Xiaomi smartphone owners often face the desire to personalize their device’s interface, making it unique and unlike the standard shell of MIUI or HyperOS. One of the easiest and most effective ways to visually transform is to change the shape of system icons, which by default have a square or rounded geometry.
In this article, we will take a look at all the available methods for transforming the appearance of the desktop, from built-in tools to third-party solutions. You will learn how to apply ready-made themes, use specialized applications to change the style of the icon pack, and how to customize the grid and fonts to create a harmonious design. It is important to understand that system limitations can affect the availability of certain functions in different versions of the software.
⚠️ Warning: Installing themes from unverified sources or using modified launchers can lead to unstable interface operation or increased battery consumption.
Standard Theme Features in MIUI and HyperOS
The first and most obvious way to change the look of icons is to use the built-in Themes app. Xiaomi shells provide powerful customization tools that users often underestimate. Unlike pure Android, you can change not only images, but also their geometric shape without installing third-party software.
To get started, you need to open the Themes app on your desktop, select the Profile tab (the human icon) in the bottom navigation bar, then go to the Theme Settings section, and this is where the key Icon option is hidden, allowing you to choose from the system's styles: classic, round, square or linear, and the changes are applied instantly after the selection is confirmed.
However, if you don't like the standard form set, the system offers you to download additional packages, and you can click the Download button on the icon selection menu, which will open up a catalog of compatible designs, and you can find thousands of options created by both the official designers and the community.
- 🎨 Thousands of free options in the official store.
- ⚡ Instant application of changes without restarting the device.
- 🔄 The ability to return to the standard view in one click.
- 📱 Adaptation to a specific model of your smartphone.
Using third-party launchers for complete freedom
If the built-in MIUI shell capabilities aren't enough, third-party launchers will come to the rescue, special applications that completely replace the standard desktop, providing access to advanced grid settings, animations and, of course, icon shapes. The most popular and stable solutions today are Nova Launcher, Microsoft Launcher and Lawnchair.
Installing an alternative launcher requires several steps. Once you download an application from the Google Play Market, you need to launch it and provide all the permissions you request. Android will ask for confirmation to change the default launcher — select Always or Default to make the new interface the primary one.
In the third-party launcher settings, the Appearance or Look & Feel section allows you to customize the shape of the icons in detail. You can choose the angle rounding by hand, setting a specific percentage, or apply a preset ready-made. In addition, many launchers support automatic use of icon packs downloaded separately.
⚠️ Note: When using third-party launchers, some system gestures, such as swipes to call the control menu or notification curtains, may stop working, as they depend on the standard shell.
☑️ Preparation for launcher installation
Application of icon packs through third-party applications
Icon Packs are graphics sets that replace standard app icons with alternative ones, and they often don’t change the shape of the background, but when combined with specific settings, they achieve a unique result. They often require special helper tools such as XIcon or Shortcut Maker to be used on Xiaomi.
XIcon works by creating copy shortcuts, so you pick the app you want to change, you pick the icon pack you want from the one you have installed on the system, and the program creates a new shortcut on the desktop with the graphics you select, and it allows you to mix styles and create really unique combinations that are not available in standard themes.
The replacement process can take time if you decide to upgrade your entire desktop, and you have to manually go through each folder and replace the icons of popular apps, but the result is worth it, especially if you want to bring disparate applications to a single denominator.
- 🖼️ Ability to combine graphics from different sets.
- 🛠️ Replace only the applications you need.
- 📥 A huge selection of free packs in the Play Store.
- 🚀 Minimum impact on system performance.
Why do some icons not change?
Setting the size of the grid and fonts
Visual perception of the shape of shortcuts depends on the size of the desktop grid and the font used. In the settings of the Xiaomi theme, you can change not only the icons themselves, but also their scale relative to the screen. Reducing the size of the grid (for example, switching from 4x6 to 5x7) will make the icons themselves smaller, which can visually change their perceived shape.
To access these settings, go to Settings → Wallpaper and Personalization → Lock screen and desktop. Here you can choose the size of the grid. Also, in the theme store’s Font section, you can choose a font that will harmoniously blend with the geometry of new icons. For example, round icons are often suitable fonts with soft, round shaped letters.
Change of change DPI (dots per inch) through an engineering menu or ADB-Teams are an advanced method that allows you to scale all the interface elements globally, which can make icons more compact or larger, but it requires caution, because the wrong values can make the text unreadable.
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Before changing system parameters through ADB, be sure to write down the initial DPI values so that in case of problems, everything can be returned as it was.
Table of comparison of methods of changing icons
To make it easier to choose the best personalization method, we have prepared a comparative table of basic methods, which will help you quickly assess the pros and cons of each approach depending on your goals and level of training.
| Method | Difficulty | Flexibility of setting | Impact on the battery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built-in themes | Low. | Medium | Minimum |
| Third-party launcher | Medium | Tall. | Average. |
| Icon-packs (XIcon) | Tall. | Maximum | Minimum |
| ADB/Root rights | Expert | Complete. | Depends on the modifications |
Solving problems with displaying icons
Users often find that after installing a theme or launcher, some icons remain standard, look stretched or disappear altogether, either because the theme developer has not drawn an icon for a particular application, or the application uses an adaptive icon that conflicts with the theme style.
For built-in Xiaomi themes, you can try clearing the theme app cache. Go to Settings → Apps → All Apps → Themes → Memory → Clean. If the problem is in a third-party launcher, make sure that the “Use icon packs” option is enabled in its settings and the appropriate set is selected.
If the icons are not displayed correctly (black square or standard Android robot), try to remove the problem application and install it again. Sometimes it helps to reset the launcher to factory. In rare cases, a conflict can cause a particular version of the MIUI shell, and then you have to wait for the theme update from the author.
⚠️ Note: It is not recommended to use a third-party launcher and system themes simultaneously, as this can cause a resource conflict and lead to a cyclic reboot of the interface (bootloop). UI).
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The most stable way to change shape is to use official themes from the Xiaomi store, as they are tested for compatibility with your version of the system.