How to Increase Icons on Xiaomi Phone: A Complete Guide

Owning a modern smartphone involves using many applications daily, but the standard size of interface elements is not always convenient for all users. Often there is a need to increase the icons on the Xiaomi phone to improve the visual perception or simply make the control of the gadget more comfortable. This is especially true for people with impaired vision or those who prefer large controls on the screen.

The MIUI operating system and its new version of HyperOS provide flexible personalization tools, but they are not always obvious to beginners. In this article, we will take a look at all the available methods for resizing application icons, from standard settings to advanced theme settings. You will learn to customize the desktop to perfectly suit your needs.

Before we start making changes, it's worth noting that element sizes may depend on the theme chosen. Some graphical shells have fixed parameters that can't be changed by standard means. However, there are several proven ways to get around these limitations and make the interface more user-friendly.

Standard settings of font size and elements

The easiest and safest way to affect icon size is to change the global font settings in the system. In the Xiaomi shell, text size often directly correlates with the size of the interface elements, including the application names and icons themselves. To access these settings, you need to go to the Settings menu → Screen → Text Size.

As you move the slider to the right, you'll notice that not only do the letters get bigger, but some graphics also get bigger, and that's a feature of Android that helps you keep the proportions of the interface, but you have to be careful, because too large a font can cause the text of the app names to start cropping or overlapping.

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Use the preview at the top of the font settings screen to assess how the changes will affect the message and menu reading before applying them.

It's important to understand that this method is not a specialized tool for icons, but rather a side effect of scaling the interface. If your goal is to solely increase graphical icons without changing the text size in other applications, this method may not be effective enough, in which case it is worth considering other options for customization.

• 📱 Go to the screen settings section through the main menu.
• 🔍 Find the item "Text size" or "Font and text size".
• ⚖️ Try different slider values while watching for changes on the desktop.
• ✅ Click "Apply" if the result is satisfactory to you.

Use the “Simple” mode to maximize

Xiaomi has a special mode designed specifically for older people or users who have difficulty using small controls, called Simple Mode (or Lite Mode in some firmware versions), activating this dramatically changes the appearance of the interface, making the icons as large and visible as possible.

To enable this feature, go to Settings → Simple Mode and activate the switch. The desktop will transform: unnecessary widgets will disappear, fonts will become huge, and application icons will occupy a significant part of the screen, this is the most effective regular way to increase elements without installing third-party software.

Note that in Simple Mode, the logic of some applications and menus changes. For example, the notification panel in its usual form may disappear or the location of the navigation buttons may change. The exit from this mode is carried out by a long press of the power button or through the settings, but it is better to study this issue in advance so as not to get confused.

⚠️ Warning: In Simple Mode, some features and settings may be hidden or simplified.If you are used to standard controls, switching can cause temporary discomfort.

Setting up the desktop grid and widgets

The size of the icons is visually dependent on the number of cells the screen is divided into. If you set a grid with more columns and rows (for example, 6x6), the icons themselves become small to fit into the allocated cells. Conversely, reducing the number of grid cells automatically increases the size of the elements.

To change the grid settings, press the empty space on your desktop and select Settings (or the gear icon). In the menu that opens, find the Grid section. Here you can choose a configuration, such as 4x5 or 5x5, instead of a standard dense grid, which will instantly redistribute the screen space.

Widgets can also play a role in visual perception: Large clock, weather, or calendar widgets take up space, crowding out app icons, but making the interface more informative. By combining a large grid and large widgets, you can create a unique layout where important applications are highlighted in size.

Application of themes and shops of design

MIUI Theme Store is a powerful customization tool that is often ignored, thousands of free themes offer alternative icon sets that can be significantly larger than standard ones, and search for keywords like "Large icons," "Big icons" or "Big icons" will find the right options.

When installing a new theme, it is important to pay attention to compatibility. Some themes only change wallpaper and colors without affecting the shape and size of the icons. Others completely redraw the interface. After applying the theme, it is recommended to restart the device so that all changes take effect correctly.

And many of the themes allow you to customize mixed sets, so you can take a base from one theme and a set of icons from another, and this allows you to use large, well-distinguishable icons from one author's work, while maintaining a nice wallpaper and menu style from another.

Use of third-party launchers

If the built-in features aren’t enough, third-party shells like Nova Launcher, Microsoft Launcher or Smart Launcher will come to the rescue.These apps completely replace the standard Xiaomi desktop, giving detailed control over every pixel of the screen.

Most launchers have a separate section on icon size in their settings, for example, in Nova Launcher, the path will look like this: Nova Settings → Desktop → Icon Size. You can set the exact percentage value here or select the preset "Very Large."

Installing the launcher requires special permissions, and the system will alert you that the application wants to access your data or change system settings, which is normal for the shell to function properly, but only download such programs from trusted sources.

• 📥 Download the selected launcher from the official app store.
• 🔓 Provide all requested permissions for widgets and gestures.
• 🎨 Go to the launcher settings and find the "Desktop" or "Icons" section".
• 📏 Increase the size of the slider to the desired value.

Hidden settings via engineering menu and ADB

For advanced users, there is the option of changing the screen density (DPI) through hidden settings or computer commands. Changing the DPI makes the system think the screen has a different resolution, which leads to scaling all elements, including icons, fonts and buttons.

Accessing advanced settings often requires activating developer mode. Make 7 quick clicks on the build number in the About Phone section. Then, in the Developer Menu, find Smallest Width. The standard value is usually around 360-400 dp. Reducing that number (like to 320) will make all items larger.

⚠️ Be very careful about changing. DPI. Setting too low can make the interface unreadable or cause the system to freeze, requiring resetting.

An alternative is to use ADB (Android Debug Bridge) commands from a computer, and by connecting the phone over USB and enabling debugging, you can type in the adb shell wm density 320 command, which is more flexible, because it doesn't require a constant presence on the developer menu, but requires a PC and basic command line knowledge.

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Changing the DPI is a powerful tool, but it affects the entire interface at once, not just icons, so it requires careful value selection.

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