Can I still add app shortcuts to the home screen with the app drawer active?

Yes. Long-press an app inside the drawer and drag it onto a home screen page to create a shortcut there, the app itself stays in the drawer too.

Does switching back to Classic delete any apps?

No. Choosing Classic under Settings ➔ Home screen only rearranges icons onto home screen pages, no apps or data get removed.

Why can't I find the app drawer option on my phone?

Some MIUI builds or regional variants only offer the Classic layout. If With App drawer is missing under the Home screen settings, your current MIUI build does not support it.

Xiaomi

Xiaomi: Turn App Drawer On or Off

If every installed app sits directly on your Xiaomi home screens instead of in a separate overview, MIUI's app drawer setting is turned off. Switching between 'Classic' and 'With App drawer' changes whether a swipe on an empty area opens a full app list or just adds more home screen pages.

Updated: 07.08.20263 min4 steps

VersionAndroid 11 · MIUI

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Xiaomi

Turn On/Off App Drawer auf Xiaomi

MIUI ships with two home screen layouts. In Classic mode every installed app appears as an icon directly on one of your home screen pages, similar to iOS. In With App drawer mode, apps you install stay hidden in a separate overview that opens with a swipe on any free spot on the home screen, closer to stock Android.

You control this behavior in Settings ➔ Home screen. Open the Home screen menu again inside that page and pick Classic or With App drawer under the layout option.

Switching to the app drawer keeps your home screens for shortcuts and widgets only, while newly installed apps land in the drawer instead of filling up a page. Switching back to Classic places every app icon on the home screen automatically, which can spread across several pages if you have many apps installed.

If you only want to hide a handful of apps instead of changing the whole layout, an app hide function usually fits better than toggling the drawer.

Frequently asked questions

New installs no longer appear automatically on a home screen page. Open the app drawer with a swipe on any empty area to find and launch them, or drag an icon out to place it on a home screen.

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Android 11 · MIUI

Display & Home Screen

Xiaomi: Turn App Drawer On or Off

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Turn On/Off App Drawer auf Xiaomi

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