Owners of Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones often face a situation where the desktop turns into a chaotic pile of icons, this happens after installing many applications or updates to the MIUI and HyperOS operating system. Proper organization of screen space not only improves visual perception, but also significantly speeds up access to frequently used functions.
The Chinese company’s shells offer flexible customization tools that are often hidden from the eyes of the average user. In this article, we’ll detail how to efficiently organize icons, resize the grid, and use smart folders for maximum convenience. You’ll learn about the hidden launcher settings that allow you to turn a standard interface into a personalized smartphone management tool.
Basic principles of navigation in MIUI and HyperOS
Before we make any radical changes, we need to understand the logic of the standard launcher. The MIUI shell uses the concept of separate pages, where each is filled with icons from left to right. Unlike pure Android, there are two main display schemes: classic (like iOS) and standard for Android. Switching between them is the first step to order.
To change the schema, you need to go to Settings → Desktop. This is the key switch "Desktop Mode." Choosing the "Classic" option will automatically create a separate page with all applications (app-driver), which allows you to keep the main screen clean. The "Standard" option places all installed programs directly on desktops, requiring more careful manual sorting.
Importantly, newer versions of HyperOS allow sorting algorithms to work automatically when settings are reset, and it suggests that applications be arranged by frequency of use or alphabetically, but manual configuration always provides a more predictable and user-friendly result, allowing programs to be grouped into logical blocks.
⚠️ Note: When changing desktop mode from Classic to Standard, all icons can move. It is recommended to take a screenshot of the current layout in advance if you plan to experiment with settings.
Set up the grid and size of the icons
The foundation of an ordered interface is a properly chosen grid. Xiaomi's standard settings offer several options for item density, which can be changed by clamping an empty space on the desktop and selecting Settings in the bottom menu, or through general system settings.
The available grid options typically range from 4x5 to 6x6 and even higher on large screen devices. Choosing a 5x6 or 6x6 grid allows more shortcuts to be placed on a single screen, but makes the icons themselves smaller. For users with large fingers or poor vision, a 4x5 or 5x5 grid remains optimal, providing a comfortable hit on target areas.
Special attention should be paid to the size of the signature font under the icons. In the Settings menu → Desktop → Signatures, you can choose the size of the text or completely hide it. Hiding captions is a great way to visually clear the space if you have already memorized the location of applications and want to achieve a minimalist style without unnecessary text.
☑️ Setting up the perfect grid
Creating and Configuring Smart Folders
Folders are the main tool for grouping applications into categories. The MIUI shell includes smart folders that not only store icons, but can also display widgets inside themselves. To create a folder, you just drag and drop one icon to another. The system automatically suggests a category name, such as Social or Tools.
Inside the folder you create, you can change the layout of the display, you can have Classic (list of icons) and Widget (large display of one application with information), for example, the Mail folder can show not incoming emails, but immediately the interface for writing a new message or an event calendar, which turns the folder into a functional module.
To rename a folder, you click on the name of the folder, and the system will offer content-based options, but you can type any name you want using emojis to visually encode it, and using colored emojis in folder names helps you find the partition faster without reading the text.
⚠️ Warning: Do not create folders inside folders (neckedness).This can lead to unstable launcher operation and freeze opening animations on older Redmi models.
Using widgets to organize space
Widgets in Xiaomi take the place of several grid cells, but serve as whole applications. The correct use of widgets allows you to make room for other icons. For example, the 4x2 calendar widget replaces a separate calendar icon and often used notes.
You can add a widget through the desktop editing menu by selecting Widgets. New versions of HyperOS have a library of widgets with the possibility of preview. It is recommended to place information widgets (weather, time, peaper) on the top of the screen, and functional ones at the bottom for easy access with your thumb.
There's a secret trick: some widgets can be stretched, and if the widget supports resizing, it will have a blue marker frame as it moves around, and if you pull the marker, you can change the proportions of the widget to fit it into the space available in your unique desktop layout.
MIUI's Secret Widgets
Comparison of application sorting methods
There are several approaches to organizing the workspace, and each Xiaomi user can choose their own, some prefer alphabetical order, others prefer grouping by color or frequency of use. Below is a table comparing the basic methods of organizing icons.
| Method of sorting | Advantages | Deficiencies | Who's right for? |
|---|---|---|---|
| By frequency of use | Popular apps are always at hand | Icons are constantly “run”, it is difficult to find a rare | Active users of new products |
| Alphabetic order | It is easy to find the application from memory | It takes a lot of pages, visually boring. | Pedagogics and office workers |
| Color scheme | Aesthetic appearance, beautiful | It is difficult to search functionally, logic is broken | Designers and visuals |
| Functional folders | High performance | It takes time to set up the initial setup. | Practices and business users |
The most effective method for most is considered a hybrid approach, which involves placing 4-6 of the most important applications (calls, messengers) in the dock bar at the bottom of the screen without linking to the pages, the rest of the space is divided into thematic areas: “Work”, “Entertainment”, “System”.
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The hybrid model of the organization, combining a static dock bar and thematic folders, is recognized as the most ergonomic for smartphones with a screen diagonal of more than 6 inches.
Hiding applications and the second layer of protection
Sometimes order requires not only grouping, but also hiding the extra, and MIUI has a built-in app hiding feature, so to activate it, you need to open the menu of all applications (swipe up or menu button) and spread two fingers in different directions on the screen.
It opens up a dedicated repository where you can add apps you don't want to see in the shared list, which not only removes visual noise, but also adds a level of privacy, and you can access hidden apps through the same gesture or password, if it's set in the security settings.
There's also a "Second Space" feature that creates a completely separate user profile with its own wallpaper, accounts and app set. It's a radical but effective way to separate Work and Personal without installing third-party launchers.
⚠️ Warning: When you reset your phone to the factory settings, all hidden apps and second-space settings will be permanently deleted. Be sure to back up important data via Mi Cloud.