How to reduce the icons on Android Xiaomi: all the ways for MIUI 13-15

Too large icons on the Xiaomi desktop sometimes take up half the screen, preventing comfortable use of the smartphone. Especially a problem for owners of devices with small displays (5.5-6.2) or those who are used to compact arrangement of elements. In this article, we will discuss all possible methods of reducing icons, from standard settings MIUI to hidden functions through ADB and third-party launchers.

Many users mistakenly believe that resizing icons requires root rights or complex manipulation. In fact, MIUI 13-15 (Android 12-14) has at least 3 built-in methods, and with workarounds, up to 7 options, the main thing is to choose the right method for your model (Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Mi 11, etc.) and the firmware version.

Attention! Some methods (e.g., using ADB) can reset your desktop settings after you update your system, and we recommend that you capture your current settings with screenshots or entries.

Before you start making changes, check the MIUI version in the Settings menu → About Phone → MIUI version. This affects the availability of certain features. For example, MIUI 14 for the global version (Global ROM) does not have the option to change the icon grid through the standard settings - it was replaced with "Compact Display Mode".

1. Standard MIUI settings: changing the desktop grid

The easiest way is to use the built-in MIUI settings.It is suitable for most devices on MIUI 12.5-15 (including Redmi 10, POCO F4, Xiaomi 12T), but with reservations:

Some firmware, like MIUI 14 for Europe, has the option hidden to find it.

1. Long press on the free space of the desktop → Desktop settings.
2. Select the Desktop Grid (or the size of the icons in the older versions).
3. Set the value from 4×5 (the largest icons) to 5×6 or 6×7 (the smallest).

⚠️ Attention: POCO Launcher (set by default to the default) POCO F3, X3 Pro) this method does not work - a change of launcher or manual adjustment of settings through ADB.

If the Desktop Grid item is not on the menu, try an alternative path:

1. Open the Settings → Display.
2. Slip on text size and display.
3. Activate the slider Compact display mode – this will reduce the icons by 10-15% without changing the grid.

2. Use of the "Lite Mode" mode

A little-known MIUI feature originally designed for weak devices (Redmi 9A, POCO C31), but also useful for reducing icons.

• 📱 Icons are 20% smaller than standard ones.
• 🔄 Simplified animation transitions between screens.
• ⚡ Reduced load on the processor (relevant for budget models).

To activate:

1. Go to Settings. → Special facilities.
2. Select the Light Mode (Lite Mode).
3. Confirm the on and restart the device.

Important: This mode turns off some widgets and live wallpaper, and the background of the desktop is reset to standard. If you only need small icons without losing functionality, use the following method.

3. Change the size of icons through ADB (no root)

For advanced users willing to work with ADB, there is a team that forcibly scales icons, which works on all versions of MIUI, including MIUI 15, but requires a PC connection.

Instructions:

1. Turn on USB Debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (stick 7 times on the item, then go back to Settings → Additional → For Developers).
2. Connect your smartphone to your PC and execute the command: adb shell settings put global icon_scale_factor 0.8 where 0.8 — scale ratio (range from 0.7 before 1.0).
3. Reset the device.

⚠️ Attention: Some shells (e.g, POCO Launcher) ignore this command. In this case, first install a standard launcher MIUI through settings → Annexes → By default. → Launcher.

Install Xiaomi drivers on PC| Enable debugging on USB| Download ADB Platform Tools| Connect your phone with the original cable-->

To return the standard icon size, do:

adb shell settings delete global icon_scale_factor

4. Third-party launchers: Nova Launcher, Apex, Hyperion

If the built-in methods don't work, the most reliable way is to install an alternative launcher.

We recommend Nova Launcher as the most stable option.

1. Long press on the desktop → Settings.
2. Select the Desktop → Size of icons.
3. Move the slider to the minimum value (70%).
4. In the Desktop Grid section, set 10×8 for maximum density.

💡

Nova Launcher allows you to customize the separate size of the icons for folders and docks – this is useful if you need to reduce only the elements on the home screen, leaving large icons in the bottom panel.

5. editing the build.prop file (for power users)

This method requires an unlocked bootloader and access to system files, but allows you to flexibly scale all interface elements, including icons. Suitable for devices on MIUI 13-14 with root rights or customized Recovery (TWRP).

Instructions:

1. With a root-access file manager (such as Root Explorer), open the file /system/build.prop.
2. Add a line: ro.sf.lcd_density=420 (significance 420 fitting HD-displays; for HD-screens (Redmi) 9) use 320).
3. Save the file, restart the device.

⚠️ Attention: Incorrect value lcd_density It can cause interface failure (too small text, cropped elements!

6. Configure through MIUI themes (hidden functionality)

MIUI has a little-known option to resize icons through the theme editor, which does not require root and works even on MIUI 15, but is not available on all firmware.

Step-by-step:

1. Download any topic from the Theme → Online topics (for example, Minimal Black).
2. Open the Theme Editor (long click on the empty desktop space → Themes → Editor).
3. Select the Icons section → Size.
4. Set the value from 80% to 120%.
5. Save the change as a new topic and apply it.

If there is no Theme Editor, your firmware does not support this feature, alternatively, install the theme with small icons from the store (e.g. Pixel Icons or Flat Icons Pack).

💡

The theme editor at MIUI allows you to change not only the size of icons, but also their shape (round, square, rounded), as well as the color of the substrate, which is the only way to customize without third-party launchers.

7.Reset launcher settings (if the icons have increased themselves)

Sometimes icons suddenly get bigger after a MIUI update or a system crash, and resetting the launcher settings will help:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the Launcher (or POCO Launcher) and select Warehouse.
3. Tap Clear the data and Clear the cache.
4. Reset the device.

⚠️ Note: This procedure will reset the location of icons, folders and widgets on the desktop.

If the reset didn’t work, check if the Visually Impaired Mode is activated by accident in Settings → Special Features → Enlargement. This mode forcibly scales all interface elements.

FAQ: Frequent questions about reducing icons on Xiaomi