How to copy a desktop on Xiaomi: a complete guide with instructions

Moving a desktop from one Xiaomi smartphone to another or backing it up is a challenge that users face when changing a device, resetting settings, or flashing. Unlike backing up contacts or photos, the desktop (wallpaper, icon layout, widgets, folders) is often overlooked, although it can take hours to set up, especially for device owners on MIUI, where the interface is highly customized to the user's needs.

In this article, we’ll look at 5 proven ways to copy your desktop to Xiaomi, Redmi, or POCO, including built-in MIUI tools, third-party apps, and manual methods. You’ll learn how to save not only wallpaper and icons, but also folder structure, Google widgets, and even theme settings. And what pitfalls await when migrating between different versions of MIUI or smartphone models.

Spoiler: There's no full automatic desktop migration to MIUI, but a combination of several methods yields close to 100 percent, starting with the simplest one: the built-in tools.

1. backup via MIUI Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud)

Xiaomi’s official way of syncing desktops through MIUI Cloud is for porting between devices with a single Mi Account, but has limitations: it only stores wallpaper, themes, and some widgets, but not the location of icons or folders.

To take advantage of the cloud:

1. Open your Settings → Xiaomi Account → MIUI Cloud
2. Make sure that theme and desktop sync are enabled (in some versions of MIUI, this item may be called Lock Screen and Wallpaper).
3. Click Sync and wait for the process to be completed.

On the new device, log in to the same Mi Account and enable sync. Wallpaper and theme will apply automatically, but you will have to place the icons manually.

⚠️ Note: If a newer version is installed on the new smartphone MIUI, Some widgets may not be moved due to changes in the API For example, Google widgets from the MIUI 12 are not always correctly displayed in MIUI 14.

• ✅ Pros: Free, does not require third-party applications, works on all models Xiaomi/Redmi/POCO.
• ❌ Cons: Does not preserve the location of icons, does not tolerate user folders.
• 🔄 Alternative: To fully transfer, you will have to combine with other methods.

2. Export of the desktop through the "Themes" app

A little-known feature in the standard Themes app allows you to save your current desktop settings to a file that you can then apply to another device. MIUI 12-15 and maintain:

• 🎨 Wallpaper (main and on the lock screen)
• 📱 Location of icons and folders
• 🔧 Icon style settings (if you use custom packs)
• 📊 Some widgets (but not all, depending on the version) MIUI)

Export instructions:

1. Open the Themes app (icon with brush).
2. Go to My Profile (the person icon in the lower right corner).
3. Tap on Export theme or Save the current theme (the title may vary).
4. Select the Desktop from the list of exported items.
5. Click Save – a file with the.mtz extension will appear in the MIUI/theme folder.

To apply the saved theme to another device:

1. Copy the.mtz file to a new smartphone (e.g., via Google Drive or Mi Share).
2. Open My Topics → My Profile → Import Themes
3. Select the copied file and confirm the application.

⚠️ Note: If the new device has a different screen size or aspect ratio (for example, transferring from Redmi Note 10 to Xiaomi 13 Ultra), the icons may shift.

Make sure both devices have the same MIUI version (or no more than 1 version)

Free space in memory (.mtz file weighs 5-50 MB)

Disable battery optimization for the Themes app

Copy.mtz file to the cloud or PC for backup-->

3. Use of third-party launchers (Nova, Apex, Microsoft Launcher)

If the built-in MIUI tools don’t suit you, you can use third-party launchers that support export/import of desktop settings.

• 🌟 Nova Launcher – saves the location of icons, folders, gestures, dock panel settings.
• 📱 Apex Launcher – Supports backup to SD-map.
• 💼 Microsoft Launcher – syncs the desktop through a Microsoft account (easy for Windows users).

Example of settings in Nova Launcher:

1. Install Nova Launcher from Google Play.
2. Set up your desktop (place icons, create folders).
3. Go to Settings Nova → Backup/Import.
4. Select Create a backup – the file will be saved in the device’s memory.
5. Transfer the file to a new smartphone and restore the settings through Import.

The advantage of this method is cross-platform, for example, you can migrate your desktop from Xiaomi to Samsung or even to an iPhone (with limitations).

• MIUI widgets (such as weather or pedometer) will not be portable.
• Some MIUI animations and gestures may not work.
• You will have to manually configure the icons of system applications (calls, messages).

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If after importing the application icons reset to standard, try in the launcher settings to select the MIUI Default or System Default icon pack.

4. Manual transfer through screenshots and notes

If you only need to move the icons, not the settings themselves, you can do without backups, a method that is suitable for users who want to manually reproduce the desktop structure on a new device.

Algorithm of action:

1. Take screenshots of each desktop screen (hold power + volume).
2. Write it to Google Keep or Notebook: 📌 Folder names and contents. 🔖 The position of each label (for example: "Folder 'Social Networks' — 2-screen, top left corner"). 🎯 Widgets and their settings (e.g.: "Weather Widget — 3-screen size 4×2").

On the new device, play the structure by screenshots and notes.

This method seems laborious, but has advantages:

• 🔹 It works on any device, not even Xiaomi.
• 🔹 No need for root rights or special programs.
• 🔹 Allows you to “clean” the desktop from unnecessary labels.

⚠️ Attention: If you are using MIUI 14+ With Smart Desktop (automatic icon sorting), screenshots will help restore only the visual structure, but not the logic of automatic ordering.

5. Transfer over ADB (for advanced users)

For those who are ready to work with Android Debug Bridge (ADB), there is a way to copy desktop settings files directly from system folders, which requires debugging over USB and basic command line knowledge, but gives you maximum control.

What can be copied through ADB:

• 📁 Wallpaper files (/data/system/users/0/wallpaper*).
• 📄 Launcher settings (/data/data/com.miui.home/shared_prefs/).
• 🖼️ Cash icons and widgets.

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on Developer Mode on Xiaomi: Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (shap 7 times)
2. Activate USB Debugging in Settings → Additional → For developers.
3. Connect your smartphone to your PC and execute the commands: adb pull /data/system/users/0/wallpaper wallpaper_backup/ adb pull /data/data/com.miui.home/shared_prefs/ launcher_backup/
4. Copy the received files to a new device and restore it through ADB: adb push wallpaper_backup/ /data/system/users/0/ adb push launcher_backup/ /data/data/com.miui.home/shared_prefs/
5. Reboot your smartphone.

⚠️ Important: This method requires root rights on some versions MIUI (starting MIUI Without them, you can't write files back to the system folders. The alternative is to use Magisk to temporarily obtain root.

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ADB-The approach is only suitable for power users. A mistake in commands can lead to a reset of the launcher settings or even a bootloop (a looped reboot).

Comparison of methods: which one to choose?

The choice of method depends on your goals and technical skills.

For most users, the best solution is a combination of MIUI Cloud + export through “Themes” or install Nova Launcher. If you need to move your desktop to a device other than Xiaomi, a third-party launcher will be the best choice.

FAQ: Frequent questions about moving Xiaomi desktop