How to remove the desktop on the Xiaomi smartphone: hide icons, widgets and unnecessary elements

Xiaomi’s desktop often turns into a mess of icons, widgets, and folders — especially if you’re actively installing apps or syncing data with the cloud. But what if you want to return a minimalist look to the screen? Perhaps you want to hide personal data before handing over your phone to another person, optimize space, or just get rid of visual noise. In this article, we’ll look at all the working ways to clean the desktop on any Xiaomi model, from the budget Redmi to the flagship Xiaomi 13 Ultra.

It's important to understand that there are many ways to "remove the desktop": completely hide all icons, remove individual items, disable widgets or even reset the launcher to factory. We'll look at options for different versions of MIUI (including MIUI 14 based on Android 13), as well as workarounds for older devices. If you're looking for a way to return a "clean" screen without unnecessary icons, you've come to the right place.

1. How to hide application icons from the desktop

The easiest way to clean the screen is to remove unnecessary icons from the app menu. In MIUI, this is done in two taps, but there are nuances for different versions of the shell.

On new smartphones (MIUI 12 and later), just hold your finger on any icon until it starts to “shake” and then drag it up the screen to “Delete (or Remove)” the icon will disappear from the desktop, but will remain in the application menu. If you want to completely remove the application, drag it to the cart (Delete with a red background).

On older versions (MIUI 10 and below), the algorithm is different:

• 📱 Press the icon before the menu appears.
• 🗑️ Select Remove (if you only need to remove from the screen) or Remove the application (for complete removal).
• ⚙️ If the Remove option is inactive, it means it is a system application (for example, Mi Video or Mi Music.

⚠️ Note: Some system applications (e.g. Security or Topics) cannot be removed or hidden without the permission of the superuser (root) and can only be removed from the desktop, but they will remain on the menu.

2. How to disable widgets and folders

Widgets (weather, clock, notes) and folders often take up space to remove them:

1. Press the widget or folder before the cross appears (❌) corner.
2. Drag the item to the basket or press the cross.
3. Confirm the removal (if required).

For MIUI widgets (such as Weather or Calendar) there is an alternative way to:

• 🔍 Go to Settings. → Desktop.
• 📊 Select Widgets and disable unnecessary ones.
• 🔄 If the widget is system (for example, Mi Fit), it can only be hidden, but not completely removed.

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If the widget is not removed in the standard way, try first removing it from the widget menu (Long tap on the desktop → Widgets → Hold the unnecessary widget → Delete).

Folders are deleted in the same way as icons, but if there are apps in the folder, they will automatically return to the desktop. To avoid this, first transfer all icons from the folder to the application menu, and then delete the folder itself.

3.Resetting launcher settings to factory

If the desktop is in chaos and manual cleaning takes too long, you can reset the launcher settings, which will bring back the standard layout of the icons and widgets, but will not remove the apps themselves.

Instructions for MIUI 12/13/14:

1. Open the Settings → Applications.
2. Press three points (⋮) in the upper right corner and select Show all applications.
3. Find the MIUI Launcher (or Lawnchair if you use an alternative launcher).
4. Select Warehouse. → Clear the data.
5. Confirm the action and restart the phone.

⚠️ Warning: After the launcher is reset, all folders, widgets and icon locations will be removed, and the apps will remain, but they will have to be re-posted on the desktop.

On older versions (MIUI 10 and below), the path may be different:

Settings → Additional → Launcher → Reset settings

4. How to hide all icons from the desktop (empty screen mode)

If you want to leave your desktop completely empty, but still save access to apps through the menu, there are two ways:

Method 1: Use an alternative launcher

• 📥 Install Nova Launcher or Lawnchair from Google Play.
• 🔧 In the launcher settings, find the option Hide icons on your desktop or Empty desktop.
• 🔄 Reboot your phone to make the changes take effect.

Method 2: Transfer all icons to the folder (for MIUI):

1. Create a new folder on your desktop.
2. Drag all the icons into this folder.
3. Rename the folder to “.” (dot) – it will become invisible on the desktop, but will remain in the application menu.

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Alternative launchers (like Nova Launcher) allow you to flexibly configure your desktop, including completely hiding icons without removing apps.

5. Removal of system applications (for power users)

Some apps (Mi Video, Mi Music, Browser) cannot be removed in standard ways, but they can be disabled or removed with root permissions.

No root:

• 🔧 Go to Settings. → Annexes.
• 🔍 Find an unnecessary system application (e.g. Mi Pay).
• 🚫 Click Disable (this hides it from the menu and stops background processes).

With root rights (requires unlocking the bootloader):

1. Install Root Explorer or Titanium Backup.


2. Find the application in the system list (/system/app or /system/priv-app).




3. delete the APK file or transfer it to another folder (e.g. /system/disabled).




4. Reboot the phone.

⚠️ Warning: Removing system applications may disrupt the work MIUI. For example, deleting Mi Account will cause synchronization problems, and deleting Security will cause antivirus malfunctions!

6 How to return deleted icons or widgets

If you accidentally delete the desired icon or widget, they can be easily restored:

For icons:

• 📱 Open the app menu (swipe up from the bottom of the screen).
• 🔍 Find the right app and pinch its icon.
• 📲 Drag it back to the desktop.

For widgets:

1. Make a long press on the free place of the desktop.
2. Pick the Widgets.
3. Find the widget you want in the list and drag it to the screen.

If the widget is missing from the list, it may have been disabled in the settings to return it:

Settings → Appendices → Three dots (⋮) → Show system → Find the widget → Include

7. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

When cleaning a desktop, users often face typical problems, and here's how to solve them:

If all the icons, including the system icons (phone, messages, camera) are missing after the launcher is reset, don’t panic: they are not deleted, but simply hidden. To return them, restart the phone or install another launcher (for example, Nova Launcher), which will automatically restore the base icons.

8. Alternative ways of organizing the desktop

If you don’t like the standard MIUI launcher, consider the alternatives:

• 🌟 Nova Launcher – flexible customization of icons, gestures and animations.
• 🎨 Lawnchair – Minimalist launcher with themes support MIUI.
• 🔄 Microsoft Launcher – Integration with Windows and Office 365.
• 📱 Action Launcher – unique features like Shutters (fast swipe actions on the icon).

To install an alternative launcher:

1. Download it from Google Play.
2. Open the app and follow the setup instructions.
3. In the phone settings, select the new launcher as the main one (Settings → Applications → By default → Launcher).

Backup the location of the icons (screenshot or export to Nova Launcher)

Check the compatibility of the launcher with the Android version

Disable battery optimization for new launcher

Restart the phone after installation-->

If you go back to the standard MIUI launcher, all the alternative launcher settings will be saved and you can restore them later.

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning Xiaomi desktop