How to increase icons on the Xiaomi desktop: all the ways for MIUI 14 and 15

Small icons on Xiaomi desktops are a common problem for visually impaired users or those who prefer minimalist designs with large elements. Unfortunately, standard MIUI settings don’t always offer flexible adjustments to the size of icons, especially on newer versions of the shell.

In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to increase the icons on the screen of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones, including hidden tricks for MIUI 14/15, the use of alternative launchers and even manual editing of system parameters for advanced users.

If you find that icons have become too small after upgrading the firmware or changing the theme, do not rush to blame yourself - this is a feature of MIUI. The shell automatically adjusts the scale to the screen resolution, and on devices with FHD+ or QHD+ (for example, Xiaomi 13 Ultra or POCO F5 Pro) the default icons are displayed compactly. Fortunately, you can fix this without root rights and complex manipulations.

Before you get to the instructions, check the version of your shell: go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version. This depends on the availability of some methods. Also note that on devices with a lightweight version of MIUI (for example, on budget Redmi for Asian markets), some features may not be available.

1. Standard method: screen settings in MIUI

To start with, the most obvious is the built-in shell tools. Depending on the version of MIUI, the path to settings may vary slightly, but the general logic holds, and this method works on most devices, including the Xiaomi 12T, Redmi Note 12 Pro+, and POCO X5 Pro.

Open Settings → Screen. Here you should be interested in two parameters:

1. Text and element size – regulates the scale of all interface components, including icons.
2. The size of the desktop grid changes the number of icons on the screen, indirectly affecting their size.

To increase the icons:

1. Please refer to the text and elements.
2. Move the slider to the right, and that zooms in, and the optimal value for most users is 125% or 150%.
3. Return to the Screen menu and select the size of the desktop grid.
4. Set a minimum number of rows and columns (e.g., 4×5 instead of 5×6). The fewer cells, the larger the icons will be.

⚠️ Note: On some devices (e.g. Redmi) A2+) If you zoom in by more than 125%, the bottom navigation bar may be cropped. In this case, try to reduce the font size in Settings. → Screen. → Font size, leaving the scale of elements at 125%.

This is a universal method, but it has a limitation: it resizes all interface elements, not just icons. If you want to zoom in on app icons, move on to the next one.

2.Use of MIUI themes with large icons

Few people know, but MIUI has icon sizes tied to the theme of the design, and some official and third-party themes offer larger icons by default, which is a way for those who don't want to scale the entire interface but are willing to sacrifice design for convenience.

How to install a theme with large icons:

1. Open the Topic app (usually preinstalled).
2. Go to the popular or recommended section.
3. In the search bar, enter a query for large icons or large icons (in English - big icons).
4. Select your favorite theme and click Apply.

If standard themes don’t suit you, you can download third-party themes from the MIUI Theme Store:

• 🔍 Use the filter category Minimalism – there are often themes with simplified and large icons.
• 🎨 Pay attention to topics marked Accessibility, they are optimized for the visually impaired.
• ⚙️ After applying the theme, check the desktop grid settings (see method 1), as some themes reset it to default values.

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI For the global market (e.g. Xiaomi 13 Lite for Europe), some of the themes from the Chinese store may not appear. VPN with the region of China or download themes manually through.mtz files.

Important: After upgrading MIUI to a new version (e.g., from 14 to 15), the theme used may reset. To avoid this, save a backup of the theme to Settings → Themes → My Themes → Export.

3. Alternative launchers: Nova Launcher and others

If the built-in MIUI settings don’t work, it’s time to turn to third-party launchers, which offer flexible customization of icon sizes, indentations between them, and even the ability to change the shape of icons. Nova Launcher is the best choice for Xiaomi, but there are alternatives.

The following is a step-by-step instruction for Nova Launcher:

1. Install a launcher from Google Play.
2. Assign it to the default launcher (at the first start, the system will prompt you to do this).
3. Press the free space on the desktop and select Settings.
4. Go to the desktop → The size of the icons and move the slider to the right (maximum - 150%).
5. In the Desktop → Grid section, set a minimum number of rows and columns (for example, 4×5).

The advantages of Nova Launcher:

• 🎛️ Accurate adjustment of icon size with 5 increments%.
• 📂 Ability to hide application names or change fonts.
• 🔄 Support for gestures and adaptive icons (for Android 12)+).
• 🔒 Save settings after updating MIUI.

Alternative launchers with support for large icons:

💡

If after installing a third-party launcher, MIUI navigation gestures stop working (for example, swipe up to return to the main screen), turn on the option to Use system gestures in its settings or return to the navigation buttons in Settings → Screen → Navigation Bar.

4. Hidden MIUI settings: editing parameters through ADB

For advanced users willing to work with ADB, there is a way to resize icons directly through system settings, which works even on devices where the manufacturer has removed zoom settings (for example, on some POCOs with MIUI 15).

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB Tools.
• 📱 Included debugging by USB on a smartphone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times to tap according to the version → return to Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB).
• 🔌 USB-Type C Cable (preferably original).

Instructions:

1. Connect your smartphone to your PC and confirm the debugging permission.
2. Open the command prompt (cmd) in the folder with adb.exe.
3. Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices should appear the name of your device.
4. Change the size of the icons (value) 1.3 — rise 30%, 1.5 — on 50%): adb shell settings put global icon_scale_factor 1.5
5. Reboot the device: adb reboot

Permissible values for icon_scale_factor:

• 1.0 is the standard size.
• 1.2 - 20% increase.
• 1.5 – 50% increase (maximum for most devices)
• 1.8 – extreme value, can lead to the imposition of icons.

⚠️ Note: On some devices (e.g. Xiaomi) 13T Pro) the change of this parameter is reset after restarting. To fix the settings, use the command: adb shell settings put system icon_scale_factor 1.5 (replaces global system with global system).

5. Customization through special facilities (for the visually impaired)

If you want bigger icons than just big ones, you can use special features, which are for people with vision problems or people who want to make the interface really simple.

How to turn on the major elements mode:

1. Go to Settings → Special Opportunities → Increase.
2. Activate the option Large text and select the maximum value.
3. Return to Special Options and enable Screen Scaling.
4. Set the scale to 150% or 200% (not available on all devices).

Additional settings for convenience:

• 🔍 Include contrast colors in Special Opportunities → Color and contrast will make the icons clearer.
• 📱 Activate zoom gestures (triple tap to enlarge part of the screen).
• 🔄 B Settings → Screen. → Animation Disable All Animations – This Will Speed Up the Interface at Large Scale.

Increased text size to 150 percent+

"Big Text" mode activated

Unnecessary animations disabled

Checked the clarity of the display of icons-->

Note that in this mode, some applications (such as games or banking programs) may not display correctly. To return the standard scale for a particular application, press its desktop icon and select Change the window size (available on MIUI 15).

6. Manually resizing icons through theme files (advanced method)

This is a method that is suitable for users who want to precisely control the size of icons without using third-party launchers. XML-file.

Instructions:

1. Install a file manager with access to system folders (e.g. Solid Explorer or FX File Explorer).
2. Cross the path: /data/system/users/0/ Find the file. miui_launcher_preferences.xml.
3. Make a backup of the file (copy it elsewhere).
4. Open the file in the text editor and find the lines: <string name="pref_key_icon_scale_factor">1.0</string> <string name="pref_key_icon_text_size">14</string>
5. Change the meanings: <string name="pref_key_icon_scale_factor">1.5</string> <string name="pref_key_icon_text_size">18</string> (where 1.5 — icon-scale, 18 — size).
6. Save the file and restart the device.

Values allowed:

• pref_key_icon_scale_factor: from 0.8 (decrease 2.0 (elevation 2 once).
• pref_key_icon_text_size: from 10 (shorthand 24 (big).

⚠️ Attention: Incorrect editing miui_launcher_preferences.xml If the desktop does not boot after the reboot, delete the file (the system will create a new one with default settings) or restore it from a backup.

💡

This method only works until the next MIUI launcher update, and after the update, the settings file will reset and the procedure will have to be repeated.

7. Frequent problems and their solutions

When you resize icons, users often experience side effects, and let's look at the most common ones and how to fix them.

Problem 1: After the icons are enlarged, they overlap.

• 🔧 Solution: Reduce the number of rows and columns in the desktop grid (see Method 1).
• 🔧 If you use Nova Launcher, adjust the indents to Settings → Desktop → Retreats.

Problem 2: The badges have become large, but their names are being cut.

• 🔧 Solution: Turn off the display of icon names in the launcher settings or reduce the font size in Settings → Screen. → Type size.
• 🔧 In Nova Launcher, you can change the font of the names in Settings → Badges and text → Size of text.

Problem 3: After the MIUI update, all settings reset.

• 🔧 Solution: If used ADB Or edit files, repeat the procedure. For third-party launchers, just re-apply the settings.
• 🔧 To avoid resetting, make a backup of themes and settings in Settings before updating. → Topics → My subjects.

Problem 4: Some screens (such as folders) have small icons.

• 🔧 Solution: This is a limitation MIUI. To increase the icons in folders, use a third-party launcher or rescale the entire interface (see Method 1).

💡

If after changing the size of the icons lost widgets (for example, weather or calendar), add them again: clamp the empty space on the desktop → Widgets → choose the right one and drag on the screen.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions