How to quickly find any app on your Xiaomi phone: from standard to hidden

Have you installed the app on your Xiaomi but can’t find it now? MIUI This problem is familiar to many smartphone owners of the brand — especially after the transition to new versions of the shell, where the interface changes dramatically, MIUI It has its own features of the organization of applications that are not always intuitive.

In this article, we will analyze all possible ways to search for applications on Xiaomi, Redmi and other phones. POCO — From basic to advanced, you'll learn how to find even those programs that are:

• 📱 Hidden in folders or on additional screens
• 🔍 Not displayed on the menu due to system limitations
• 🔧 Disabled by the administrator of the device (for example, on the work phone)
• 📦 Removed, but left in the system cache

The instructions are relevant for all modern versions. MIUI 12/13/14 and models from Xiaomi Mi 9 Xiaomi 14 Ultra, including the Redmi Note line and POCO F/X. If you are a user POCO shelled POCO Launcher – a separate section dedicated to your case.

1.Basic Search: How to Find an App Through Menu and Search

So let's start with the simplest methods, which work 90 percent of the time, and even if you're a beginner, these steps will help you find most of the programs you've installed.

The most obvious way is to scroll through all the desktop screens. Xiaomi can have up to 5 screens by default (depending on the model), and the app could "leave" to the latter. To quickly navigate between the screens, swipe left/right on the indicator points at the bottom of the display.

If the app is not on the desktop, check the menu of all apps (apple "All Apps" or "App Drawer").

• 📌 On most models: swipe up from the bottom of the screen (guest is similar to iPhone).
• 📌 On the old versions. MIUI (12th: tap the icon ⚪ ⚪ ⚪ ⚪ (four points) in the dock panel.
• 📌 Nana POCO: Use the swipe up gesture with a delay (hold your finger 0.5 sec).

All applications can be accessed from the menu:

• 🔎 Use the search bar at the top – enter the name of the application (even partial).
• 📂 Flick through the alphabetical list (stick the letter on the right).
• ⚙️ Press three points. → Sorting → Select by alphabet or by installation date.

If the app isn't even here, it might be hidden or disabled, and that's what you'll find in the next sections.

2. Search through the system search string

V MIUI There's a global search that looks not only for apps, but also for settings, contacts, messages, and that's one of the most effective ways to do that if you don't remember the exact name of the program.

How to use:

1. Swipe down from the top of the screen to open the notification bar.
2. Slip the search bar at the top (or click on the magnifier icon if the line doesn’t appear).
3. Enter the name of the application or a keyword (for example, “bank”, “social network”, “game”).

The system will show:

• 📱 Applications (including hidden and system applications).
• ⚙️ Relevant settings (e.g., a search for “Wi-Fi” will show the wireless menu).
• 📄 Files and documents related to the request.

If the app is not available, try:

• 🔤 Enter the name in English (many system applications have only English names).
• 🔍 Use partial matches (e.g., "insta" instead of "instagram").
• 📋 Check the App tab in search results (sometimes it is hidden under "More").

💡

If a global search doesn’t find an app, try entering its batch name (e.g. com.whatsapp for WhatsApp). → Annexes → Application Management (select any application and see the Package Information section").

3. Check hidden folders and additional screens

One of the features MIUI — Automatic folder creation for similar applications, for example, all games can be collected into the Game folder, and messengers can be collected into Messages. These folders are not always noticeable, especially if they are located on additional screens.

How to find hidden folders:

1. Open the menu of all applications (swipe up from the bottom edge).
2. Check the title folders: 📁 Tools (calculator, flashlight, dictaphone) 🎮 Games (all gaming applications) 💬 Messages (messaging and SMS) 📷 Multimedia (galleries, music, video)

folder settings

Edit

Some models (Xiaomi Mi 11, Redmi Note 10 Pro) have an additional Mini-Program screen (similar to widgets) where apps can hide, to open it:

1. Make a swipe to the left of the main screen (to the point).
2. If the screen is empty, tap on + Add mini-programs.
3. Check the list of installed mini-programs – some apps (such as Mi Fit or Mi Home) may only be there.

4. Search through settings: disabled and system applications

If the app doesn't appear in either the menu or the search, it may be disabled or system-based (hidden by default). MIUI Many pre-installed programs (e.g. Mi Video, Mi Music) are disabled to save resources.

How to find disabled applications:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Slip on three dots in the upper right corner → Select Show all Apps.
3. In the drop-down menu, select Disabled or All Apps.
4. Scroll through the list – disabled programs will be marked in gray.

To return the app:

1. Put it on his name.
2. Click Enable (if the button is active).
3. If there is no button, check the Memory section. → Clear data (sometimes helps to wake up the app).

5.Use of ADB Search for hidden applications (for advanced applications)

If the standard methods do not help, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB) — a debugging tool that allows you to get a full list of installed applications, including hidden and disabled.

⚠️ Warning: This method requires connecting the phone to the computer and enabling developer mode!

Instructions:

1. Enable Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About the phone, tap 7 times on the version MIUI (You will see the message "You became a developer!" and go back to Settings. → Additionally. → For developers and enable debugging by USB.

ADB Tools

Open the command line (Windows) or the terminal (Mac/Linux) and type:

adb devices

(Your device should be displayed).

adb shell pm list packages -f

This command will display a complete list of all packages, including hidden ones. To find a particular application, use the filter:

adb shell pm list packages | findstr "keyword"

For example, to search for WhatsApp:

adb shell pm list packages | findstr "whatsapp"

If the application is found, but does not appear in the menu, you can try to run it forcibly:

adb shell am start -n com.package.name/com.package.name.Activity

(Replace com.package.name with the real name of the package from the list).

💡

ADB It can even find apps that are removed from the menu by the device administrator (e.g., on corporate phones.

6. Features of the search on POCO model POCO Launcher

Smartphones POCO (for example, POCO F5, POCO X5 Pro) use its own shell POCO Launcher, which is different from the standard MIUI. Here there are the nuances of search applications.

The main differences:

• 📱 There is no classic app menu – all programs are displayed directly on the desktop (like on iOS).
• 🔍 The search bar is located at the bottom of the screen (swipe up from the dock panel).
• 📂 Folders are created automatically when more than 4 similar applications are accumulated.

How to search for applications POCO:

1. Swipe up from the bottom edge → The search bar will open. Type the name.
2. If the app is not: Check the hidden pages (swipe left/right to the end). ⚪ ⚪ dock-panel → Desktop settings → Hidden applications.

Settings

Reset

If you've moved on MIUI on POCO Launcher and can’t find apps, try it:

• 🔄 Install the standard Xiaomi launcher through Settings → Annexes → By default. → Launcher.
• 📥 Reinstall a problem app - sometimes POCO Launcher does not correctly display transferred programs.

7.What to do if the application is removed or not installed

If you can’t find the app because it’s removed, check out the following:

Application manually removed:

• 📲 Check the Recycle Bin (some Xiaomi models have a Recovery feature for remote programs). → Annexes → Basket.
• 🔄 Install the app from Google Play or Mi App Store.

The annex shall not be installed:

• 🛡️ Check the security settings: Settings → Annexes → Special access → Install unknown applications (allow installation from the desired source).
• 📦 Free up space in memory: Settings → Memory. → Cleanup.
• 🔧 Update Google Services: Settings → Google → Google Play Services → Update.

The application is blocked by the system:

• 🚫 Some Xiaomi models for China are blocked by Google services.Solution: install Google Installer from the official Xiaomi website.
• 🔒 If the phone is corporate, contact the administrator - it is possible that the installation is blocked through the MDM (Mobile Device Management).

Comparison of App Search Methods on Xiaomi

If none of the methods helped, perhaps the app:

• 🚫 Removed without recovery capability.
• 🔒 Blocked at the firmware level (relevant for Chinese versions of Xiaomi).
• 📦 Not compatible with your version MIUI Android.

In such cases, you can only reinstall the program or contact Xiaomi support (especially if it is pre-installed software).

FAQ: Frequent questions about finding apps on Xiaomi