How to Remove Unnecessary Icons From Xiaomi Desktop: The Complete Guide

Xiaomi’s smartphone desktop eventually turns into a mess of dozens of icons — from commonly used instant messengers to system utilities you never run. Unlike iOS, where apps are removed by clicking, MIUI offers several ways to clean the screen, including hiding, deleting it in a shopping cart, and even disabling system icons. The problem is that not all users are aware of the existence of these features — many still drag and drop icons to the second screen or create folders, instead of getting rid of them forever.

In this article, we will discuss 5 proven methods to remove icons from the desktop on Xiaomi (including the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Mi 11 and others with MIUI 13/14).

• 🗑️ Remove application icons to the “basket” (including recovery)
• 👁️ Hide system icons (for example, “Phone” or “Contacts")
• ⚙️ Disable widgets and notifications on the screen
• 📱 Reset the desktop to factory settings
• 🔧 Use third-party launchers for flexible setup

Some methods require administrator rights or ADB-We've marked them separately. If you're a beginner, start with the first three methods.

1. Removal of icons in the "basket" (for user applications)

The easiest way to get rid of unnecessary icons is to move them to the shopping cart, which works for all applications installed by the user (for example, TikTok, VKontakte, games), but does not affect system utilities like Settings or Camera.

How to do this:

1. Press and hold your finger on the icon of the application you want to remove.
2. At the top of the screen, a bar with options will appear. Drag the icon to read "Delete" (or "Baskbasket" in some versions of MIUI).
3. Confirm the action if necessary.

⚠️ Attention: Removing the cart doesn't uninstall the app completely -- it stays in the system, but its icon disappears from the desktop. To return the icon, open the Recycle Bin (a trash can icon on your desktop) and restore the application.

2. Hiding system icons (without root rights)

System applications like Calendar, Notes, or Browser cannot be removed by standard means, but they can be hidden. MIUI has a built-in Hiding Applications feature.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Slip on the three dots in the top right corner and select Hide Apps.
3. Check the boxes of the app you want to remove (for example, Mi Video, Mi Music).
4. Click "Ready" - the icons will disappear from the desktop and from the application menu.

🔹 Limitations of method:

• ❌ Not working for Phone, Contacts, Messages.
• ❌ Hidden applications will remain in the system and will be displayed in Settings → Annexes.
• ✅ To return the icon, repeat the steps and uncheck the tick from the application.

3. Disable widgets and notifications on the screen

Sometimes the desktop is captured not only by app icons, but also widgets (weather, calendar, player) or notifications (for example, from Mi Fit or Google Pay).

For widgets:

1. Press and hold the empty space on the desktop.
2. Select "Widgets" in the lower menu.
3. Find the widget you want to remove and drag it to the Delete icon (or swipe up).

For notifications:

• 📵 Open the Settings. → Notifications and status bar → Management of notifications.
• 🔕 Find the app whose notifications are displayed on the desktop (such as Mi Home) and turn off the option to “Show on the lock screen".

4. Reset the desktop to factory settings

If you've experimented with MIUI settings and the desktop has become a mess, the easiest way to reset it to a standard view is to bring back standard icons, folders and widgets, but not remove custom apps.

How to reset:

1. Press and hold the empty space on the desktop.
2. Select "Desktop Settings" (or Settings → Desktop).
3. Scroll down and tap "Settings Reset."
4. Confirm the action.

⚠️ Attention: Reset will remove:

• 📁 All the icon folders you created.
• 🎨 Wallpaper and themes settings.
• ⚙️ Order of icons (they will return to the standard arrangement).

🔹 What NOT affects: User applications will remain installed and their data (e.g., saves in games) will not be affected.

💡

Before reset, take a screenshot of the current location of the icons – it is easier to restore the usual order.

5. Removal of system icons via ADB (for advanced)

If you need to remove system icons like Phone, Contacts or Messages, standard methods won't help. ADB-Android Debug Bridge is suitable for users with computer experience.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB-tool.
• 📱 Included debugging by USB on a smartphone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI — Press 7 times, then return to Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB).
• 🔌 USB-plug-in.

Commands for hiding system applications:

adb shell pm hide com.android.contacts #Hides "Contacts"


adb shell pm hide com.android.dialer #Hides the phone




adb shell pm hide com.android.mms #Hides "Messages"

🔹 How to return icons: replace hide with unhide in commands above.

⚠️ Attention: Misuse of the right ADB This can cause system functions to fail (e.g., not being able to call) and back up your data before experimenting!

💡

ADB-Teams are the only way to remove system icons without root rights, but it requires caution.

6.Use of third-party launchers (maximum customization)

If the built-in MIUI capabilities are not enough, you can install a third-party launcher (for example, Nova Launcher, Lawnchair or Hyperion Launcher).

• 🗑️ Completely remove icons (including system icons) without a trace.
• 🎨 Change the style of icons, animations and gestures.
• 📂 Hide desktop pages or create “smart” folders.

How to install and configure:

1. Download the launcher from Google Play (like Nova Launcher).
2. After installation, click the Home button and select the new launcher as the main one.
3. In the launcher settings, find the “Hide of applications” section and mark those that should not be displayed.

🔹 Pros: flexibility of settings, no restrictions MIUI.

🔹 Cons: Some launchers consume an extra battery, and system notifications may not display correctly.

FAQ: Frequent questions about removing badges on Xiaomi