Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphone owners often face the desire to personalize not only desktop wallpaper but also visual communication style. A standard set of emojis built into the shell of MIUI or HyperOS can seem boring or outdated compared to new products from Google or Apple. Users are looking for ways to make correspondence brighter by introducing new designs of emotion icons.
The process of replacing system emojis on devices of this brand has its own peculiarities associated with the closedness of the Android file system without root rights. However, there are proven methods to circumvent restrictions with regular means. In this article, we will discuss all the current methods, from installing themes to changing the keyboard, so you can choose the most suitable for your model.
Why Xiaomi has its own set of emojis
Xiaomi has been using its own graphics shell for years, which is significantly different from pure Android. One element of this customization is the unique emoji font.This is done to create a uniform visual style of the interface, but often leads to messages sent from Xiaomi looking different on Samsung or iPhone devices.
Technically, the character set is stored in a system font file that is protected from direct modification, which is why simply replacing a file through a Explorer is impossible without obtaining superuser rights. Root rights give full access to the system, but obtaining them voids the warranty and can disrupt banking applications.
⚠️ Warning: Attempting to manually replace system fonts through root file managers without having a backup can lead to a device being “bricked” or squared instead of text.
Fortunately, Xiaomi engineers have provided a legal way to change the visual style through the Themes app, which is safe, reversible and does not require complex technical manipulations, allowing you to change not only the wallpaper and icons, but also the font of the system, including a set of emojis.
Change the font through the application Topics
The most common and safest way to change the look of emoji is to use a built-in theme catalog. The MIUI Themes store has thousands of free designs, many of which include a modified system font. You don't have to search for a separate font file, just apply a ready-made theme.
To get started, open the standard Themes app on your smartphone. Search for queries like “Emoji,” “iOS Emoji,” or “Google Fonts.” The system will offer a list of available designs. Pay attention to the font preview in the theme description to make sure the emoji style suits you.
After selecting the appropriate option, click Download and then Apply. The system may suggest using all the components of the theme or selecting individual elements.
- 🎨 Select the "Select elements" item when applying.
- 🔤 Please check the box only for "Font" and "System Sounds" (if necessary).
- ✅ Confirm the action and wait for the interface to restart.
It's important to understand that the application of the theme is not just about emojis, it changes the spelling of letters in all applications, including the browser and settings. If you are confused by the new kind of text, this method may not be perfect, so you should look for themes that only change the font, but leave the application icons standard.
☑️ Checking before setting the topic
Use of the GBoard keyboard
If replacing the system font seems too radical, you can go the other way: The emoji you see when typing depends on the keyboard used. The standard MIUI keyboard has a limited set, but by installing Google's GBoard, you'll get access to the current emojis that match the latest version of Android.
GBoard is automatically updated via Google Play, which ensures new emojis are available immediately after they are released, without having to wait for the phone’s firmware update.This is the most flexible way for those who want to be trendy.
After installation, you need to activate the keyboard in the settings:
- Go to Settings → Additional settings → Language and input.
- Select Keyboard Management and turn on GBoard.
- In the Current Keyboard menu, select GBoard.
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In GBoard, you can create your own set of commonly used emojis in the Favorites section, which will speed up typing several times.
It is worth noting that this method changes the appearance of emoticons only at the time of entering them. In already sent messages or in system notifications, old icons can be displayed because they are rendered by the system or the receiving application. However, most messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp) use their own set, so the difference will be minimal.
Third-party applications and keyboards
App stores are crowded with third-party keyboards that offer exclusive emoji sets, stickers and other features. GIF-Popular options include Facemoji, Kika Keyboard or Emoji Keyboard.These apps often have a more vibrant and cartoonish design, which is appealing to younger audiences.
However, using third-party keyboards carries certain risks. Unlike GBoard, unknown developers can collect data about the typed text, so always read user permissions and reviews on Google Play carefully when installing such applications.
| Annex | Type of emoji | Security | Advertising |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBoard | Android standard | Tall. | No. |
| Facemoji | 3D/Cartoon | Medium | There is. |
| Kika | Thematically | Medium | There is. |
| SwiftKey | Standard + GIF | Tall. | Minimum. |
To install a third-party keyboard, follow the same procedure as for GBoard: download APK-You can either install it or install it from the marketplace, give the permissions you need, and choose it as the default input method. Many of these applications offer predictive input and autocorrection features that are tailored to specific languages.
Features of work in messengers
It’s important to distinguish between system emojis and internal messaging suites. Apps like Telegram, Viber, and WhatsApp often use their own graphics libraries, which means that even if you change the system font to Xiaomi, the emoji inside Telegram can remain the same or only change after the app itself is updated.
In Telegram, for example, you can change the set of emojis through the settings of the app itself, choosing between the standard set, Apple, Microsoft and others. This is done regardless of the phone settings. Path to setup: Settings → Chats → Emoji set.
Why do emojis look different in the recipient?
WhatsApp is similar: the app updates its emoji set regardless of the Android version, so it’s more important to update the app itself through the Play Store than to change the system’s fonts to get the latest characters in these programs.
Problems and solutions
When you change visual elements, users may encounter artifacts, sometimes after applying the theme, some characters turn into squares or question marks, which means that the font you choose does not have encoding for certain Unicode characters.
If you notice that important characters are missing or the interface is unreadable, you need to return the standard font, you can do this through the theme menu: go to the user profile (human icon), select Themes, find a Classic or Default theme and apply it, which will return all system files to their place.
⚠️ Warning: If the phone goes into a cyclic bootloop after installing the font, try booting into safe mode by pressing the volume button when turned on, and remove the problematic theme through the file manager with access to system folders (experience required).
Another common problem is desynchronization, you send a new emoji, and the person sees an old or empty square, and that's normal and only solved by time: when the recipient's operating system is updated, everything falls into place. Don't blame your phone's settings.
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Changing the font through the Themes app is the only safe way to change system emojis to Xiaomi without root rights and risk to system stability.