How to organize icons on Xiaomi: from automatic sorting to hidden folders

Chaos of randomly scattered icons on the Xiaomi screen is a familiar problem for many users. Even after reinstalling apps or updating MIUI, icons often return to their original places, disrupting the usual order. In this article, we will analyze all the available ways to organize the desktop, from basic system functions to hidden shell capabilities.

It's important to understand that sorting methods depend on the version of MIUI (12, 13, 14 or 15) and the model of the smartphone. For example, on the Redmi Note 12 and Xiaomi 13 Pro, the automatic arrangement algorithms work differently. We'll look at universal solutions, as well as nuances for specific devices.

If you want to go beyond just alphabetizing icons, but creating a user-friendly system with folders, hidden apps, and fast access to the right services, read on. Let's start with the simplest and move on to advanced techniques.

1. Automatic sorting of icons in MIUI

The fastest way to get your icons in order is to use the built-in auto-arrangement feature, which is available on all Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI 12 and newer, but works differently depending on the shell version.

To activate automatic sorting:

1. Press and hold the empty space on the desktop with your finger.
2. In the menu that appears, select Screen Settings (or Desktop Settings in older versions).
3. Go to the section Order the icons (in) MIUI 14/15 It could be called auto-sorting).
4. Choose one of the options: 🔤 Alphabetically, applications will be placed from A to Z. 📅 By installation date, new applications will be at the end of the. 🎨 By color (not available on all models) – icons are grouped by palette.

Note that after automatic sorting, applications with custom covers (modified through themes) can reset to standard icons, a feature of MIUI that has not been fixed yet even in recent updates.

2. Manual arrangement: how to drag icons

If you don't like automatic sorting, you can place the icons manually, and this method gives you complete control over the location, but it takes longer. Here's how to do it right:

1. Press and hold the icon of the application you want to move.

2. In a second, an animation of the "lift" icon will appear - do not let go of your finger.

3. Drag the icon to a new location. If you want to move it to another screen, move the icon to the edge of the display and hold it until the next desktop appears.

4. Release your finger to fix the position.

MIUI 14/15 adds the icons to the grid, so if you see the icons not standing flat or overlapping, check the grid settings:

• 📐 Clutch the empty space on the screen → Screen settings → Grid size.
• 🔢 Select the number of rows and columns (for example, 5×6 or 4×5).
• 🔄 If the icons are still moving, try restarting your smartphone.

💡

To quickly move the icon to another screen, move it to the edge of the display and hold for 1-2 seconds.

3. Creating folders for grouping applications

Folders help you save space on your desktop and logically group applications, like creating a social networking, a game, or a job folder. Here's how to do this:

1. Drag one icon to another (as in manual movement).

2. Release your finger when the gray circle appears - this is the future folder.

3. Name the folder (by default, the system will offer a name based on application categories).

4. To add more apps, just drag them into the folder.

MIUI has restrictions on the number of folders and applications in them:

* The actual limit depends on the screen size and the grid selected.

To change the appearance of the folder:

1. Open the folder.
2. Touch her name at the top.
3. Select Change the Cover or Folder Style (not available on all models).

4. Hiding unnecessary badges

Not all apps need to be kept visible. MIUI has two ways to hide icons: through standard settings and through Hidden Apps. Let's look at both.

Method 1: Delete from the desktop (without uninstallation)

• 📱 Press and hold the app icon.
• 🗑️ Drag it to the top of the screen where it will say Delete or Hide.
• ⚠️ The app will not be removed from the device, but will simply disappear from the desktop. It will be found in the menu of all applications (swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen).

Method 2: Complete concealment through "Security"

This method removes the application from the installed list (but does not delete its data):

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the app and click Hide (in MIUI 15, this option may be in the "More" menu).
3. Confirm the action with a password or fingerprint.

⚠️ Note: applications hidden through Security will not appear in the menu of all programs and will not receive notifications. → Security → Hidden applications.

5.Use of icon themes and styles

If you don't like the standard look of icons, MIUI can change their style with themes, so not only will it make your desktop look better, it will also help you visually organize your apps. Here's how it works:

1. Open the Themes app (icon with brush).

2. Go to the Icons or Style of icons section.

3. Select your favorite icon pack (e.g. Minimal, Pixel or iOS-style).

4. Click Apply and confirm the changes.

Some themes support dynamic icons that change color depending on the wallpaper, to activate this feature:

• 🎨 Go to Settings. → Wallpaper. → Dynamic wallpaper.
• 🔄 Select wallpaper marked "Support for dynamic icons".
• 🔄 Apply wallpaper and check if the color of the icons has changed.

Important: After changing the theme, manual icon placement may be lost, especially if the new theme uses a different grid size.

Take a screenshot of the current desktop | Check the compatibility of the theme with the version MIUI| Close all background applications | Connect to charging (for long processing) | Disable automatic sorting-->

6. Additional tools: Launcher and ADB

If standard MIUI capabilities are not enough, you can use third-party launchers or ADB commands to fine-tune them. Let's look at both.

Third-party launchers

Popular alternatives to the standard launcher Xiaomi:

• 🚀 Nova Launcher - flexible grid setting, gestures, support for icons from packs.
• 🎨 Action Launcher – adaptive icons, fast search, integration with widgets.
• 📱 Lawnchair – a lightweight open source launcher with gesture support.

To install a third-party launcher:

1. Download it from Google Play.
2. Open the app and follow the setup instructions.
3. In the Home menu, select the new launcher as the main one.

ADB-Teams for Advanced Users

With Android Debug Bridge, you can change system settings that are not available in the GUI, such as turning off automatic sorting or changing the number of rows on your desktop.

Examples of teams:

# Turn off automatic sorting


adb shell settings put global miui_home_auto_arrange 0




Set up the grid 5×6



adb shell settings put global miui_home_cell_count 5x6




Reset the desktop settings



adb shell pm clear com.miui.home

⚠️ Attention: misuse ADB-commands can cause shell malfunctions. Before experiments, back up the data through Settings. → The phone. → Backup.

FAQ: Frequent questions about badge ordering