Why Xiaomi has extra desktop pages and how to fix it
Xiaomi’s MIUI desktop is often filled with unnecessary pages — whether it’s duplicates after an update, automatically created folders from system applications (Mi Video, Mi Music) or the consequence of transferring data from another device. Unlike Android in its pure form, where deleting a page takes seconds, here the process can be complicated by firmware features and the MIUI version (12 to 14+).
The main problem lies in the logic of the Mi Home launcher: the system believes that the user may need “backup” pages for widgets or new applications. However, in practice, this leads to visual confusion, especially on small-screen devices (Redmi 9A, POCO C31). Fortunately, there are at least 5 ways to solve the problem, from basic to radical, including hidden developer settings.
Method 1: Standard gesture removal (for MIUI 13/14)
The most obvious method works on most modern Xiaomi devices (starting with MIUI 12.5 and later), it does not require superuser rights or a PC connection, but has a limitation: you can only delete empty pages (no icons and widgets).
Algorithm of action:
- 📱 Unlock the screen and go to the desktop page you want to delete.
- 👆 Press and hold any free space on the screen (not on the icon!) before the edit menu appears.
- 🗑️ At the top of the screen, a basket icon will appear – drag the current page there (the gesture is similar to removing the widget).
- ✅ Confirm the action if the system requests.
⚠️ Note: On some models (Redmi Note 10 Pro, Xiaomi) 11T) This method only works for manually created pages. System pages (such as those with a Tools folder) cannot be removed in this way.
Make sure there are no important icons on the page.|Check the version. MIUI at the Settings → The phone.|Close all background applications|Make a backup copy of the desktop (optional)-->
Method 2: Remove via launcher settings (hidden function)
If the gesture removal does not work, you should use the built-in settings of the Mi Home launcher, which is suitable for devices on MIUI 12-14, but requires care: wrong actions can reset the location of all icons.
Instructions:
- Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- In the search box, enter Mi Home (or Launcher on Russian firmware).
- Select the app and tap on Storage → Clear the data (this will reset the launcher settings, but won’t delete the apps!).
- Return to the desktop – now try to delete the page with a gesture (see Method 1).
If this method seems too radical, the alternative is to use the developer mode:
Settings → About the phone → MIUI version (shap 7 times)
Settings → Additional → For developers → Enable “Debugging by USB” and “Allow changing system settings”What to do if after the launcher drops the icons are missing?
Method 3: Use of third-party launchers (for advanced users)
If the system methods didn't work, the radical solution is to install an alternative launcher from Google Play, which not only removes unnecessary pages, but also customizes the interface to your needs.
- 🎨 Nova Launcher – flexible settings, gesture support, backup layouts.
- ⚡ Hyperion Launcher – optimized for Xiaomi, retains branded chips MIUI.
- 🔄 Microsoft Launcher – Windows integration, minimalist design.
How to go to a third-party launcher:
- Download and install the selected launcher from Google Play.
- Run it and follow the setup instructions.
- In the launcher menu, find the Desktop Management option (or similar) and delete the extra pages.
- To return the standard launcher, go to Settings → Applications → By default → Launcher.
⚠️ Note: On some devices (POCO F3, Xiaomi Mi 11) after installing a third-party launcher, call notifications may disappear. MIUI Solution - add launcher to AutoRunner list in battery settings.
Method 4: Manual editing of configuration files (for experienced)
This method is suitable for those who are ready to work with system files and have root rights or access to ADB. It allows you to delete even those pages that are blocked by the system (for example, the page with the Tools folder on Redmi Note 8 Pro).
Procedure:
- Connect your phone to your PC and enable USB Debugging (see Method 2).
- Open the command line on the PC and type: adb shell su cd /data/data/com.miui.home/shared_prefs ls | grep workspace Here we are interested in files of the type workspace_*.xml – They store the desktop configuration.
- Download the file on PC: Adb pull /data/data/com.miui.home/shared_prefs/workspace_1.xml
- Open the file in a text editor (like Notepad++) and find blocks with the <screen> tag. Delete unnecessary blocks (save backup!).
- Return the file back: adb push workspace_1.xml /data/data/com.miui.home/shared_prefs/ adb shell chmod 660 /data/data/com.miui.home/shared_prefs/workspace_1.xml
- Reset the device.
| Xiaomi model | Supported method | Need root? | Risk of resetting settings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redmi 9/9A/9C | Methods 1, 2, 3 | No. | Low. |
| POCO X3/X3 Pro | Methods 1, 3, 4 | For method 4, yes. | Medium (in method 4) |
| Xiaomi 12/12 Pro | All right. | For method 4, yes. | High (at method 4) |
| Redmi Note 10/11 | Methods 1, 2, 3 | No. | Low. |
💡
Before editing system files, make a full backup through Settings → Additional → Backup. This will allow you to restore the desktop if something goes wrong.
Method 5: Resetting launcher settings to factory
If all previous methods failed, the last chance is to reset the launcher completely, and this will bring the desktop back out of the box by removing all user pages, folders and widgets. Importantly, this method does not affect the application data or files in the device's memory, but the location of the icons will have to be reconfigured.
Instructions:
- Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Find Mi Home (or Louncher) and open its page.
- Slip it on the vault. → Clear all data.
- Confirm the action. After the reboot, the desktop will be reset.
⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI 14 After the launcher is reset, the Tools folder with system utilities may disappear. To return it, go to Settings → Desktop → Screen settings → Show the Tools folder.
💡
Resetting the launcher is the most reliable way to delete all the extra pages, but requires reconfiguration of the desktop. Use it if other methods have not worked.
Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
When deleting desktop pages on Xiaomi, users often face typical problems, and here are the most common ones and ways to solve them:
- 🔄 "The page returns after the reboot" - meaning the launcher caches the settings.Solution: clear the Mi Home cache in the app's settings.
- 🚫 "You can't delete the Tools folder page, which is a system page, so you can hide it through the launcher settings (see Method 5) or use a third-party launcher.
- ⚠️ "The icons are gone after being reset — they're not deleted, they're just hidden. Swipe up from the desktop to open the app menu, and bring the icons back to the screen.
- 🔧 "Gesture Deletion is not working" - check if Safe Mode is on (status bar notification) In this mode, all desktop changes are blocked.
Another common mistake is to try to delete the page that hosts the active widget (such as a weather or calendar widget), in which case, first remove the widget (press and hold it, then drag it to the cart), and then try to delete the page again.