How to return remote applications to the Xiaomi desktop: the complete guide

Did you accidentally remove the app shortcut from Xiaomi’s desktop or did all the icons disappear after the MIUI update?This problem is familiar to many owners of Redmi, POCO and Mi smartphones. Unlike iOS, where apps always stay on the home screen, the MIUI shell allows you to flexibly adjust the location of shortcuts – but sometimes it leads to their disappearance.

In this article, we will discuss 5 proven ways to return applications to the desktop, including recovery through the launcher, system settings and even hidden MIUI functions. Particular attention will be paid to the typical user errors that cause shortcuts to disappear after a reset or update. All instructions are relevant for MIUI 14/13/12 and work on models from Redmi Note 10 to Xiaomi 14 Ultra flagships.

If you tried to return applications through the standard menu, but it didn't work, don't rush to reset your phone to factory settings. 90% of the time, the problem is solved in 2-3 minutes without losing data. Let's start with the simplest method.

1. Recovery through the Apps menu

The fastest way to return the shortcut to your desktop is to use the built-in All Apps menu, which works if you just deleted the icon, but the app itself remains in the system.

Instructions:

• 📱 Swipe your finger up from the bottom edge of the screen to open the app menu (or click on the “dots”/”squares” icon in the dock panel).
• 🔍 Find the desired application in the list (you can use the search at the top of the screen).
• 🖱️ Press the app icon and drag it to the desktop without letting go. If the screen doesn't respond, check if the One Hand mode is activated in the settings.
• 📍 Put the label in the right place and release the finger. If you see the words Delete, you pull the icon too high.

If the app is not on the menu, it has been completely removed (not just the shortcut), in which case you can go to the section on Recovery of Remote Programs.

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware POCO and Redmi with custom launchers (for example, POCO Launcher) shortcuts can disappear after rebooting. This is a shell bug — try changing the launcher to a standard one. MIUI Launcher in settings.

2.Use of the function "Add to the desktop"

If drag and drop fails (for example, due to a launcher failure), use an alternative method through the context menu of the application.

Step-by-step:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the app you want (use search if the list is long).
3. Slip the name of the application to open its card.
4. Scroll down and select Add to desktop (on some versions of MIUI it is called Create a shortcut).
5. Confirm the action - the shortcut will appear on the main screen.

This method works even for system applications (such as Camera or Phone) that cannot be removed, but the shortcuts from which sometimes disappear after updates.

Make sure the application is not hidden in the launcher settings

Check the Unused folder in the app menu

Turn off the "Light Mode" mode (if activated)

Reboot your phone if the shortcuts don’t appear-->

3.Recovery through launcher settings

MIUI has hidden launcher settings where you can reset icons or return standard shortcuts, which will help if all icons are missing at the same time (for example, after a reset or update).

How to open hidden settings:

• 🔧 Press the empty space on the desktop (not on the icon!).
• 📌 In the menu that appears, select Desktop Settings (or Launcher Settings on English firmware).
• 🔄 Scroll down and find Reset Settings or Restore Default layout.
• ✅ Confirm reset – all standard shortcuts (Phone, Messages, Camera) will return to their places.

If there is no reset point in the launcher settings, try an alternative method:

Settings → Additional → Special features → Resetting launcher settings

⚠️ Warning: Resetting the launcher will remove all your custom folders and widget location. Take screenshots of the current icon arrangement in advance to quickly restore it after resetting.

4. Recovery of Remote Applications

If an application has been completely removed (not just its shortcut), you first need to restore the program itself. There are two ways to do this in MIUI: through Google Play or the built-in App Management feature.

Method 1: Through Google Play

• 🛒 Open the Play Store and go to the Library section (your profile icon) → Application and Device Management).
• 📋 In the Installed tab, select Not Installed - all the programs you deleted will be displayed here.
• 🔄 Find the right application and click Install.
• 📱 After installation, return the shortcut to the desktop (see the first section).

Method 2: Through MIUI settings (works for system applications)

Settings → Applications → Application Management → [Three dots at the top] → Show all applications

In the list, find the gray icons -- these are the system applications that are disabled. Tap them where you want to go and select "Enable," then create a shortcut.

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If the app is not displayed in the Play Store, check if it is hidden in the settings of your Google account. Go to Play Store → Profile → Settings → Family Library → Hidden apps and uncheck the desired program.

5 Manual shortcut creation through widgets

If standard methods don’t work (for example, due to a firmware bug), you can create a shortcut to bypass the system through the Application Shortcut widget, which is suitable for all versions of MIUI, including MIUI 14.

Instructions:

1. Click the empty space on the desktop and select Widgets.
2. In the list, find the app shortcuts widget (or App Shortcuts in English firmware).
3. Drag the widget to the desktop - a list of applications will open.
4. Select the desired application and confirm the creation of a shortcut.

The advantage of this method is that the shortcut widget will not disappear after the launcher is reset or the system is updated, but the disadvantage is that it may look different from standard icons.

6.Reset the launcher settings via ADB (for experienced)

If all of the above methods fail, the cause may be damage to the launcher settings, in which case the reset via ADB (Android Debug Bridge) will help, which requires connecting the phone to a computer and basic command line knowledge.

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on USB Debugging on your phone: Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (Tap 7 times) Settings → Additional → For Developers → Debugging on USB
2. Connect your phone to your PC and open the Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (macOS/Linux).
3. Enter the command to reset the launcher: adb shell pm clear com.miui.home This command removes all desktop settings, including the location of icons and widgets, but does not affect application data.
4. Restart the phone and the launcher will return to factory settings.

⚠️ Attention: Adb shell pm clear com.miui.home will also reset the themes of design and gesture settings, and once executed, you will have to reconfigure the transitions between screens and animations.

Frequent Causes of Label Disappearance and How to Avoid Them

The issue of missing icons on Xiaomi usually arises for one of 5 reasons, and by knowing them, you can prevent labels from disappearing again:

• 🔄 Update MIUI: After major updates (e.g., with the MIUI 13 on MIUI 14) the system can reset the location of the icons. Solution: before upgrading, backup the launcher settings via Settings → Additionally. → Backup.
• 🧹 Clearing the launcher cache: Forced data clearing of the com.miui.home app results in a desktop reset.Solution: Don't clean the launcher cache manually without having to.
• 📱 Change of launcher: Installing third-party launchers (like Nova Launcher) may conflict with system launcher.Solution: Before changing the launcher, export its settings.
• 🔧 Easy Mode: Enabling this mode hides all shortcuts except the basic ones. Solution: Settings → Special facilities → Easy regime. → Shut down.
• 🚫 Profile restrictions: If the phone has Guest Mode or Parental Control set up, some apps may be hidden.Solution: check the settings in Settings → Accounts. → Multiple users.

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The most common reason for shortcuts to disappear is to reset your launcher settings after the MIUI update. To avoid this, turn off automatic cache cleaning in the battery settings for the com.miui.home app.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions