How to return icons to the desktop of the Xiaomi phone: the complete guide

Did you pick up your Xiaomi (or Redmi/POCO) and suddenly all the app icons disappeared from your desktop? Or did some icons turn into gray squares and others disappear altogether? This problem is familiar to many users of Xiaomi's MIUI-based smartphone shell. The reasons can range from accidental launcher failure to system errors after the upgrade.

In this article, we will explore all possible ways to restore icons, from basic actions to deep system settings. You will learn how to return icons without resetting your phone, what to do if only some applications are missing, and how to prevent re-disappearance. The instructions are relevant for all modern versions of MIUI 12, MIUI 13 and MIUI 14, including the Xiaomi 13/14 models, Redmi Note 12/11, POCO F5/X5 and others.

Why Xiaomi icons disappear: the main reasons

Before you start rebuilding, it's important to understand what triggered the problem, because 80 percent of the time, the MIUI launcher, the program that displays the desktop, is to blame, but there are other factors:

• 🔄 Launcher failure is the most common cause, occurring after prolonged use without rebooting or due to a lack of RAM.
• 📱 Update MIUI — After installing a new version of the firmware, the desktop configuration may be lost.
• 🧹 Clearing the cache/data of system applications (e.g. com.miui.home) through settings.
• 🚫 Disabling applications manually or automatically (via "Space" or "Battery").
• 📲 Use of third-party launchers (Nova, Apex) that conflict with the native interface MIUI.
• 🛠️ Manual modification of system files (e.g., through ADB root-access).

A critical feature of MIUI: if icons are missing after upgrading to MIUI 14, the problem may be related to the new Smart Desktop feature, which automatically hides rarely used applications, in which case it is enough to disable this option in the launcher settings.

It’s also worth checking if Light Mode (in the special feature settings) is activated, which simplifies the interface, but often removes icons from the desktop.

Method 1: Reboot the launcher (without rebooting the phone)

The fastest and safest method is to force the system launcher to restart, which helps 60-70% of the time when icons have disappeared due to a temporary failure.

Here's how to do it:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. In the search box, enter the launcher or com.miui.home.
3. Select the MIUI Launcher app (or the POCO Launcher app).
4. Press Forced Stop, then confirm the action.
5. Return to the desktop – in 5-10 seconds, the icons should appear.

If this method didn’t work, try to further clear the launcher cache (in the same menu, click Storage → Clear Cache).

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If the icons returned after restarting the launcher, but disappeared again after a while, check the phone's free memory. MIUI starts to "glue" when there is less than 1 GB of free space.

Method 2: Recovery through desktop settings

MIUI has a hidden launcher reset feature that returns the standard icon layout without losing application data.This method works if icons are lost after changing themes, wallpaper or screen layout.

Instructions:

1. Touch and hold the empty space on the desktop with your finger.
2. At the bottom of the screen will appear toolbar – select Settings (cog icon).
3. Scroll down and find Reset (or Restore by default)
4. Confirm the action. The phone will restart the launcher, and the icons will return to their original state.

If this item is missing, try an alternative path:

• 📌 Go to Settings. → Desktop.
• 🔍 Find the Additional or Advanced Settings section.
• 🔄 Choose Reset the layout.

Method 3: Checking Hidden Applications and Folders

Sometimes icons don’t disappear, but simply move to hidden folders or turn off in settings. MIUI has an automatic hide feature for rarely used applications that can work after an update.

How to find "lost" badges:

1. Open the menu of all applications (swipe up from the bottom of the screen).
2. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Settings.
3. Check if the switch is on. If it's not, activate it.
4. Go back to the app menu and click Hidden Apps (or Recently Installed Apps) where you can find the missing icons.

Also worth a look at the folder "Other" (if it is on the desktop) - MIUI sometimes automatically puts there underused programs.

If you are using POCO Launcher, check the Categories section in the app menu – there icons can be sorted by thematic folders (for example, “Social Networks”, “Games”).

Method 4: Reset the launcher settings via ADB (for experienced)

If standard methods don't work, you can use the ADB debugging bridge to reset your launcher settings, which is suitable for users who have previously enabled Developer Mode and have access to a computer.

