Xiaomi’s current smartphones, which run MIUI shells or the new HyperOS, offer users a huge range of personalization options. However, standard interface settings are not always ideal for each owner’s individual preferences. Often users are faced with a situation where controls seem too bulky, occupying useful space on the display and visually overloading the desktop. This is especially true for devices with compact screens, where every millimeter of area is important for displaying content.
The desire to reduce the size of icons on android xiaomi is dictated not only by aesthetic considerations, but also by practical necessity. By reducing graphic elements, you can put more widgets, folders and application shortcuts on the home screen without flipping through unnecessary pages. This increases the ergonomics of using a smartphone, allowing you to keep all the important information in one field of view. In this article, we will discuss in detail all the existing methods of scaling interface elements, from standard settings to advanced methods through the developer menu.
It’s worth noting that the approach to resizing icons can be drastically different depending on the operating system version and regional firmware. While global versions of MIUI 14 may have some features hidden, Chinese builds or beta versions of HyperOS can have them out of the box. Understanding these nuances will help you avoid frustration if it doesn’t work on your device the first time.
Standard settings of the screen and grid of the application
The most obvious and safe way to change the visual perception of the desktop is to manipulate the screen grid. In the shells from Xiaomi, this is the system menu, accessible via swipe or long press. Changing the number of cells in the grid automatically scales the icons: the more cells you choose, the smaller the application icons themselves will become. This is a basic level of customization that does not require the installation of additional software.
To access these settings, you need to do a few simple things: first unlock your smartphone and go to the home screen. Then pinch with two fingers (finger mixing on the screen) or press and hold your finger in the icon-free space. In the bottom menu that opens, find the Settings button (usually looks like a gear) or immediately select Grid. Here you will be offered several layout options, such as 4x5, 5x6 or 6x6.
Choosing a denser grid, like 6x6, will instantly reduce the size of all standard shortcuts. However, it is worth considering that when icons are greatly reduced, the text below them can become unreadable if the font size is not kept. Some users prefer to combine a dense grid with disabling application signatures to achieve maximum minimalism, creating the effect of a clean, uncluttered space where only graphic images dominate.
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If after changing the grid icons become too small, try to zoom in the font settings of the display to keep the balance of readability and free space.
In the App Drawer menu, if enabled, icon sizes can be adjusted separately or depend on global theme settings. Recent versions of HyperOS have the ability to more flexiblely manage indentations between icons, which also visually changes their perception without actually changing the pixel size of the image itself.
Using themes and store themes to change style
One of the strengths of Xiaomi’s ecosystem is its deeply integrated theme store. It’s not just a way to change wallpaper, but a powerful tool to completely transform the interface, including icon sizes. Many users don’t know that using a third-party theme is the most effective way to dramatically resize icons if the standard grid settings don’t satisfy you.
There are thousands of artworks in Themes, where designers create icons of custom sizes and shapes. You can find themes with miniature icons that only take up half of the standard area, or with large, expressive elements. To find the right style, use the built-in search for keywords such as "Mini icons", "Small", "Compact" or "Minimal".
- 🎨 Open the Themes app and go to the Icons section to view only graphic elements.
- 🔍 Use a search for Small icons to find specialized sets.
- ⬇️ Download your favorite theme and use only the Icon component without changing wallpaper and system sounds.
- 🔄 Experiment with combinations: you can take icons from one theme and menu style from another.
When applying a theme, the system can only suggest replacing certain elements. Select the “Icons Only” option to keep the wallpaper and widgets familiar. This allows you to create a unique configuration where the icon size is reduced and the rest of the interface remains recognizable. It is worth noting that some system applications may not obey the rules of third-party themes, remaining in the original size, which is normal behavior of the Android security system.
Why do some icons not change after installing the theme?
Don’t forget to check for updates regularly for installed themes. Authors often refine graphics by adding support for new apps or optimizing icon sizes for different screen resolutions. The theme store also has a “Create Theme” feature that allows advanced users to self-draw or resize existing icons using an integrated editor, although this takes time and art skills.
Adjustment of font size and screen scale
The size of the desktop icons is inextricably linked to the overall size of the interface and the font size. In Android, there is the concept of Smallest Width, which determines how many pixels are allocated to the display of one inch of the interface, and by changing this parameter, you affect all the elements at once: text, buttons, menus and, of course, application icons.
To find these settings, go to Settings → Screen → Text Size and Display. Here you will see a slider that adjusts the font size. However, for finer adjustments, you often need to activate advanced features. As you move the slider downwards, you will notice that the icons become more compact, freeing up space, which is because the system recalculates the layout elements of the interface.
