How to return a remote icon to the screen of a Xiaomi smartphone: the full guide 2026

Have you accidentally deleted an app icon from Xiaomi's home screen and now you can't find a way to get it back? Or have all the shortcuts gone after the MIUI update? This problem is familiar to many users of Redmi, POCO and Mi smartphones -- especially after resetting or changing the launcher. Unlike the iPhone, where removing the icon from the screen doesn't erase the app itself, on Android, the shortcuts mechanism is more complicated: they can disappear due to system errors, user actions or even viruses.

In this article, we will discuss 7 working ways to return an icon to the Xiaomi screen, from basic (restore from the cart) to advanced (reset the launcher or reinstall the application). All instructions are relevant for MIUI 12/13/14 and models 2018-2026. If you are not sure what exactly happened to your shortcut, start with the first section - there we will help determine the cause of disappearance.

1. Check if the icon or the app itself has been removed

Before you try to return the shortcut, make sure that it is the shortcut, not the app itself. Xiaomi has two different operations: remove the icon from the screen (the shortcut remains in the app menu) and delete the program (the app is erased from the device).

• 🔍 The shortcut is removed from the screen, but the app is on the system: swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open the App Menu. If there's an icon there, the only problem is the shortcut.
• 🗑️ The application is removed completely: in the application menu it is not, and in Settings → Annexes → Application management is marked as “Not established".
• ⚙️ The app is disabled: it's gray in the app menu marked "Disabled." This often happens after updates. MIUI.

If the app is removed, go to the reinstall section. If it's disabled, turn it on in the settings. If the problem is only in the shortcut, read on.

2. Restore the icon from the basket (for MIUI 12 and newer)

With MIUI 12, Xiaomi smartphones have introduced the shortcut cart feature, which is the analog of the basket on the desktop of the PC. If you deleted the icon less than 5 days ago, it can be returned from there:

1. Long press on the empty seat of the main screen → select Screen settings (cog icon).
2. Slip on the basket (the bin icon in the upper right corner).
3. Find the right shortcut, hold it and drag it back to the screen.

Important: the cart only stores shortcuts for 5 days – after which they are deleted irrevocably, and the feature does not work on all models (for example, it does not work on the POCO F1 and the old Redmi Note).

3. Adding a shortcut manually from the app menu

If the cart is empty or not on your model, the most reliable way is to re-create the shortcut.

1. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open the Apps menu.
2. Find the desired application, hold its icon for 1-2 seconds.
3. Drag it to the home screen or folder. Some models (POCO X3, Redmi 10) will have a context menu, select Add to the home screen.

If the app doesn’t appear on the menu but you’re sure it’s installed, try:

• 🔄 Reboot your smartphone (sometimes the app menu “hangs").
• 🔍 Enter the name of the application in the search bar in the application menu.
• 📁 Check the Unused folder (if the automatic sorting function is enabled in Settings) → Main screen screen).

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If you often lose shortcuts, turn on the “Secure icons” option in the launcher settings – this will prevent accidental deletion.

4.Reset launcher settings (if icons disappear en masse)

If all icons have disappeared from the main screen or they are constantly reset, the problem may be a launcher failure (MIUI shell).

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Slip on the three dots in the upper right corner → select Show system processes.
3. Find the Lawnchair app (for POCO) or MIUI Launcher (for Redmi/Mi).
4. Select Warehouse → Clear the data and confirm the action.

Warning:

⚠️ Warning: After the launcher is reset, all folders, widgets and icon locations will disappear, and the apps will remain installed, but the shortcuts will have to be added again.

If the problem repeats after reset, try booting in Safe Mode – this will help to identify a conflict with third applications.

5. Reinstall the application (if the label is not restored)

If the icon is missing with the app or it was deleted by mistake, you just have to reinstall it.

Method 1: Through Google Play

1. Open the Google Play Store.
2. Enter the name of the application in the search bar.
3. If you have been previously installed, click Install (if not, Open).

Method 2: Through APK-file (for system applications)

Some Xiaomi apps (e.g. Camera, Gallery) cannot be removed in the standard way, but their shortcuts may disappear.

1. Download. APK-Application file from the official Xiaomi website (for example, MIUI Downloads).
2. Install APK through any file manager (allow installation from unknown sources in Settings → Security).
3. After installation, add a shortcut to the screen from the app menu.

Important: Do not download APK from third-party sites, this can lead to infection with viruses. Use only official sources.

6. Check in Safe Mode (if the icons disappear by themselves)

If shortcuts disappear regularly without your involvement, the reason may lie in conflict with another application (most often with third-party launchers or “optimizers”).

1. Press the power button before the off menu appears.
2. Hold your finger on the option to turn off → will be prompted to go to Safe Mode.
3. Confirm the transition. The smartphone will reboot, and in the lower left corner will appear the inscription "Safe Mode".

This mode only runs system applications.

• 🔄 Have the missing icons returned?
• 📱 Is the main screen stable?

If the problem disappears in safe mode, one of the installed applications is to blame: remove suspicious programs (launchers, cleaners, antiviruses) and check the system again.

7. Reset to factory settings (extreme case)

If none of these things work, and the icons keep disappearing, the last option is a complete reset, which will bring the smartphone back out of the box, but delete all the data.

1. Go to Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset.
2. Select Local Backup and save the data to a memory card or to the Mi Cloud.
3. Return to Backup and Reset → Reset → Delete all data.

Warning:

⚠️ Warning: Reset deletes all photos, contacts, messages and installed applications, and can only be restored from backup. Do not interrupt the reset process - this can damage system files and "brick" the device.

After resetting the icons will return to their place, but all settings (including accounts and Wi-Fi passwords) will have to be set up again.

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If the reset didn’t work, there could be a hardware fault (such as memory damage) in which case, contact Xiaomi’s service center.

Comparison of ways to restore icons

FAQ: Frequent questions about missing icons on Xiaomi