If you've ever looked at your mobile screen and thought it was a complete mess, grouping apps by color can be a real lifesaver. Organizing the icons according to the tone of your logo makes it easy to locate the applications almost at a glance.because your brain remembers the color before it remembers the exact name of each tool.
Many Xiaomi users with MIUI or HyperOS have already become accustomed to this way of having the app drawer under control. The feature to group icons by color in the Xiaomi launcher allows you to automatically organize your apps into color-coded blocks., add animations and combine it with other customization options such as tools for repainting the interface, categories, gestures, folders or even a completely independent Second Space.
What exactly does sorting apps by color mean on Xiaomi?
On Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco phones with recent MIUI or HyperOS, the system includes a specific option within the official launcher that goes a step beyond the typical alphabetical or category order. The "Group icons by color" function scans the icons in the app drawer and sorts them according to their predominant color.creating chromatic groups that you can browse from a kind of color catalog at the bottom of the drawer.
In practice, this means that you can tap, for example, on the color red and see at once all the apps whose icon is primarily red, or do the same with blues, greens, oranges, etc. This way of organizing applications makes finding a specific app much faster.especially if you're one of those people who are guided more by sight than by reading the name of each icon.
This grouping by colors does not replace the classic order, but rather complements it. You can still view your apps in alphabetical order, by category, or with smart suggestions, but you also have a very visual color filter., especially useful when you have dozens or hundreds of applications installed.
It's worth noting that this option is integrated into Xiaomi's system launcher. It's not a standalone app, but rather a setting within the app drawer itself.Therefore, its presence may vary slightly depending on the mobile phone model and the version of MIUI or HyperOS you are using.
How to enable the app drawer and color grouping in HyperOS and MIUI
Before you can play with the colors, the first thing to do is make sure your Xiaomi is using app drawer mode. Without a drawer, there's no color catalog or automatic icon grouping.So this is the essential starting point for any device from the brand.
To activate the app drawer in HyperOS or MIUI, the process is quite simple from the system settings. The key is in the Home Screen section, where you can change the desktop style to switch from classic mode to drawer mode.This allows you to separate the main screen from the full list of installed applications.
Once the drawer is enabled, its operation is intuitive: You just have to slide your finger from the bottom of the screen upwards To see all your apps. Automatic categories (communication, tools, games, etc.) usually appear at the top, and the color bar will appear at the bottom when color grouping is active.
Within the app drawer settings, MIUI and HyperOS offer several additional options to adjust the experience. You can decide whether you want new apps added to the home screen, configure an alphabetical or color-coded scroll bar, or enable suggestions with the tools you use most. at the top of the drawer, based on usage time.
Steps to group app icons by color on Xiaomi
With the drawer now available, it's time to truly unleash the magic of color. The “Group icons by color” option is activated from the home screen settings and, more specifically, from the application drawer settings., where Xiaomi concentrates all the advanced features of its launcher.
First, you'll need to open your phone's Settings app and look for the Home screen section. This menu is where you choose whether you want to use Home screen with app drawer, an essential requirement for having the chromatic grouping, and where the other parameters of the launcher are located.
Once you have selected the drawer mode, enter the specific section for setting the application drawer. On that screen you will see an option called “Group icons by color” which, when activated, will automatically sort the icons by their main color., generating a visual index at the bottom of the drawer.
When you return to the home screen and slide up to open the drawer, you'll see a color catalog appear at the bottom. Each colored square represents a group of applications that share that dominant tone in their icon.And simply tapping one of them will filter the drawer and show only the apps associated with that color.
Xiaomi has even added an extra aesthetic touch with the so-called "Color Category Animations". If you enable this option from the same drawer menu, the color groups will display small animated effects when switching between shades.making the search process not only fast, but also visually appealing.
Real advantages of sorting apps by color
It may seem like a simple aesthetic curiosity, but in practice, sorting apps by color makes a lot of sense. The human brain recognizes colors almost instantly, so associating each application with a color facilitates very quick access....even when you don't remember the exact name of the tool you're looking for. If you want the shades you see to be as accurate as possible, check the screen calibration.
For example, many messaging apps or social networks use green or blue tones; those related to multimedia content usually opt for intense reds; banks use dark blues or corporate greens. By grouping icons by their primary color, you tend to search for "the blue bank app" or "the red video app" without having to read icon by icon., which reduces search time on a daily basis.
This form of organization complements other classic methods such as folders or drawer categories very well. You can create a cleaner desktop with a few well-chosen apps, and leave the burden of quick search to the color-coded drawer., gaining fluidity without filling the entire home screen with folders.
