How to remove the shortcut on Xiaomi smartphones: from standard methods to hidden features

Shortcuts on Xiaomi smartphones are often created randomly or accumulate over time, cluttering the desktop and app menus. Unlike other manufacturers, the MIUI shell has its own icon management features, from standard gestures to hidden developer settings. This article covers all the current ways to remove shortcuts on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices running MIUI 12-15, including rarely documented methods for stubborn icons.

It is important to understand the difference between an application shortcut (a link to a program) and a widget (an interactive element), the former being removed by simple retention, while the latter require additional actions. We will also look at cases where icons return after a reboot, which is typical for pre-installed Xiaomi services like Mi Video or Mi Music. ADB third-party launchers.

1. Standard removal of a shortcut from the desktop

The most obvious method works for most custom icons: Hold your finger on the shortcut for 1-2 seconds until the context menu or basket icon appears at the top of the screen. In MIUI 14+, the interface may differ: instead of the basket, a panel with Delete options or Application Information will appear.

If the icon is not removed in the standard way, check:

• 🔹 Whether it's a widget (like weather or calendar) widgets are removed after a long press. → Remove the widget.
• 🔹 Is the label blocked? MIUI You can also use the badges from accidental removal: hold on → Block (you must first unlock).
• 🔹 Is it a system application? Pre-installed services (e.g. Security or Themes) are only removed through application settings or ADB.

⚠️ Note: On some models POCO With custom firmware, a long press can open the menu Change size instead of delete. In this case, drag the icon to the top of the screen, where the inscription "Delete" appears.

For devices with two layers of desktop (such as Xiaomi 13 Ultra), shortcuts can be duplicated. Remove them separately on each screen. If the icon has disappeared from only one layer, check the launcher settings in Settings → Desktop → Screen settings.

2. Removal of shortcuts from the application menu

The app menu (All apps) in MIUI often contains duplicates or hidden shortcuts to remove them:

1. Open the app menu (swipe up from the bottom of the screen).
2. Find the right label and hold it.
3. In the menu that appears, select Delete or Hide (for system applications).

If the Remove option is inactive, it means that the application is system-based, in which case:

• 📱 Go to Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
• 🔍 Find the app in the list and select Disable (this hides the shortcut and stops background processes).
• 🚫 To completely remove system applications, unlock the bootloader and root rights will be required.

On some firmware (such as MIUI Global), hidden apps may reappear after an update. To avoid this, use third-party launchers like Nova Launcher or Hyperion Launcher, which allow you to permanently hide unnecessary icons.

3. Hidden labels and folders: where they hide

MIUI automatically creates hidden folders for underutilized applications, and these folders can contain dozens of shortcuts that don't appear on the desktop, but take up space on the menu, to find them:

1. Open the app menu and swipe left to the end.
2. Press three points (⋮) → Hidden applications.
3. Hold the unnecessary shortcut and choose Remove from the hidden or Show on the desktop.

MIUI 13+ also introduced a Smart Folder feature that automatically groupes similar applications (e.g., all messengers) to disable this feature:

Settings → Desktop → Smart folder → Turn off

If the shortcut is missing after the MIUI update, check the Recent folder in the app menu, where the icons are temporarily placed after the launcher resets, to return them:

• 📂 Open the folder Recent.
• 🔄 Hold the right shortcut and drag it to the desktop.
• ⚙️ If the folder is empty, restart the device – sometimes MIUI reboots.

4. Removal of shortcuts via ADB (for power users)

If standard methods don’t work and unlocking the bootloader isn’t available, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB) to hide system applications.This method doesn’t require root rights, but removes shortcuts only for the current user.

First, turn on the USB debugging:

Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times)


Settings → Additional → For developers → Debugging by USB

Connect your phone to your PC and execute the commands:

adb shell


pm hide com.mi.browser # example for Mi Browser




pm hide com.miui.videoplayer # example for Mi Video

To return the label, use:

pm unhide com.mi.browser

⚠️ Note: Pm hide commands only work on the MIUI 12+ With Wireless Debugging enabled, use pm disable-user on older versions. --user 0 com.mi.browser, but it will require root rights for some apps.

5.Using third-party launchers to manage shortcuts

The standard MIUI launcher limits customization options, with third-party launchers like Nova Launcher, Lawnchair or Hyperion Launcher allowing:

• 🧹 Hide any shortcuts, including system ones, without root rights.
• 🔄 Group applications into custom folders with their own icons.
• 🎨 Change icons for individual applications (including replacing them with an empty icon for a “remote” view).
• 🔒 Block accidental changes to the desktop.

To hide the shortcut in Nova Launcher:

1. Hold the badge. → Change.
2. Click on the app icon → select Hide.
3. Confirm the action. The label will disappear from the menu, but the app will remain in the system.

If after installing a third-party launcher shortcuts are duplicated, reset its settings:

Settings Nova → Backup → Reset

Install Android SDK Platform Tools on PC

Enable debugging over USB on your phone

Connect the phone to a PC with debugging permission

Check the connection with the adb device command

Download the list of application packages with the adb shell pm list packages command

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6. Recovery of accidentally deleted labels

If you delete the system app shortcut (such as Settings or Phone), it can be returned without resetting the phone.

Method 1: Through the Application Menu

• 🔍 Open the application menu (swipe up).
• 🔎 Enter the name of the application in the search bar.
• 📲 Hold the icon and drag it to the desktop.

Method 2: Through launcher settings

Settings → Applications → Application Management → [App name] → Show on desktop

Method 3: Through ADB (if the label is hidden by pm hide)

adb shell pm unhide com.android.settings

If none of the methods worked, check if the application is disabled in the settings.

Settings → Applications → Application Management → [Title] → Enable

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Back up your desktop in Nova Launcher (Settings → Backup → Save) and restore all shortcuts and folders after resetting or updating MIUI.

7. Frequent errors and their solutions

When working with shortcuts on Xiaomi, users face typical problems. Here's how to solve them:

Critical information: On devices with MIUI for Russia (for example, Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G), some system applications are protected by Xiaomi policies and cannot be disabled even through ADB. In this case, the only way is to install custom firmware with remote services.

Frequently asked questions

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For most users, standard retention removal or concealment through a launcher is enough. Use ADB and root methods only if the shortcut critically interferes with work and other methods have not helped.