Fully customize the app menu on Xiaomi: from sorting to hidden MIUI features

The app menu on Xiaomi smartphones is not just a list of installed programs, but a powerful personalization tool that many users use not at full capacity. Unlike naked Android, the MIUI shell offers unique features from creating smart folders with automatic sorting to hiding system applications without root rights. However, even experienced owners of Redmi, POCO or Xiaomi devices often do not know how to properly organize the desktop to be both functional and aesthetic.

In this article, we will analyze all ways to configure the application menu - from basic (moving icons, creating folders) to advanced (setting gestures, hiding unnecessary programs, optimizing for the use of a new app for the user). MIUI 14/15). Particular attention will be paid to the hidden functions of the launcher POCO Launcher and HyperOS, which allow you to customize the interface deeper than standard settings. If you are tired of the chaos on the screen or want to make your Xiaomi as convenient as possible, read on.

1. Basic setting of the application menu: sorting and moving

Start with the basics. By default, MIUI offers two options for displaying applications: a classic menu (a list of all programs) and a desktop (icons on the home screen). To open the full menu, swipe your finger up from the bottom of the screen (on devices without hardware buttons) or click on the All Apps icon (if any on the dock panel).

To move the icons:

• 📱 Press and hold your finger on any app on the menu.
• 🔄 Drag it to a new location or desktop.
• 🗑️ To remove the icon from the desktop (without removing the application itself), drag it to the top of the screen to the inscription “Delete».
• 🔍 For a quick search for the application, swipe down the menu - a search bar will appear.

MIUI 14/15 has added an automatic sorting function by alphabet, frequency of use or color of icons to enable it:

1. Open the app menu.
2. Swipe three dots in the top right corner (or swipe left on some models).
3. Select “Sort” and specify the desired criterion.

2. Creating and Configuring Application Folders

Folders help you group applications into categories (social media, games, work) and free up space on your desktop. MIUI has two types of folders:

• 📁 Manual – created by the user manually.
• 🤖 Automatic – formed by the system by algorithms (available in the POCO Launcher and HyperOS).

To create a hand folder:

1. Drag one app icon to another.
2. Release your finger – a new folder with an automatically generated name will appear (for example, “Games” if you combined PUBG and Call of Duty).
3. Click on the name of the folder to rename it.

For automatic folders in POCO Launcher:

1. Press the free space on the desktop → “Settings” → “Folders”.
2. Enable the option "Auto-Create folders".
3. Select categories for automatic grouping (e.g., Social Networks, Multimedia).

💡

If the folder has become too large, divide it into subfolders: create a new folder inside the existing one by dragging some applications there.

3. Hiding apps: how to remove unnecessary icons

Not all apps need to be displayed on the desktop or menu, and there are three ways to hide programs in MIUI:

To return the hidden app:

1. Open the app menu.
2. Tap it on three points. → «Hidden applications».
3. Choose the programs you want to show again.

4.Tune gestures and quick access to applications

MIUI supports gestures for quick application launch, which is especially convenient on devices without hardware buttons (for example, Xiaomi 13 or Redmi Note 12).

• 👆 Swipe up from the bottom edge - opening the app menu.
• 👇 Swipe down the desktop - search (in) MIUI 15 can be configured to open the notification panel).
• ➡️ Double swipe to the right – quick transition to the last application (analogue Alt)+Tab on PC).
• 🔄 Press the application icon – opening the context menu (widgets, information about the program).

To tune the gestures:

1. Go to Settings → Display → Additional Display settings → Full-screen gestures.
2. Choose a gesture style ("MIUI" or "Android").
3. Set up the sensitivity of swipes (useful if gestures are triggered by accident).

Enable full-screen gestures | Assign swipe up for the application menu |Configure double-press to lock the screen |Check the sensitivity of swipes-->

5. Optimizing the menu for performance

If your Xiaomi has started to slow down when opening the app menu, the problem may be:

• 🗑️ Launcher cache - clean it in Settings → Annexes → Application management → Launcher → Warehouse → Clear the cache.
• 📱 Animations – Disable or reduce them in Settings → Special facilities → Delete animations.
• 🔄 Background Activity – Limit unnecessary applications to Settings → Battery and productivity → Background process management.

For devices with 4 GB of RAM or less, it is recommended to:

• Disable automatic sorting of applications (it consumes additional resources).
• Use light themes without complex animations (e.g., “Simple” or “Classic” in theme settings).
• Remove weather or news widgets from your desktop – they are constantly updated in the background.

💡

Clearing the launcher cache and turning off animations speed up the opening of the application menu by 20-30% (tests on the Redmi Note 11).

6. Advanced Features: POCO Launcher and HyperOS

The standard MIUI launcher is limited in customization options, and if you want more freedom, consider:

Example of setting up POCO Launcher for maximum performance:

1. Open the launcher settings (clip the free space on the desktop).
2. Turn on “Light Mode” to reduce RAM consumption.
3. Turn off “Animations at Opening” and “Shadows of Icons”.
4. Set up “App Categories” for automatic sorting.

💡

In HyperOS, you can double-click on the screen to open any application (such as a camera or flashlight). This feature is hidden in Settings → Special Features → Quick Actions.

7. Backup and portability of menu settings

If you’re changing your smartphone or want to keep your current desktop organization, use the built-in MIUI tools:

• 📱 For backup: Go to Settings → The phone. → Backup and reset → Local backup. Select System Settings and Launcher Data. Click on Create Backup».

1. Copy the backup file (.mbk) to the new device.
2. Restore data through Settings → Additional → Restore.

For users of Nova Launcher or POCO Launcher, you can export settings to the file:

1. Open the launcher settings.
2. Find the section "Import/Export".
3. Save the configuration to Google Drive or local memory.

💡

The launcher backup retains the location of icons, folders and widgets, but does not tolerate wallpaper and themes!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

💡

If your app folders are missing after resetting, try restoring them through Settings → Google → Data Recovery (you need to sync with your Google account).