Some versions of MIUI have a separate setting, "Element Size" or "Scan size," which works similarly to changing the DPI, but in a more secure and user-friendly format, and by zooming down to a small or XS value, you can fit more information, making the interface look like a tablet in data density.
| Parameter | Impact on icons | Impact on text | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard. | Basic size | Readable | For most users |
| Reduced font | Minor. | Small-time | If the text is too large |
| Small screen size | A strong decrease | Proportional | To maximize space |
| Major regime. | Increase | Big one. | For people with poor eyesight |
Care should be taken when zooming out too low, the interface may become unreadable, and some controls may go off screen or overlap, and you can return the settings through the settings menu or reboot the device if the system itself resets the critical values.
Advanced settings through the developer menu
For users who want to have full control of their device, there's a developer menu, and it's a hidden part of the system that has engineering settings, and that's where you can change the dots per inch (DPI) manually, which is the most powerful tool for reducing icons, but using these settings requires caution and understanding the consequences.
To activate the developer menu, you need to go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click on MIUI Version (or OS Version) seven times. Once you notice that you have become a developer, a new section will appear in the main settings menu “Additional” → “Developers”.
Write down the standard value of this parameter before making changes! This is critical, because setting a value too high can make the interface unusable. By increasing the numerical value (for example, from 360 to 420), you reduce the size of all the elements on the screen. Every 20-30 units gives a noticeable visual effect.
⚠️ Attention: Set extremely high values DPI It can cause control buttons to become too small to press with a finger, and some applications may stop displaying correctly or fly out.
Changing DPI affects not only the desktop, but all applications, including Instagram, Telegram and browsers. This can be both a plus (more content on the screen) and a minus (small text). Experimenting is better gradually, adding 10-20 units to the base value and evaluating the result. If something went wrong, you can always reset to factory values through the developer menu or a complete reset of the device.
☑️ Safe change DPI
Application of third-party launchers for flexibility
If Xiaomi’s built-in tools don’t seem flexible enough, third-party launchers will come to the rescue. These are apps that completely replace the standard desktop shell. Nova Launcher, Lawnchair or Microsoft Launcher offer unprecedented control over the size, shape and grid of icons, allowing you to customize the interface with pixel-precision.
Once you install a launcher (like Nova Launcher), it will become your default main screen. In its settings, you will find the Desktop section» → «Grid. You can set any number of rows and columns here, for example, 10x10 or 15x15. Icons will automatically shrink to fit into the specified cells. Moreover, the paid version (Prime) has a feature called “Icon Size”, which allows you to set their size as a percentage relative to the grid cell.
The advantage of third-party launchers is that they are independent of system constraints, so you can make icons into tiny dots, or you can stretch them half-screen, and you can also set the paddings inside the cells, so you can smear the icons or you can move them closer together without changing the grid.
- 🚀 Nova Launcher: the leader in the number of settings, allows you to change the size of each icon separately.
- 🌿 Lawnchair: Lightweight launcher in the style of Pixel, perfectly optimized and free.
- 💼 Microsoft Launcher: good integration with Windows services, flexible grid setting.
- 🎨 Smart Launcher: Automatically sorts applications and offers unique grid styles.
It should be noted that on some Xiaomi models with aggressive battery optimization, third-party launchers can “fly out” from memory, returning a standard lock screen or desktop. To avoid this, you need to fix the launcher in memory and allow it to autorun in the battery settings.
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Third-party launchers give maximum freedom, but can consume more battery resources and require additional adjustment of permissions in the system. MIUI/HyperOS.
Solving scaling and display problems
During the process of adjusting the size of the icons, users may encounter display artifacts. For example, after applying a theme or changing the DPI, the icons may become blurred, cropped or displaced. This often involves the system caching graphic elements. To solve the problem, it is recommended to clear the launcher cache through Settings → Apps → All Desktop Applications → Launcher.
Another common problem is that old icons don't match up with new screen resolutions. APK-icon files or themes that may not look right on today’s high-pixel density displays, such as using responsive icons that are supported on Android 8.0 and higher, or finding updated versions of themes in the store.
If after all the manipulations, the interface is unstable, there is a "blinking" of the screen or lag when switching between desktops, it is advisable to reset the launcher to the factory settings, which will return the grid and size to the original state, allowing you to start setting up again, but already taking into account the errors identified. Remember, system stability is more important than visual effects.
⚠️ Note: When using modified system files or plugins to modify icons without root rights, you risk getting a brick or reboot cycle.Always back up your data before deep tampering with the system.
If the icons look normal in safe mode, it means that the problem is caused by a third-party application or theme, and turning off recently installed themes will help identify the culprit of the unstable interface.