How to bring Yandex to the main screen of the Xiaomi phone: all ways + error solving

You want Yandex search to be always on hand on your Xiaomi screen, but you don’t know how to do it correctly? Many users find that after installing the application, its icon does not appear on the desktop and the search bar widget refuses to work. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to add Yandex to the home screen, from standard shortcut creation to customizing the widget and solving typical MIUI errors.

The peculiarity of MIUI firmware (versions 12, 13 and 14) is that it actively promotes Xiaomi’s own services, so third-party applications sometimes “hide” in the menu. But this does not mean that they can not be displayed on the desktop! We will show how to circumvent the system limitations, configure quick access to Yandex.Search, Yandex.Browser or Yandex.Maps, and what to do if the icon disappears after a phone reboot.

Important: The instructions are suitable for all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO models (including Redmi Note 12, Xiaomi 13T, POCO X5 Pro, etc.), but may vary depending on the version of MIUI. If you have old firmware (below the 12th version), some features may not be available.

1. Standard method: adding Yandex shortcut to desktop

The easiest method is to create a shortcut for the Yandex app through the phone menu, which works on all versions of MIUI and does not require additional settings.

Here's the step-by-step instruction:

  1. Open the app menu (swipe up from the bottom of the screen).
  2. Find the Yandex app (or Yandex.Browser, if you need one), if you don't, install it from Google Play.
  3. Press and hold your finger on the app icon until the context menu appears.
  4. Select Add to the home screen (or Create a shortcut in older versions of MIUI).
  5. Drag the icon to the right place on the desktop.

If Add to the main screen is missing, then your version of MIUI has restrictions on it. To remove them, go to Settings → Home screen → Home screen and turn off the option to Hide app icons.

Make sure that the Yandex application is installed|Turn off the restrictions MIUI third-party|Make sure there is a free space on the desktop.|Update. MIUI Up to the latest version, if available)-->

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi) 10A or POCO M4 Pro) once a label is created, it may disappear after a reboot. MIUI, which is solved by resetting the launcher cache (read about this in the section about errors).

2. How to add the widget Yandex.Search on the screen Xiaomi

If you want a shortcut, and a Yandex search bar right on your desktop, you'll have to use a widget. Unfortunately, in the latest versions of MIUI (13 and 14), the standard Yandex widget may not appear on the list of available ones. Here's how to get around it:

Method 1: Through the widget settings

  1. Press and hold your finger in the free space of the desktop.
  2. In the menu that appears, select Widgets.
  3. Scroll down and find Yandex (or Yandex Search).
  4. Select the size of the widget (usually available options 4×1 or 4×2).
  5. Drag the widget on the screen and set it up (you can choose the theme: light or dark).

Method 2: If the widget is not displayed

  • 🔄 Update the Yandex app to the latest version in Google Play.
  • 📱 Restart your phone – sometimes widgets only appear after a reboot.
  • 🔧 Clear the launcher cache: go to Settings → Annexes → Application management → Launcher MIUI, press Clear the cache.
  • 🌐 Install an alternative launcher (e.g. Nova Launcher) where the Yandex widget will be available without restrictions.

💡

If the Yandex widget never appeared, try installing Yandex.Search as a separate application – sometimes it offers its own widget, even if the main Yandex does not show it.

⚠️ Note: Xiaomi with firmware for the Chinese market (e.g. Redmi Note 11 Pro)+ 5G Yandex widgets can be blocked due to regional restrictions, in which case changing the region in the phone settings to Russia will help.

3.Why Yandex disappears from the main screen and how to fix it

One of the most common problems with Xiaomi is that shortcuts disappear after a reboot or system update, because of MIUI optimization, which removes unwanted icons. Here's how to fix it:

Problem.Reason.Decision
The shortcut disappears after the rebootCleaning the launcher cache when rebuttingEnter the application in Settings → Apps → Fixed
The widget is reset to standardMIUI update resets settingsRemove the widget and add again
Yandex is not displayed in the widget menuRegional restrictions of MIUIChange the region to Russia in the settings
The label becomes an "empty badge"A damaged app cacheClear the Yandex data in Settings → Applications

If none of these methods helped, try resetting the launcher settings:

  1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
  2. Find the MIUI (or MIUI Home) launcher.
  3. Press Warehouse. → Clear the data.
  4. Reboot the phone.

Important: After the launcher is reset, all your widgets and the location of the icons on the desktop will be reset to factory settings! Take screenshots of the current location of the icons in advance to quickly restore them.

Manually shortcutting|I'm installing a widget.|Using an alternative launcher|Other-->

4. Alternative ways to quickly access Yandex

If standard methods don’t work or you need more convenience, try these options:

  • 🔍 Add Yandex to the Quick Action Panel: Swipe down from the top edge of the screen to open the notification bar. Click on the pencil (Edit). Find Yandex.Search and drag it to the active area.
  • 📌 Plug Yandex into the dock panel (bottom panel): Open the app menu. Find Yandex, press and hold the icon. Drag it into the dock panel (usually there). 4-5 fixation).
  • 🤖 Use voice assistant: Set up Alice from Yandex as the default assistant in Settings → Annexes → Assistant and voice input. Then you can open Yandex with a voice command, OK, Yandex».
  • 🌐 Create a shortcut for Yandex: Open Yandex.Browser or Chrome. Go to ya.ru. Click on three dots in the browser → Add to the main screen.
How to make Yandex search by default in MIUI?
To open Yandex when searching through the bar at the top of the screen (not Google or Bing), go to Settings → Applications → Default Applications → Search engine and select Yandex. If it is not in the list, first install Yandex.Search as a separate application.

5. Solving problems with Yandex widget on MIUI 13/14

In the latest versions of MIUI (13 and 14), users often encounter the Yandex widget:

  • It does not update the weather or currency rates.
  • Shows an empty field instead of a search bar.
  • It disappears after the system update.

Here are the working solutions for each of the problems:

1. The widget does not update data (weather, exchange rates):

  • Check if autosynchronization is enabled in your Google account settings.
  • Go to Settings → Applications → Yandex → Permissions and enable the Exact Location.
  • Clear the cache of the Yandex application in Settings → Applications → Storage.

2. an empty field instead of a search bar:

  • Remove the widget and add it again.
  • Update the Yandex app in Google Play.
  • Try installing Yandex.Search separately - it offers its own widget.

3.The widget disappears after the MIUI update:

  • Reverse to the previous version of the widget (if available on Google Play).
  • Install an alternative launcher (like Nova Launcher or Lawnchair).
  • Write in support of Yandex through the application – sometimes they release patches for new versions of MIUI.