → Annexes → Manage applications, find what you need and click Delete.

On some Redmi models (e.g. Redmi 10C or Redmi A1), it may reappear after the label is removed after the reboot, due to the MIUI's Shortcut Recovery feature, to disable it:

1. Open the Settings. → Main screen screen.
2. Scroll down and deactivate the option to Restore Shortcuts after a crash.
3. Reset the device.

💡

If the shortcut is not removed in the standard way, try moving it to the folder (press the icon → drag to another icon).

Method 2: Disabling system icons in the status bar

The top panel of Xiaomi Redmi displays dozens of indicators: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Flight Mode, NFC, Charging and others, some of which can be hidden without root rights.

1. Turn the notification bar (swipe down from the top edge of the screen).
2. Push the gear. ⚙️ in the upper right corner to open notification settings.
3. Select Status String → System Icons.

Here you'll see a list of all active indicators. For example, you can turn off:

• 🔋 Percentage of battery charge (if duplicated in widget).
• 📶 Network indicator 4G/5G (leaving only the signal level icon).
• 🔄 Sync icon (if you don’t use Xiaomi Cloud).
• 📱 Do Not Disturb (if it is on constantly).

⚠️ Warning: Some icons (such as alarm clock or Bluetooth) are only hidden until the next reboot. MIUI, And you can completely remove them only with the help of ADB-Teams (we will talk about it below).

Method 3: Hiding Weather, News and Advertising Widgets

MIUI likes to add weather widgets, news feeds and even banner ads (in firmware for China and India) to the home screen.

1. Click the empty space on the home screen → select Widgets.
2. Find an unnecessary widget (like Weather or Mi Video) and swipe it left or right to make the Remove button appear.
3. Confirm the action.

If the widget is not removed (e.g. Google Search or Mi Browser), try:

• 🔍 Disable it through Settings → Annexes → Application management → Find the app associated with the widget and prevent it from displaying notifications.
• 📵 Install another launcher (such as Nova Launcher or Hyperion Launcher) where widgets are installed MIUI will not be displayed.

⚠️ Note: on some Redmi models (e.g. Redmi Note 11 Pro)+) Weather widget is tied to the Mi Weather system app. It can't be removed, but you can replace it with a third-party version (like AccuWeather) and hide the original widget.

Method 4: Disabling notifications from system applications

Many icons on the Xiaomi Redmi screen appear because of notifications from system services: Mi Security, Cleaner, Mi Video and others.

1. Go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Notification management.
2. Select the application (e.g. Security or Cleanup).
3. Deactivate the Display Notifications Switch.

Especially annoying notifications from:

• 🛡️ Mi Security ("No Threats Detected", "Optimize the Device").
• 📺 Mi Video (advertising of films and TV series).
• 🔄 Cleaner ("clean up memory to speed up work").
• 📱 Mi Account (Invitations to connect to Xiaomi account).

To completely disable advertising notifications (e.g. from Mi Video or Mi Browser), you may need to disable personalized advertising:

1. Open Settings → Memory → Advertising (or Settings → Additional → Special Options → Advertising Services).
2. Turn off the option of personalized advertising.
3. Reset the Advertising Identifier (Reset button at the bottom of the screen).

Disable notifications from Mi Security| Disable personalized ads |Delete Mi Video and Mi Browser|Reset the ad ID-->

Method 5: Using ADB to hide system icons (advanced method)

If the standard methods do not help, you can use ADB-This will disable system applications and hide icons that cannot be removed through settings. Importantly, this method requires a connection to a PC and can disrupt some functions if used incorrectly.

Instructions:

1. Turn on Developer Mode on Xiaomi Redmi: Go to Settings → About Phone. Click 7 times on MIUI until you get a message You are a developer!
2. Activate USB Debugging in Settings → Additional → For developers.
3. Connect your phone to your PC, install ADB-tools, and execute commands in the terminal.

Examples of useful commands:

• 📱 Disable Mi Browser: Adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.android.browser
• 🔍 Hide the icon NFC In the status bar: adb shell settings put global icon_blacklist nfc
• 📵 Remove Mi Video: adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.video
• 🛡️ Disable Mi Security (caution!): adb shell pm disable-user com.miui.guardprovider

⚠️ Warning: Disabling system applications (such as Mi Security) may cause the phone to run unstable or have update issues. ADB Make a backup copy of the data!

💡

ADB-commands allow you to remove system applications without root rights, but they only work for the current user, and after you reset your settings or update your firmware, you have to redo them.

Method 6: Installation of a third-party launcher (radical solution)

If you're not just annoyed by the icons, but also by the MIUI interface itself, the best way to do that is to install an alternative launcher.

• 🌌 Nova Launcher – flexible customization of icons, gestures and animations.
• ⚡ Hyperion Launcher – Minimalist design without ads.
• 📱 Lawnchair – open launcher with support for dark themes.
• 🎨 Microsoft Launcher – Integration with Windows and Cloud Services.

After the launcher is installed:

1. Press the Home button and select the new launcher as the main one.
2. In the launcher settings, turn off the display of unnecessary icons (for example, in Nova Launcher this is done through Settings → Home screen → Hide applications).
3. Customize gestures and animations to your liking.

⚠️ Attention: Some functions MIUI (For example, double tap to wake up or navigation gestures may conflict with third-party launchers, 4PDA or XDA Developers).

What if the icons reappear after the update?

MIUI is known for bringing back deleted shortcuts and widgets to the screen after updating the firmware.

1. Before updating, make a backup of the current location of the icons (in launchers such as Nova Launcher, this is done automatically).
2. After the update, immediately:

If the problem recurs, try to delay the update for 1-2 weeks – often newer versions of MIUI fix shortcut recovery bugs.

FAQ: Frequent questions about removing badges on Xiaomi Redmi