How to return a missing icon to the screen Xiaomi Redmi 7: from simple ways to hidden MIUI features

Did you notice that the Xiaomi Redmi 7 suddenly lost the icon of your favorite app - be it WhatsApp, Gallery or even Settings? Don't panic: 90% of the time, the problem is solved in 2-3 minutes without complex manipulations. The reasons for the disappearance of shortcuts on the Redmi 7 screen range from banal (accidental deletion) to system (launcher failure or MIUI update).

In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to return icons - from elementary (checking the folder "All applications") to advanced (resetting the launcher settings or reinstalling the shell). MIUI 10/11/12, If you've tried to reboot your phone or search for an app through search, skip the first two sections and move on to methods for complex cases.

1. Checking the obvious: where to look for the missing icon?

Before digging deep into the settings, make sure the icon is actually deleted, not just hidden. On Redmi 7 with a MIUI shell, shortcuts can get lost for three standard reasons:

• 📁 Moving to a folder: with prolonged clicking on the icon, it could be accidentally dragged to a folder (for example, "Tools" or "Entertainment").
• 🔍 Hiding in the application menu: in MIUI There is a function of hiding shortcuts from the main screen.
• 🗑️ Removing the shortcut only (not the app itself): This often happens when you clean the screen through Settings → Desktop.

To rule out these options:

1. Swipe your finger up from the bottom of the screen to open the menu of all apps (App Drawer).
2. Enter the name of the missing application in the search bar (the magnifying glass at the top of the screen).
3. If the icon is found, press it and drag it to the desktop.

If the app doesn't even appear in the menu of all programs, move to the next section. Importantly, Redmi 7 with MIUI 10 and below may not have a search bar - in which case, scroll through the list manually.

2.Recovery through launcher settings

The launcher (the program responsible for the appearance of the desktop) on Xiaomi Redmi 7 often resets settings after updates or when cleaning the cache.

1. Open the Settings. → Desktop.
2. Select Reset Launcher Settings (or Reset by Default in older versions of MIUI).
3. Confirm the action and wait for the interface to restart (it will take 10-20 seconds).

After resetting, all the standard icons (Phone, Messages, Camera) will return to their places. The apps you install will remain on the menu of all programs, and you will need to manually pull them out to the desktop.

Make sure important labels aren't in folders

Remember the location of widgets

Check the version of MIUI (Settings → About the phone)

Take a screenshot of the current desktop (in case of recovery)-->

⚠️ Warning: Resetting the launcher will remove all folders, widgets and design settings (wallpaper, transitions). If you use custom icons through themes, they will also have to be reconfigured.

3. Check hidden and disabled applications

MIUI has a feature to hide apps from prying eyes, so if the icon is missing after children or colleagues have taken the phone, check:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Slip on three dots in the upper right corner and select Hidden Apps.
3. If the missing app is on the list, uncheck it to return to the screen.

The icon may also disappear if the app is disabled (not deleted but blocked by the system).

1. In the same Application Management menu, select the Disconnected tab.
2. Find the right application and click "Enable".
3. After turning on, restart the phone – the icon should appear in the menu of all programs.

4.Reinstallation of the launcher or resetting the cache

If resetting the launcher settings didn't help, the problem could be in a damaged cache or shell files. Redmi 7 uses the MIUI Launcher (or POCO Launcher on some firmware) by default to restart it:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the list of MIUI Launcher (or POCO Launcher).
3. Click on "Storage" → "Clear Cache" and "Clear Data".
4. Confirm the action and restart the phone.

If after cleaning the cache icons did not return, try to reinstall the launcher:

• 📥 Download the latest version MIUI Launcher (select the Android 9 Pie version because Redmi 7 runs on this OS).
• 🔧 Install. APK-file by pre-allowing installation from unknown sources (Settings) → Security → Unknown sources).
• 🔄 Reboot your phone and select MIUI Launcher as a default launcher.

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If icons still don’t show up after reinstalling the launcher, try installing a third-party launcher (like Nova Launcher) from Google Play to help determine if the problem is in the system software or in a particular application.

5. Recovery through ADB (for power users)

If all previous methods have failed and the icon is critical (like Settings or Phone), you can try to restore it via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires connecting the phone to your computer and basic command line knowledge.

Instructions:

1. Enable USB debugging on your phone: Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (Tap 7 times) Settings → Additional → For Developers → Debugging on USB
2. Connect Redmi 7 to your PC and open the command line (Windows) or terminal (Mac/Linux).
3. Enter the command to check the connection: adb devices (should display your phone serial number).
4. To return the icon of a standard application (e.g. Settings), use: adb shell cmd shortcut reset-app-icon com.android.settings Replace com.android.settings with the package of the desired application (e.g. com.android.contacts for Contacts).

⚠️ Attention: Misuse of the right ADB If you are not sure about your actions, skip this section or contact a specialist. Before executing commands, back up through Settings. → Additionally. → Backup.

Extreme measures: reset to factory settings

If none of the methods worked, and the missing icons are system applications (Settings, Phone, Messages), there may have been a major failure in MIUI, in which case only a complete reset will help.

How to reset Redmi 7 without losing important data

1. Create a backup: Settings → Additional → Backup → Create a backup Choose Contacts, Messages, Applications and other important data.
2. Perform reset: Settings → Additional → Restore and Reset → Reset Confirm the action and wait for the reboot (it will take 5-10 minutes).
3. After resetting, restore the data from the backup.

If your phone doesn’t respond to touch or doesn’t turn on, use Recovery mode:

1. Turn off Redmi 7.
2. Press the power button + volume button before the MI logo appears.
3. Select "Wipe Data" (use volume buttons for navigation and power button for confirmation).
4. Confirm the reset and wait for the process to be completed.

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Resetting to factory settings deletes all data, including photos, messages and installed applications. Use this method only if other methods did not help, and the problem is critical (for example, lost phone icons or Settings).

7.Prevention: How to avoid missing icons in the future

To prevent icons from disappearing from the Redmi 7 screen, follow these rules:

• 🔄 Update regularly MIUI: Many shortcut bugs are fixed in new firmware versions. Check for updates in Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.
• 🧹 Do not manually clean the launcher cache through third-party applications (such as Clean Master.
• 📱 Use a screen lock if children or strangers often take your phone, and this will prevent the icons from being accidentally deleted or hidden.
• 🔧 Disable optimization for launcher: Settings → Annexes → Application management → Launcher MIUI → Battery → No restrictions.

If you lose icons often, consider installing a third-party launcher (like Nova Launcher or Apex Launcher).

• Backup of the location of the icons.
• Blocking from random changes.
• Flexible configuration of the appearance.

Any version of the launcher that supports Android 9 Pie will be suitable for Redmi 7. Install APK only from trusted sources (for example, APKCombo or APKMirror).

FAQ: Frequent questions about missing icons on Redmi 7