How to remove unnecessary icons from the desktop on Xiaomi smartphone: the full guide

Xiaomi’s desktop is often a mess of unnecessary shortcuts, system apps, and advertising widgets. Even after a clean MIUI installation, icons of Topics, Security, Mi Video, and others that can’t be removed in the standard way appear on the screen. In this article, we’ll discuss 5 working methods for removing unnecessary icons, from simple to advanced ones, including hiding root-free system applications.

Compounding the problem, Xiaomi is actively integrating its own services into the MIUI shell that can’t always be uninstalled, such as Mi Pay or GetApps, which can take up space on the screen even if you don’t use it, and we’ll look at solutions for all firmware versions, from MIUI 12 to MIUI 14, and take into account the features of the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 and other popular devices.

Why do unnecessary icons appear on the Xiaomi desktop?

The main reason for screen litter is pre-installed system applications and automatically added shortcuts. In MIUI, this works like this:

• 📦 The manufacturer installs its services (Mi Home, Mi Browser, Mi Music) that cannot be removed without the rights of the superuser.
• 🔄 Updates MIUI New icons are often added (e.g. Game Turbo or Second Space).
• 📱 Apps from Google Play can create shortcuts on the desktop without asking (for example, games or instant messengers).
• 🎨 Themes and launchers sometimes reset the location of icons or add their own widgets.

Another feature of Xiaomi is the duplication of icons, for example, after the update, a second Settings icon or Phone may appear, which is because the system creates shortcuts for new versions of applications without removing old ones.

⚠️ Note: Some system applications (such as Security or Mi Account) cannot be removed or disabled, and their concealment can cause smartphone malfunctions, including problems with updates or data synchronization.

Method 1: Removing user shortcuts (the easiest method)

If the icons on the desktop appeared after installing apps from Google Play or were created manually, they can be deleted in a few seconds:

1. Press and hold your finger on the unnecessary icon.
2. At the top of the screen will appear a panel with options. Drag the icon to the inscription Delete (or in the basket).
3. If the Remove option is not active, try dragging the icon down the screen – there may appear the inscription Remove from the screen.

This method works for all applications installed by the user, as well as for some system shortcuts (e.g. duplicates of the Camera or Gallery), but it will not help to get rid of the built-in MIUI services.

Make sure that this is not a system application.|Try restarting your smartphone.|Update. MIUI last-minute|Use an alternative launcher-->

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If the icon reappears after removal, check the application settings in Settings → Applications → Application Management. It may automatically create a shortcut when you run it.

Method 2: Hiding system applications through MIUI settings

For embedded applications (Mi Video, Mi Pay, GetApps, etc.), MIUI 12-14 has a hide feature that does not remove the program completely, but removes its icon from the desktop and from the application menu:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the All Apps tab and find the right one (such as Mi Browser).
3. Slip on the three dots in the top right corner and select Hide.
4. Confirm the action in the dialog window.

The hidden application will not appear on the desktop and menu, but will remain in the system. It can be made visible again through the same settings section. This method works for most pre-installed programs, except for critical ones (for example, Settings or Phone).

⚠️ Note: On some models (POCO F4, Redmi K50) When system applications are hidden, access to related functions may be lost, such as hiding Mi Share, which will disable fast file transfers between Xiaomi devices.

Method 3: Use of an alternative launcher

If standard methods don't work, you can completely replace the MIUI shell with a third-party launcher.

• 🌟 Nova Launcher – supports hiding icons, gestures, setting up the grid.
• 🎨 Lawnchair is an open source lightweight launcher optimized for Xiaomi.
• 🔧 Microsoft Launcher – Windows integration, application hiding.
• 📱 POCO Launcher - Official Launcher from POCO minimalist.

Instructions for setting:

1. Install the selected launcher from Google Play.
2. When you first start, select it as the default launcher.
3. In the launcher settings, find the Hidden Applications (or App Drawer) section and mark the unnecessary ones.
4. Customize the appearance: the size of the icons, indentations, animations.

The advantage of this method is that you have complete control over your desktop, and in Nova Launcher, for example, you can:

• Hide system applications without restrictions.
• Group icons into folders with gestures.
• Adjust the transparency of panels and animations.

Nova Launcher|Lawnchair|Microsoft Launcher|Standard. MIUI Launcher|Other-->

Method 4: Remove system applications via ADB (for advanced)

If you’re ready for more complex manipulations, you can completely remove unnecessary system applications using Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a method that requires connecting your smartphone to your computer, but doesn’t need root rights.

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on Developer Mode on your smartphone: Go to Settings → About Phone. Tap 7 times on MIUI Version. Go back to Settings → Additional → Developer. Activate USB Debugging.

ADB-driver

Platform Tools by Google

adb devices

Make sure the device is identified.

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.xiaomi.name

Replace com.xiaomi.name with an app package (see table below).

Important: Removing system applications can lead to unstable smartphone performance, for example, after removing com.xiaomi.mipicks (GetApps), branded wallpaper and themes may disappear.

Method 5: Reset the launcher settings (if the icons returned after the update)

Sometimes, after updating MIUI or changing the theme, old icons appear on the desktop that you previously deleted, which is because the system resets the launcher settings to fix:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the launcher (or MIUI Launcher) and select it.
3. Slip the vault. → Clear the data.
4. Confirm the action. After that, the desktop will reset to the factory settings.

If you install new programs frequently, use app managers like App Cloner or Island to isolate test applications from the main system and avoid clogging your desktop.

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Regular cleaning of the launcher cache (in Settings → Applications → Launcher → Storage → Clear cache) helps to avoid glitches with the display of icons.

FAQ: Frequent questions about cleaning Xiaomi desktop