Icons disappeared from the Xiaomi desktop: how to return application shortcuts in 5 minutes

You turned on a Xiaomi smartphone, and instead of the usual shortcuts — an empty screen or randomly scattered folders? This problem is familiar to many owners of devices on MIUI, especially after a system update or a launcher failure. 80% of the time it is not the phone itself that is to blame, but the software settings that can be restored without complex manipulation.

In this article, 5 working ways to bring icons back to your Redmi, POCO or Mi desktop, from basic (reboot and reset launcher) to advanced (manual editing of configuration files), we’ll look at why shortcuts disappear, how to prevent re-disappearance, and what to do if standard methods don’t work. All instructions are relevant for MIUI 12-14 and models from Redmi Note 10 to Xiaomi 13 Ultra.

We warn you right away: if you used third-party launchers like Nova Launcher or HyperOS Launcher, the recovery algorithm will be different – we have a separate section for them, and at the end of the article you will find FAQs with answers to frequent questions, such as why icons return to their wrong places after resetting.

Why Xiaomi desktop icons disappeared: 4 main reasons

Before you re-establish labels, it's important to understand what caused them to disappear, and 95 percent of the time, the problem is due to one of four factors:

• 🔄 Launcher failure MIUI. The standard desktop display app com.miui.home can freeze after an update or memory shortage, most often manifesting as an empty screen with wallpaper but no icons.
• 📱 Update MIUI. After installing a new firmware version (especially when switching from the MIUI 12 on MIUI 13/14) The system resets the screen settings, hiding shortcuts in the folder "All applications».
• 🧹 Clear cache or data. If you manually cleaned the memory through Settings → Annexes → Application management could accidentally delete launcher data, which led to a desktop reset.
• 🛠️ Third-party launchers or optimizers. Programs like CCleaner, SD Maid or alternative shells (Nova, Apex) may conflict with MIUI, Remove tags or move them to hidden folders.

Less commonly, the problem lies in hardware failures (such as damage to a memory partition) or virus software, but such cases are usually accompanied by other symptoms: brakes, spontaneous reboots, or errors when starting applications.

⚠️ Note: If all the data (photos, contacts, messages) is lost along with the icons, the problem may be related to damage to the user partition. In this case, do not try to restore shortcuts - first check the integrity of the files through Settings. → Memory. → Memory check.

Method 1: Reboot the phone and reset the MIUI launcher

Start with the simplest one, forced reboot, which helps 30 to 40 percent of the time, especially if the icons have disappeared after a long period of time without turning them off.

1. Press the power button for 10-15 seconds until the screen goes out and the phone starts to reboot.
2. After turning on, wait 1-2 minutes – the system should automatically restore shortcuts.

If the reboot didn’t help, try resetting the launcher settings:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Search for Launcher (or com.miui.home for older versions of MIUI).
3. Select Warehouse → Clear cache and Clear data.
4. Confirm the action and restart the phone.

Once reset, the launcher will return to the factory settings, and all icons will appear in the All Apps folder. They will have to be manually dragged back to the desktop.

Take a screenshot of the current location of the icons |

Remember which apps were in folders |

Check that important labels are not hidden in the All Apps menu |

Disable third-party optimizers (if you use)

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Method 2: Restore icons through screen settings

If the icons are not completely gone, but simply moved or ended up in the All Apps folder, they can be returned through the standard MIUI settings.

Follow the instructions:

1. Touch the empty space on your desktop and hold your finger until the menu appears.
2. Select Screen Settings (or Home Screen Settings in newer versions of MIUI).
3. Check if the App Icon Switch is on, and if it's not, activate it.
4. In the "Makeup" section, select "Standard" (if there was "No icons" or "Folder only").

If the shortcuts still don’t show, try returning the standard layout:

1. In the same menu, click "Restore the default layout."
2. Confirm the action – the system will return all icons to their original positions (as after buying a phone).

Note that this method will not restore shortcuts that you created manually (for example, for websites or files).

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If after resetting the layout icons returned, but in a chaotic order, use the function "Sort alphabetically" in the menu "All applications" (icon) ⋮ → "Sort").

Method 3: Manually add icons from the All Apps menu

If previous methods didn't work, it's likely that shortcuts are simply hidden in the app menu to bring them back to the desktop:

1. Swipe up the screen to open “All Apps”.
2. Find the app you want (like WhatsApp or Gallery).
3. Press his icon and drag it to the desktop.
4. Repeat for any missing labels.

If the All Apps menu does not have important system applications (such as Settings or Phone), you can return them via hidden MIUI settings:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Press three points (⋮) in the upper right corner and select “Show all applications».
3. Find the hidden app, tap it and select Show on the home screen.

To speed up the process, you can use a packet addition:

• 📁 Create a folder on your desktop (clutch the empty space) → «folder»).
• 🔍 Drag all the necessary icons from the menu "All applications».
• 📱 Then unclick the folder by dragging the apps back to the screen.

⚠️ Note: Some system applications (such as Security or Themes) cannot be added manually to the desktop, but can only be opened through the All Apps menu or search.

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

If standard methods didn’t work and icons are still missing, the problem may lie in the damaged launcher settings, in which case the ADB (Android Debug Bridge) reset will help, which is suitable for users familiar with the command line.

You'll need:

• 💻 A computer with installed Xiaomi drivers and ADB.
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).
• 📱 Included debugging by USB on the phone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times press to unlock the developer mode, then Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB).

Instructions:

1. Connect the phone to your PC and open the command line (Win + R → enter cmd).
2. Enter the command to check the connection: adb devices Wait for the serial number of your device to appear.
3. Reset the launcher settings: adb shell pm clear com.miui.home
4. Reboot your phone: adb reboot

Once rebooted, the launcher will return to factory settings, and all icons will appear in the All Apps menu, which you will have to manually place on your desktop.

Method 5: Recovery through MIUI backup

If you have previously backed up through Local Backup in MIUI, you can restore your desktop settings from it, which is suitable if the icons are lost after a reset or system update.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Local Backup.
2. Select the latest backup (check the date of creation).
3. Click Restore and select only System Settings (do not recover all data to avoid losing relevant information!).
4. Wait for the process to be completed and restart the phone.

If you don’t have a backup, but you have Mi Account sync enabled, try recovering data via the cloud:

1. Go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Synchronization.
2. Make sure that the “System Settings” synchronization is enabled.
3. Click on “Sync” and wait until it is completed.

Important: MIUI backups only retain system settings, not user shortcuts (for example, for websites or files), and they will have to be added again.

What to do if the icons are missing after the MIUI update

MIUI updates often reset desktop settings, especially when upgrading to a new version (e.g., from MIUI 13 to MIUI 14).

1. Wait until the optimization is completed after the update (it can take up to 10 minutes).
2. Check if icons are hidden in the All Apps menu (see Method 3).
3. If the shortcuts are still missing, reset the launcher (Method 1).
4. For POCO models with POCO Launcher shell, check the theme settings further: Settings → Themes → Lock screen settings → Icon style.

If after the update, the icons of system applications (for example, Camera or Contacts) disappeared, try:

• 🔍 Use a phone search (swipe down the desktop and enter the name of the application).
• 📥 Reinstall the app through the Mi App Store (even if it’s system-based).
• 🔧 Restoring access rights: Settings → Annexes → Permits → Auto-Start (enable for all system applications).

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After major MIUI updates (e.g. 12 to 13), shortcuts may disappear due to a change in the launcher structure, in which case only manual restoration or resetting helps.

How to prevent the re-disappearance of icons

To avoid recurring problems, follow these guidelines:

• 📵 Do not manually clean the launcher data through Settings → Appendices. Use only "Clear the cache».
• 🔄 Turn off automatic optimization in the Security App (Security) → Optimization → Auto-cleaning → turn off for com.miui.home).
• 📱 Regularly back up through Settings → Backup (select the option "System Settings»).
• 🚫 Avoid third-party launchers if you are not ready for conflicts with the MIUI. If you use Nova Launcher, turn off battery optimization for it.
• 🔄 Update. MIUI Do not miss small updates (for example, with the MIUI 13.0.5 at 13.0.10) to avoid serious disruptions.

If you change shells frequently or experiment with themes, install the Desktop Visualizer app from Google Play, which lets you save the desktop layout and restore it after crashes.

⚠️ Note: On Xiaomi models with HyperOS (new shell instead of the new one) MIUI) The icon recovery algorithm may differ, particularly HyperOS doesn’t have the classic All Apps menu, but instead uses App Vault (swipe left on the desktop).

FAQ: Frequent questions about the restoration of icons on Xiaomi