Xiaomi’s current smartphones, which run on MIUI shells and the new HyperOS, offer users a huge opportunity to personalize the look. However, standard settings are designed to maximize screen informativeness by default, rather than for people with reduced vision or simply prefer large interface elements. Often users are faced with a situation where standard application icons seem too small, and the text below them is barely visible.
In this article, we will discuss in detail how to increase shortcuts on Xiaomi to make navigation more comfortable. You will learn about the built-in features of the system, hidden features of the themes and third-party launchers. We will look at the nuances of working with different versions of firmware, as the layout of the menu may vary depending on the model of your device, whether it is a flagship Xiaomi 14 or a budget Redmi Note.
Standard interface settings in MIUI and HyperOS
The first thing you need to do before making a global change is to look at the basic system settings. Xiaomi engineers have built-in scaling mechanisms for desktop elements. To access these settings, you'll need to go to the settings menu and find the look section, usually in the desktop or screen category.
Inside the desktop settings menu, you'll find an option to resize your grid, which is key: the fewer cells you choose to host (like 4x5 instead of 5x6), the bigger the app icons become, the system automatically recalculates the size of the shortcuts to fill the space that's free, and it's the safest and most stable way to do that, without having to install any additional software.
⚠️ Note: When changing the size of the desktop grid, some widgets may shift or change their size, so after applying the settings, check the location of important elements on the screen.
Also, you should pay attention to the font settings. Increasing the size of the text often visually makes the icons more visible, as the captions under them become readable without squinting. In new versions of HyperOS, the font size slider also affects the indentations between elements, which indirectly increases the perceived size of shortcuts.
To perform the basic setting, perform the following actions:
- 📱 Open the Settings app on your smartphone.
- 🖌️ Go to the Desktop section (or Home depending on version).
- 📐 Select System Navigation or Grid Size.
- ✅ Set the minimum possible number of rows and columns for the maximum size of the icons.
It's important to understand that standard tools have their limitations, you can't make one particular icon huge by leaving the rest small using only system settings, but for most users, adjusting grids is a good solution to the small interface problem.
If standard methods don’t produce the desired result, it’s worth considering more advanced customization options that offer themes and third-party launchers.
Using design themes to increase icons
MIUI Themes is a powerful tool that is often underestimated by ordinary users. Unlike standard settings, themes allow you to completely replace the graphic elements of the system. There are thousands of themes created by enthusiasts, where the main emphasis is on large, bright and contrasting icons of applications.
To find the right topic, you need to search the Topic app, type in English keywords such as Big Icons, Huge, Senior or Large, and these queries will help filter out designs specifically designed for people with poor eyesight or those who prefer minimalism with large elements.
The process of installing the theme is simple, but it requires care. After downloading the selected design, the system will suggest applying it. Note that some themes can change not only icons, but also the notification bar, the lock screen and the system sounds. If you only need large shortcuts, select the option to customize the theme when applying the theme and leave a tick just opposite to the icon.
The advantages of using themes to increase shortcuts:
- 🎨 Opportunity to choose a unique style that is not available in stock firmware.
- 👁️ Many topics for the visually impaired have increased contrast, which improves readability.
- 🔄 Ease of Replacement: If the theme gets bored, it can be removed in one click through the profile menu.
However, this method has its own nuances: Third-party themes may not be perfectly displayed on all screen resolutions, especially on new curved displays or screens with a notch-camera. In addition, some interface elements may look unnatural if the theme developer did not take into account all aspects of your version of Android.
To find the optimal design, it is recommended to use several candidate themes, apply them and evaluate the result in real-world conditions before settling on one option.
Application of third-party launchers
If the built-in system and theme capabilities don’t meet your needs, the most effective solution is to install a third-party launcher.The launcher is an application that completely replaces the standard desktop, giving you extended control over the size, shape and behavior of application shortcuts.
The most popular and functional launchers for Xiaomi devices are Nova Launcher, Microsoft Launcher and Smart Launcher. These applications allow you to set the grid size with pixel accuracy, change the scale of the signature font regardless of the system font, and even change the size of the icons within the same grid.
Consider the settings of Nova Launcher, which is considered a benchmark in this area. Once you install and assign the launcher to the default, you need to go to its settings. Find Desktop -> Desktop Grid. Here you can set, for example, a value of 4x4 or even 3x3, which will make shortcuts really huge. Moreover, in the Icons section you can add indents or rescalate them as a percentage.
Comparison of popular launchers to increase shortcuts:
| Launcher | Grid size flexibility | Impact on the battery | Difficulty setting up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nova Launcher | Maximum | Average. | Tall. |
| Microsoft Launcher | Tall. | Low. | Medium |
| Smart Launcher 6 | Automatic. | Low. | Low. |
| Niagara Launcher | Minimum (list) | Very low. | Low. |
When using a third-party launcher, it is important to remember access rights. For proper operation (for example, displaying notifications on icons or using widgets), the launcher will need special permissions, which will need to be issued in the special features menu or through the special features menu. ADB-team.
