How to change the battery icon on Xiaomi: 5 proven ways

The standard battery icon on Xiaomi smartphones gets boring over time, especially if you’ve been using the device for years. Fortunately, the manufacturer and the development community offer a number of ways to replace it, from simple design themes to deep system modifications. But before making any changes, it’s important to understand the risks and limitations of each method.

For example, changing an icon through embedded MIUI themes requires no technical skills and is reversible in one click, while editing system files can cause an interface to crash or even a device to blink if you do something wrong. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways – from the safest to the most radical – and also tell you which Redmi, POCO and Xiaomi models support these or those methods.

If you’re a beginner, start with the first two sections — they’ll work even for devices with a locked bootloader. Power users can jump straight to the ADB or manual framework-res.apk editing sections, where we’ll reveal the nuances of working with system files and provide relevant commands.

All instructions are tested on MIUI 12–14 (including HyperOS) and are compatible with most models released after 2019. For older devices (such as the Redmi Note 5 or Mi 8), some methods may not work, in which case, note the alternative solutions at the end of the article.

1. Replace icons through MIUI themes (the safest way)

Xiaomi’s official theme store offers hundreds of free and paid themes, many of which change not only wallpaper and fonts, but also battery icons, network signal, Wi-Fi and other system indicators. This method does not require root rights and is suitable for 99% of devices on MIUI.

To change the battery icon through the themes:

1. Open the Themes app (the icon with a brush on your desktop).
2. Go to the section For me → Badges or use the search for “battery”.
3. Choose your favorite theme and click Apply. Some topics may require payment (from 50 to 300 rubles).

🔹 Pros of the method:

• ✅ Does not require technical knowledge
• ✅ Turn it back in one click.
• ✅ It works on all models. Xiaomi/Redmi/POCO

🔸 Cons:

• ❌ Limited selection of icons (depending on the themes available)
• ❌ Some themes change not only the battery, but also other interface elements.
• ❌ Customization plugins (for example, Always-on Display) can be reset

⚠️ Note: If the battery icon has not changed after applying the theme, check the display settings. MIUI You need to additionally enable the option Settings. → Screen. → Status line → Show the percentage of charge (even if you don't want to see the percentages).

2.Use of launcher applications (without root)

If the built-in themes don’t work, you can install a third-party launcher (like Nova Launcher, Apex Launcher or Microsoft Launcher) that supports replacing system icons, which does not affect system files, but has limitations: the battery icon will only change on the home screen and in the application menu, and in the status bar will remain standard.

Instructions for Nova Launcher:

1. Install Nova Launcher from Google Play.
2. Press your finger on the free desktop space → Settings Nova → Appearance → Icons.
3. Select an icon package (such as Whicons or Delta) or download yours through the Add icon option.
4. For the battery, find an icon with the name battery_* (where * is the charge level and replace it.

🔹 Popular packs of icons for battery:

• 🎨 Minimal O Icon Pack – Minimal Monochrome Icons
• 🔥 CandyCons – bright color icons with effects
• 🖤 Dark Pixel – pixel icons in a dark theme

⚠️ Note: Some launchers (for example, POCO Launcher) does not support replacement of system icons. Before installing, check the description in Google Play for the Icon Pack Support feature.

💡

If you are using Always-on Display (AOD), the battery icon on the locked screen may not change even after changing the theme. To sync the display, restart the device.

Replacement via ADB (for advanced users)

If you need to change the icon globally (including status bar, notification bar, and AOD), You don’t want to get root rights, you can use them. ADB-This method works on most Xiaomi devices with an unlocked bootloader (even without rooting).

📌 What's the matter:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB Tools
• 📱 Included debugging by USB (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times to tap → Return to the Extra → For developers)
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original)
• 📁 Folder with new battery icons in.png format (resolution) 24×24 or 32×32 pixel)

🔧 Step-by-step instruction:

1. Connect your smartphone to your PC and confirm the debugging permission.
2. Open the command prompt (or Terminal on Mac/Linux) in the adb folder.
3. Enter the command to copy the original icons (in case of rollback): adb pull /system/framework/framework-res.apk
4. Uncivilize. framework-res.apk using APKTool and replace the icon files in the folder res/drawable (names usually begin with stat_sys_battery_*).
5. Collect the apk back and run it with a command: adb push framework-res.apk /sdcard/ adb shell su -c "mount -o rw,remount /system" adb shell su -c "cp /sdcard/framework-res.apk /system/framework/" adb shell su -c "chmod 644 /system/framework/framework-res.apk" adb reboot

⚠️ If after the reboot the device stuck on the logo MI, So you've got it wrong. framework-res.apk. In this case, only flashing through Fastboot will help.

Download ADB Tools from the official website|Enable debugging on USB phone-on|Make a backup of system files|Prepare icons in format PNG|Check the battery charge (minimum 50%)-->

4. Manual editing of system files (root required)

To fully control the battery icons, root rights are required, and this method allows you to replace any system icons, including those displayed in the Always-on Display or on the lock screen, but it is only suitable for devices with an unlocked bootloader and installed Magisk or SuperSU.

🛠️ Essential tools:

• 📱 Root access (instructions for obtaining: unlocking the bootloader) + Magisk)
• 🖥️ Root Explorer (for example, Root Explorer or Root Explorer) FX File Explorer)
• 📁 A set of icons in.png format (you can download from themes) MIUI or create their own)
• 🔧 Backup application (e.g. Titanium Backup)

📝 Step-by-step process:

1. Backup system files via Titanium Backup or manually copy /system/framework to your PC.
2. Open Root Explorer and go to /system/framework.
3. Find the framework-res.apk file and copy it to any folder on your device (e.g. Download).
4. Use it. APK Editor or APKTool for file editing.Battery icons are usually stored in: res/drawable-hdpi/stat_sys_battery_*.png res/drawable-xhdpi/stat_sys_battery_*.png
5. Replace your files with your own (save the original names!) and save the changes.
6. Return the edited framework-res.apk to /system/framework by setting permissions 644 (rw-r--r---).
7. Reset the device.

🔹 Where to get ready-made icons?

⚠️ Note: On some devices (e.g. Xiaomi) 12T or Redmi K50) Icon files may not be stored in framework-res.apk, miui-systemui.apk. Before editing, check both files through APK Analyzer.

5. customization applications (without root, but with restrictions)

If you don't want to mess with ADB or root, you can use specialized apps that change icons through overlays, the most popular of which are Hex Installer, Substratum and Synergy, which are based on Android Overlay and do not require deep changes to the system.

📱 Top.-3 icon-replacement:

• 🎭 Hex Installer - Supports MIUI 12-14, ready themes for battery.
• 🖌️ Substratum – more difficult to set up, but with wide possibilities.
• 🔄 Synergy – a lightweight analogue of Substratum for the latest versions of Android.

🔧 How to use Hex Installer:

⚠️ Limitations of method:

• Not all themes support MIUI (check compatibility in the description).
• Some devices (POCO F4, Xiaomi 13) require you to disable MIUI Optimization in the developer settings.
• Icons can be reset after the MIUI update.

💡

Applications like Hex Installer don’t change system files directly, but create overlays, which are safer than manual editing, but can conflict with other interface modifications.

6. Alternative methods (for old devices or custom firmware)

If your smartphone is running MIUI 10 or older (e.g. Redmi Note 4X, Mi A1), or you are using custom firmware (LineageOS, Pixel Experience), standard methods may not work.

🔄 Methods for obsolete devices:

• 📲 Xposed Framework + GravityBox module (powered by Android 7-9) allows you to change battery icons, signal and other indicators without editing system files.
• 🔧 Castomic core (e.g. FrancoKernel or ElementalX) Some cores have built-in options for changing icons.
• 🎨 Firmware with support for themes (such as Havoc-OS or CrDroid). These firmware often include the icon settings menu in the settings.

📌 For firmware based on Android One (Mi) A2, Mi A3):

Android One devices don’t support MIUI themes, but they are easier to root and use Substratum or Magisk Modules, such as Battery Styles, which allows you to choose from 50+ styles of battery icons without manual file editing.

❓ What to do if nothing works?

If none of the methods worked, check:

• Version MIUI (Settings → On the phone. MIUI 14 and later some methods may be blocked.
• Fastboot oem device-info: Only themes and launchers are available on locked devices.
• There are updates. Sometimes icon-image bugs get fixed in new firmware versions.

FAQ: Frequent questions about replacing the battery icon with Xiaomi