How to remove the second desktop on Xiaomi: 5 proven ways

Xiaomi smartphone owners often experience the sudden appearance of a second desktop, a backup screen with icons that interferes with navigation and takes up extra space, a feature embedded in the MIUI shell that can be activated accidentally: after a system update, reset settings, or even when the device is connected to another user's Mi Account. In some cases, a second screen is created automatically when setting up "Children's Mode" or "Guest Mode", but most often this is the result of a launcher failure.

Unlike Samsung or Huawei, where additional desktops are managed through launcher settings, Xiaomi can make this process more complicated by the MIUI version and device model. For example, on the Redmi Note 10 Pro with MIUI 13, the algorithm differs from the POCO X3 to MIUI 12.5. In addition, the manufacturer does not always provide a direct option to remove – sometimes you need to “cheat” the system or use hidden commands. In this article, we will discuss all the current methods, including those that work even on locked devices without root rights.

Why does the second desktop appear and can it be simply removed?

Before you start deleting, it is important to understand the reason for the backup screen, and in 90% of cases it is not a bug, but a feature is one of the MIUI features that is activated in the following scenarios:

• 🔄 System Update: After installing the new version MIUI (Especially when you go from 12 to 13.+) Launcher can reset settings and create a backup screen.
• 👶 Child Mode: When setting up parental controls (Settings) → Special opportunities → Children's Mode) automatically adds a separate desktop with a limited set of applications.
• 🔒 Guest profile: Enabling guest mode (Settings) → System system → Additionally. → Users) duplicate the main screen for the temporary user.
• 📱 Data portability: When you restore from a backup (Mi Cloud or local backup), the settings of two devices, including desktops, can merge.
• 🤖 Launcher failure: Rarely, but it happens that after the forced stop of the application com.miui.home, the system creates a duplicate.

Can you just delete the second screen as an unnecessary file? No, in MIUI, desktops are not stored as separate objects in memory. They are part of the launcher configuration, and their "deletion" is reduced to resetting settings or manipulating system parameters, and some methods (for example, reset via ADB) can lead to the loss of widgets and the location of icons on the main screen - this is worth remembering in advance.

⚠️ Note: If the second desktop appeared after connecting to the Mi Account of another user (for example, when buying a used phone), first untie the account through Settings. → Xiaomi account.Otherwise, after resetting the device may be blocked!

Method 1: Remove via launcher settings (for MIUI 12–14)

The safest and most obvious method is to use the built-in launcher options. It works on most modern devices (Redmi Note 11/12, POCO F4, Xiaomi 12/13) with a MIUI 12-14 shell.

1. Go into desktop editing mode: pinch the empty space on the screen with your finger and select Settings (the gear icon at the bottom).
2. Go to the Home screen section (Home screen in English).
3. Find the option “Remove screen” (or “Remove screen”) – it can be hidden under the option “More”.
4. Select an unnecessary desktop (usually lit in red) and confirm removal.

If the option is inactive or not, try an alternative path:

1. Press the icon of any application on the second screen.
2. Drag it to the main desktop.
3. If the screen is empty, the system can automatically delete it after 24-48 hours (in the background, MIUI clears unused pages).

Make sure there are no important widgets on the second screen.|Take a screenshot of the location of the icons|Check the version. MIUI In Settings→The phone.|Turn off the child mode (if activated)-->

On some devices (e.g. Redmi 9A with MIUI 12.0.8), the uninstall option may be blocked, in which case resetting the launcher settings will help:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the Louncher app (or com.miui.home).
3. Select "Storage" → "Clear the data".
4. Confirm the action - after the reboot, all desktops will be reset to the factory settings (only the main one will remain).

⚠️ Attention: Clearing the launcher data will remove all screen settings: folders, widgets, wallpaper and icon order, and you can restore them only from the backup of the Mi Cloud (if it was created).

Method 2: Use of the ADB-Teams (for experienced users)

If standard methods don’t work, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a debugging tool that allows you to send commands directly to the system, which is suitable for devices with an unlocked bootloader (not necessarily root-rights), but requires a connection to a computer.

You'll need:

• 💻 Computer with installed Xiaomi drivers and package ADB.
• 📱 Included debugging by USB (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times tap to unlock Developer Settings → insert "Debugging by USB").
• 🔌 USB-TypeC Cable (preferably original).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect the phone to the PC and confirm the debugging permission on the smartphone screen.
2. Open the command prompt (cmd in Windows or Terminal in macOS/Linux) and type:

adb devices

(Your device must be displayed with a serial number.)

1. Enter the command to reset the launcher settings:

adb shell pm clear com.miui.home

1. Reset the device:

adb reboot

After turning on the second desktop should disappear. If not, try an additional command to reset the desktop settings:

adb shell settings put global miui_home_recent_app_span 0

Critical detail: on some firmware (e.g. MIUI EU or custom builds), the pm clear command can lead to a reboot cycle, in which case a full reset via Recovery is required.

Method 3: Reset to factory settings (extreme case)

If a second desktop appears after a system crash or is linked to someone else's Mi Account, a complete device reset may be required.This method is guaranteed to delete all user data, so use it only as a last resort.

How to reset your settings without losing data (if possible):

1. Create a backup through Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset → Local Backup.
2. Export your contacts and SMS to your Google Account or memory card.
3. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
4. Select Reset All Settings (not to be confused with Reset Network Settings!).
5. Confirm the action and wait for the reboot (it will take 5-10 minutes).

⚠️ Note: On devices with a locked bootloader (Redmi for the Chinese market, some of which are not available) POCO) Hard reset via Recovery can result in Mi Account blocking.Pre-proceed check the lock status in Settings → Xiaomi account → Status of device.

Reset via launcher settings |Use ADB|Full device reset |Other method (write in the comments)|I haven't decided-->

Method 4: Disconnecting through Developer Mode (hidden option)

In some versions of MIUI (e.g. 13.0.4–13.0.6), the second desktop can be disabled through hidden developer settings, a method not officially documented but works on Xiaomi 11T, Redmi K40 and other flagships.

Instructions:

1. Activate Developer Mode (if not already enabled): go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version and tap it 7 times.
2. Return to the main settings menu and open the section "More → For developers".
3. Scroll down and find the option "Flag: Minimum number of desktops" (flag_min_home_screens).
4. Set the value of "1" and restart the device.

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

1. In Developer Mode, find “Don’t keep activities” and turn it off.
2. Return to the home screen, press the empty space and select Home Screen Settings.
3. The screen removal option may now be available.

This method doesn't work on all devices, but if you're lucky, it will avoid resetting. POCO-firmware MIUI for POCO You may need to further disable the "Show recommendations" option in the launcher settings.

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If the second screen is left after changing the flag, try temporarily installing another launcher (like Nova Launcher or Lawnchair) from Google Play. Once you return to the standard MIUI launcher, the problem often disappears.

Method 5: Manual editing of settings files (for root users)

If you have root rights (like Magisk), you can manually edit the launcher configuration files, which is risky, but it gives you 100% results. You'll need any root-enabled file manager (like Solid Explorer or FX File Explorer).

Step-by-step:

1. Open the file manager and give it root access.
2. Follow the path:

/data/data/com.miui.home/shared_prefs/

1. Find the file com.miui.home.preferences.xml and open it in the text editor.
2. Find the line with the parameter home_screen_count (similar).
3. Change the value from "2" to "1".
4. Save the file and restart the device.

If the file is missing or the parameter is not found, try an alternative path:

1. Delete the com.miui.home.preferences.xml file in its entirety.
2. Restart the phone – the launcher will create a new config with default settings (one desktop).

⚠️ Note: Incorrect editing of files in /data/data/ This can cause a launcher to crash or a reboot cycle.Before you change, back up your com.miui.home folder!

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Editing system files is a last resort, and if you're not sure what you're doing, you better use other methods or go to a service center.

What to do if nothing helps

If none of these methods worked, the problem may lie deeper:

• 🔧 Damaged firmware: In rare cases, desktop duplication is caused by a failure in system files. The solution is to reflash the device via Fastboot or Recovery.
• 📦 Shell conflict: On some devices (such as the Xiaomi Pad 5), the second screen appears due to a bug in the device. MIUI It's just waiting for the update.
• 🔒 Mi Account Lock: If the phone was linked to another account, you may need to officially unlock through the Xiaomi website.

Before you bring the device to the service, try the following steps:

1. Update MIUI to the latest version via Settings → System Update.
2. Install an alternative launcher (such as Microsoft Launcher) and check if the problem persists.
3. Contact Xiaomi support via the official chat (in the Feedback app) by attaching screenshots and error log (Settings → About Phone → Error Report).

If a second desktop appeared after installing custom firmware (e.g. xiaomi.eu or PixelExperience), refer to the developer forum (e.g. XDA) – the problem may be known and have a patch.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the second desktop on Xiaomi