In addition, for many people with visual difficulties or simply for those who are overwhelmed by too many icons, this function provides some mental order. By having well-differentiated color blocks, the feeling of disorder is significantly reduced.And that's noticeable in the everyday use of mobile phones, both for work and leisure.
Configure the app drawer to its fullest potential: categories, suggestions, and scroll bar
Color grouping is just one of the many tools Xiaomi offers to bring order to your mobile phone. In modern versions of MIUI and HyperOS, the app drawer can be almost completely customized.from the order of the categories to the behavior of the new apps you install.
One of the key functions is category management. From the “Manage application categories” menu, you can choose which thematic blocks you want to be displayed at the top of the drawer and in what order.In addition to manually assigning which apps fall into each category or creating your own custom sections.
The system also allows you to tweak the appearance of the drawer itself, including the side scroll bar. You can opt for an alphabetical scrolling system, with letters indicating the section of apps you're in, or for a simple blue progress bar without letters., depending on what is most convenient for you when moving between dozens of applications.
Another practical parameter is the option to automatically place new applications on the home screen. If you prefer to keep your desktop clean, simply disable this feature so that everything you install goes only to the drawer.And then you can organize it to your liking using colors, categories, or folders.
Finally, there's the app suggestions section. When activated, MIUI will analyze how often you use each app and display a dynamic block at the top of the app drawer with the ones you use most.This further reduces the number of taps needed to open your usual tools.
Home screen organization tricks: grid, folders, and default screen
Beyond the drawer, the home screen remains the main showcase of your mobile phone. MIUI and HyperOS allow you to configure the icon grid, its size, and how it's displayed so that the desktop adapts to your preferences.Whether you want something minimalist or prefer to include many apps per page.
From the Home screen settings you can go to "Customize layout" to choose how many icons will appear per row. You can usually choose between 3, 4 or 5 icons, and also adjust the size of the icons between several sizes (XS, S, M, L, XL)So if you increase the size you'll see fewer apps per screen but they'll be larger and easier to tap.
Folders remain a classic and highly effective way to group applications. You can press and hold an icon and drag it onto another to create a folder, and then add more apps with the same gesture., whether to group by type of use (work, networks, games) or even by colors if you feel like taking chromatic organization to the extreme.
Another interesting feature is the choice of the default screen. You don't have to see the same page every time you unlock your phone; you can decide which desktop will be the main one.Whether it's a minimalist one with just a few essential apps or a more complete page with weather widgets, search engine and frequently accessed apps.
To adjust the default screen, simply pinch inwards on the desktop, enter the home screen settings menu, and select the option to set default screen. There you will see all the pages you have created, and you just have to mark the one you want as the main page.the rest are accessible with a simple side slide.
Prevent icons from becoming jumbled on their own and blocking the layout
One of the most common problems when organizing your phone is that, after uninstalling an app or moving icons, everything gets rearranged and the order you worked so hard to achieve disappears. MIUI includes specific settings to prevent this from happening, allowing the desktop to maintain its original structure. even when you make changes to your applications.
In the Home Screen menu you will find an option called “Fill gaps with uninstalled apps”. If you disable it, the system will leave the space empty where the deleted app icon was and will not move the rest of the applications.avoiding that annoying domino effect that forces you to rearrange everything.
If you need even stricter control, you can use the "Lock home screen layout" function. When activated, the system prevents the position of the icons and the chosen grid from being modified.so that no one will be able to move the apps, not even you, unless you disable the lock again.
This double level of protection is very useful if you have already arranged your desk exactly as you want it and you don't want an accidental touch to ruin your work. Furthermore, combined with color-coded drawer organization, it allows you to have an almost static desk and a dynamic drawer.which is where you'll actually do your app search.
Launcher gestures and shortcuts to organize and find apps instantly
MIUI and HyperOS gestures are another important element to prevent organizing apps from becoming a chore. Xiaomi's launcher includes gesture shortcuts that allow you to open the app search, group multiple apps at once, or access advanced features. without having to drag icon by icon for minutes.
One of the most useful gestures is swiping with two fingers on the home screen, which on many models directly opens the app search. With this gesture, you type a few letters and the system instantly shows you the tool you need.which integrates beautifully with organization by color, categories, or folders.
There is also the option to select multiple applications at once to move them. By pressing and holding an empty space on the desktop and using the pinch gesture, you can select multiple apps and temporarily save them to a kind of clipboard., then go to another page on the desktop and drop them all together there.
Within the Gestures and Shortcuts settings, you'll find options to further customize the experience, such as assigning a "three-finger swipe up" gesture to launch a specific action from the launcher, or using a "double tap" to show or hide certain apps. These little tricks greatly reduce organization time and save you from constantly navigating through menus..
