Xiaomi’s MIUI desktop is often hijacked by unnecessary labels, from advertising widgets to duplicate system app icons. Even after uninstallation, its ghost can remain on the home screen, spoiling the view and taking up space. In this article, we’ll discuss 5 proven ways to remove shortcuts, including hidden MIUI features that work on models from Redmi Note 12 to Xiaomi 14 Ultra.
It’s important to understand the difference between a shortcut and the app itself: removing an icon from the screen does not mean uninstalling the program. We’ll also show you how to get rid of undeletable system shortcuts (such as “Themes” or “Security”) without root rights – this method is known to less than 15% of Xiaomi users.
1. Standard removal: swipe up
The most obvious way to do this is for most custom shortcuts: press and hold your finger on an unwanted icon for 1-2 seconds until it sticks off the screen.
Drag the shortcut into this zone and let go of the finger, and the icon disappears, but the app itself will remain in the All Apps menu.
- 📱 Widgets (such as weather or calendar) – need to be removed differently.
- 🔒 System applications (Mi Video, Mi Music, etc.).
- 🛡️ Protected shortcuts (e.g., “Settings” or “Phone»).
⚠️ Attention: On some firmware MIUI 13 and below, swipe up can open the action menu instead of deleting. №2.
2. Deletion through the menu of the label
If the swipe does not work, use an alternative method:
- Press and hold the icon until the context menu appears.
- Select "Application Information" (or "Information").
- In the window that opens, tap “Delete” (if the button is active).
This method is suitable for third-party applications, but it will not help with system ones. For example, the Google Play Store shortcut can be removed like this, but the Mi App Store icon cannot.
The label is not a widget|Application is non-systemic|There is enough free memory on the phone.|Backup copy of data created-->
3. How to remove widgets from the desktop
Widgets (such as weather, calendar or player) are removed differently. Press the widget with your finger before the frame appears, then:
- 🗑️ Drag it into the basket at the top of the screen (similar to shortcuts).
- ⚙️ Or press the cross (✕), quilt.
On MIUI 15, some widgets (e.g., Mi Fit) can block deletion.
- Open the Settings. → Desktop.
- Select "Widgets" and disable unnecessary ones manually.
| Type of element | Deleting method | Works on MIUI 14/15? |
|---|---|---|
| Annex label | Swipe up or menu | ✅ Yes. |
| widget | Cross or basket | ✅ Yes (except for the system ones) |
| Label folder | Delete all the icons inside, then the folder itself. | ✅ Yes. |
| System label | Disconnection through Settings → Applications | ⚠️ Partially (not all) |
4. Hiding System Labels Without Root
System applications (Mi Video, Mi Music, Themes) are not removed in the standard way, but they can be hidden.
- Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Find the app you want (such as Mi Video) and tap on it.
- Select “Disable” or “Hide” (on some firmware).
Once you turn it off, the shortcut will disappear from the desktop, but the app will remain in the system. To return it, you just need to turn it back on in the settings.
What happens if you disable the system application?
⚠️ Note: Do not disable apps with the names com.miui. or android. in the menu “For developers” – this can lead to malfunctions MIUI.
5. Removal via ADB (for power users)
If previous methods have failed, you can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which is suitable for removing embedded applications that do not turn off via the menu.
- 🖥️ Computer with ADB-tools installed.
- 📱 Included mode “Debugging by” USB» on Xiaomi (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times tap to unlock the developer menu).
- 🔌 USB-plug-in.
Instructions:
- Connect the phone to the PC and open the command line (cmd).
- Enter the command: Adb devices to make sure the device is detected.
- Find out the name of the package of the unwanted application (for example, for Mi Video it is com.miui.videoplayer).
- Execute the deletion command: adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.videoplayer
Once the phone is restarted, the shortcut and the app will disappear. To get it back, use the command:
adb shell cmd package install-existing com.miui.videoplayer💡
Before using ADB, back up your data through Settings → Additional → Backup. This will help restore the system if you make an error.
Frequent problems and solutions
Sometimes shortcuts come back after a reboot or are not deleted at all.
Problem 1: The label appears again after the MIUI update.
Solution: This is typical for system applications: disable auto-update for them in the Play Store or use ADB for complete removal.
Problem 2: You can’t remove the Google or Play Store shortcut.
Solution: These apps are protected by Google. They can only be disabled through Settings → Apps → Google Play Store → Disable.
Problem 3: The screen is left with an “empty” icon after the application is removed.
Solution: Reboot your phone or upgrade your launcher. To do this, press the empty space on your desktop → Desktop Settings → Update.
💡
If the shortcut is not removed by any means, check if it is part of the MIUI shell (e.g. Global Search icon) and can only be hidden through themes or third-party launchers.