How to reduce icons on Xiaomi phone: from standard settings to hidden MIUI chips

App icons on Xiaomi's screen seem too big? you're not alone - many users find the standard icon size in MIUI takes up too much space, making the desktop cluttered. Fortunately, there are several ways Xiaomi's firmware can reduce icons, from basic launcher settings to little-known screen-scaling tricks.

In this article, we will discuss 5 working methods, including official options in Settings → Screen, use of alternative launchers (for example, Nova Launcher), as well as hidden features for advanced users. MIUI 12–15 Smartphone models – from budget Redmi to flagship Xiaomi 13/14.

Important: Some methods require unlocking the bootloader or installing third-party applications, and we will mark such moments separately so that you can choose the most secure and convenient option for yourself.

1. Standard MIUI settings: reduce icons through screen scale

The easiest way to resize icons is to use the built-in zoom options in MIUI, which works on all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones without having to install additional software.

Go to: Settings → Screen → Text Size and Display → Screen Size

So here you'll see a slider that adjusts the size of all the interface elements, including the icons. Move it to the left to zoom in. The optimal value for a compact display is 80-85% of the standard.

• ✅ Pros: does not require root or third-party applications, works on all versions MIUI.
• ⚠️ Cons: not only icons, but also text, interface elements are reduced. Some models (for example, Redmi Note 11) may have lost the location of widgets.

⚠️ Note: On smartphones with AMOLED-screens (for example, Xiaomi 12 Pro or POCO F5) If you see artifacts, you can put the slider back 85 to 90%.

2. Change the size of icons through the settings of the MIUI launcher

In MIUI 13 and later, a separate option was introduced to adjust the size of the icons directly in the launcher settings, which is more accurate than screen zooming, since it only affects the icons without affecting fonts and other elements.

Instructions:

1. Press and hold your finger to the free space on the desktop.
2. Select Desktop Settings (or Screen Settings on some models).
3. Go to the Size of Badges section and move the slider to the left.
4. Click Apply to save the changes.

On smartphones with MIUI 12 and older (e.g. Redmi 9 or POCO X3), this section may not be available, so use the method in the first section or move on to alternative solutions.

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If the icons look blurry after resizing, reboot the phone. This will reset the icon rendering cache.

3. Use of alternative launchers (Nova Launcher, Hyperion)

If the built-in MIUI settings don't suit, the best solution is to install a third-party launcher.

• 📱 Nova Launcher – supports fine-tuning icon sizes (50 to 150%), adaptive icons and gestures.
• ⚡ Hyperion Launcher – optimized for Xiaomi, retains branded features MIUI (For example, double-pressing to lock).
• 🎨 Lawnchair is an open source launcher that allows you to change the size of the desktop grid (for example, 6×7 opportunistic 4×5).

How to set up Nova Launcher:

1. Install a launcher from Google Play.
2. Press and hold your finger on the desktop → Settings → Desktop.
3. Select the size of the icons and move the slider to the desired value (recommended 70-80%).
4. In the Desktop Grid section, set the number of rows and columns (for example, 6×6 for maximum compactness).

⚠️ Note: On some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 10 Pro), the swipe down for notification panel system gesture may stop after installing a third-party launcher. To return the function, turn on the option to Allow gestures over applications in the special features settings.

Download APK official website|Make a backup of current settings MIUI|Disable battery optimization for launcher|Restart the phone after installation-->

4. Hidden MIUI settings: editing configuration files (for advanced)

If you're willing to take drastic measures, you can manually change the settings for displaying icons through system files, which requires an unlocked bootloader and root rights, but gives you maximum flexibility.

Instructions:

1. Install Root Explorer or Mixplorer with superuser rights.
2. Cross the path: /data/system/users/0/ Find the file. launcher_db And back it up.
3. Open the file in the text editor and find the lines with the parameters: icon_scale=1.0 grid_size=5x5 Change the values to: icon_scale=0.7 grid_size=6x6
4. Save the file, reboot the phone.

After this change, the icon size will decrease by 30%, and the desktop mesh will become denser (6×6 instead of 5×5), which works even on older versions of MIUI, where there are no built-in zoom options.

5.Use of ADB-commands to change the density of the screen (DPI)

Another way to reduce icons is to change the DPI (pixels per inch) setting through ADB, which will affect the size of all interface elements, but will give you the most flexibility.

Step-by-step:

1. Enable USB Debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times on the line with the version, then go back to Additional → For Developers).
2. Connect the phone to your PC and execute the command: adb shell wm density 420 (standard value for Xiaomi is 440-480, reducing to 400-420 will make the icons smaller).
3. Reset the device.

To return the standard settings, do:

adb shell wm density reset

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Change of change DPI through ADB No root rights, but resets after update MIUI. To fix the settings, use the command adb shell wm density. 420 && adb shell am broadcast -a android.intent.action.CLOSE_SYSTEM_DIALOGS

6. Additional tips: widgets, folders and hiding unnecessary icons

If you can’t reduce the icons or the result is not satisfactory, try these alternative methods of organizing the desktop:

• 📁 Folders: Combine rarely used applications into folders. To do this, drag and drop one icon to another.
• 🖼️ Widgets: Replace app icons with widgets (such as a weather or calendar widget). MIUI 14+ adaptive widgets with variable size are available.
• 👁️ Hiding icons: In the launcher settings (Desktop settings) → Hiding apps) you can remove unnecessary icons by leaving them in the application menu.
• 🔄 Auto-Sort: Enable Auto-Sort option to make the icons more densely positioned without manual adjustment.

On models with MIUI 15 (for example, Xiaomi 14), there is a feature called Smart layout, which automatically selects the size of the icons depending on the number of applications on the screen. To activate it: Settings → Desktop → Smart layout → On.

FAQ: Frequent questions about reducing badges on Xiaomi