How to change icons on the lock screen Xiaomi: all the ways from standard to hidden

Xiaomi's lock screen is the first thing you see when you turn on a smartphone, and its appearance directly affects the overall experience of the device. -- Many Redmi users, POCO Mi series want to personalize this element, but face limitations MIUI. Unlike the desktop, where the replacement of icons supported by most launchers, the lock screen is traditionally considered a “closed area".

In fact, there's more customization than you think, depending on the firmware version (MIUI 12/13/14 The main thing is to understand the risks: some methods require unlocking the bootloader or using third-party apps or even system tricks. ADB-teams that may affect the guarantee or stability of the work.

In this guide, we will take you through all the current ways, from the simplest theme settings to deep modification of system files, you will learn how to replace the icons of the call, camera, flashlight and other elements, and what to do if the changes do not apply. We will focus on models with Always-On Display (AOD), where the setting of icons has its nuances.

1. Standard methods: what can be changed without rooting and ADB

Starting with MIUI 12, Xiaomi has added limited options to customize the lock screen through built-in tools.These techniques do not require technical skills and are safe to warrant, but their capabilities vary depending on regional firmware.

The main tool - section Settings → Lock screen. It's available here:

• 🎨 Change of wallpaper: affects the background, but not the icons. Supports dynamic wallpaper and live wallpaper from Xiaomi.
• 🔄 Style of locking: in some firmware (for example, MIUI 14 Global) you can choose between "Classic" and "Minimalistic" views, which indirectly changes the location of the icons.
• 📱 App shortcuts: on some models (Redmi Note 11 Pro)+, Xiaomi 12T) In the lock screen settings, you can add up to 2 shortcuts (for example, Google Assistant or Screen Recording), which will appear as additional icons.

For owners of devices with Always-On Display (AOD) (For example, Xiaomi 13 Pro or Redmi K60) Extended options are available in the Settings menu → Always-on display and lock style: You can choose from the preset time, date and notification styles, but you can't change the label icons (camera/camera) through the standard settings.

The limitation of standard methods is obvious: you can't replace the icons themselves, just their layout or add new labels. Deep customization will require additional tools.

2. Topics MIUI: How to partially change the design of icons

Xiaomi’s official Theme Store offers thousands of themes, some of which modify lock screen elements, a method that doesn’t require root rights, but has its own nuances.

To apply the topic:

1. Open the Themes app (brush icon on desktop).
2. In the Lock section, select your favorite theme. Pay attention to the "Supports lock screen".
3. Click Apply and confirm the changes.

It's important to understand that themes change all the design elements -- wallpaper, fonts, desktop icons and partially lock screen -- and that you can't completely replace just the call icon or the camera icon.

• 🐢 Slow down animations when unlocking.
• 🔳 Reset your settings after the update MIUI.
• 📵 Incorrectly display notifications.

For models with HyperOS (e.g. Xiaomi 14 or Redmi) K70) The store is more integrated, and some themes offer more flexible customization, but even here there is no option to selectively replace the icons.

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Before using the theme, back up your current settings in Settings → The phone. → Backup: This will help you quickly return the original look if the new theme is not working well.

Third-party launchers: workarounds for customization

Since MIUI Restricts lock screen changes, some users use third-party launchers with customization support, the most popular options are Nova Launcher, Action Launcher and Smart Launcher.

The fact is that launchers can only change widgets and shortcuts on the desktop, but not the lock screen itself.

• 🔧 Lock Screen Customizer (requires) ADB root).
• 🎭 Always on Edge (for devices with Edge) AOD, But it doesn’t work on all Xiaomi models).
• 🖼️ KLWP Live Wallpaper (allows you to create custom lock elements, but difficult to set up).

For example, KLWP can completely redefine the design of the lock screen, including icons, but for this you need to:

1. Install KLWP and KLWP Pro Key (paid).
2. Download or create your own preset with custom icons.
3. Assign it as a live wallpaper for the lock screen in Settings → Wallpaper.

The disadvantage of this method is a high load on the battery (up to the 5-7% additional consumption per hour) and possible lags when unlocked on weak chipsets (for example, Redmi) 9A).

4. ADB-Teams: Advanced setting without root

If the standard methods are not satisfied, and root-rights are not, you can use the ADB-This method works on most Xiaomi devices with teams. MIUI 12-14 HyperOS, but requires a connection to a computer.

To start, turn on USB debugging:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Click 7 times on the MIUI version to activate the developer mode.
3. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
4. Activate Debugging via USB and confirm the resolution.

Now connect the smartphone to the PC and perform in ADB Next commands to unlock hidden settings:

adb shell settings put global lockscreen_customize_icon 1


adb shell settings put secure lock_screen_show_notifications 0

These teams:

• 🔓 Unlock the hidden menu of customization icons (available not on all firmware).
• 📵 Disable forced display of notifications that can block icons.

After the reboot in some firmware will appear an additional section in Settings → Lock screen → Customize icons where you can replace standard icons with alternatives from the preset set. However, this method works unstable: on the Redmi Note 10 Pro, it can work, and on the Xiaomi 12 Lite it does not.

Install Xiaomi drivers on PC|Download ADB Tools (e.g. Google Platform Tools)|Enable debugging on USB phone-on|Connect your phone to your PC in file transfer mode|Check the connection with the adb device command-->

5. Root access: complete freedom of customization

If you're willing to take drastic measures, unlocking the bootloader and getting root rights will open up unlimited possibilities, a method that is suitable for advanced users because it comes with risks:

• 🚨 Loss of warranty on most Xiaomi models).
• 🔄 Possibility of "bricking" the device in case of error.
• 🛡️ Vulnerability to malware.

Once root is obtained, you can use applications like Substratum or Hex Installer to replace system icons, such as Substratum:

1. Install Substratum and Andromeda (for non-custom recovery).
2. Download the theme with support OMS (PitchBlack or Swift Dark).
3. In the app, select the Lockscreen section and apply the changes.

For manual replacement of icons, you will need to edit files in /system/media/theme/default/ or /system/priv-app/SystemUI/. For example, the camera icon is usually stored as ic_lockscreen_camera.png. It is important to back up the original files and comply with the permission (108x108 pixel MIUI 14).

On HyperOS devices (such as Xiaomi 14 Ultra), the path to icons may be different. Use Root Explorer to search for files by keywords like lockscreen or keyguard.

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Before any modifications to system files, create a full backup through TWRP Or OrangeFox Recovery. It's the only way to recover a device when it crashes.

6. Always-On Display: Features of the customization of icons

Devices with Always-On Display (AOD), Xiaomi 13 Pro, Redmi, and others K60 pro POCO F5 Pro, have additional customization options, but there are limitations. → Always-on display and lock style available:

• 🕒 Watch styles: digital, analog or minimalistic.
• 📅 Displaying date and notifications.
• 🎨 Color schemes (monochrome or colored).

However, you can't replace the label icons (camera/camera) with the standard settings.

1. Shut down. AOD and configure the normal lock screen (see sections above).
2. Use it. KLWP supportive AOD (demand ADB root).
3. Install a custom core with support AOD-Themes (e.g. FrancoKernel for Xiaomi) 12S Ultra).

On HyperOS appeared the option Dynamic AOD, It automatically adjusts the style to the wallpaper, but it doesn't affect the label icons. ADB.

Important: on some models (Redmi Note) 12 Pro+) active AOD may conflict with third-party customization modules, causing screen flickering or increased battery consumption (up to a maximum of two years). 1-2% hourly).

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If, after setting up, AOD Icons are not displayed correctly, try to turn off Adaptive Brightness in the screen settings. This often solves the artifact problem.

7. Frequent problems and their solutions

When customizing the lock screen, Xiaomi users often encounter common errors, and here are the most common ways to fix them:

If after modifications the lock screen stopped responding to touch, try:

1. Connect to ADB and execute adb shell pm clear com.android.systemui.
2. Download to Safe Mode (hold the power button) → "Restart Safe Mode) and delete the last theme installed.
3. Reset the lock screen settings to standard in Settings → System system → Resetting settings → Resetting lock settings.

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If the problem persists after resetting the lock settings, check the integrity of system files through the MIUI Diagnostics (available in Settings) → The phone. → Diagnostics).

8. Alternative methods: widgets and deceptions

If all of the above methods don't work, you can go for a trick and use widgets or pseudo-icons.

• 📱 Label Widget: Some launchers (like Nova Launcher) allow you to add widgets to the lock screen via workarounds, creating a widget with a transparent background and placing it on top of standard icons.
• 🖼️ Live wallpaper with interactive elements: applications like Wallpaper Engine (paid) or 3D Parallax Background can mimic custom icons, but won’t replace them completely.
• 🔗 QuickShortcutMaker: This app allows you to create duplicate system shortcuts (like cameras) with custom icons, but they will show up as separate items rather than replacing the original ones.

For devices with Always-On Display, you can use the application AOD Notify, which adds custom elements on top of a standard interface:

• 📊 Battery usage schedule.
• 📌 Quick notes.
• 🎵 Music control.

The disadvantage of this approach is the additional battery consumption (up to the 3-5% Overnight and possible system patches on weak devices (Redmi) 9C, POCO M3) This can lead to a slowdown.

If you want maximum root-free customization, consider installing custom firmware based on LineageOS or Pixel Experience.These firmware offers flexible lock screen settings, but requires an unlocked bootloader and technical skills.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions