How to remove the icon on Xiaomi: system icons, notifications and widgets

The icons on Xiaomi's screen are like mushrooms after the rain: they come out on their own, take up space and prevent you from enjoying a clean desktop, whether it's an intrusive notification from MIUI, or an icon of an app you've long removed, but it sticks on the menu, and sometimes even system icons that don't have the ability to be deleted through the standard menu, like the NFC indicator or the power saving mode, that don't want to disappear even after the feature is turned off.

In this article, we will analyze all possible scenarios, from basic actions (hiding from the desktop) to deep MIUI settings and even editing system files for advanced users. The instructions are relevant for Xiaomi Redmi, POCO and the Mi 11/12/13/14 lines on MIUI 14/15 firmware (including global and Chinese versions).

1. How to remove the app icon from the Xiaomi desktop

The simplest case is to remove a shortcut that you accidentally added or left behind after uninstallation, so you don't need root rights or complex manipulation.

The method works for all versions of MIUI, including MIUI 15 on new models like Xiaomi 14 Ultra or Redmi Note 13 Pro+. The main thing is not to confuse the removal of the shortcut (the icon on the screen) with the removal of the application itself (the uninstallation).

• 📱 Press the app icon on your desktop before the menu (or vibration) appears).
• 🗑️ At the top of the screen, a basket will appear - drag the icon there. Alternatively, select "Delete" from the menu (not to be confused with "Delete the application»).
• ⚙️ If there is no basket, tap on the "Settings" (cogs) → «Remove from the screen».
• 🔍 To find hidden icons: make a gesture “pinch” (mixing two fingers) on the desktop → «Screen settings» → «Hidden applications».

⚠️ Note: On some firmware (for example, MIUI for POCO F5) When you remove the label, you may have an empty space on the screen. To remove the space, you may want to pinch the empty area. → «Screen settings» → «Restore the grid».

Hold the icon for longer than 2 seconds|Check if the screen is locked (unlock)|Reboot the phone|Update MIUI last-minute-->

2. Hiding system icons in the status bar

The system icons on the top panel (e.g. NFC, Airplane Mode, VPN) often remain hanging even after the feature is disabled. MIUI has a hidden settings section where you can control their display.

The manual is suitable for Xiaomi 12T Pro, Redmi K60 and other Android 13/14 models. On older versions (such as MIUI 12), the path may be slightly different.

1. Open Settings → Notifications and Status bar.
2. Select the Status String (or the Notification Panel on some firmware).
3. Slip on System Icons (may be called Status Indicators).
4. Turn off toggle switches in front of unnecessary icons (e.g. Bluetooth, Location).

Exception: Some icons (such as No Sound or Active Call) cannot be removed, they are hard-sewn into the system, and MIUI for the Chinese market may not have the option to hide icons due to firmware restrictions.

NFC|Energy saving regime|VPN|Notifications from Mi Account|Other-->

3. Removal of notifications and icons in the curtain

Notifications from system applications (e.g. Mi Video, Mi Browser, Security) often remain in the curtain even after reading, and can be turned off completely or hidden for specific applications.

On Xiaomi 13 Lite and other models with MIUI 14+, the algorithm is as follows:

• 🛎️ Swipe down the screen to open the notification curtain.
• 📌 Squeeze the unnecessary notification → Select “Deactivate Notifications” (or “Notification Settings»).
• 🔕 In the app menu, turn off toggle Show notifications.
• 🔍 For system notifications (e.g. from MIUI Optimization: Settings → Annexes → Application management → Systemic → find out → «Notifications» → turn off.

⚠️ Note: Disabling notifications from Security or MIUI Optimization can lead to missing important virus or update alerts, and we recommend keeping them active, but setting priority to Low».

To hide icons in the notification status (for example, points on application icons):

1. Go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Notification icons.
2. Choose Hide icons or Show only priority ones.

4. How to remove the “M” icon (Mi Account) or other system icons

The “M” or “i” icon appears in the status bar and is not deleted in the standard ways, because they are part of the system UI and are controlled by Xiaomi services.

There are two ways to solve this:

Method 1: Disconnect via ADB (without root)

It is suitable for users who do not want root rights, but are ready to use ADB.

adb shell pm hide com.miui.systemAdSolution

If the team doesn’t work, try:

adb shell settings put global icon_blacklist com.miui.systemAdSolution

Method 2: Editing system files (requires root)

For experienced users with unlocked bootloader and Magisk:

1. Install Root Explorer or Mixplorer with superuser rights.
2. Go to /system/priv-app/SystemAdSolution.
3. Rename the SystemAdSolution.apk file to SystemAdSolution.apk.bak.
4. Reset the device.

⚠️ Attention: Deleting or renaming system files can lead to interface crash or loss of functionality. TWRP Or OrangeFox.

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If important features (such as synchronizing Mi Cloud) are lost after removing the system icon, return the file and restart the phone.

5. Removal of widgets and weather/hour icons

Weather, watch, or Mi Fit widgets are often added to the screen by default and don't want to be removed in the usual way. In MIUI 15, the algorithm is this:

• 🌡️ Press the widget on the desktop → In the menu, select “Delete” or “Widget settings».
• ⚙️ If the “Delete” option is inactive, go to Settings → Desktop → Widgets and disable unnecessary ones.
• 🔄 For resetting widgets to factory settings: Settings → Annexes → Application management → Widgets → «Drop it».
• 📵 To turn off the weather widget forever: Settings → Lock screen → Weather widgets → turn off.

On the POCO F4 GT and other POCO Launcher devices, the path may be different:

1. Press the empty area on the desktop → “Home screen settings”.
2. Select "Widgets" → swipe left unnecessary.

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Widgets and weather watches in MIUI are often tied to system services, and their complete removal may require the automatic timing and location to be disabled.

6. Resetting badges to factory settings

If none of these things worked, or if artifacts (like recurring icons, empty shortcuts) appeared on the screen, you can reset your desktop settings, and it won't affect your data, but it will return the standard icon layout.

Instructions for Xiaomi 13 Pro, Redmi Note 12 and other models:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner → “Reset settings”.
3. Select Reset Desktop Settings (or Reset Launcher).
4. Confirm the action and restart the device.

If the reset didn’t help, try clearing the cache and launcher data:

1. In the same app settings, find MIUI Launcher (or POCO Launcher).
2. Select “Storage” → “Clear Cache” and “Clear Data”.

⚠️ Attention: Clearing the launcher data will reset all your desktop settings, including folders, widgets and wallpaper.

7.Problems after MIUI update: Missing or duplicate icons

After upgrading to MIUI 15 (or another new version), users often encounter interface bugs: icons are duplicated, lost or replaced with standard ones, due to incorrect launcher caching.

Decisions:

• 🔄 Rebooting: Sometimes a normal device reboot helps.
• 🗑️ Cache cleanup: Settings → Annexes → MIUI Launcher → Clear the cache.
• 📥 Reset icons: In the launcher settings, select Reset icons (if the option is available).
• 🔧 Manual replacement: Install an alternative launcher (like Nova Launcher) and customize the icons through it.

If the problem persists, check firmware integrity:

1. Open the Security app → «Check the system».
2. If you find errors, restore via Settings → About Phone → System Update → Three Points → Select a Service Pack (download the full ZIP firmware for your model).

FAQ: Frequent questions about badges on Xiaomi