How to return a deleted shortcut to the Xiaomi screen: all working methods

You accidentally deleted the app icon from Xiaomi's home screen and now you can't find a way to get it back? Or did you lose all the shortcuts after the MIUI update? This problem is familiar to many owners of Redmi, POCO and Xiaomi smartphones - especially after resetting or changing the launcher. Unlike the iPhone, where removing the icon from the screen just hides it, on Android with the MIUI shell, the mechanics work differently: the shortcut can disappear forever if you don't know where to look for it.

In this article, we’ll look at 5 proven ways to bring icons back to the screen, from basic (for beginners) to advanced (if the label is missing after a reset or update). Also, you’ll learn why in MIUI 14 and later, some apps are automatically hidden from the home screen due to the Smart Organization feature, and how to disable it. All instructions are relevant for Android 11-14 devices with MIUI 12-14 shells.

1. Basic method: return the shortcut from the application menu

The easiest method is to return the icon directly from the list of all installed programs, which works 90% of the time if the label was manually removed (rather than lost after a system was reset or glitched).

Instructions:

• 📱 Open the app menu (swipe up the home screen or click on the All Apps icon in the dock panel).
• 🔍 Find the desired application in the list (you can use the search at the top of the screen).
• 🖱️ Press the icon of the application with your finger and, without letting go, drag it to the main screen or to the dock panel.
• 📍 If the shortcut is not drag and drop, check if the movement function is blocked in the launcher settings (more about this in the next section).

If the app is not on the menu, it can mean:

• ❌ It has been removed (check in Settings). → Annexes → Application management).
• ⚙️ It is disabled (in the same application settings, look for the tab "Disabled").
• 🔄 It is hidden by the system (relevant to the MIUI 14+ with a smart organization function").

⚠️ Note: On some models POCO (for example, POCO X5 Pro) default launcher installed POCO Launcher, where drag and drop mechanics are different. If you can't, try changing the launcher to a standard launcher. MIUI Launcher in the settings of the themes.

2.If the label is not dragged: check the launcher settings

Sometimes the app icons are glued to the home screen and can't be moved or removed, because of the launcher settings (MIUI shell) to unlock drag and drop:

Open the Settings → Home screen and check the following settings:

• 🔓 "Blocking the layout – must be disabled (otherwise you can not move the icons).
• 📱 "Home Screen Style – Select Standard (in Simple mode, some features are disabled).
• 🔄 "Autoorganization – disable if you don’t want the system to sort shortcuts itself.

If these items are not available, you have an alternative launcher (for example, Nova Launcher or POCO Launcher).

1. Click the empty space on the home screen → select “Home screen settings”.
2. Find the "Blocking the layout" or "Edit Mode" section and disable the restrictions.
3. Restart the device (sometimes the settings are applied only after the reboot).

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If all shortcuts are missing after the MIUI update, try resetting the launcher settings: go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Launcher, click Storage and select Clear Data. Attention: this will delete all your widgets and folders on the home screen!

3. Restore the shortcut through the application settings

If an app is on the system, but its icon is not displayed on the menu or on the home screen, it may be hidden or disabled.

Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management and:

1. Enter the name of the application in the search.
2. If it is disabled, press "Enable".
3. If it is hidden (relevant to MIUI 14+), click Show on the home screen.
4. If the application is system (for example, Camera or Phone), check if its updates have been removed (the button "Remove Updates" in the application menu).

For hidden system applications (for example, "FM-Radio" or "Screen Recording" may require activation via Developer Mode:

Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times)


Settings → Additional → For developers → Enable “Show hidden applications”

⚠️ Note: Some firmware (e.g. Xiaomi.EU) may not display hidden system applications even after the developer mode is enabled, in which case only manual recovery through the ADB (see section 5).

4.Reset launcher settings (if all shortcuts are missing)

If the home screen has disappeared all shortcuts or has become empty after updating, resetting or installing a new theme, resetting the launcher will help, which will return the standard layout, but will delete all your widgets and folders.

How to drop the launcher:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the Louncher app (or MIUI Launcher, POCO Launcher).
3. Select "Storage" → "Clear the data".
4. Confirm the action and restart the phone.

After the reboot:

• 📱 Home screen will return to factory settings (standard folders Xiaomi and widgets).
• 🔄 All deleted shortcuts will appear in the app menu – they can be dragged back to the screen.
• ⚙️ Launcher settings will reset (including layout lock and autoorganization).

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI 13/14 If the launcher is reset, you may notice "damaged data." Ignore it, it's standard behavior. If the screen is left empty, re-clean the launcher data and restart the phone again.

5. Advanced Method: Recovery through ADB (for experienced)

If the shortcut is missing due to a system failure or you use custom firmware (for example, Xiaomi.EU or LineageOS), you can return it via the service. ADB (Android Debug Bridge is suitable for restoring system applications that are not displayed in the menu (e.g, "FM-radio", "IR-remote" or "screen recording").

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB-driver.
• 📱 Developer's Included Mode and Debugging USB phone-on.
• 🔌 USB-Type C Cable (preferably original).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your phone to your PC and open the command prompt (cmd on Windows or Terminal on macOS/Linux).
2. Check the connection command: Adb devices should appear the name of your device.
3. Enter the command to restore the shortcut (replace com.example.app with the application package): adb shell cmd shortcut create-home -p com.example.app -c android.intent.category.LAUNCHER
4. Reboot the phone.

How to find out the application package:

• Install the App Inspector app on your phone (available on Google Play).
• Open it and find the desired application in the list - in the "Package Name" box, its unique identifier will be displayed (for example, com.miui.fm for the user). FM-radio).

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ADB-If the user app label (such as WhatsApp or Telegram) is missing, use methods 1-3.

6.If nothing helps: reinstall the app or reset the phone

In extreme cases (for example, after a failed update or rooting), shortcuts may disappear due to damage to system files.

Option 1: Reinstallation of the annex

• 📌 Remove the application through Settings → Annexes.
• 🔄 Reboot the phone.
• 📥 Install the app from Google Play or Mi App Store.
• 🖱️ The shortcut should appear in the app menu – drag it to the main screen.

Option 2: Reset the phone to factory settings

Use this method only if other methods have failed, as it will delete all data from the device.

• 📲 Make a backup copy through Settings → The phone. → Backup.
• 🔐 Make sure you know the username and password from your Mi Account (required after resetting).
• 📡 Connect your phone to Wi-Fi (after reset, you will need the Internet to activate it).

How to reset:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Select "Erase all data."
3. Confirm the action and wait for the reboot.

⚠️ Note: On devices with a blocked bootloader, you may need to re-assign your Mi Account after a reset. If you forget your password, restore it in advance at account.xiaomi.com.

FAQ: Frequent questions about missing shortcuts on Xiaomi