Personalizing the interface of a smartphone is the first step that many users take immediately after buying a new device. Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco gadgets often face the desire to move away from the standard visual style of MIUI or HyperOS. A standard set of graphic elements can seem boring, and the visual component plays a huge role in the convenience of daily use.
Fortunately, the MIUI shell provides powerful built-in tools for deep customization of the look. You don't have to be a programmer or superuser to turn your smartphone screen into a work of art. In this article, we'll take a look at all the ways you can replace your app icons, from the simplest to the most advanced methods.
You will learn how to use the official store where hidden font settings are hidden and how to properly install a third-party launcher if standard features are not enough. We will look at the nuances of working with different versions of firmware and help avoid typical errors that can disrupt the stability of the system.
Built-in MIUI Theme Store: The First and Easiest Way
The most obvious and safest way to change the look of the interface is to use the Themes app preinstalled, which is an official tool from developers that ensures that all elements are compatible with your version of the operating system, and the store database is constantly updated with new design solutions from the community.
To use this method, just open the application and go to the search section. Type a query, for example, "iOS icons" or "Minimalist", to find packages that will only change graphic elements without affecting wallpaper or widgets. After selecting a favorite theme, click "Download" and then "Apply".
It's important to note that some themes can only change a portion of the icons, leaving the standard system icons intact, depending on how carefully the subject writer drew each element.
If you want to change only a specific set of icons without changing the theme completely, there is a separate category in the theme store. Go to the user profile (the human icon in the lower right corner), select the "Themes" section and find the "Icons" subsection. Here are the packages that integrate into the current active theme.
- 🎨 Open the Topics app on the desktop.
- 🔍 In the search box, enter the name of the desired style or specific application.
- ⬇️ Download the selected package and press the application button.
- 🔄 Restart the device if the changes do not apply instantly.
Using a formal store is the most stable way, which does not require installing additional software. However, if you are looking for truly unique solutions or functionality that is not in the official catalog, you should pay attention to more flexible system customization tools.
Configure through the "Fonts" section: a hidden customization function
Many users are unaware that the font customization section contains a powerful tool to change the look of icons. In the newer versions of MIUI and HyperOS, developers have combined font and application icon management into a single personalization center, allowing for selective application.
To access these settings, go to Settings, then select Screen and find the Font section. In the menu that opens, you will see the Icon tab or the Icon Customization button at the bottom of the screen, and the system will suggest you choose one of several preset styles or download new ones from the store.
⚠️ Note: Using third-party fonts from unreliable sources may cause some characters in menus or messages to appear as squares.
In this section, you can often find options to change the shape of icons, you can make them rounder, you can make them squarer, you can add rounds, you can also have a setting for the size of the desktop grid, which is visually me perception of icons.
If you don't like the standard options, click on the "Online" or "Download" button to open the directory. The installation process is similar to the theme: download and application. The advantage of this method is that it often works faster and consumes less resources than a complete change of theme.
- 📱 Go to Settings. → Screen. → font.
- 🖌️ Select the tab with icons or click on the corresponding button.
- ✅ Choose your favorite style and confirm the action.
It’s worth remembering that on different models, such as the Redmi Note 12 or Poco X5, the menu layout may vary slightly depending on the Android version.
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Before applying global changes, take a screenshot of the current location of the widgets to quickly restore them if the new style disrupts the composition of the desktop.
Using third-party launchers for complete freedom
When the standard shell is scarce, third-party launchers come to the rescue, and these are shell programs that completely replace the desktop, app menus, and control panel, and the most popular and stable solutions on the market are Nova Launcher, Microsoft Launcher, and Smart Launcher.
Installing a launcher gives you complete control over each icon, and you can assign any graphics file from the gallery to any application, and it allows you to create a completely unique interface that no one else will have, but it takes longer to set up.
After installing the launcher from Google Play Market, the system will ask to allow the new desktop to be used by default. Agree with this, so that the new interface replaces the standard. Next, in the launcher settings, you need to find the "Look" or "Icons" section and choose to import packages or manually replace them.
☑️ Preparation for launcher installation
To manually replace the icon in most launchers, you need to press the application icon for a long time, select "Change" and then specify a new picture. You can download ready-made icon packages in APK format or use individual images in PNG format.
| The name of the launcher | Difficulty setting up | Support for icon packages | Impact on the battery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nova Launcher | Medium | Complete. | Low. |
| Microsoft Launcher | Low. | Complete. | Average. |
| Smart Launcher 6 | Tall. | Partial | Low. |
| Niagara Launcher | Low. | Limited. | Minimum |
Using a third-party launcher is a radical solution that changes the whole logic of smartphone interaction. If you're used to MIUI gestures, the transition may require a period of adaptation, but the result is worth it if you value individuality.
Application of icon packages through third-party applications
There is a class of apps that don't replace the launcher, but serve as a bridge between the icon packages installed and the system, and a prime example is the X Icon Changer or Shortcut Maker app. They create shell shortcuts that lead to the original apps but look just the way you want them to look.
The way these programs work is simple: you pick an app from a list, then you pick an image for it, and the program creates a new shortcut on the desktop, and you can remove the old shortcut, and you can combine icons from different sets to create an eclectic mix.
The main drawback of this method is creating duplicate applications, in the All Apps menu you will have the original, and a copy with a new icon will appear on the desktop, and notifications on such shortcuts may not appear correctly or at all, as the system perceives them as normal pictures.
- 📥 Install an app to change icons from the Play Market.
- 🖼️ Choose the application you want to change.
- 🎨 Download an image from the gallery or select from the built-in collection.
- ➕ Add the created shortcut to the main screen.
⚠️ Note: When you remove a shortcut creator app (such as X Icon Changer), all custom icons created through it will stop working and disappear from the screen. Be prepared for the fact that you will either not delete the program or put up with losing icons.
This method is ideal for those who want to change the icons of just a few applications, for example, to create a folder “Favorites” in a single style, but is not ready to change the entire theme or launcher.
Why are icons reset after the update?
Solving problems with the use of themes and icons
Users often face technical problems during customization, the most common being when icons remain unchanged or appear in black square after applying the theme, which may be due to the theme cache or version conflict.
The first thing to do in this situation is to clear the theme app cache. Go to Settings → Apps → All Apps → Topics → Memory and click “Clean.” After that, try to use the theme again. This often solves the problem of incorrect display of graphics.
Another common problem is that the theme is not compatible with your version of Android. Themes created for Android 11 may not work correctly on Android 13 or 14. In such cases, the system automatically substitutes standard icons where it can not display new ones, the solution is one – search for themes marked “For Android 13/14” or “HyperOS”.
If you’re using a global firmware version and the theme is made for the Chinese market (CN), there may be problems with displaying text in watch or weather widgets, although icons may fall into place.
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Cleaning the cache of the application "Themes" and "Security" solves 90% of problems with the incorrect use of graphic elements.
Also worth mentioning are the conflicts between several active personalization modules: If you use a third-party launcher and system themes at the same time, one of them can be given priority in an unpredictable way.