Xiaomi: Remove an App from a Folder

Folders on a Xiaomi home screen group apps together, but MIUI does not automatically move a frequently used app back out once your habits change. If an app like Messenger or WhatsApp ends up buried inside a folder with several others, you have to pull it out manually.

The action responsible for this is a long-press drag, the same gesture MIUI uses for rearranging icons anywhere on the home screen. The path is: Tap on a Folder ➔ Tap and hold an App ➔ Drag the App from the folders area ➔ Release the App to position it.

Once released outside the folder boundary, the app becomes a standalone icon on that home screen page. The folder itself stays in place with the remaining apps inside it, and nothing gets uninstalled or reset in the process.

If the folder only contains one app afterward, MIUI usually dissolves it automatically and leaves that single app as its own icon. This is different from uninstalling an app entirely, which removes it from the device instead of just relocating the icon. Use the drag method whenever you only want a cleaner layout, not less software.