How to change the battery icon on Xiaomi: from standard themes to ADB-team

The Xiaomi battery icon is one of the most visible features that users see dozens of times a day. Some people don't like the design of the MIUI, some want to bring back the icon from the old versions, and some just like customization. Unlike Samsung or Google Pixel, where changing the charge icon often requires root rights, on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices, this can be done in several ways, from simple themes to deep customization through ADB.

In this article, we’ll break down all the current methods (including the hidden MIUI 14 chips), their pros and cons, and warn against common errors. Importantly, not all methods are equally safe — some can cause system failures if you don’t follow the instructions. We’ve tested each method on devices from the Redmi Note 10 Pro to Xiaomi 13 Ultra, so you’ll get verified information, not theoretical assumptions.

1. Method 1: Using embedded MIUI themes

The safest and most obvious method is to change the theme of the design. In MIUI, the battery icon is tied to the chosen theme, so it can be changed along with the rest of the system design, which requires no technical skills and works on all Xiaomi devices with a firmware version at least MIUI 10.

To change the battery icon through the themes:

• 📱 Open the Themes app (icon with brush on desktop).
• 🔍 In the search box, enter the query “battery” or “battery icon».
• 🎨 Choose your favorite theme from the suggested (pay attention to the preview of the charge icon).
• 📥 Click Apply and Confirm Changes.

The downside of this is that you change the whole theme, not just the battery icon. If you like the current design of the system, but you don't like the charge icon, you'll have to look for alternative solutions, and not all the themes correctly display the percentage of charge -- some just replace the icon, leaving the numbers as standard.

2. Method 2: Configure via the Theme Lab (hidden function)

Few people know, but MIUI has a hidden feature called Theme Lab, which allows point editing of individual interface elements, including the battery icon, which works on MIUI 12-14 firmware, but may not be available on some regional versions (e.g. Europe).

To activate the Lab topics:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Click 5-7 times in a row on the MIUI version until the notification “You became a developer!” appears.
3. Go back to the basic settings and open a new section for developers.
4. Activate the theme lab switch (could be called theme lab on global firmware).

After activation in the Topic application, a new section will appear where you can:

• 🔄 Choose the style of displaying percentages (inside or near the icons).
• 🎨 Change the shape of the icon (round, rectangular, stripe).
• 🔋 Adjust the color of the indicator depending on the level of charge.

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If the theme lab section doesn’t appear even after the developer mode is activated, try updating the firmware to the latest version or installing MIUI EU (unofficial firmware for the European region).

Important: on some devices (for example, POCO F4), after changing the settings in the Theme Lab, the icon in the notification panel may be lost, in which case the smartphone reboot will help.

3. Method 3: Install custom icons via ADB (without root)

If you need to completely replace the battery icon with a custom one (for example, in the style of iOS or Android 12), but you do not want to get root rights, you can use the ADB commands. This method requires connecting the smartphone to the computer, but does not violate the warranty and does not block MIUI.

First, prepare:

• 💻 Computer with installed Xiaomi drivers and tool ADB (You can download from the official Android website).
• 📱 Smartphone with enabled debugging USB (Settings → For developers → Debugging by USB).
• 🖼️ A set of custom icons in.png format (can be found on the forums) XDA Developers or 4PDA).

Instructions for replacement:

1. Connect your smartphone to your PC and confirm the debugging permission.
2. Open the command prompt (cmd) in the folder with ADB.
3. Enter a command to copy standard icons (to make a backup):

adb pull /system/media/theme/default/icon_battery

1. Replace files in the folder icon_battery And remember your original names!).
2. Download the modified icons back to the device:

adb push icon_battery /system/media/theme/default/

1. Reboot your smartphone.

⚠️ Note: Not all custom icons are correctly displayed in the MIUI. If the battery icon is gone or is not displayed correctly after replacing, return the original files from the backup.

Install Xiaomi drivers on PC|

Download and unpack ADB Tools|

Enable debugging by USB on your smartphone |

Make a backup of the original icons|

Prepare custom icons in format PNG-->

Method 4: Applications for customization (with risks)

There are several apps on Google Play that promise to change the battery icon without root rights, such as:

• Battery Icon Changer (requires ADB for some features)
• Hex Installer (works through themes overlay)
• Substratum (requires root or Andromeda to work without superuser rights)

However, these solutions have serious shortcomings:

• 🚫 Many apps contain advertising or paid features.
• 🔄 Some methods create an overlay over a standard icon, which can lead to conflicts with other interface elements.
• ⚠️ Apps like Substratum can break the display of system icons after updates MIUI.

If you do decide to use third-party utilities, follow these rules:

1. Check reviews for 4PDA or XDA before installing – many apps haven’t been updated in years and aren’t compatible with MIUI 14.
2. Create a backup of the system through Settings → Additional → Backup.
3. Do not install applications that request superuser rights unless you understand the consequences.

5. Method 5: Manual editing of system files (for advanced)

This method is only suitable for users with an unlocked bootloader and TWRP installed. It allows you to manually replace system icons, but requires knowledge of working with the Android file system.

Step-by-step:

1. Download the archive with custom icons (for example, with XDA) Or create your own in.png format with resolution. 24×24 px.
2. Rename files according to the original names (e.g, stat_sys_battery_100.png).
3. Download to TWRP and mount /system partition.
4. Go to /system/framework/framework-res/res/drawable-xxhdpi (the path may vary depending on the firmware).
5. Replace the original icons with your own and set the rights to 644 (r-w-r-----).
6. Clear the Dalvik cache and restart the device.

⚠️ Warning: Incorrect editing of system files can lead to a crash of the interface or even a device blink.If you are not sure about your actions, use more secure methods (for example, if you are not sure about your actions, ADB).

Frequent problems and their solutions

When changing the battery icon, users often encounter common errors, and here are the most common ones and ways to fix them:

• 🔄 Badge reset after update: This is normal behaviour MIUI — The system restores the standard icons when you update them. Solution: repeat the replacement procedure or use the method with the ADB, Create a script to automatically apply changes after the update.
• 📉 Charge percentages don't show: In some themes, percentages are hidden by default.Try to enable them through Settings → Battery → Percentage display.
• 🔋 The icon has become pixelated: This means that the resolution of the custom icons does not match the required. 24×24 px (for status bar) or 48×48 px (for the notification panel).
• ⚡ Quickly discharge after changes: If you have used ADB Or manual editing, check if the background processes that consume charge are running. Use the AccuBattery app to diagnose.

If neither method worked, your firmware may have limitations from the manufacturer, and then there are two options:

1. Install custom firmware (e.g. Pixel Experience or LineageOS).
2. Accept a standard icon or buy a case with a cut out window for the charge indicator (joke, but such do exist).

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On devices with MIUI for Russia (for example, Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G), some methods may be blocked due to Xiaomi policy, in which case the firmware will help to flash to the global or European version of the software.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions