Small icons on Xiaomi desktop are a common problem, especially for users with poor eyesight or large smartphones in the Redmi Note and Poco series. The manufacturer limits standard MIUI settings, but there are at least 5 ways to change the size of icons, from built-in features to manually editing system settings. It is important to understand that not all methods are equally safe - some require unlocking the bootloader or superuser rights, which can affect the warranty.
In this article, we’ll look at all the current ways to increase icons, including hidden MIUI settings, using third-party launchers like Nova Launcher, and advanced methods through ADB and configuration file editing. We’ll focus on compatibility with the latest shell versions (MIUI 14/15) and Android 13/14 models. If you’re not ready to experiment with the system, start with the first two sections that describe the safe options.
1. Standard MIUI settings: Screen scaling
The easiest way to zoom in on icons is to zoom in on the system settings, which doesn’t affect the icons themselves, but increases the entire content of the screen, including text and interface elements, and is suitable for Xiaomi 11/12/13, Redmi Note 10/11/12 and Poco F/X series models.
How to do this:
- 📱 Open the Settings. → Screen.
- 🔍 Find text size and display (in some versions – Screen size)
- 🖱️ Move the slider to the right to zoom in (values from 80% to 130 are available%)
- 🔄 Restart the device to apply changes
Important: This method increases ALL the contents of the screen, not just the icons, and if you only need to change the size of the icons, move on to the next section.
2. Use of third-party launchers (Nova, Apex, Lawnchair)
The standard MIUI launcher does not allow you to flexibly adjust the size of the icons, but third-party solutions like Nova Launcher or Apex Launcher give you complete control over the appearance of the desktop.This method does not require root rights and is suitable for all Xiaomi models, including the Poco F5 and Redmi K60.
The following is a step-by-step instruction for Nova Launcher:
- 📥 Install Nova Launcher from Google Play
- 🖱️ Hold an empty space on the desktop → Select Settings
- 🔧 Go to the desk. → Size of icons
- 📏 Set a value between 70% and 150% (recommended 120% for balance)
- 🔄 Apply changes and restart the launcher
Advantages of the method:
- 🎨 Flexible adjustment not only of size, but also of indentations between icons
- 🔄 The ability to roll back to the standard launcher at any time
- 📱 Compatible with all versions of Android and MIUI
☑️ Preparation for launcher installation
3. Hidden MIUI settings via Activity Launcher
The MIUI shell has hidden system settings that are not available through the standard menu. To open them, you will need an Activity Launcher app (no root required), which works on MIUI 12-15, but may vary depending on the model.
Instructions:
- 📥 Install Activity Launcher
- 🔍 Search for Launcher or SystemUI
- 🛠️ Find activity called.MiuiHomeSettings or.LauncherSettings.
- 🖱️ In the menu that opens, look for the Icon Size item (which can be called Desktop Icon Scale)
- 📏 Set the value from 0.8 to 1.5 (1.0 is the standard size)
⚠️ Note: Not all activities are safe to change. Avoid items called Secure, Debug or Test - they can lead to system failures.
What if Activity Launcher doesn’t find the right activity?
4. Change the size of icons through ADB (no root)
For advanced users, there is a way to resize icons via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which does not require root rights, but requires a computer and enabled USB debugging. Suitable for MIUI 13/14/15 based on Android 12+.
Step-by-step:
- 🖥️ Install. ADB Tools on PC
- 📱 On your phone, turn on Settings. → The phone. → Version. MIUI (Press 7 times to activate the developer mode)
- 🔧 Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers and enable debugging by USB
- 🔌 Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command: adb shell settings put secure icon_scale_factor 1.3 (where 1.3 — scale ratio can be specified from 0.8 before 1.5)
- 🔄 Reset the device
Available commands for different elements:
| Parameter | ADB Team Team | Value range |
|---|---|---|
| Size of icons | settings put secure icon_scale_factor | 0.8–1.5 |
| Size of text under icons | settings put system font_scale | 0.85–1.3 |
| The gaps between the icons | settings put secure icon_padding_scale | 0.7–1.2 |
⚠️ Attention: Incorrect values in ADB If the screen is unreadable after the changes, reset the settings with the command adb shell settings delete secure icon_scale_factor.
5. editing system files (requires root)
The most radical way is to manually edit MIUI configuration files, which requires an unlocked bootloader and superuser rights, and is only suitable for power users, and can lead to a device blinking when wrong.
Instructions for models on MIUI 14+:
- 📱 Get root rights through Magisk (instructions for your model look at the XDA Developers)
- 📂 Install a file manager with root support (such as Solid Explorer or Solid Explorer). FX File Explorer)
- 🔍 Cross the path. /data/system/users/0/ and find the file. settings_global.xml
- 📝 Open the file in the text editor and find the line: <setting id="icon_scale_factor" value="1.0" />
- 🖊️ Change the value to the desired value (for example, 1.4 to increase by 40%)
- 💾 Save the file and restart the device
Alternative files for editing:
- 📄 /system/build.prop — add a line ro.sf.lcd_density=420 (screen-density)
- 📄 /vendor/build.prop — Similar settings for some Poco models
💡
Before editing system files, make sure to back them up! To do this, copy the original files to the folder on the computer. SD-In case of an error, you can restore the system to work.
6. Alternative solutions: widgets and folders
If you can not increase the icons themselves, consider alternative ways to organize the desktop:
📌 Widgets instead of icons:
- 📱 Use app widgets (like Google Search widget with large buttons)
- 🎨 Weather or calendar widgets often have large interface elements.
📁 Folding in folders:
- 🗂️ Drag a few icons onto each other to create a folder with an enlarged preview
- 🔤 Rename folders with short names (for example, "Social networks", "Games")
🖼️ Change of wallpaper:
- 🌄 Use contrasting wallpaper (dark icons on a light background or vice versa)
- 🎨 Install wallpaper with a grid - this will visually arrange the icons
💡
If you only need to enlarge individual icons (like frequently used apps), consider creating duplicate icons through widgets or shortcuts, which will leave a standard size for the rest of the items.