How to return icons on Xiaomi phone to the previous state: from sorting to reset

Scattered icons, missing folders, or chaoticly mixed apps on Xiaomi are familiar problems? This is a situation that users face after a MIUI update, a random gesture, or a launcher malfunction. You can restore the old order of icons in several ways, from manual sorting to a complete reset of desktop settings.

In this article, you will find 5 proven methods, including hidden MIUI features that work on models from Redmi Note 8 to Xiaomi 14 Pro. We will discuss how to return icons to place without losing data, what to do if folders are missing, and why sometimes only reinstall the launcher helps. And for those who are afraid of experiments, a list of safe actions that do not affect personal files.

Before you start settings, make sure that the problem is not caused by a temporary failure.Reset the phone (power button → Reboot) and check if the icons are back in place. If not, read on.

1. Manual sorting of badges: how to restore order manually

The most obvious, but often ignored, way to get icons back in place is by doing it yourself, which is easier in MIUI than in standard Android, thanks to the icon fixing feature.

To move the icon:

1. Press and hold your finger on any icon for 1-2 seconds until it sticks away from the screen.
2. Drag it to the right place. If you want to create a folder, move one icon to another.
3. To fix the position, click on the free screen space → Screen settings → turn on the option to Secure icons.

If the icons are not dragging, check:

• 🔄 Is Safe Mode activated (all third-party launchers are disabled).
• 📱 Is a third-party launcher used (e.g., Nova Launcher or Microsoft Launcher).
• 🔒 Are screen changes blocked in family control settings (Settings) → Password and security → Parental control).

⚠️ Warning: If icons disappear or return to their original locations after moving, this is a sign of a launcher cache failure.Cache cleaning (section 3) usually solves the problem.

2.Recovery through the settings of the MIUI launcher

MIUI has a hidden feature that resets icons to factory settings, not removing apps, but only returning icons to standard positions.

How to activate:

1. Press and hold the empty space on the main screen.
2. Select Screen Settings (or Desktop Settings in older versions).
3. Scroll down and find Restore the default layout (in MIUI 14 it can be called Reset the location of icons).
4. Confirm the action – the icons will return to their original state (like after buying a phone).

This method works on all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO models with MIUI 10 and later. On older firmware (MIUI 9 and below), the option may not be available, in which case cache reset (Section 3) will help.

Take screenshots of the current location of the icons

Remember the names of folders and their contents

Make sure that important apps aren’t hidden in the menu

Check the version. MIUI (Settings → The phone)-->

3. Clearing the launcher cache: if the icons "jump" or disappear

A common cause of chaotic icon layout is a damaged MIUI Launcher cache, which does not delete data, but resets temporary files that display the desktop.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. In the search box, type Launcher (or MIUI Launcher).
3. Select the application → Storage → Clear the cache.
4. Reboot the phone.

If after cleaning the cache icons did not return to the place, try additional actions:

• 🔄 Restart Launcher: In the same application settings, click Stop, then open the main screen again.
• 📦 Remove Updates: If the launcher has been updated via Google Play, click Remove Updates (not available on all models).
• 🔧 Reset preferences: in the application settings, select Reset preferences (will return the standard display settings).

⚠️ Note: On some models (POCO F3, Redmi K40) After cleaning the launcher cache, Google's search bar may disappear. It recovers after rebooting or re-addition of the widget.

4. Reset desktop settings without data loss

If previous methods didn’t work, try resetting only the desktop settings without affecting apps and files.

• The icons disappeared after the MIUI update.
• The folders open with an error or are empty.
• The widgets are not displayed correctly.

How to perform the reset:

1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
2. Find Resetting (or Restore and Reset in older versions).
3. Select Reset Desktop Settings (not to be confused with a full reset!).
4. Confirm the action – the phone will restart, and the icons will return to the factory state.

After the reset, you will need to re-up:

• 📂 Configure folders and their contents.
• 🎨 Return the wallpaper and theme of the design.
• ⚙️ Set up widgets (weather, clock, notes).

💡

Before reset, back up your icons with the Desktop Backup app (available on Google Play) and it saves the desktop diagram into a file that can be recovered after reset.

5. Reinstallation of the MIUI launcher (for power users)

The last measure - reinstallation of the system launcher - is applied if:

• The icons disappear after each restart.
• The launcher is making a mistake: "MIUI Launcher has stopped."
• Resetting didn't help.

This will require:

1. Download the latest version of MIUI Launcher from the official Xiaomi website (Support → Firmware).
2. Install APK-File through any file manager (e.g. Files by Google).
3. Reboot the phone.

⚠️ Note: On models with a locked bootloader (Redmi Note 12, Xiaomi) 13T) Re-installation of the launcher may require unlocking OEM Unlock in the developer settings. This voids the warranty!

An alternative way for advanced users is to install a launcher via ADB:

adb install -r miui_launcher.apk


adb shell pm clear com.miui.home

6. Restore from backup (if created)

If you have previously backed up through Settings → Additional → Backup, you can return the previous status of the icons from the archive.

1. Open Settings → About the phone → Backup.
2. Select the latest backup (check the date of creation!).
3. Click Restore and tick the Desktop Settings item.
4. Confirm the recovery - the process will take 2-5 minutes.

Please note:

• 🔄 Restore will replace all current desktop settings (including wallpaper and widgets).
• 📱 If the backup is made on another Xiaomi model, the icons may not display correctly.
• ⚠️ When recovering from Google Drive, make sure the file is not corrupted (the size must match the original).

💡

The MIUI backup only saves system settings, not personal files (photos, videos, documents).

Frequent questions about the restoration of icons on Xiaomi