In addition, the swipe-down gesture can be used for more than just viewing notifications, depending on your settings. On many Xiaomi devices, this action directly opens the app drawer with the integrated search bar.so that you have both color sorting and text search at your fingertips.
Interesting MIUI features for organizing icons: shake your phone and move many apps at once
Among the hidden gems of MIUI are a couple of features that not everyone knows about, but which can save you a lot of time if you often make changes to your icon layout. One of the most striking features is the option to shake your phone to fill gaps on the desktop., available from MIUI 11.
When you turn on "Shake to fill empty spaces" in Home screen settings, the system automatically rearranges icons to fill gaps on the desktop when you move or delete apps. Just shake your phone slightly and the icons will reposition themselves to eliminate blank spaces.This is useful if you don't care about the exact order but do want a compact look.
Furthermore, MIUI also offers a quick method for moving multiple apps at once between screens. After a couple of taps in the right area and the multi-select gesture, you can select several applications and move them together to another page of the desktop.which makes it much easier to reorganize without going one by one.
These two resources can be combined with color grouping in a very practical way. For example, you can use the color-coded drawer to locate apps of the same color, add them all to the desktop, and then move them all together to a specific color-coded folder., or let MIUI fill in gaps after creating new color folders.
However, it's worth noting that if you're a stickler for order, you might prefer to keep the shake-to-fill-gaps option disabled and only use the layout lock once you're happy with everything. The key is to experiment with these possibilities until you find the balance between automation and manual control. that best suits you.
More tips for a clean desktop: hiding text, choosing a background, and hiding apps
In addition to the "physical" order of the icons, MIUI allows you to refine the aesthetics of the home screen with several additional settings. One of the most effective is the ability to hide the text under the apps and show only the icons.This helps to create a sense of minimalism if you use many apps.
To activate this option, simply pinch inwards on the desktop, enter the home screen settings and look for the "Do not show text" switch. Activating this feature will make the app names disappear from under their icons, and the system will detect more available space.This may cause the grid or icon size to be readjusted.
This automatic reordering can slightly disrupt your layout, so it's a good idea to activate the feature only when you're ready to tweak your desktop. If you later want to display the text again, you'll have to spend a few minutes rearranging the icons or using the lock layout function. to avoid unwanted movements.
Another key element for making the color-coded organization look good is the wallpaper. Choosing a suitable image can help the icon colors stand out, as it makes it easier to identify color blocks.especially if you opt for neutral tones or soft gradients.
From the system settings you can enter the Wallpaper section, choose a pre-installed image or a local photo from the gallery, and apply it as your lock screen background, home screen background, or both. Ideally, you should look for a background that doesn't compete too much with the icons, avoiding overly cluttered images.so that color-coded app groups continue to play a prominent role.
Finally, MIUI 13 and later versions include a feature to hide apps from the app drawer. From the Security section, you can access the "Hide apps" option and select the ones you want to keep out of sight.which is useful for sensitive tools or tools you don't want to be the first thing you see in the drawer.
These apps won't disappear completely, they'll just change location. You can access them by pinching the home screen, which will open a hidden section listing all the apps you've chosen to hide., and from there you can use them like any other.
Separating work and personal life with the Second Space
In addition to visual organization, Xiaomi offers a much deeper option to divide your mobile into two distinct worlds: Second Space. This feature creates a completely separate environment within the same device, with its own apps, files, photos, and settings., as if you had two phones in one.
The idea is perfect for differentiating work and personal life, or for having a more private space without needing to change your mobile phone. Each space can have its own unlock pattern, wallpaper, and even its own accountsso that notifications and shortcuts are not mixed up.
Setting up Second Space is as simple as going to the Privacy settings and activating the feature by following the instructions of the MIUI assistant. Once created, you can switch between spaces from the lock screen or via an icon in the notification bar., depending on what you choose in the settings.
The relationship with the color-coded organization is very direct: You can design a different organizational system for each space, using color grouping, folders and categories in one, and a more minimalist or professional approach in the other., fully adapting the experience to each context of use.
Furthermore, data transfer between spaces is quite flexible. You can move apps, photos, videos, and documents from one space to another when you need to.This helps maintain comfort without sacrificing the separation offered by having two clearly differentiated environments.
In the end, all these MIUI and HyperOS tools—from the color-coded drawer with animations, to categories, gestures, layout lock, and advanced options like Second Space or app hiding—combine to let you customize your phone exactly to your liking. By using color-coded organization along with these settings, you can find any application in seconds and maintain a sense of order even if you have dozens of tools installed.making daily smartphone use much more convenient and, above all, much less chaotic.
