🐰 🐼

DeskBud Pets

Little friends that live on your phone screen

Arrives on its own · Walks, jumps, climbs · Talks in bubbles

1It's already there

Install, open the app, and your pet shows up by itself — no button to press.

1

Install

Open the package and install. If your phone warns about unknown apps, allow it once.

2

Grant one permission

On first launch you'll be asked to allow Display over other apps (called "Show floating windows" on Xiaomi). This is the key that lets your pet stay on the home screen — please allow it.

3

It appears by itself

Go back to your home screen — your little friend is already waiting.

2What's on the console

Top to bottom, that's all there is on the app screen.

↻ ⓘ ⏻ EN

Four small buttons, top right

Update, About, Quit — plus one-tap Chinese/English switch.

📢

Announcement bar

Shows up only when there's news: one message at a time, a few seconds each, fading gently from one to the next so it never jars. Tap it for details.

▶️

Start / Stop · Mode · Share

You can usually ignore Start / Stop. The Mode button flips between Interactive mode and Focus mode (Interactive by default): in Interactive mode your pets roam the whole screen and chat in bubbles; in Focus mode they shrink, hug the edges and stay quiet. Share turns the buddies on your desk into one card with your own link, ready to send.

🧩

Buddy wall (tap to send out)

Up to 10 pets per screen (5 per row, 2 rows). Tap a buddy to send it out; tap again to call it home — whoever is out on your desk wears a soft orange glow. Swipe sideways when you have more than 10.

3How to play

A few gestures — it handles the rest itself.

🤏

Drag it aroundpress & drag

Drag it anywhere; let go and it drops with a little bounce.

💨

Fling itquick flick

Flick it hard and it flies; hit a screen edge and it climbs the wall.

🪂

Parachutesingle tap

Tap it once and it opens a chute and drifts down.

🚀

Rocket to the ceilingpress & hold

Hold to charge, release, and it shoots to the top and walks around upside down.

🧶

Call it downsingle tap

When it's hanging on the ceiling, one tap makes it let go.

🏠

Keep severalpick in the console

Tap a buddy on the wall to send it out; tap again to call it home. Keep as many as you like.

4Bring home a new buddy

The "Buddy home" section at the bottom of the app is where new friends join your family.

1

Pick one

Choose your favourite in Buddy home and tap "Adopt".

2

Follow the prompt

Just follow the on-screen steps — you’ll come back to the app automatically.

3

It appears on the wall

No install, no restart — a new tile shows up on the pet wall; tap it to let the pet out.

You can also bring home several at once and let them hop on your desk together.

5Updating

Tap "Update" in the top-right corner — it does the rest.

When a new version exists, it downloads inside the app and asks you to install — no browser, no hunting for the file.

If it says "You're on the latest version", you already are.

6FAQ

Tap a question; most issues are solved in 10 seconds.

I opened the app but can't see my pet
Almost always the "Display over other apps" permission is missing. Go to Settings → Apps → DeskBud and turn it on (Xiaomi lists it under "Other permissions" as "Show floating windows"), then reopen the app.
Will it block my taps?
No. If it's in the way, press and drag it aside; if it's too busy, tap the Mode button to switch to Focus mode — it shrinks to the edge and stays quietly out of your way.
Why can't I send the last buddy home?
At least one buddy always stays on your desk to keep you company, so the very last one can't be sent home (it just wiggles). To rest them all, tap Stop pets.
Update does nothing / install fails
The first in-app install asks whether DeskBud may install apps — choose Allow. If the screen is off, the confirmation is cancelled, so unlock first, then tap Install. Still stuck? Grab the latest from the download page.
My pet disappeared after a while
Usually the system cleaned up background apps. Just open DeskBud again and it comes back; to keep it alive, lock it in your recent-apps list.
Where do the pets go after I tap Quit?
Quit sends them home and closes everything, like closing a desktop program. Open the app again to bring them back.
Does it drain the battery?
Very little — a full day is usually unnoticeable. If you care, tap Stop or Quit when you don't need it.
💡 Tip: Your pet can't be dropped or broken — play rough. If it does something odd, that's not a bug, that's personality.