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your phone to your PC via USB and enable USB Debugging (in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version, press 7 times, then go back to Additional Settings → For Developers).
2. Download and install ADB Tools on your computer.
3. Open the command prompt (Windows) or terminal (Mac/Linux) in the folder with ADB.
4. Enter the command to reset the launcher settings: adb shell pm clear com.miui.home
5. Wait for the process to be completed and restart the phone.

⚠️ Warning: This command will reset all desktop settings, including icon layouts, widgets and wallpapers, but personal data (photos, messages) will not be affected.

If the icons are not returned after the command, try resetting the MIUI System Launcher settings (for POCO):

adb shell pm clear com.mi.android.launcher

Method 5: Update or reinstall the launcher

If the problem is caused by an error in the launcher itself, reinstall it will help, depending on the model of the phone, you can update the system launcher or install an alternative one.

For standard Xiaomi/Redmi devices:

• 📲 Go to Google Play and find the app "MIUI Launcher (officially from Xiaomi).
• 🔄 If you have an Update button, press it. If the launcher is the latest version, try Remove Updates (in the app settings).
• 🔄 After removing the updates, restart the phone - the system will restore the factory version of the launcher.

For POCO:

• 🛠️ Install. POCO Launcher from Google Play (unless installed).
• 🔧 In the launcher settings, select Reset settings.
• 📱 If the icons still don’t show up, try another launcher (like Nova Launcher or Hyperion).

⚠️ Note: Some models (e.g. Xiaomi 13 Ultra or Redmi) K60 Pro) the system launcher cannot be removed or disabled, this will lead to a reboot cycle. In such cases, use only the update via Google Play.

Method 6: Recovery through MIUI backup

If the icons are gone after a reset or update, and you have a backup created through Settings → Additional → Backup, you can only restore desktop settings without losing data.

How to do this:

1. Open Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset.
2. Select Local Backups and find the file you want (usually called the Local Backups). Backup_YYYYMMDD).
3. Click Restore and uncheck all boxes except System Settings and Desktop.
4. Confirm the recovery and wait for the process to be completed.

⚠️ Note: If the backup was created on another version MIUI, recovery can lead to conflicts, in which case, after the procedure, be sure to restart the phone.

If you don’t have local backups, but you have Mi Account sync enabled, try:

• 🔄 Go to Settings. → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → Synchronization.
• 🔄 Enable synchronization for System Settings.
• 🔄 Wait for completion and restart the device.

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Backups of MIUI save not only icons, but also the location of widgets, wallpaper, theme settings. Regularly create backups before updates!

Method 7: Extreme measures – resetting your phone to factory settings

If none of these methods work, the last option is hard reset, which will remove all the data from your phone, so use it only as a last resort.

How to reset Xiaomi without losing important data

1. Create a backup through Settings → Google → Backup or Mi Cloud.
2. Transfer photos, videos and documents to your computer or cloud.
3. Open Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
4. Choose to erase all data and confirm the action.
5. After the reboot, perform the initial setup and recover the data from the backup.

⚠️ Note: Some models (Xiaomi 13 Pro, Redmi) K50 Ultra) may require re-assignment of your Mi Account after reset.Make sure you remember the password!

If the phone doesn’t respond to touch or freezes on the MIUI logo after reset, try Recovery:

• 🔄 Turn off the phone.
• 🔄 Press the power button. + Loudness up before the appearance of the Mi logo.
• 🔄 In the Recovery menu, select Wipe data (use volume buttons for navigation).
• 🔄 Confirm the action and wait for the completion.

How to Prevent the Disappearance of Icons in the Future

To avoid recurring problems, follow these guidelines:

• 📱 Reboot your phone regularly (at least once in a while). 3-4 It clears the launcher's cache.
• 🔄 Do not install beta versions. MIUI, unless you're ready for bugs.
• 🚫 Do not clean the launcher data manually through settings.
• 📲 Use official themes from the Topic → Online, not third-party APK.
• 🔋 Keep an eye out for the free space – at least leave it. 2-3 GB memory.
• 🔄 Before the update MIUI Create a backup copy of the desktop.

If you often experience launcher issues, consider installing an alternative launcher (like Nova Launcher) that is more stable on weak devices (Redmi 9A, POCO M3) and less likely to reset settings.

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Enable the option “Do not unload the launcher from memory” in the developer settings (Settings → Additional → For developers → Do not unload active applications).

FAQ: Frequent questions about missing icons on Xiaomi