Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face a mysterious phenomenon: copies of already installed programs suddenly appear on the app menu. You can see two icons of Gallery, three labels of Settings or a duplicated Explorer. This is puzzling, especially for users who value order in the interface. This may seem like a critical system error, but in most cases this is the regular, although not always obvious behavior of the MIUI or HyperOS shell.
There are several reasons for this behavior, from the banal confusion between system and user shortcuts to the specific functions of cloning. Understanding the nature of these duplicates will help you quickly clean up the interface without resetting. In this article, we will discuss in detail the mechanisms of the launcher and methods for eliminating visual debris.
System shortcuts vs. user folders
The first and most common cause of confusion is the organization of the workspace. Xiaomi shells have two main display modes by default: classic (all icons on the desktop) and folder mode (a separate menu of all applications). When a user switches between these modes or accidentally activates additional panels, visual conflicts can occur. System shortcuts often remain on desktops, creating the illusion of duplication when you open the full application menu.
In addition, there may be hidden system partitions in the system that appear as separate applications, such as Settings, which may have an analog for advanced functions or an old interface that has been mothballed by developers for backward compatibility, which cannot be removed by standard methods, since they are part of the system partition.
Users often confuse duplicates with widget shortcuts or quick links. If you see two icons of the same app, take a closer look: one of them may be a shortcut to quickly access a particular feature, rather than the application itself, which is especially true for system utilities like Security or Explorer.
Application cloning function (App Twin)
One of the most popular features in Xiaomi smartphones is the ability to clone apps, which allows you to run two accounts on the same messenger or social network at the same time. If you have ever enabled this feature for WhatsApp, Telegram or Viber, the system creates an exact copy of the application with an orange icon in the corner. Even if you deleted the main account, the copy can remain, creating a duplication effect.
App Twin's way of working is to create an isolated space with a separate dataset, not just a shortcut, but a full-fledged second copy of the program that takes up space in memory. In some firmware versions, when you delete the main application, the clone is not automatically deleted, leaving it on the menu as an "orphaned" take.
- 📱 Check the cloning settings in the "Applications" section» → «Cloning of applications».
- 🗑️ Remove the clone if you no longer need it through the standard control interface.
- ⚙️ Note that for some banking applications, the clone may be called “Second Space».
Technical details of the work of clones
It is important to distinguish between cloning and Second Space. These are different technologies. The second space creates a completely separate user profile with its applications, whereas cloning affects only specific programs selected. The confusion between these functions often leads users to look for duplicates where a complex system of delimitation of access rights operates.
Residual files after updates and crashes
The process of updating the Android operating system or the MIUI shell sometimes goes not perfectly smoothly. During the migration of data, old shortcuts may not be deleted, and new ones may be added on top of them. As a result, debris accumulates in the launcher database, which is displayed to the user as repeating icons, this is especially true when switching between major versions of Android, for example, from 11 to 12 or 13.
The problem can also arise after the failed installation of updates from the GetApps store or Google Play. If the process is interrupted or went wrong, the system may remain “broken” shortcut leading to nowhere, or a duplicate that does not run.
☑️ Actions after system update
⚠️ Note: If a duplicate appears immediately after the update, don’t rush to drop the phone. Often, just wait a few minutes for the system to complete the background optimization of application databases.
To solve the problem of residual files, use built-in cleaning tools effectively. However, be careful: removing system components through third-party utilities can lead to unstable interface operation.
Hidden system applications and components
At the back of Xiaomi’s operating system, there are many utility applications that are essential to the smartphone but not designed to interact directly with the user. Sometimes, due to firmware build errors or user actions (such as activation of developer mode), these components become visible in the general list, such as com.miui.cloudservice or various Google Play Services services.
These apps often don’t have icons or have a standard green Android robot, and their appearance on the menu can be a sign that some system process is trying to restore its work or notify the user of the sync status. You can’t remove them, it can disrupt the cloud,_push_ notifications or account authorization.
| Title of the process | Appointment | Can I remove it? |
|---|---|---|
| Mi Cloud | Synchronization of data | No. |
| MSA (MIUI System Ads) | Advertising service | We can turn it off. |
| Google Play Services | The operation of Google services | No. |
| Analytics | Statistics collection | Safe. |
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To hide system applications, use the Hidden Applications feature in the launcher settings, adding unnecessary shortcuts instead of removing them.
If you notice a duplication of system components, it is best to analyze what rights are granted to them. Often, it is enough to revoke permissions to stop the icon from corny eyes or disappear from the active use list. In some cases, disabling notifications for a particular system process helps.
Conflicts of third-party launchers and themes
Xiaomi users often experiment with the look and feel of the game, installing themes from Themes store or third-party launchers like Nova Launcher or Microsoft Launcher. When you return to the standard interface, configuration file conflicts can occur, the theme could change the structure of the menu, and after its removal, the old shortcuts remained “hang” in the cache of the design.
And some themes also have their own stub icons that, if used incorrectly, are superimposed over the original ones, and as a result, you see a layered pie of graphic elements, and the resource conflict causes one app to be displayed twice, once with a standard icon, and once with a thematic one that hasn't been loaded.
- 🎨 Reset the theme to standard ("Classic" or "Untitled»).
- 🔄 Reinstall the problem app to update its shortcut.
- 🧹 Clear the data of the “Themes” and “Wallpaper and personalization” applications».
Special attention should be paid to cases where duplication occurs only in the mode of "Simple mode" (for older people), this mode has its own database of labels, and cleaning in the normal mode will not affect it. Switch to simple mode, remove the excess there, and the problem can be solved.
Methods for eliminating duplication of applications
Once the cause is established, we go to action. There are several proven ways to remove unnecessary icons. Start with the simplest thing: clearing the launcher cache, which will not delete your personal data, photos or contacts, but reset the settings of the icons and the menu of applications to the factory.
To do this, go to Settings → Apps → All Apps. Find Louncher (or System Launcher, Mi Launcher) in the list. Go inside and select Clear → Clear Cache. If that doesn't work, you can try Clean Everything, but then you'll have to re-arrange the widgets on your desktops.
adb shell pm list packages | grep "duplicate"For advanced users who are not afraid of the command line, there is the option of searching for duplicate packages through ADB. However, for the average user, the safest route is using an integrated application manager. Go to Settings → Applications, find a duplicate application and look at the path to it or the size. System duplicates usually weigh less or are the same size as the original.
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The most effective way to combat duplicates is a comprehensive cleaning of the launcher cache and checking the settings of the cloning of applications.
⚠️ Be very careful when removing applications that have the words "System", "Framework" or "Service" in their name. Removing a critical system component can lead to a cyclic reboot (bootloop).
Prevention and setting up the menu
To keep the problem from returning, it is recommended to regularly audit installed applications. Remove programs that you do not use. The less junk you have in the system, the lower the likelihood of shortcut conflicts. Also keep an eye out for system updates - new MIUI security patches often fix interface display errors.
Use folders to group applications. This not only visually organizes the space, but also reduces the load on the launcher when you draw the menu. If you use widgets, try not to place them on top of the application icons, as in some versions of the firmware this causes software bugs that create phantom copies.