How to save a website on your Xiaomi phone desktop

Xiaomi, Redmi, and POCO smartphone owners often face the need to quickly access certain web resources without installing heavy apps, such as a personal account, a news portal, or a weather page. Creating a home screen shortcut speeds navigation and eliminates the constant typing of an address into a browser bar. However, in the shell of MIUI and the new HyperOS, this process has its own nuances that are not always obvious to beginners.

The standard shortcut procedure may vary depending on which browser you use by default, most often Google Chrome or Yandex Browser, but Xiaomi devices also pre-installed its own browser Mi Browser. It's important to understand that when you add a page to your desktop, you actually create a special link that opens the resource in a mode close to the native application.

In this article, we will discuss in detail the algorithms of actions for all popular browsers available on the Android platform. You will learn how to avoid typical errors, why the icon may not appear and how to configure widgets to display current information directly on the lock screen. To correctly display the shortcut, you must allow the browser to create shortcuts on the desktop in the system settings. We will also touch on the issue of widgets that allow you to output data from the site without opening it.

Browser preparation and permission setting

Before you start creating shortcuts, you need to make sure your browser has the appropriate rights in the system. MIUI shell is famous for its strict security policy, which sometimes blocks actions considered potentially undesirable. If you first try to add a site to the screen, the system can silently ignore the command or give an error.

Go to your smartphone settings and find the Apps section, and select All Apps and find your primary browser (like Chrome) in the list, go to Other Permits or just Permissions, make sure that the desktop shortcuts are activated, and without that permission, the system will simply prevent the browser from displaying the icon outside the app itself.

It’s also worth checking the browser’s settings. Some versions of the Mi Browser or third-party downloaders may not allow the addition of interface elements. If the standard path doesn’t work, try changing the launcher temporarily or checking if Safe Start mode is enabled, which limits interface changes.

⚠️ Warning: If after all the actions the icon does not appear, restart the device. POCO Launcher or System Launcher requires an update to display new elements.

Remember, there should be space on the desktop. If all the cells are occupied by widgets or icons, the system will not be able to accommodate a new object, free at least one 1x1 cell or move existing elements to folders.

Creating a shortcut in Google Chrome

Google Chrome is the standard for most Android devices. The process of adding a site here is as unified as possible, but Xiaomi phones have a couple of display features. First open the browser and go to the site you want to save. Wait for the page to load fully so that the icon (favicon) is pulled up correctly.

In the upper right corner of the screen, click on the menu button represented by three vertical dots. In the list that opens, select Add to Main Screen. In some versions, it may be called Install App if the site supports Progressive Web Apps (PWA) technology. These are modern web applications that look and work like regular programs.

You'll see a dialog box where you can change the shortcut name. The default is the site name, but you can write something short, like "Weather" or "Bank." Click "Add." The system can request confirmation of the action -- agree with it. The icon will instantly appear on the desktop.

• 📱 Open the page in Chrome.
• 🔘 Click the menu (three dots in the corner).
• ➕ Select "Add to the main screen».
• ✏️ Confirm the name and placement.

If you use the Install App feature, the shortcut will have the service logo rather than the standard browser icon, making the interface cleaner and more understandable, especially for services like Google Docs, Twitter or Telegram Web.

Instructions for Yandex Browser

Xiaomi users in Russia and CIS often prefer Yandex Browser because of its optimization for local services and built-in Turbo mode. The shortcut is also simple here, but the menu interface is slightly different from the Khromov.

Click on the menu button, which in Yandex is usually represented by three horizontal bars or dots (location depends on the topic of the design). In the drop-down list, you need to find the item "Add to the desktop." If such item is not in the main menu, it can be hidden in the "More" or "Tools" subsection.

Once clicked, the system will prompt you to confirm the action. The peculiarity of Yandex Browser is that it often suggests creating not just a shortcut, but a widget with news or weather if you are on the relevant services of the company. For a regular site, choose the standard shortcut addition.

Interestingly, Yandex allows you to group site shortcuts into its Cards, which is convenient if you want to collect, for example, all banking applications or news resources in one place without mixing them with the main programs.

⚠️ Note: When using the Turbo mode, some elements of the site may be blocked, which sometimes interferes with the correct definition of the icon for the label.

Working with built-in Mi Browser

Xiaomi smartphone owners know that the default is Mi Browser. Many users ignore it as overloaded advertising, but it works great for shortcuts, especially thanks to deep shell integration. Open your browser and go to the landing page.

At the bottom of the screen is a toolbar. Click on the central menu icon (usually three bars or a Menu icon). In the window that appears, look for a button with an asterisk or a + icon with the caption "Add to desktop." The interface can vary depending on the version of MIUI (12, 13, 14 or HyperOS).

If the standard path doesn't work, try clicking on the address bar. In some versions of the Mi Browser, when you click on the URL, an action bar pops up where there's a share or add button. Select shortcut creation. Android automatically creates a link on the home screen.

It is worth noting that Mi Browser sometimes aggressively suggests installing your widgets instead of shortcuts.Be careful when choosing to avoid cluttering the screen with unnecessary elements if you need a quick link.

Use of widgets instead of shortcuts

The MIUI and HyperOS shell offers a more advanced way of interacting with websites, widgets. Unlike a static shortcut, the widget can display current information, such as currency rates, news headlines or weather, without requiring a browser to open, which turns the desktop into an information dashboard.

To add a widget, pinch your two fingers on your desktop or keep your finger empty for a long time. In the bottom menu, select "Widgets." In the list that opens, find your browser (Chrome, Yandex, etc.). Many modern sites support widgets of specific content.

Click on the desired size widget (for example, 4x2 or 2x2) And drag it to the desktop, and then you put it on, and the widget can tell you to choose the source of the data, and for example, the news widget will let you choose the source of the data. RSS-It's much more functional than just a simple icon.

• 📍 Make a long tap on the desktop.
• 🧩 Select the item "Widgets».
• 🌐 Find your browser in the list.
• 📏 Drag the widget of the appropriate size.

Using widgets saves time, as you see information instantly. However, it is worth remembering that active widgets can consume more battery power, as they periodically update data over the Internet. Battery optimization in Xiaomi settings can limit the widgets, so add the browser to the exceptions.

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Use widgets only for sites that change frequently, and for static pages (such as restaurant menus), it is better to use regular shortcuts to avoid wasting battery life.

Solving problems with displaying icons

Quite often, users are faced with a situation where all the actions are done correctly, but the icon on the desktop never appears. This can be due to the launcher or crowded memory. First of all, check whether the icon is hidden in the Tools or Google folder, where MIUI sometimes automatically sorts new shortcuts.

Another common reason is a crowded launcher cache. Go to Settings → Apps → All Apps. Find the desktop app (usually called System Launcher, POCO Launcher, or MiuiHome) and click Clear → Clear Cache. This won’t delete your data, but will update the desktop grid.

If the problem persists, check to see if the mode is on Easy Mode or the mode for the elderly.In this mode, the interface is simplified, and the addition of arbitrary shortcuts can be limited, and also make sure that the memory card (if the shortcuts are saved there) has space and it works correctly.

⚠️ Note: If you are using a third-party launcher (such as Nova Launcher or Niagara), shortcut rights should be requested separately in the launcher settings, not just on Android.

In rare cases, resetting your browser settings to factory settings helps, which will delete your history and passwords, so make sure your data is synced with your Google or Yandex account.

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The MIUI system launcher sometimes forgets to update the desktop grid. Forced clearing of the launcher cache solves 90% of the problems with missing icons.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)