Today’s Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones have become the universal devices where we spend most of our time. Often users visit the same resources: news portals, social networks, work tools or online banking. Every time you open a browser, enter an address or search for the right site in history is a waste of time and unnecessary action.
Optimizing your workspace allows you to access your favorite resources faster. Adding a site icon directly to the home screen creates the effect of a separate application, launching the page in quick access mode. In the shell of MIUI or the new HyperOS, this process has its own nuances, depending on the browser and system settings.
In this guide, we will take a look at all the ways to create shortcuts, look at the features of different browsers and solve typical problems when an icon does not appear, and learn how to organize the space so that the information you need is at hand in one touch.
Preparation of the workspace and choice of browser
Before shortcuts are created, you need to decide on the main tool: Xiaomi smartphones default to Mi Browser, which is deeply integrated into the system, but many users prefer to install Google Chrome, Yandex Browser or Opera because of the familiar interface and synchronization with the account.
It's important to understand that the shortcut mechanism depends on the browser you're in at the time of action, and if you create an icon in Chrome, it will work through the Chrome engine, and it will affect how the site will be displayed, whether as a full window or in a simplified form.
⚠️ Note: If you have multiple browsers installed, the system may ask which one to open the shortcut you created when you first start.
Site shortcuts are often perceived by the system as widgets or separate applications, and they may require a free cell in the grid, delete unused folders or move them to other pages on the screen.
Creating a shortcut through the standard Mi Browser
The shell browser is a native solution, so shortcuts are the most stable. The algorithm is simple, but it requires attention to interface details.
Open the Mi Browser and go to the site you want to bring to your desktop. Click the menu button, usually located at the bottom of the screen (three horizontal bars or dots). In the list that opens, find "Add to the home screen" or "Create a shortcut".
The system will automatically prompt you to rename the label. The short name is easier to understand, because the long text under the icon can be cropped. Once the icon is confirmed, the icon will appear in the specified place. If the system requests permission to create shortcuts, be sure to click "Allow".
- 📱 Click the menu button at the bottom of the browser screen.
- 🔗 Select the option "Add to Home screen).
- ✏️ Edit the shortcut name for compactness.
- ✅ Confirm the action and check the desktop.
If the menu item is not immediately located, try clicking on the "star" icon and find the add option there. The Mi Browser interface is periodically updated, and the location of the items may change depending on the version of MIUI.
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Use short titles for shortcuts, like "News" instead of "Russian political and economic news," which will keep the desktop look neat.
Instructions for Google Chrome on Xiaomi
Google Chrome remains the most popular browser in the world, and on Xiaomi smartphones it works steadily.The shortcut mechanism here is slightly different visually, but the essence remains the same.
Go to the site you want. Click on the three dots in the top right corner of the screen. In the drop-down menu, select "Add to the home screen." Note that in some versions, this item may be in the second menu if you don't see it right away.
You'll see a preview window where you can change your name, and if you click "Add," you'll get two options: automatic placement or manual transfer, and depending on the launcher settings, the icon can immediately fall into place or require your intervention.
☑️ Checking Chrome Settings
Chrome's feature is the ability to create PWAs (Progressive Web Apps), which, if a site supports this technology, will look like a full-fledged app without a browser address bar when launched, creating a sense of nativity.
| Parameter | Mi Browser | Google Chrome | Yandex Browser |
|---|---|---|---|
| Location of the menu | Down the screen | Right top. | Below the screen (Table) |
| Title of paragraph | Add to the main screen | Add to the screen | Add a widget |
| Support for PWA | Partial | Complete. | Complete. |
| Synchronization | Mi Account | Google Account | Yandex ID |
Use Yandex and Opera for quick access
Alternative browsers often offer their own unique features, such as Yandex Browser, which is famous for its "Tableboard", which is essentially a set of widgets of popular sites. To bring a site from the Tablo to the desktop, you need to press and hold your finger on the site tile, then select "Add a widget to the desktop."
Opera also has an intuitive process, called by the "O" button or three dots, and after selecting "Add to Home Screen," Xiaomi's system can request permission to create shortcuts if it has not been given before.
The advantage of these browsers is that they have built-in traffic saving features and ad blockers that will work even when you run a website through a shortcut, which is especially true for Internet-limited plans.
Why do shortcuts in different browsers look different?
Configure the display of icons in MIUI and HyperOS
Xiaomi’s shell allows you to flexibly customize the look and feel. If the site icons look too big or small, you can change the grid size. Go to Settings → Desktop and select System Launcher.
You can adjust the grid size here, the standard value is 4x6 or 5x6. Increasing the number of cells will make the site icons smaller, but they will fit more. Reducing the grid will make shortcuts larger and easier to click.
You can also change the style of all icons in the theme settings, and if you don’t like the standard look of your site shortcuts, installing a third-party theme can completely change their design, making them more uniform with other apps.
⚠️ Note: When you change the theme or launcher, the created shortcuts of sites may disappear or change their appearance.
Problem Solving: The icon doesn’t appear or disappears
The most common problem Xiaomi users have is the lack of permission to create shortcuts. In modern versions of Android and HyperOS security is enhanced, and applications can not change the desktop without demand.
To fix this, go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Find your browser (like Chrome). Click on “Other permissions.” Find “Create Desktop Shortcuts” and switch to “Always Allow” mode.
Another reason could be a crowded browser cache. Clearing up data can help if a shortcut is created but not opened. Go to Settings → Apps → Chrome → Memory and click Clear Cache.
- 🔍 Check the permissions in the application settings.
- 🗑️ Clear the browser and launcher cache.
- 🔄 Reboot your smartphone after changing your settings.
- 🚫 Make sure that no power saving mode is turned on that blocks background processes.
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If a shortcut is not created, 90% of the time the problem lies in the missing resolution of “Desktop shortcuts” in the settings of a particular browser.
Organization of shortcuts in folders and widgets
When you have a lot of shortcuts, the desktop becomes a mess, and the best solution is to create folders, and just drag and drop one icon to another, and the system will create a folder, and name it thematically, like "Work" or "News."
Some browsers, such as Yandex or Chrome, allow you to add quick search or voice widgets. These can be placed on the desktop through the widget menu (long tap on the empty space of the screen → Widgets).
Grouping by color or frequency of use also improves efficiency: Keep frequently used resources on the first screen in the thumb access area, and remove less important ones in the folders on secondary pages.