Users of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones often face unusual behavior of the proprietary shell MIUI or the new HyperOS. Unlike “pure” Android, where all installed programs automatically appear on the home screen, the system from Xiaomi is enabled by default “Hardboxes” mode. This means that new programs after installation only fall into the general menu, and on the desktop they are not, which can confuse beginners.
But you can change that behavior in a couple of touches, bringing back the logic of the interface. You don't have to have root rights or install third-party launchers, because all the necessary tools are already built into the system. In this article, we'll discuss in detail how to move the application to the Xiaomi desktop, customize the display of widgets and organize the space in a way that suits you.
Sometimes the problem is not with settings, but with accidentally removing a shortcut or hiding an icon. We'll look at all possible scenarios, from standard repositioning of items to recovering missing icons after updating the firmware. Understanding the logic of how Launcher works will help you effectively manage hundreds of installed programs without unnecessary chaos on the screen.
Configure the display of new applications in MIUI and HyperOS
The main reason new programs don't appear on the home screen immediately after installation is because of the default system restriction, which is to change this, you need to go to the settings. Open the Settings menu, then find the Desktop section. In some versions of firmware, this item may be inside the Additional menu or be placed in a separate subsection of the screen settings.
Inside this menu, you'll see a switch called Add Shortcuts to Desktop (or "Place New Apps on Desktop"). If the switch is turned off, all new downloads will be sent exclusively to the App menu. Enable this option, and from now on, every new downloaded app will automatically receive its shortcut on the home page.
⚠️ Note: Once this option is enabled, older, already installed applications will not appear on the desktop automatically.This setting is only valid for programs that will be installed after the setting changes.
It is worth noting that depending on the version of MIUI (Global, China, EEA), item names may vary slightly. If you do not find the right switch right away, use the search bar at the top of the settings menu and enter the request for "desktop" or "shortcuts" that will quickly go to the desired section, bypassing long searches in the depth of the menu.
Manually moving icons from the app menu
If you need to move an already installed app from the general list to the home screen, the procedure is also quite simple, but has its own nuances depending on the navigation mode. First, open the menu of all apps by swiping up from the center of the screen or by clicking on a special button if it is enabled. Find the desired program in the alphabetical list.
Hold your finger on the app icon for about a second. The screen can vibrate slightly to confirm the object's capture. Now, without letting go of your finger, drag the icon to the top of the screen or to the area where the desktop thumbnail is displayed. At that point, the system will switch the view to the main screen, and you can live (place) the shortcut anywhere.
- 📱 Long press: The main way to activate the edit mode for any interface element.
- 📂 Create folders: Drag one icon on top of another to create a thematic folder for grouping programs.
- 🔄 Moving between pages: Holding the object, bring it to the left or right edge of the screen to go to the next desktop page.
If there is no space, the system will prompt you to create a new page or automatically shift other elements, and you can also change the size of the widgets, if this is supported by a particular application, through the menu Change the widget, which appears when you press on an already hosted object for a long time.
☑️ Pre-movement checks
No partitions mode as an alternative to the classic menu
For those who are used to the logic of iOS or older versions of Android, where there is no separate app menu at all, Xiaomi has a special mode called the Classic View or “No Partitions”, in which the concept of “Hardbox” is completely abolished: all installed programs are displayed directly on desktops.
To activate this mode, go to Settings → Desktop → Desktop Mode. Here you will be asked to choose between “With Partitions” (the standard Xiaomi view) and “Without Partitions” (the classic view).
This mode is especially convenient for users with a large number of applications who prefer visual icon search rather than an alphabetical list. However, it is worth considering that when you install hundreds of programs, navigating over many pages can become less convenient than using a search bar or a smart menu.
⚠️ Note: When you switch to No Partition mode, the system will automatically create new pages and distribute all the icons. If you had a complex manual folder structure, it may be disrupted or require manual sorting again.
Creating and editing folders for organizing space
The chaotic arrangement of icons makes it difficult to find the right programs. The best way to clean up is to use folders. In the MIUI and HyperOS shells, folder creation is intuitive: just drag and drop one application icon to another. The system automatically creates a container where both programs will fit.
Click on the folder you created to open it. At the top, you'll see the name the system has assigned (usually a category name, such as Tools or Social Networks). Tap the name to rename the folder according to your preferences. You can also change the background of the folder or its style if your theme supports this feature.
| Action. | The result | Where applicable |
|---|---|---|
| Drag the icon to the icon | Creating a new folder | Desktop |
| Double-click on the folder | Opening of nested applications | Desktop |
| Long tap on the folder | Editing mode (moving/deleting) | Desktop |
| Drag outside the folder | Extracting an application from the group | Inside the folder. |
You can put up to a few dozen apps inside a folder, and if the folder is full, it automatically creates a second page inside itself, and if you delete the folder, you just need to remove all the applications from it, and when you have one item left inside, the container will disappear automatically.