How to change charging animations on Xiaomi: 5 ways to use photos and videos

Are you tired of the standard charging animation on your Xiaomi and want to add personality? Changing the charging animation is one of the easiest ways to customize the appearance of the MIUI system, but not everyone knows how to do it correctly. Depending on the smartphone model (Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Mi 11, etc.) and the firmware version, various methods are available, from installing themes from the official store to manually editing system files via ADB.

In this article, we’ll look at all the working methods, from the simplest (for beginners) to advanced (for power users), how to change animations without root rights, what applications will help automate the process, and what to do if the smartphone stops charging after changes, and also a unique life hack for owners of devices on MIUI 14+ with dynamic themes that allows you to change animations with a single touch.

Before you start, check your firmware version in Settings → About Phone → MIUI. Some methods only work on certain versions, and the wrong actions can cause crashes. If you are not sure about your skills, start with the first two ways, they are completely safe.

1. Change animation through official MIUI themes

The easiest and safest way is to use the built-in theme store. Xiaomi allows custom themes to be installed that change not only wallpaper and icons, but also charging animations. This method works on all devices with MIUI 12 and later, including Redmi, POCO and Mi.

How to do this:

• 📱 Open the Themes app (icon with brush on desktop).
• 🔍 In the search bar, enter the query: charging animation or charging animation.
• 🎨 Choose your favorite topic from the results (pay attention to the rating and number of downloads).
• 📥 Click Apply – the system will automatically install new animations.

Advantages of the method:

• ✅ No need for root rights or technical skills.
• ✅ All changes are reversible – you can return standard animation in one click.
• ✅ New themes are added regularly (including animated and interactive ones).

⚠️ Note: Some topics may contain ads or collect data. Check user reviews and theme rankings before installing (optimum 4.5).+ star).

2. Use of third-party applications (without root)

If the theme store doesn't have the right animation, you can use third-party apps.

• 🔧 Charging Animation Changer – allows you to install gifs or static images as animation.
• 🎭 MIUI Customizer – Extended Customization Tool, Including Charging.
• 🖼️ Always On Display & Lockscreen – Changes animations on the lock screen while charging.

Instructions for Charging Animation Changer:

1. Download the app from Google Play (or APK from a trusted source if it’s not in your area).
2. Open the application and provide access to the Overlay over other windows (necessary for work).
3. Select the Charging Animation section and download your GIF or select from the collection.
4. Press Apply and restart the device.

Limitations of the method:

• ❌ Not all apps support the latest versions. MIUI 14/15.
• ❌ Animations may be reset after system update.
• ❌ In some models (POCO F5, Redmi K60) Requires to disable battery optimization for the application.

Download the GIF or image (resolution at least 1080×2340)

Check the MIUI version in the settings

Disable battery optimization for the application

Backup your current animation (if possible)-->

3. Manual change through ADB (for advanced)

If you’re ready to dive into the technical details, you can change the animations via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a technique that works on most Xiaomi devices, but requires a computer connection and basic command line knowledge.

What you need:

• 💻 Computer with installed ADB-tool.
• 📱 Included debugging by USB on a smartphone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times to press the version → Additional settings → Developer parameters → Debugging by USB).
• 🖼️ Prepared gif or PNG-Animated file (size and format depending on model).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your smartphone to your PC and execute the command: Adb devices Make sure the device is identified.
2. Download the animation in.zip format (can be found on the XDA Developers or 4PDA forums).
3. Transfer the file to the device: adb push charging.zip /sdcard/
4. Install animation via Recovery: adb reboot recovery (in recovery, select "Install" → specify the path to the file → confirm)

⚠️ Attention: Wrong commands ADB If you're not sure what to do, use other methods. On devices with a bootloader, this may not work.

4. Change animations via TWRP (for unlocked devices)

If your Xiaomi has custom recovery (TWRP) installed, you can replace the charging animation directly by editing system files, which gives you maximum freedom, but requires an unlocked bootloader and backup data.

Instructions:

1. Download the archive with animation (e.g. bootanimation.zip for your model).
2. Reboot to TWRP (Put Power + Volume up when the phone is off).
3. In TWRP, select Advanced → File Manager.
4. Go to the folder. /system/media/ and find the file. bootanimation.zip (or charging_animation.zip).
5. Delete the old file and upload the new one.
6. Reset the device.

Where to download animations:

• 🌐 XDA Developers (partition of your model).
• 🌐 4PDA (customization MIUI).
• 🎨 Create your animation in Adobe After Effects and convert to bootanimation.zip.

Dynamic themes on MIUI 14+ (hidden function)

In versions of MIUI 14 and later, there is a hidden ability to change the charging animation through dynamic themes, but it is not documented in the official instructions.This method works without root and ADB, but requires the activation of a hidden menu.

How to turn on:

1. Open the Themes app and go to My → Theme Settings.
2. Click 5 times on the MIUI logo in the upper left corner and the Theme Lab will open.
3. Select Dynamic Effects → Charging Animation.
4. Download your GIF or select from the options offered.

Limitations:

• ⚠️ Not all devices (tested on Xiaomi 13, Redmi Note 12 Pro)+).
• ⚠️ After updating MIUI settings may reset.

💡

If the Theme Lab doesn’t have Charging Animation, try updating the Themes app via Google Play or installing the latest version of APK with APKMirror.

Problems and Solutions: What to Do When the Animation Doesn't Change

Even after all the manipulations, animation can remain standard. Let's look at the typical causes and ways to eliminate them:

If none of the methods worked:

• 🔄 Check if the changes are blocked by antivirus or Google Play Protect.
• 📱 Make sure that the device has enough free space (minimum 500 MB).
• 🔧 Try rolling back the firmware to the previous version (if the problem appeared after the update).

💡

Before any manipulation of system files, back up via Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset. This will allow you to restore the device in the event of a failure.

FAQ: Frequent questions about changing charging animations