How to open an application through settings on Xiaomi: hidden ways to launch

Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO’s MIUI-based smartphones offer users flexible application management tools — including the ability to run them directly from system settings. This feature is useful when the program icon is hidden, removed from the home screen or the application is blocked by a battery optimizer.

In this article, we’ll break down all the current ways to open apps through settings on Xiaomi devices (including the 2020-2026 models), taking into account the features of different versions of MIUI 12-14 and Android 11-14. You’ll learn how to get around the limitations of battery optimization, where to look for hidden applications and how to restore access to system utilities that Suddenly disappeared from the menu.

Important: The methods work on all the current devices of the brand, but the path to settings can vary slightly depending on the firmware version.If your smartphone is running MIUI Global, MIUI China or HyperOS (for new models of 2026), check the match of screenshots to your interface.

Why doesn’t the app open in the standard way?

Before you look for an app in the settings, it is worthwhile to understand the reasons for its “disappearance”, on Xiaomi devices this is most often due to the work of built-in optimizers:

• 🔋 Optimizing the battery: MIUI Aggressively suspends background processes, especially for applications that have been out of use for a long time, which can result in the program not being launched from the screen or menu.
• 🗑️ Cache/data cleanup: After manual or automatic cleaning (e.g. through Settings) → Memory) an application can be “reset” before the first start, which sometimes blocks its display.
• 🔒 Permission restrictions: If an application is denied access to storage, the Internet, or other critical features, it may not be launched or hidden from the general list.
• 📱 Launcher reset: After upgrade MIUI or resetting the launcher settings (Mi Launcher or POCO Launcher) app icons may disappear from the main screen.

For example, users of the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ and Xiaomi 13T often face a problem when the Google Play Store or Mi Fit suddenly stop opening. 80% of the time this is because the system automatically freezes the application to save power, the solution is either to disable optimization manually or run the program through settings.

If the application was removed as a system (for example, through ADB or Mi Unlock), you can not restore it through the settings - you will need to flash it back.

Method 1: Through the "All Applications" section in the settings

The most versatile method, which works on all versions of MIUI, allows you to find and run any installed application, even if its icon is hidden.

1. Open Settings (cog on the home screen or in the notification curtain).
2. Scroll down and select the App (or Apps in English firmware).
3. Tap on Application Management (in some versions this item may be called All Apps).
4. In the list, find the desired application (you can use a search at the top of the screen) and tap it.
5. On the page that opens, click the Open (or Launch) button.

If the Open button is inactive or absent, this means that the application:

• 🚫 Removed (check out Google Play or Mi App Store).
• 🔄 Updated (wait until the process is completed).
• 🔒 Blocked by the device administrator (relevant for corporate phones).

No Open button? | Is the app on the list but not running? | Check the Storage section for data | Turn off battery optimization for this app-->

On Xiaomi 14 and other HyperOS models, the path has changed a little: → Annexes → List of annexes → [Select the application] → Open up.

The interface has become more minimalistic, but the functionality has remained the same.

Method 2: Through battery and performance settings

If the app doesn’t start because of battery optimization, it can be “unfreezed” and opened directly from the power saving menu, a technique that is especially relevant for background services like Mi Push (responsible for notifications) or Google Play Services.

1. Go to Settings → Battery and Performance.
2. Select Battery Consumption Management (or Battery Consumption in older versions of MIUI).
3. Tap on the Selection of applications (in some firmware this item is called Battery Optimization).
4. In the list, find the desired application and select the No Limits mode for it.
5. Go back a step and tap the name of the application – its card with the Open button will open.

On HyperOS models (Xiaomi 14, 13T Pro, etc.), the Battery section has been moved to Settings → Additional → Battery and Charging. The path to application management now looks like: Settings → Additional → Special Permissions → Battery Management.

This method is also useful if you want to disable autoplay for unnecessary programs, for example, many POCO X5 Pro users complain about background activity Mi Video or Mi Browser - they can be blocked here.

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If the application does not open after defrosting anyway, try clearing its cache in the Storage section of the application management page.

Method 3: Through permission settings (for system utilities)

Some Xiaomi built-in apps (such as Security, Themes, or Mi Remote) may be hidden from the list if critical permissions are revoked, in which case they can be found and run through the permissions menu.

1. Open Settings → Applications → Permissions.
2. Select any permissions section (e.g. Camera, Microphone, or Warehouse).
3. In the list of applications that have access to this resolution, find the right one and tap it.
4. On the page that opens, click Open.

This method is suitable for restoring access to:

• 📸 The camera (if it does not open due to a failure of permits).
• 🔊 Recorder or Screen recordings.
• 🌐 Browser (if it is blocked by parental control).

For example, after upgrading to MIUI 14, some Redmi K50 users lost access to the Mi AI Assistant, so the solution is to find it in the permissions for the Microphone and run it from there.

Table: Where to look for hidden apps in different versions of MIUI

To make it easier to search, we’ve compiled current paths to hidden apps depending on the firmware version:

If your version of MIUI is not listed in the table, use the universal path: Settings → [Settings Search] → enter the name of the application. Built-in Settings Search works in all firmware versions, including Xiaomi.eu and Global ROM.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When you try to open an application through settings, users often encounter typical problems, and here are the most common ones and how to solve them:

⚠️ Warning: If after clicking Open the message App is not installed, but it is in the list - this is a sign of damage APK. Try reinstalling the program or clearing its data through the Warehouse. → Clear all data.

• 🔄 Open button is inactive: Check if the app is currently being updated (go to Google Play). → If the update is stuck, restart the device.
• 📱 The app opens and closes immediately: It's likely that the cache has been damaged. Clear it through Settings. → Annexes → [Select the application] → Warehouse → Clear the cache.
• 🔒 No access to app settings: This may be due to parental controls or job profile. → Special facilities → Parental control.
• 🔋 Application does not run despite optimisation disabled: On some models (e.g, POCO F5) You also need to add it to Auto Launch via Settings → Annexes → Auto-start.

Special attention should be paid to system applications like Mi Account or Find Device, which, if they do not open, may indicate:

• Sync failure with Xiaomi servers (check the Internet connection).
• Conflict after rooting or changing system files.
• Blocking of Mi Account (unblocking through the official website is required).

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If an application is critical to the system (e.g. Mi Security or Google Play Services), forced closure through settings can cause the phone to run unstable, in which case it is better to use Reboot instead of manually running.

Additional methods of launching applications

If standard methods don't work, try alternatives. They require a little more action, but often help in difficult cases.

Method 1: Through the widget "Application shortcuts"

• Long press on the free place of the main screen → Widgets.
• Find the App Shortcuts widget and drag it to the screen.
• In the list, select the desired application – this will create a shortcut for a quick start.

Method 2: Using the Google Assistant or Mi AI

Method 3: Through ADB (for power users)

⚠️ Note: This method requires the enabled mode Debugging by USB And the PC connections. Wrong commands. ADB They may disrupt the system.

To run the application through ADB, use the command:

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

You can find out the package name through the App Inspector app (available on Google Play) or by using the command:

adb shell pm list packages | grep "appendix name"

For example, to run settings on Xiaomi is used:

adb shell am start -n com.android.settings/.Settings

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions