When buying a new smartphone, the user, of course, begins to customize it for himself. These custom configurations have a lot to do with the device's home screen. It is necessary to correctly place all the elements so that access to them is as fast as possible. This article will talk about how to configure the MIUI desktop (the operating system of Xiaomi devices).
Basic setup steps
Initially, you need to decide on those elements that can be configured on the main screen:
- Actually the desks themselves: their location, quantity.
- Location of applications, widgets.
- Configuring widgets: sizes, purpose.
- Wallpapers, design themes.
Let's consider all these possibilities, kindly provided by the manufacturer, in more detail.
Creating and placing desktops
Initially, you need to understand how to add these same desktops on MIUI and how to remove them.
There are two main ways:
- Pinch with two fingers and scroll left or right. If a “+” in a circle is visible on the screen, this means that you can add a desktop, and if with an “x”, then delete it.
- A three-finger pinch opens a more detailed control menu. The cross in the upper right corner of the block of one of the desktops allows you to remove it, and the transparent block with a “+” inside allows you to add it. If you click on the house icon at the bottom of one of the blocks, a certain table will open by default.
The transition effect between desktops can also be customized. After pinching with two fingers, you need to select the “Effects” menu, and in it select one of the proposed options for animation of moving between sheets.
Hosting applications and widgets
There is no need to get used to the inconvenient arrangement of individual elements. You can always move them to a place where your finger can always find them without difficulty. Just hold down an application, widget or folder to drag it to another location.
To move elements:
- drag the icon to the very edge of the current table, holding until scrolling;
- hold down the icon and scroll with your second finger to the desired table.
Sorting and working with folders
You can also move applications in batches. To do this, you need to enter the menu by double-tapping the screen. Select the “Sorting” item and simply click on the desired applications to add them to the set. Then, to group them, you need to swipe from left to right and hold down the entire group to drag it to the desired location on the screen or into a folder.
An empty folder can be created in the same way. When several icons are added to a group, a “Folder” icon will appear next to them, by clicking on which you can add it to the desktop. You can then add grouped icons to this folder. You need to rename the folder through the same menu. After double-pinch, you need to open the folder and click on the name above it, after which you will be able to enter a new name.
Widgets and their settings
By double-pinch and entering the “Widgets” item, you can install autonomous functional modules on the desktop that will display various useful information or provide quick access to applications installed on the device.
For example, on Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Pro, taken as an example, you can see the following widgets:
- buttons for quick access to functions located in the “curtain” (the top pull-out menu of the device) – airplane mode, Wi-Fi settings;
- quick clear RAM button;
- clock, weather, calendar;
- notes;
- calculator;
- modules for a wide variety of applications: AIMP, WebMoney, STEAM, Kate Mobile, etc.
The set of widgets is determined solely by the applications installed on a specific device.
When installing a widget, the program may offer its own settings, or you can make changes already on an existing module. In the case of the module for WebMoney, the program initially prompts you to select the wallet whose balance the module will display, and the colors of the widget.
The colors of the module for the AIMP music player can be changed in the already created version by clicking on the gear in the upper right corner of the block.
Also, most widgets can be resized if you press and hold for a while. After this, an orange rectangle will appear along the outline of the module, which you will need to pull to reduce the size.
Changing the wallpaper and theme
However, on the desktop you need not only to arrange everything conveniently, but also to design it beautifully. For this purpose, you can change the wallpaper, which will become the background for all icons and widgets.
You can set wallpaper in the following ways:
- Open the menu by pinching with two fingers and select “Wallpaper”. There the user will be offered a set of standard pictures. If you click “Online”, he will be taken to the standard wallpaper database for MIUI, and if you click “More”, he will be able to install “Live Wallpaper” or use one of the applications to select a picture that interests him.
- In Explorer you need to find any picture, open it, and then click “More” and select “Set as wallpaper”.
- You can also use a special application to set wallpaper. For example, you can use the application from WallpapersCraft. It initially adapts the wallpaper base to the screen resolution of the device on which it is installed. To install a picture on your desktop, you just need to select it and click “Install”. If you wish, you can also “Download” the image without installation by clicking the corresponding button.
In addition to the theme, unique icons for applications and some widgets can be added. To do this, you need to enter the standard “Themes” application and select the most interesting topic for yourself. Some of them may not work due to compatibility issues. It is necessary to look in the description which themes work on MIUI 8 and which ones are suitable for older models with earlier versions of the operating system.
Bottom line
After reading this article, we can conclude that the developers of the MIUI system took care of their users and created all the conditions for the creative design of their devices. Due to the convenient configuration of this element of the system, you can add and remove various elements from the desktop. You can sort and organize icons, and also make them more original by installing themes.
MIUI has come a long way, spanning 6 years, from a simple fork of CyanogenMod to a full-fledged operating system - the title one for Xiaomi smartphones and tablets. But it is also installed on tens of thousands of devices from other manufacturers, because... Many users find MIUI more convenient and functional than the native firmware of their gadgets. Over the past couple of years, the system has become less relevant, largely due to the development of stock Android and competitive shells. The operating system had already become “adult” by the fifth version; in MIUI v6 they radically changed the design of the graphical shell and made it flat. The seventh version brought little new and the update could be called rather minor, but MIUI 8 has greatly changed both externally and in terms of functionality.
Attention: When writing this review, the English-Chinese firmware installed on . The names of applications and settings items are given in English and Russian. The international (global) version of the firmware may differ slightly from the interface and set of applications shown in the review.
Lock screen
By default, the device can be woken up by pressing the Power button (optionally using the volume rocker), double tapping on the screen, or opening the Smart Case. The last option involves direct unlocking; in all other cases, after waking up, the gadget must be unlocked by swiping from bottom to top in any part of the screen. The system can prevent inadvertent unlocking of the smartphone when it is in your pocket, using a proximity sensor above the screen for this purpose. For security purposes, you can set an unlock password in three ways: create a graphic key, set a PIN code or password. In parallel with the password, in those devices where a fingerprint sensor is installed, you can use your finger. In addition, you can configure unlocking using the MiBand bracelet; it will occur if the bracelet is in close proximity to a locked smartphone or tablet.
By default, the lock screen displays: status bar, clock, date and day of the week. Optionally, you can display information about the phone owner on the lock screen. If there are missing events, they are displayed as a list of cards. When you double tap on one of the cards, the user will be sent to the corresponding application.
By swiping from the top edge, you can pull out the notification curtain, and swiping from the left-right edges launch applications of the user’s choice. By default, swiping from the right edge is set to launch the Camera application.
Desktop and multitasking organization
In the operating system, the application menu, and the main workspace is the desktop, they scroll horizontally. Application icons and widgets can be located on the desktop. At the bottom of the desktop is the Dock, which can hold up to 5 shortcuts or folders.
One desktop in MIUI 8 can accommodate up to 20 application icons and widgets arranged in a 4*5 grid; the number of desktops is unlimited. Icons of newly installed applications appear on the last desktop in free space. Icons can be grouped into folders; a folder is created by simply dragging one icon onto another. A folder can contain an unlimited number of icons; scrolling inside the folder is vertical.
Icons and widgets can be moved across desktops by simply dragging and dropping. You can remove a widget from your desktop by dragging it to the trash can at the top of the screen. If you try to do the same with the icon, the system will offer to remove the application from the system. The menu for managing desktop settings is called up by pinching your fingers on the screen or by holding down the “Multitasking” button. The menu consists of four items: Sorting, Widgets, Wallpaper and Effects. When you select the first item, a screen opens where you can sort application icons in a more convenient form, move them from one table to another and create folders. The second and third points allow you to add a widget or change the wallpaper. In the last menu item: Effects – you can select one of the table scrolling animation options. In addition, you can add additional tables or remove unnecessary ones.
Multitasking in MIUI 8 has the same principles as in “naked” Android, and is not further regulated. True, the system has a function for blocking background activity of applications with two profiles: Off. – the system does not interfere with the background activity of applications; On – the system completely blocks background activity of applications whenever possible. It is possible to add individual applications to exceptions or select one of four control options for them: MIUIBattery Saver – the system will manage the background activity of the application at its discretion; No restrictions – has two sub-options: either the system will not interfere with the background activity of the application at all or will partially restrict access to geolocation services; Restrict background apps – the application will not be closed, but some background activity will be prohibited; Restrict background activity – the application will be unloaded from memory.
The multitasking button brings up the corresponding menu screen, at the bottom of which the following is displayed: the amount of free RAM, just above the Clear Memory button. Above all this, a list of running applications is displayed, it scrolls horizontally and can be presented in the form of icons or thumbnails; up to 4 icons or up to 3 thumbnails are visible at the same time. Swiping up on the icon closes the application, swiping downwards brings up two buttons, one of them sends to the settings window of this application, the second blocks the application so that it is not unloaded when Clearing memory. Locking can be very useful when you want to preserve the state of an application, but need to clear the RAM.
Controls, keyboard
Controlling a smartphone in MIUI 8 involves the presence of a power button, volume control buttons and three control buttons: Multitasking, Home and Back. For certain actions, swipes, long taps and context menus are actively used. The built-in search in MIUI 8 is triggered not by holding the Home button, but by swiping from bottom to top anywhere on the desktop; it’s obvious that the idea was picked up in iOS7+. For the international version of the firmware, the search is called by holding the Home button.
Like stock Android, MIUI has a notification curtain, which is combined with a switch panel. On the desktop, the curtain can be pulled out by swiping from top to bottom in any part of the screen, which is convenient; in applications, traditionally, by swiping down from the top edge of the screen. There are two modes for displaying information in the curtain; the default is Combined mode, when all switches are displayed in one scrollable row, and notifications are presented in a list below. Split Mode has two screens: one screen with a list of missed events/notifications and a notification settings shortcut; the second screen contains: 20 switches, a backlight adjustment slider and a Settings application shortcut. In both modes, the search bar and the current day of the week and date are displayed at the top.
The native keyboard in MIUI 8, as I understand it, is not available for widespread use. Instead, two third-party keyboards Sogou Keyboard for MIUI and Baidu IME for MIUI are preinstalled in the system, and a keyboard from Google has been added to the global firmware version. In some situations, for example, when entering a password on the lock screen, a completely different keyboard appears, which is more similar to the native one. The dialer keyboard is comfortable, the buttons are large, and there is a smart dial.
Settings
To the application Settings You can access it directly by clicking on the icon on the desktop or through a shortcut in the notification shade. The application has only one screen, where all the settings are divided into categories, which in turn are collected into five groups.
Among the innovations that immediately catch your eye, it is worth highlighting the search bar among the settings and the discolored section icons. Most of the categories and settings items coincide with those in stock Android; others can be discussed in more detail.
NETWORK / WIRELESS NETWORKS
SIM cards & mobile networks / Managing SIM cards and mobile networks– in this section you can configure the operation of SIM cards: enable data transfer, block data in roaming, configure defaults for calls and the Internet for SIM cards.
WLAN– contains the Wi-Fi switch and settings. Also here you can find a switch for the Switch between data and WLAN function; this function allows you to automatically switch to cellular data when the quality or low speed of the Wi-Fi connection is poor.
Bluetooth– contains the Bluetooth switch and settings.
Personal hotspot– setting up the access point, which was previously located in the More section, has been selected as a separate settings item.
More / More– this section contains settings for VPN, tethering and wireless monitor. The Airplane mode switch is also located here.
PERSONAL / PERSONAL SETTINGS
Display / Screen– a section that contains screen settings. Here you can adjust the screen brightness, set up the screen saver, auto-rotate, contrast, color balance and activate the screen wake-up by double tap. This section also configures the reading mode added to MIUI7, which can be activated both for the entire system and for individual applications. When activated, the screen backlight changes and the white fields become yellowish. The manufacturer claims that in this mode the eyes are less tired. The settings for system fonts and text size have been moved to this section.
Wallpaper– in this section you can change the wallpaper for the lock screen and desktop by selecting from the preset ones or downloading from the store. A new feature has been added to MIUI 8 - Wallpaper Carousel, when activated, the wallpaper of the locked screen will automatically change at some intervals. New wallpapers will be loaded from a special bank of images.
Themes / Themes– in this section you can set a theme by selecting from the list of available ones or downloading from the theme store.
Sound & vibration / Sound and vibration– in this section you can adjust the sound volume separately for: notifications, alarm clock, conversation, multimedia and bluetooth. You can set ringtones for calls and notifications, and set vibration for various events. In the Audio Settings subsection you can configure the action of pressing the headset buttons; there is an Equalizer and the Mi Sound sound adaptation system.
SYSTEM & DEVICE / SYSTEM AND DEVICE
Lock screen & password / Lock screen and password– to lock your smartphone you can use a pattern, password or PIN; In parallel with this, you can use a fingerprint scanner and a Mi Band bracelet. In this section, you can configure a delay for turning off the screen, specify whether the screen will turn on when receiving notifications, and activate the function of preventing taps on the screen in your pocket. Here you can specify information about the owner, they will be displayed on the lock screen. The system has introduced support for so-called Smart Cases, which use magnets to lock or unlock the device.
Notifications & status bar / Notifications and status bar– in this section you can manage the list of applications from which the user wants to receive notifications. You can enable or disable the display of the operator's name in the status line or set a custom name, you can also enable the display of the current data transfer speed in the status line. It is possible to disable the notification curtain on the lock screen or enable the curtain to be minimized after clicking on one of the switches, configure the order of the switches and select the type of battery charge indicator. Among other things, you can now choose the display mode for notifications and switches in the curtain - combined or split.
Second space / Second space– the Second Space function allows you to create two independent workspaces, like two profiles, each of which will contain its own set of applications, security settings and design. It is understood that this will allow the user to separate work and personal space.
Do not disturb / Do not disturb– this section closely resembles the settings section of the same name in iOS. Here you can activate the “Do not disturb” mode, and calls/SMS will not go through. It is possible to configure the activation of the mode according to a schedule, set exception numbers and activate the ability for other subscribers to call on the second try.
Battery & performance / Battery and performance– in addition to the standard Android battery consumption details, in this section you can choose one of two power modes: Balanced or Performance. Additionally, to save battery, you can disable system animations. Here you can also find settings for blocking background activity (see).
Storage / Memory– contains statistics of used disk space broken down by category and a link to the memory cleaning utility.
Lite mode / Simple mode– in this section there is only one switch that activates the mode of the same name. After its activation, a mandatory reboot follows. In simple mode, the graphical interface of the desktop and main applications is as simplified as possible; a maximum of 6 application or contact icons can be placed on one screen.
Additional settings / Additional settings– this is a very large section where settings that are not included in other groups and sections are collected.
Additional settings > Date & time / Advanced > Date and time– standard Android time, date and time zone settings.
Additional settings > Language & input / Advanced > Language and input– standard Android system language and keyboard settings.
Additional settings > Child mode / Advanced > Parental control the mode of the same name, in which you can restrict access to certain applications, as well as prohibit sending SMS to any applications. Exiting this mode is possible only after entering the password.
Additional settings > Privacy / Advanced > Privacy– this section contains settings that allow you to protect personal information from prying eyes. Encrypt phone – allows you to encrypt all data on the phone. In addition, this section contains settings for certificates, administration, access to geolocation, and others.
Additional settings > Quick ball / Additional > Quick ball– settings for Quick ball – a small round translucent icon very much reminiscent of AssistiveTouch in iOS, on which you can assign several basic functions.
Additional settings > Notification light / Additional > Indication– here you can enable/disable the missed events indicator and assign your own display color for each of the three notification options: missed events, missed calls and missed messages.
Additional settings > Headphones & audio effects / Additional > Headset– this section completely duplicates the Audio Settings subsection from the Sound and Vibration section.
Additional settings > Buttons / Advanced > Keys– here for each of the three touch buttons you can press one of the functions with a long tap: Recent applications, Launch Assistant, Close current application and Show menu. It is possible to set the backlight interval of the touch buttons or turn off the backlight altogether.
Additional settings > One-handed mode / Additional > One-handed control– at this point you can activate one-handed control and select the equivalent of a reduced screen from several options: 3.5/4/4.5 inches. The mode itself is activated by swiping from the Home touch button to the Back or Multitasking buttons.
Additional settings > Accessibility / Advanced > Special features – Standard Android settings for people with disabilities.
Additional settings > Developer options / Advanced > Developer settings– standard Android developer settings. In order for this section to appear in the settings, you need to tap the MIUI Version line in the About phone section several times in a row.
Additional settings > Backup & reset / Advanced > Recovery and reset – in addition to the sometimes necessary Reset settings item, in this section you can manage the function of backing up phone settings and applications both through the Google service and using a local backup.
Additional settings > Mi Mover / Additional > Mi Transfer– a function that allows you to transfer contacts, call history, messages, desktop view, applications, settings and other data from/to another smartphone.
ACCOUNTS / ACCOUNTS
Mi Account– Mi account settings. Here you can view the contents of the Mi Cloud cloud storage and a list of linked devices and accounts.
Other accounts / Other accounts– this section allows you to manage all accounts added to the device.
Sync / Synchronization– here you can enable/disable automatic synchronization of accounts or disable auto-synchronization via the mobile network.
APP SETTINGS / APPLICATION SETTINGS
System apps / System applications– built-in application settings
Mi Cloud– this section contains settings for synchronization with Mi Cloud cloud storage. Here you can configure what exactly should be synchronized and view statistics of the space used.
Call settings / Calls– this section contains the settings of the Phone application. In the subsection Call recording You can set up automatic recording from the line and specify which numbers to call from. Also in this section you can configure: auto answer, smart number search, reminders of missed calls, etc.
Contacts– in this section you can activate Easy mode display contacts when additional contact data is hidden; import/export contacts to SIM memory; disable the display of contact photos.
Messaging / Messages– in this section you can activate Cloud messages(similar to iMessage), set up message notifications and set up MMS.
Calendar / Calendar– calendar settings.
Mail / Mail– this section contains the settings of the built-in email client.
Security / Security– this section contains the settings of the Security application. Here you can connect a widget to the notification panel or place a shortcut to one or all application components on the desktop. It is possible to activate Cleaning RAM when the device is locked.
Camera / Camera– this section contains settings for photo and video shooting.
Gallery / Gallery– Gallery application settings.
Music / Music– Music application settings. Here you can configure a filter for displaying sound files by size (default – 800KB), duration or location.
Mi Video / Mi Video– It is possible to limit video downloads for cellular data.
Browser / Browser– system browser settings. There are a lot of settings, there is a built-in ad blocker.
Notes / Notes– very simple settings for the Notes application.
Recorder/Dictaphone– Voice Recorder application settings – you can select the recording quality: high, standard and low.
Search / Search– selection of applications to be searched.
Assistant / Assistant– voice assistant settings.
Scanner / Scanner– Scanner application settings.
Virtual SIM / Virtual SIM– settings for a virtual SIM card from Xiaomi, relevant only for residents of the Middle Kingdom.
Mi Credit
App Store -
Games
Installed apps / Installed applications
Dual apps– settings for a very interesting feature called Dual apps, which allows you to create a clone of an application for a second account. For example, you can log into two Facebook accounts at once without having to log in each time.
Permissions– a shortcut to the utility of the same name that allows you to manage the startup list and application rights (see).
App lock / Application lock– Guest Mode was removed from the system, but in return allowed the user to block access to any application or several applications at once. Unlocking is done using a pattern key or fingerprint.
About phone / About phone– information about the Android version, MIUI version, and hardware is shown here. There is a system update button.
Basic Applications
Application Phone / Telephone, on the one hand, ascetic, on the other hand, it has all the necessary functions. The main screen is divided into three tabs (for the international version there are only two tabs): Recents / Calls - last activity, Contacts / Contacts and Yellow pages / Directory. The Calls tab displays a list of calls with filtering options and a dialer. The dialer has a smart-dial; it only works with the Latin alphabet and numbers. Contacts display from top to bottom: contact groups, favorites and the contacts themselves; This tab has its own icon on the desktop. By default, contact photos are not displayed, but this can be enabled in the settings.
Application screen Messaging / Messages displays a list of dialogs and a search bar. The interface of the dialog window is simple: in the upper right corner there are two buttons: call a contact and a contact card. Above the keyboard are located: the current message typing field, the send message button and the + button, the latter allows you to add to the message: a message template, emoticon, contact, picture, video, etc. A long tap on a message opens a context menu through which you can delete the message, forward it, copy the text of the message, view detailed information about it, or send it to favorites.
Application Mail / Mail can work with various mail delivery protocols, including IMAP. I liked the swipe system in the email list. Swiping from left to right cyclically changes the read mark (read/unread), swiping from right to left brings up two buttons: delete and add to favorites.
Browser / Browser Its interface resembles the Chinese UC Browser. Favorite sites are located on the start screen, and a list of popular services divided into categories is located on the second screen. The search bar is combined with the address bar; there is a built-in QRcode reader for quickly entering the site address. In general, the interface seemed convenient and thoughtful to me, and in my opinion it is nicer than Chrome’s.
Application Clock / Clock Includes: alarm clock, world clock, stopwatch and timer. The alarm can be set to go off even if the device is turned off.
Camera / Camera– the main screen of the Photo mode contains 8 buttons: flash control, HDR mode control, filters, a button that calls up the shooting mode selection screen, a button for switching to the front camera, a gallery, a shutter button and switching to Video shooting. Focus is achieved automatically or by tap. In the second case, tapping the focus area again takes a photo, and by sliding up and down to the right of the focus indicator you can adjust the exposure. The updated interface has completely eliminated swipes. Absolutely all of the manufacturer’s devices have a manual control mode for photography parameters, but in budget smartphones it can only be adjusted for white balance and ISO. For video shooting there are two additional modes: accelerated shooting (time lapse) and slow motion.
Calendar / Calendar– there are three types of representation: Month, Week and Day. You can add events and reminders to them.
In the application Gallery / Gallery there are two tabs: Photos / All - an analogue of the camera roll in iOS, absolutely all photos taken with the phone’s camera are collected here; and Albums / Albums where everything else was moved. The app can automatically sync all photos and videos to the cloud and detect faces in the photos. A Photo Editor and a Video Editor have been added to the system, which have all the necessary tools for basic editing.
Music / Music– a simple music player. There is online music, apparently it is free.
Mi Video / Mi Video– a video player similar to the Music application combined with online video.
Application Calculator / Calculator upgraded, now, in addition to the simple and engineering modes, there are several conversion modes, including for currencies.
One of the advantages of MIUI is that it comes pre-installed with a fairly functional file manager. Explorer / Explorer. The main screen of the application contains three tabs: the Recent tab displays a list of recently opened files; The Categories tab displays 6 categories of files and 5 places where these files can be located. In the Storage tab, you can view all files in the form of a folder hierarchy. All three tabs at the bottom have two buttons: Mi Drop, a tool for transferring files to other devices with MIUI, and Clean up - a shortcut to the utility of the same name.
The firmware was presented the other day, some users have already tested the new ROM, we also have something to say about the “eight”. We present to your attention 8 convenient desktop features in MIUI 8. Some functions you may already know, and some may become new and useful to you. Go!
1 Two-finger pinch gesture
To get to the Android desktop settings on most smartphones you need to hold down the central “Home” key, but in MIUI 8 this function is implemented in a more interesting way. To get to the settings, just make a “pinch” gesture on the desktop plane and a menu will open.
To leave this menu you need to make the opposite gesture - “pinch to zoom” and you will immediately return to the original desktop.
2 Triple “pinch” to control desktops
In addition to the double gesture, MIUI 8 also supports the same triple pinch gesture. After performing the gesture, you are taken to a menu with the ability to drag and drop work slots and arrange them. Here you can add, remove, or change the priority of additional application pages.
3 Organize the shortcuts
If you are a perfectionist and you like the orderly work slot in MIUI, then Galagram has a life hack for you on how to do it quickly. To do this, we need to go to the settings (double pinch) and shake the smartphone in our hand; after shaking, the shortcuts themselves will align on the display.
4 Move several applications at once
If you need to move not just one application, but several at once, from one desktop to another, this MIUI 8 feature is for you. We go to the settings menu using a pinch, select the applications we are interested in, they go to the clipboard under the display and scroll through the desktops to the required one. Then we simply transfer the applications to the desired screen, as you can see everything is very simple.
5 Desktop flipping effect
To set up the effects of flipping the desktop in MIUI 8, go to the desktop settings, then to the effects tab and select the one you like best. Now, when flipping through desktops, the effect you choose will be applied, among the available ones there are: 3D cube, zoom, roll with fade and others.
6 Quick settings icons
Another handy feature in MIUI 8 is the ability to add quick access icons to certain settings. For example, an icon with activation of Wi-Fi by tap, or “airplane mode”. To do this, you need to go to the desktop settings and the widgets section, then select the desired “shortcode” and put it on the desktop. They usually have a gray background depending on the MIUI theme.
7 Calendar on your desktop
You can also place a full-fledged calendar widget on your desktop. In the settings you can select the properties of transparency and opacity.
8 Full-screen view of applications in the manager
In MIUI 8, by default, when you go to the application manager, they are displayed as shortcuts (icons). There is an interesting feature that turns this view into full-screen application previews. To do this, you need to make a “pinch” gesture right in the task manager and the applications will take on a full-screen view. The reverse pinch gesture will return the layout back to small application shortcuts.
Let’s imagine a situation: You accidentally deleted the “Weather” system application shortcut from your desktop and now you don’t know how to get it back. There are at least 3 ways.
1. ES conductor
You can find this application on Google Play. To display the “Weather” shortcut on the desktop:
- Open ES File Explorer
- Select the APPs tab
- In the top drop-down menu, select the section of the applications that you need. In our case, select “System”
- Now find the “Weather” application and click on it
- In the menu that appears, select “Add to desktop”
If this method does not work, then move on to the second.
2.Total Commander
Download and install it from Google Play. Now follow the instructions in the pictures. For example, let’s display the “Gallery” application shortcut on the desktop.
3. More Shortcuts
If the first two methods do not help (and this happens often), then use the application More Shortcuts.
To get started, download it from Google Play. After it is installed, go to:
There is a small chance that this method will not work either. It is unknown why, but on some firmware, permission to create shortcuts is not automatically set. Therefore, we will do it manually:
Now you know, how to display a shortcut in MIUI absolutely any installed desktop apps.