Widgets for Android: where are in the phone Xiaomi

Xiaomi’s modern smartphone is not just a communication tool, but a powerful productivity tool that allows you to bring important information directly to the desktop. However, many users who are switching from other shells or encountering MIUI and the new HyperOS for the first time are often lost in search of functionality. The question of where the Android widgets are in Xiaomi’s phone is one of the most frequent, because the interface logic here has its own unique features.

Unlike pure Android, where widgets are often hidden in a separate app menu or called by a swipe, in the Xiaomi ecosystem, they are accessed through a desktop context menu, which is designed to free up space on the screen and minimize visual noise, allowing the user to add only the really necessary controls. Understanding this logic is the key to quickly configuring a personalized interface.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at all the ways you access widgets, the differences between old and new firmware, and how to manage your screen space effectively, and how to add hours, weather, calendars, or app shortcuts to make your smartphone a truly smart assistant.

The main way to access through the desktop menu

The easiest and most versatile way to find widgets on any Xiaomi smartphone is to use a long tap on the free area of the screen. This gesture opens a special editing menu that is the center of control over the appearance of your device. This is where the desired "Widgets" button is hidden, which often goes unnoticed by beginners.

Once you hold your finger on the blank, bottom or top of the screen (depending on the OS version and theme), a toolbar will appear. You need to select the Widgets item. The system will instantly open a gallery of available items divided into categories: "Recent", "Tools", "Connection" and others, and you can find both standard watches and complex interactive modules.

⚠️ Note: If you click on a blank space for a long time, check the theme settings. Third-party themes from GetThemes store can block the standard editing menu».

To add an element, just click on it and drag it to a vacant space or select a size and click Add. The MIUI interface allows you to flexibly configure the grid, but some widgets may require a certain number of cells, which you need to consider when planning a desktop.

Differences in MIUI and HyperOS Interface

With the release of the HyperOS operating system, Xiaomi has significantly redesigned the visual style and logic of widgets. While older versions of MIUI 12 and MIUI 13 were dominated by utilitarian design with small fonts, the new versions offer large, informative blocks in the style of iOS, known as “smart widgets”.

Not only has the appearance changed, but the way we interact with each other, and we've got the Widget Stack, which allows you to swipe and place multiple items in a single cell, and it's a huge change in how you organize space, so you can have weather, currency, and notes all at the same time.

In addition, the new versions have expanded support for third-party applications, developers have more tools to integrate their widgets into the common system, so in the menu “Widgets” you can now find items from Spotify, Google Keep and other popular services that previously could be hidden or required complex manipulation to activate.

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Use a dark theme in the display settings so that widgets with a translucent background look more stylish and consume less power on the screen. AMOLED-screen.

Users who are used to the classic look may need time to adapt, but the functionality of the new widgets is much higher: they can display delivery status, track workouts or control the smart home without opening apps.

Use of the sidebar and application menu

While the main editing menu is the main source of widgets, Xiaomi has alternative ways to access them, such as a sidebar, which is called by a swipe from the edge of the screen, and you can attach commonly used widgets to quickly access any application.

Also worth mentioning is the menu of all apps. In some launcher configurations, swiping up from the bottom of the screen opens up a list of all installed programs. If you scroll all the way to the top, there may be a Google search bar or Yandex, which is itself a widget, and next to it is a button to quickly add other elements.

• 📱 Sidebar: allows you to run calculator widgets, voice recorder or screenshot over other windows.
• 🔍 Search in the app menu: often contains a widget “Overview” (Google Discover) with news and weather.
• ⚙️ Lock screen settings: Some widgets are only available to be placed on a locked screen through the Always on Screen menu».

Importantly, the availability of these features depends on the regional firmware version (Global, China, EEA) and the installed version of the launcher. In Chinese versions of MIUI, some system widgets may differ in design or functionality from the global ones.

Customization and personalization of elements

Once you find the Android widgets in Xiaomi's phone and put them on the screen, you can fine-tune them. Most modern widgets support resizing and reappearance, and you have to press the widget and hold your finger until the editing frame appears.

In editing mode, you can resize the block by pulling special markers around the edges. Some widgets, like a calendar or music player, can transform from a compact icon to a deployed control panel, which is especially convenient for multimedia applications.

Double-clicking on some kinds of widgets (like clocks or weather) opens up a style menu, where you can choose the color of the dial, the time display format (12/24 hours), the temperature measurement units, and even the background image, which allows you to make the interface unique and relevant to your mood.

Do not overuse the number of active widgets, especially those that are updated in real time. Each such element requires periodic access to the network or sensors, which can speed up the battery discharge.

Solution: Widgets don’t work or disappear

Sometimes users are faced with a situation where widgets stop updating, display incorrect information or simply disappear from the desktop after a reboot, most often due to the aggressive power saving system MIUI, which “kills” background processes to save charge.

To fix this, you need to go to the battery settings and find a specific application that doesn't work, and in the Energy Saving menu, you need to select No Limits mode for this application, which will prevent the system from stopping the widget from updating.

⚠️ Warning: Turning off power saving restrictions for a large number of applications can lead to a marked increase in battery consumption in standby mode.

Another reason could be a crowded launcher cache.If the problems are systemic in nature (widgets aren't added at all), try clearing the Louncher app cache (or System Launcher) through the Apps menu → All Apps → Find Apps → System Launcher → Clear → Clear the cache.

Also make sure that the widget-creating app has the necessary permissions, such as the weather widget can’t update without geolocation permission, and the calendar widget can’t update without event access.

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Aggressive battery optimization is the main reason for Xiaomi widgets that don’t work.Setting up No Limits mode solves 90 percent of the problems.

Third-party widgets and alternative launchers

If a standard set of widgets isn't enough, Google Play offers thousands of alternatives. Popular apps like Widgetsmith, KWGT, or ColorNote let you create widgets of any complexity, shape, or color, and they integrate fully into Xiaomi's system and are added through the same long-press menu.

For advanced users who are not comfortable with the standard MIUI interface, there is the possibility of installing third-party launchers such as Nova Launcher or Microsoft Launcher. In these shells, the management of widgets can be different: they are often placed in a separate application menu or called by a swipe, as in pure Android.

However, using third-party launchers on Xiaomi may cause conflicts with system features such as control gestures or second-space operation.In addition, some Xiaomi system widgets (such as old-style Wi-Fi/Bluetooth switches) may become unavailable.

Installing widgets from third-party sources requires caution. Always check the permissions that the widget application requests. The flashlight widget does not need access to contacts, and the news widget does not need access to the microphone.

To sum up, the widgets in Xiaomi phones are a powerful tool hidden behind a simple interface. The right setup and understanding of the logic of the system will allow you to make your smartphone as comfortable and efficient as possible.