Also, you should consider that replacing a standard launcher can change the logic of gestures. For example, a swipe from the bottom up to open all applications may stop working the way you used to in stock MIUI. However, most modern launchers are able to emulate the behavior of Xiaomi’s system if you activate the corresponding plugins.
Installing a third-party launcher is a reversible process, and you can either uninstall the application at any time or simply disable it in the settings, returning the standard interface.
Configure special capabilities (Accessibility)
The Android operating system that powers Xiaomi smartphones has a powerful feature block for people with disabilities, and these tools can be extremely useful for ordinary users who want to increase shortcuts and interface elements beyond standard limits.
The main tool here is the Accessibility menu, which is called Magnification, and allows you to zoom in on the entire screen or parts of it by triple tapping or through a button in the navigation bar, and while this doesn't change the physical size of the icon permanently, it allows you to see the details in detail at any time.
A more radical approach is to use High Contrast Text mode and large font sizes in the Text Size and Display section. On some versions of HyperOS, Simplified Mode activation drastically changes the interface, transforming the screen into a set of very large tiles with signatures, disappearing unnecessary decorations, and becoming as large as possible, ideal for older people.
How to turn on Simplified mode:
- 👵 Go to Settings -> Advanced settings.
- 📱 Find the Simplified Mode (can be called Lite Mode).
- ✅ Press Enable.
- 🔄 Confirm the action, the interface will reboot with new parameters.
⚠️ Note: In Simplified mode, some system functions and widgets may become unavailable, as the interface adapts to the basic needs of the user.
Also in the special features section, you can adjust the speed of the reaction to touch and the duration of the press, which in combination with large shortcuts makes using a smartphone much more comfortable for people with hand tremors or low tactile sensitivity.
And don't be afraid to experiment with these settings, because they're designed to adapt the digital space to the physical, not the other way around.
Settings for different Xiaomi models
Xiaomi’s ecosystem includes hundreds of models, from the Redmi series budgeters to the Mi series flagships and the Black Shark gaming. The shortcut size adjustment process can have its own characteristics depending on the hardware platform and the version of the shell installed.
On devices with AMOLED-In the case of a screen like the Xiaomi 13 or Xiaomi 14, using dark themes with large labels is not only convenient, but also energy efficient.The black background around a large icon does not highlight the pixels, which saves battery power. LCD-Redmi Note budget models contrast plays a smaller role, so it is better to bet on bright, rich colors of icons.
Owners of devices with a notch or hole camera should be careful when installing third-party launchers. Incorrectly configured grid can cause the top row of icons to be overlaid by the camera or sensors. In such cases, it is recommended to leave the top line of the grid empty or use launchers with smart adaptation to the cutouts.
For users of Xiaomi Pad tablets, the logic of increasing shortcuts works differently. Because of the large screen size, it is not the absolute size of a single icon that matters, but the density of elements (DPI). Change of change DPI through the engineering menu or ADB-The team allows you to globally increase all elements of the interface, preserving their proportions.
The command to change the point density (DPI) through ADB (requires caution):
adb shell wm density 320Where 320 is density, and if you reduce the number, you make the elements bigger, you make the magnification smaller, and the standard value for most phones is 360 to 440 dpi.
How to return the standard DPI if everything is gone?
Problem Solving and Frequent Errors
Users often face typical problems in customizing interfaces, and understanding the causes of these problems will help quickly restore the system to work, and one of the most common mistakes is installing heavy themes or launchers on devices with low RAM (2-3 GB), which leads to slowing down animations and long response when you click on shortcuts.
Another problem is the icon desynchronization, where after you upgrade MIUI or HyperOS, a third-party theme can fly, and the shortcuts will go back to the standard look, but with the grid broken, in which case it helps to reuse the theme or reset the launcher settings.
Checklist for fixing interface problems:
- ❌ Remove recently installed themes if your phone starts to brake.
- 🔄 Clear the app cache Themes and System UI.
- 📉 Reduce the number of widgets on the desktop, they consume resources.
- 🛡️ Check your phone for viruses if unknown labels appear.
⚠️ Warning: Do not download themes and launchers from unverified sources. Use only the official GetApps store or Google Play to avoid infecting your device with malware.
If shortcuts are too large and don't fit on the screen, check the zoom settings in the Developer section, where you can activate the Smallest width option, which forcefully changes the scale of all the elements of the system.
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Before installing heavy themes with live animation, check for free space in memory. For stable operation, it is recommended to have a minimum of 2 GB of free internal memory.
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The optimal balance between the size of the icons and the number of apps on the screen is achieved experimentally: Start with a 4x5 grid and reduce the number of cells until you find your perfect one.