How to restore the label “Music” on Xiaomi smartphones: from simple to complex

Did you turn on your favorite track, and the Xiaomi desktop icon didn't happen? Or did the MIUI update erase the label of the standard Music app? This problem is familiar to many users of Redmi, POCO or Mi smartphones - especially after resetting, installing a custom launcher or cleaning up the system from garbage. 80% of the time, it's not the crashes that are to blame, but the random actions of the user: hiding the icon, deleting the widgets or even deactivating the system player.

In this article, 5 working ways to bring music back to the home screen, from basic to advanced, we'll figure out how to restore the icon through the launcher settings, enable hidden system applications, install an alternative player, and even manually create a shortcut if standard methods didn't work, and a method compatibility table with different versions of MIUI and Xiaomi models so that you don't waste time on useless manipulations.

1. Checking the All Apps folder - maybe the shortcut is just hidden

The first thing to do is make sure that the player icon is not hidden in the shared application folder. In MIUI, the shortcuts on the desktop and in the All Apps menu are not always synchronized, especially if you are using third-party launchers like Nova Launcher or HyperOS Launcher.

How to check:

• 📱 Swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen to open the app menu (or click on the dot/button at the bottom of the screen).
• 🔍 In the search bar, type “Music” (or “Music” for global firmware).
• 🖱️ If the application is found, press its icon and drag it to the desktop.
• 🔄 If the player is not on the list, move on to the next method.

If the Music app is not on the menu, it can mean:

• ❌ It is disabled in system settings (frequent issue after updates).
• ❌ Deleted with junk files via Optimizer or Clean Master.
• ❌ Your firmware does not include a standard player (relevant for some regions).

2. enable the system application "Music" in the settings

In MIUI 12-14 (and later), standard applications can be accidentally disabled, disappearing from the menu, but remain in the system.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Show All Apps.
3. In the search bar, type “Music” (or “Music”).
4. If the application is found but disabled, click Enable.
5. After turning on, return to the desktop and add a shortcut through the app menu (see method 1).

If the player is not on the list at all, it could mean:

• 📦 Application removed (for example, through ADB root-access).
• 🌍 Your firmware does not include a standard player (relevant for some global versions). MIUI for Europe or India).
• 🔄 There was a failure after the update – you need to reset the cache of applications.

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If you have Music on your app list but it doesn't turn on, try clearing the cache and data in the same menu, which often helps when the icon freezes.

3. reset the launcher settings - if the shortcut is missing after the update

Sometimes the problem isn't with the player, but with the launcher, the program that controls the desktop, and when you update MIUI or change the theme, the launcher settings can get lost, which causes the shortcuts to disappear.

How to drop the launcher:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the Launcher app (or MIUI Launcher, POCO Launcher).
3. Click Warehouse → Clear the cache and Clear the data.
4. Reboot the phone.

After the reboot:

• 🔄 Desktop will return to the standard view (widgets and folders will disappear).
• 🎵 Check the app menu – the Music icon should appear.
• 📱 If the label is still missing, add it manually (see method 4).

⚠️ Warning: Launcher reset will remove all your desktop settings — icons, folders, widgets. Before the procedure, take screenshots of the current screen to restore the arrangement later.

4. Create a label manually - if the standard methods do not work

If the player is on, but the icon doesn't appear on the desktop, you can create a shortcut manually through the widget settings, which works even on custom firmware.

Step-by-step:

1. Click and hold the empty space on the desktop → select Widgets.
2. Scroll down and find the Shortcuts section.
3. Select Apps → find “Music” in the list.
4. Press the icon and drag it to the desktop.

If the widgets don’t have a “Tags” section, try an alternative method:

• 📥 Install a third-party launcher (e.g. Nova Launcher).
• 🔧 In the launcher settings, find the option Add shortcut → Annexes → select "Music».
• 🔄 After adding, you can return the standard launcher - the label will remain.

Make sure the Music app is enabled in the settings

Check if it is in the All Apps menu.

Make a backup copy of the current location of the icons

Restart your phone before manipulation-->

5. Install an alternative player - if the standard is removed

If a standard Music app is removed (for example, via ADB or after a failed update), its recovery will require root rights or firmware re-flashing.

The best options for Xiaomi:

After installing an alternative player:

• 🎵 Move the music to the folder /Music/ or /Download/ (Most players scan them automatically).
• 🔧 Configure the player as the default application for audio files in Settings → Annexes → Default applications.
• 📱 Add the player shortcut to the desktop (see method 1 or 4).

⚠️ Note: If you have removed the standard player through ADB or TWRP, It's impossible to restore it without root rights, and in this case, the alternative player is the only solution without flashing.

6. Check the compatibility of methods with your Xiaomi model

Not all shortcut recovery methods work the same across devices, and below is the compatibility table for popular MIUI models and versions:

On Xiaomi Redmi 9/9A with MIUI 12, the standard player is often absent from global firmware - instead, Google Play Music or YouTube Music is installed. In this case, only method 5 (alternative player) will help.

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If your model is not listed in the table, start with methods 1 and 2 – they work 90% of the time on all versions of MIUI.

FAQ: Frequent questions about restoring the music label