Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphone owners often face the desire to personalize their device’s interface. The standard MIUI shell or the new HyperOS provide many customization tools, but the app renaming feature is often hidden or not obvious, raising a lot of questions for users who want to clean up menus or simply highlight important programs.
Changing the name of a label is not just an aesthetic whim. Functional necessity also plays a role: standard names like "Computer" or "Conductor" may not be understood by older people, and English game names often take up too much space on the screen. In this article, we will examine all the available ways to solve this problem, from the regular tools of the system to advanced methods.
It should be noted that the system features depend on the firmware version. Global versions of software often differ from Chinese counterparts in the set of available features. So if you did not find the option described in your menu, do not panic - there are workarounds, which we will also discuss in detail below.
The renaming function is MIUI and HyperOS
Starting with certain versions of the shell, Xiaomi engineers have introduced the native ability to change shortcut names, which is the safest and most stable method, requiring no additional software installation, but it does not work for all applications at once, but mainly for system folders or desktop shortcuts.
To use this feature, you need to pinch your finger on the app icon before the context menu appears. If your version of the software supports editing, it will show an "Edit" item or a pencil icon, and by clicking on it, you can enter new text that will appear under the icon.
Unfortunately, this method is often limited to functionality, for example, you can rename a folder with games, but you can not change the name of the installed one. APK-The system perceives the name of the application as part of its digital signature, which cannot be changed on the fly.
If the standard method didn’t work, your particular software build doesn’t support direct editing of the label metadata, and then specialized tools come to the rescue, which will be discussed later.
Using the theme of design to change names
One of the most popular and visually pleasing ways to change app names is to use themes. The MIUI Themes store allows you to completely replace the look of the system, including the names of all the icons. It's a global replacement that affects the entire interface.
To implement this method, you need to download any topic that has custom titles or icons in it. Once the topic is installed, all standard titles can change to pre-set themes, which is convenient if you want to, for example, translate all titles into English or make them minimalistic.
But there's a big drawback to this approach: you change the name of the app, but you lose the ability to give your own unique name, you depend on the author's imagination, and the style of the icons themselves often changes along with the names, which can disrupt the visual harmony that you're used to.
⚠️ Warning: When installing themes from unverified sources or third-party theme stores, there is a risk of getting advertising junk or viruses.
However, for those who like frequent changes, this is ideal, because you can store multiple theme profiles and change them in one click, each time you get a new interface with different application names.
Application of third-party launchers
The most flexible and powerful tool for changing application names is installing a third-party launcher, programs like Nova Launcher, Microsoft Launcher or Smart Launcher take over desktop management, providing advanced editing capabilities.
The renaming process in such launchers is usually intuitive: you need to pinch the application icon, select Edit, and change the Label field in the window that appears. Once you save the changes, the shortcut on the desktop will instantly update, while the application itself will remain unchanged.
The main advantage of launchers is that they do not require root rights and work consistently on any version of Android.You can create shortcuts with any name, group them and even change icons regardless of the main application.
☑️ Choosing a launcher for Xiaomi
Note that using a third-party launcher may cause minor conflicts with Xiaomi’s system gestures, for example, swipes to call menus may not work properly until you have set up the appropriate permissions in the system.
Creating shortcuts through the "Themes" app
There is another little-known way to create shortcuts with changed names using the built-in Themes app, which does not require third-party launchers and runs on top of the standard interface.
You need to open the Themes app, go to profile, and find Shortcuts, where you can create a new shortcut for any app you install, assign it any icon from the theme library, and most importantly, give it any name.
Once you create that label, it will appear on your desktop, and the original app will stay in place with the original name, and the good thing about this method is that it doesn't disrupt the system and allows you to have two shortcuts for the same application with different names.
⚠️ Note: Deleting the shortcut created does not remove the application itself. However, if you delete the original application, the shortcut created will stop working and lead nowhere.
This is a great compromise for those who don’t want to change the entire launcher, but need to customize the titles for specific programs.
Table of comparison of renaming methods
To make it easier for you to choose the right option, we have prepared a comparison table that will help you assess the pros and cons of each method in the context of your needs and level of technical training.
| Method | Difficulty | Flexibility | Impact on the system |
|---|---|---|---|
| Staffing | Low. | Minimum | Absent. |
| Design topics | Low. | Medium | Changes the entire interface |
| Third-party launcher | Medium | Maximum | Replaces the desktop |
| Labels in "Themes" | Medium | Tall. | Creates duplicates |
As you can see from the table, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. If you need to rename one app, it's easier to use shortcuts. If you want to completely redesign your smartphone, the launcher is the best choice.
Why is the name reset after the update?
Technical Limitations and Working with APK
It's important to understand the technical side of the issue. The name of the application is stored inside its installation package (APK) in the manifest file, and you can only change that name "deadly" by repackaging the APK, re-signing it and installing it as a new application.
This procedure requires special knowledge, APK Editor and an understanding of the structure of Android. For the average user, this method is too risky, since an error when oversubscribe can cause the application to stop running or conflict with the original.
Moreover, modern applications have integrity check mechanisms, and if you change the manifest, the application may refuse to work, believing that its files were corrupted or modified by malicious actors.
💡
Before any experiment with repackaging applications, be sure to back up your data via Mi Cloud or locally to your computer.
Therefore, it is recommended that 99% of users limit their use of the shortcuts described above without interfering with the internal structure of the programs.
Frequent problems and their solution
In customization, users often face typical problems, such as when they rename an icon, it can become white or standard, because the system can’t find the right icon for the new name in the current theme.
So, you can do this by doing a simple thing: when you edit a shortcut (in the launcher or through the themes), you have to manually select an image from a gallery or icon library. Don't rely on automatic selection, it often fails.
Another problem is that badge notifications are not synchronized, so if you rename the app through a third-party launcher, the unread meter might stop showing up on the new icon, so you'll either have to accept it or go back to the standard launcher.
⚠️ Warning: Do not try to rename critical system applications (Settings, Phone, Messages) through third-party root-rights utilities. This can lead to unstable system operation or endless bootloop).
Be careful and always test changes on minor applications before touching system software.
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The safest and most functional way to change your name is to use a third-party launcher that doesn’t interfere with Android system files.