Owners of modern smartphones Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO often face the desire to personalize the interface of the device to their tastes. One of the most popular features is to resize elements on the home screen, which allows you to place more applications or, conversely, make them more noticeable. Standard settings of the shell MIUI or the new HyperOS provide the basic tools for this, but they are not always obvious to the inexperienced user. In this article, we will examine all the available methods, from simple menu switches to advanced settings through themes.
The need to scale graphics can arise for various reasons: someone needs to reduce icons to make room for widgets or photos on the desktop; other users, on the contrary, need to increase them for ease of navigation if vision leaves much to be desired. It is important to understand that in the Xiaomi ecosystem, the size of application icons is closely related to the desktop grid and the system font, so changing one parameter often entails correction of others.
While you’re setting up, you may encounter the limitations of the standard “Classic” theme, which doesn’t always allow you to flexibly manipulate sizes, which is why we’ll look at not only standard methods, but also the use of alternative design themes that open up access to hidden interface features. HyperOS and earlier versions of MIUI have similar logic, but menu items may vary slightly depending on the Android version and regional firmware.
Use of standard desktop grid settings
The easiest and safest way to affect the visual size of app icons is to change the density of the desktop grid, and the logic is simple: the more cells (columns and rows) you put on the screen, the smaller each individual element becomes, a standard feature that requires no additional software installation and works consistently on all devices of the brand.
To access these settings, you need to make a long tap (tap and hold) on an empty part of the desktop. In the lower menu that opens, you should select Settings (or the gear icon). Here you will see the option More or a direct indication of changing the grid. The system will offer several options, for example, 4x6, 5x6 or even 6x7 for devices with large diagonals.
- 📱 Choose a option with a large number of columns to visually reduce the size of each icon.
- 📐 Standard grid. 4x5 or 5x5 Makes the elements larger, which is convenient for people with poor vision.
- 🔄 Changes apply instantly, but may require a launcher reboot to properly display all widgets.
It's worth noting that when you choose a very dense grid, some widgets may stop displaying correctly or require more space than they are given to the new configuration, in which case the system will automatically prompt you to adapt the widget or remove it from the desktop, which is normal behavior of the MIUI shell, ensuring the stability of the interface.
Setup of system font and display
Another factor that influences the size of interface elements is the global tweaking of font and display size. Unlike the grid, this setting affects not only icons, but also menu text, app headers and system notifications, a powerful tool that allows you to fine-tune the ergonomics of your smartphone.
To take advantage of this feature, go to the Settings menu, then select the Screen section and find Text Size and Display. As you move the slider, you'll notice how the scale of the entire system changes. Reducing the slider's value to the left will make the fonts smaller, which will visually "free up" the space around the icons, making them less cumbersome.
⚠️ Note: Excessive font size reduction can make text in some applications unreadable, since software developers do not always provide for adaptation to very small values.
It's important to distinguish between the two types of settings on this menu: the first is the size of the text, the second is the size of the interface elements (DPI). On some versions of HyperOS, these sliders are combined, while in classic MIUI they can be spaced. Experiment with both values to find a balance where the icons are the desired size and the text remains readable.
☑️ Optimization of display
Applying themes to change the style of icons
The most flexible way to change not only the size, but also the shape and style of icons is to use the Themes app. Xiaomi Theme Store has thousands of design options, many of which have their own sets of icons with unique geometry. Some themes are specifically designed with minimalism and compactness in mind.
Go to the Themes app and search for "Small icons" or "Minimal." You'll find many options where graphic elements take up significantly less space than in stock firmware. Once you install the theme, remember to apply it fully or select a selective application only for icons if you want to save your wallpaper.
There is also the option of creating your own theme through the MIUI Theme Editor on PC, but it requires deep knowledge and takes a long time. For most users, it will be enough to download the finished package. Pay attention to the theme rating and the number of downloads to make sure that it is stable and free of bugs.
- 🎨 Themes allow you to change not only the size, but also the shape (circle, square, rounded square).
- 📥 Free themes often contain ads, so check reviews before installing.
- 🛠 To use icons from the theme, you sometimes need to reset the cache of the application "Themes".
Where to find hidden themes settings?
One-hand mode and interface scaling
Xiaomi’s One-Hand Mode feature is designed to make large screens easier to use, but it also affects content scaling. Although its primary purpose is to move the image downwards, in some shell implementations it can temporarily shrink the visible area, which subjectively changes the perception of icon size.
You can activate this mode via Settings -> Additional -> One-hand mode, and you can choose to swipe the bottom bar of navigation or triple tap the home button, but this method is not suitable for permanent reduction of icons, as it is a temporary solution.
A more interesting option is to use features for people with disabilities that sometimes force you to change the DPI (dots per inch) of the system. The way to these settings is: Settings -> Advanced settings -> Special features. Here you can find options to zoom in or out of the entire interface, which will directly affect the size of the icons.
| Method of modification | Impact on the system | Difficulty | Security |
|---|---|---|---|
| Re-griding | Only the desktop. | Low. | Tall. |
| Type setting | The whole interface and text | Low. | Tall. |
| Change of subject | Visual style of icons | Medium | Medium |
| Developer mode | Deep systemic change | Tall. | Low. |
Developer Mode (ADB and DPI)
For advanced users who don't have enough standard tools, the minimum screen width (DPI) can be changed through the developer menu, the most powerful method of reducing icons to the lowest possible values that are not available in a regular menu, but it requires caution, because incorrect values can make the interface unreadable.
First, activate the developer mode. Go to Settings -> About Phone and quickly click on the build number seven times (MIUI Version). Once the message "You became a developer" appears, go back to the main settings menu, open Additional -> For developers.
Find the "minimum width" item.Write down the original value (usually 360, 392 or 411 dpi depending on the model) to be able to go back. Reducing this number will make the interface elements smaller. For example, changing from 392 to 320 will significantly reduce the icons. It is not recommended to put values below 300, as this can cause the graphical interface to fail.
⚠️ Attention: Set extremely low values DPI This can cause you to be unable to get into the settings menu to fix the error, and only a complete reset of the device will help).
💡
Before changing the DPI, take a picture of the screen with the original value or write it down on paper. This is the only guarantee that the smartphone will quickly recover its health in the event of an error.
Alternative launchers as a solution to the problem
If Xiaomi’s standard launcher doesn’t offer enough flexibility, the best solution is to install a third-party launcher.Apps like Nova Launcher, Microsoft Launcher or Lawnchair give you complete control over the size, shape and indentations of icons, which effectively turns your Xiaomi into a device with a fully customized interface.
Once you install this launcher from Google Play and use it as default, you'll have access to detailed grid settings. You can set any number of rows and columns, resize the icons as a percentage, and even create different profiles for different situations. This is ideal for those who want maximum control.
- 🚀 Third-party launchers often run faster than the standard interface MIUI.
- ⚙️ The ability to adjust the size of the icons with pixel accuracy.
- 📱 Save all data and applications when changing the launcher.
It is worth considering that some MIUI features, such as wallpaper carousel or specific gestures, may not work correctly or require additional adjustment when using a third-party launcher, but for the task of resizing icons, this is the most efficient and safe solution, not requiring root rights.
💡
Using a third-party launcher is the only way to get full control over the size of the icons without the risk of damaging system files through the developer settings.