How to transfer the icon from one page to another on the Xiaomi smartphone: all the ways

Why Xiaomi icons don’t behave like other Android smartphones

Xiaomi’s MIUI shell drastically changes the standard Android launcher behavior, which can raise questions. Unlike naked Android or shells like One UI (Samsung), there are nuances, from the lack of a classic “app menu” to non-obvious gestures for screen management, such as the Redmi Note 12 or POCO X5, when you press the icon long, the contextual menu does not always appear – instead, the smartphone can go into editing widgets.

Another feature is automatic icon sorting. MIUI defaults to grouping new apps on the last screen, and when the shortcut is removed, it can "crush" blank pages without warning. This often confuses users who are used to manually controlling the desktop on other devices. In addition, depending on the version of the shell (for example, MIUI 14.0.5 vs MIUI 13.2.4), the interface for porting icons may differ - somewhere using drag-and-drop, and somewhere you need to pinch the icon to vibration.

Preparation: Check the launcher settings before transfer

Before you move the icons, make sure you have desktop editing mode on.

• 📱 Press the empty space on the screen (not on the icon!) for 1-2 seconds until you feel the vibration.
• ⚙️ At the bottom of the screen, you'll see a panel with options: Widgets, Wallpaper, Settings. Click Settings.
• 🔄 Check that the button is in the off position – otherwise the system will distribute the icons on the screens.

Also worth paying attention to setting up the Desktop Grid (in the same launcher settings) If you have a 4×5 or 5×6 value, the icons will be denser, which can make it harder to drag them around, the best option for easy portability is 4×6 or 5×5.

Method 1: Classic drag-and-drop

This is the most intuitive method that works on most Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices:

1. 👆 Press the app icon you want to move for 1-2 seconds, it should show a vibration, and the icon will slightly "rise".
2. 🖱️ Keep your finger on, drag it to the edge of the screen towards the desired page.
3. 📍 When you are on the target screen, move the icon to the free cell and release your finger.

If the icon is “not clinging” or returns to the place, try:

• 🔄 Reboot the smartphone (sometimes helps with launcher glitches).
• 🧹 Clear the launcher cache: go to Settings → Annexes → Application management → Launcher and press Clear Cache.
• 📱 Make sure there is free space on the target screen — MIUI You will not allow the icon to be placed on top of another.

Method 2: via the editing menu (if drag-and-drop doesn't work)

On some versions of MIUI (e.g., on Xiaomi 13 Ultra with MIUI 14), standard drag and drop may be disabled or not work smoothly.

1. 📱 Press the icon before the context menu appears (usually you need to hold it longer – up to 2-3 seconds).
2. ✏️ In the menu that appears, select Edit (or Change, depending on localization).
3. 🔄 In edit mode, click on the icon again and hold it – now it can be dragged to another screen.

Important: If the context menu does not contain the "Edit" option, you have a third-party launcher (such as Nova Launcher or HyperOS Launcher), in which case the rules for porting icons depend on the settings of the alternative launcher.

Method 3: Transfer through folders (for grouping icons)

If you need to transfer several icons at the same time, it is more convenient to first collect them in a folder, and then move the entire folder:

1. 📁 Drag one icon to another – folder will automatically be created.
2. 🔄 Add the other icons to it (just drag them into the folder).
3. 🖱️ Now, hold the folder and drag it to another screen like a regular icon.
4. 🗑️ On the target screen, you can “unpack” the folder by dragging the icons back to the desktop.

This method is especially useful if you are setting up your desktop from scratch or want to move a group of commonly used applications (such as messengers or social networks) to the home screen. Note: in MIUI, folders can automatically receive names depending on the categories of applications inside (such as Social Networks or Games). To rename the folder, open it and tap on the name at the top.

Solving the problem: the icon disappeared after the transfer

One of the most common problems with Xiaomi icons is that they suddenly disappear after trying to transfer them, and here are the possible reasons and ways to recover them:

If the icon is missing after the MIUI update, try resetting the launcher settings to the standard:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the Launcher (or MIUI Launcher) and open its settings.
3. Click Storage → Clear the data (this will reset all your screen settings!).

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Before resetting the launcher data, take screenshots of the current arrangement of icons - so it will be easier for you to restore them manually.

Features of the transfer of icons on different models Xiaomi

Although the MIUI shell is unified, some models have nuances:

• 📱 Redmi 9/10/Note 11: These devices often require a double tap to activate the editing mode – first press the icon, then quickly tap again.
• 📱 POCO F3/F4/X3: here is on by default POCO Launcher, where to transfer you need to pinch the icon and wait for the appearance of the garbage bin at the top of the screen - only after that you can drag.
• 📱 Xiaomi 12/13 Series: supported by a gesture of drag and drop with two fingers – press the icon with one finger, and the second swipe to the side to scroll the screen.
• 📱 Black Shark: gaming smartphones use Shark Launcher, where icon transfer works only in the horizontal orientation of the screen.

On devices with MIUI 14 and later (such as Xiaomi 14 or Redmi K60), there is a Smart Sort feature that can automatically return icons to the recommended screens to disable it:

1. Click the empty space on the screen → Settings.
2. Go to the Supplementary → Smart sorting.
3. Turn off the automatic placement option.

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Nana POCO-Before transferring icons, always check which launcher is active (MIUI or POCO Launcher – the available gestures depend on it.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions