How to change the font to Xiaomi with MIUI 12: all the ways from standard to hidden

Why users want to change the font to MIUI 12 and what to know in advance

Xiaomi's MIUI 12 shell is known for its striking design, but standard fonts are not popular with everyone: Some want to make the text larger for ease of reading, some lack originality, and some are just tired of the tired Roboto or MiSans. Unlike the newer versions of MIUI, where the choice of fonts is expanded, in MIUI 12 the possibilities are limited - but that does not mean that they are not.

Before you start making changes, note that MIUI 12 does not support global font change without root rights or third-party tools. System settings only allow you to adjust text size, boldness or use pre-installed styles (if you have them in your firmware), all other methods will require additional actions, from installing launchers to modifying system files, and this already involves risks from interface failures to complete loss of warranty.

In this article, we'll look at all the ways that we can do this, from safe to radical, and we'll learn how to get around the limitations of MIUI 12, what apps really work, and what to do if the phone starts to glitches after the changes, and let's start with the simplest.

Method 1: Change the font size and style through system settings

Even without third-party tools, MIUI 12 has basic options for customizing text display, which will not allow you to install custom font, but will help make text easier to read.

What can be changed:

• 📏 Font size – from minimum to maximum (available 5 gradations).
• 🔠 Font style – bold text (if supported by your model).
• 📱 Display scale – changes the size of all interface elements, including fonts.

How to do this:

1. Open the Settings → Screen.
2. Select text size and move the slider.
3. For bold, go to Settings → Additional → Special Features → Fat (not available on all devices).
4. To rescale the entire interface, go back to the Screen → Display Size.

⚠️ Note: Increasing font size or display scale may cause some applications to display incorrectly. For example, in games or banking programs, text may be cropped or overlaid on controls.

Method 2: Install custom font through MIUI themes

The official MIUI theme store sometimes offers themes with alternative fonts, the only legal way to change the font without root rights, but with serious reservations:

First, not all topics change the font globally, many only affect icons and wallpapers; second, even if the theme includes a new font, it may not apply to all system applications (for example, Settings or Phone often remain unchanged); and third, after a change in the topic, the original font may return after a system update.

How to try this method:

1. Open the Themes app (icon with brush).
2. Go to the Popular or Font section (if any).
3. Select a theme marked "Includes font" and click Apply.
4. After application, restart the phone.

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Before installing a theme, check the reviews of other users – some fonts may not display Cyrillic or special characters well.

Method 3: Using third-party launchers to locally change font

If you only need to change the font on the home screen and in the app menu, you can do without tampering with the system, alternative launchers such as Nova Launcher, Action Launcher or Microsoft Launcher will be suitable for this, which allow you to install custom fonts, but with important restrictions:

Launchers only change the font in their interface — that is, in the application menu, on the desktop and in widgets. System applications (for example, Settings or Messages) will remain unchanged, and some fonts may not display correctly due to the features of rendering in MIUI.

Instructions for setting:

1. Install Nova Launcher from Google Play.
2. Download your favorite font in.ttf format (for example, from fonts.google.com).
3. Place the font file in the Nova/Fonts folder on the phone’s internal memory.
4. Open the Nova Launcher settings, go to Appearance → Font and select the downloaded file.
5. Apply the changes and restart the launcher.

If the font does not appear in the list, check:

• 📁 The correct path to the file (should be the right one) Nova/Fonts).
• 🔤 Support for Cyrillic in font (many Western fonts do not include it).
• 📱 Compatible with Nova Launcher version with your firmware.

Method 4: Manually modifying font through ADB (for power users)

This method requires connecting your phone to your computer and using ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which allows you to replace the system font without root rights, but has risks: if you make a mistake, you can get a bootloop (lock on the boot) or damage to system files.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB and Fastboot.
• 📱 Included debugging by USB on the phone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times to press to unlock the developer mode, then additionally → For developers → Debugging by USB).
• 📁 Font in.ttf format, renamed Roboto-Regular.ttf (or other system font you want to replace).

Step-by-step:

adb shell


su




mount -o rw,remount /system




cp /sdcard/Download/Roboto-Regular.ttf /system/fonts/




chmod 644 /system/fonts/Roboto-Regular.ttf




reboot

After the reboot, the font should change.If something went wrong (like the phone doesn't boot), try returning the original font via Fastboot or restoring the backup.

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi devices have a section /system protected from recording even through ADB. In this case, the method will not work without unlocking the loader and obtaining root rights.

Method 5: Complete font replacement with Magisk and modules

If you're willing to take drastic measures, you can use Magisk, a root-rights tool that doesn't change the system partition, installs modules that replace the typefaces at the system level, and it's the most flexible, but it's also the most risky, because an incompatible module can cause failures.

What needs to be done:

1. Unlock the bootloader on your Xiaomi (instructions are available on the official Xiaomi website or on the 4PDA forum).
2. Install Magisk and get root rights.
3. Download a font replacement module (e.g. FontManager or iFont for Magisk).
4. Install the module via Magisk Manager and restart the phone.

The following are the modules for MIUI 12:

After installation of the module:

• Open the Magisk Manager → Modules and make sure the module is active.
• Reboot the phone.
• If the font has not changed, check the module log for errors.

⚠️ Note: Installing Magisk and modules will void the warranty on the device, and some banking applications (e.g. Sberbank Online or Tinkoff) may stop working due to the detection of root rights.

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Using Magisk is the most powerful way to change the font, but it is only suitable for users who are willing to take risks and have experience with custom firmware.

What to do if there are problems after changing the font

Even if you do everything according to the instructions, sometimes you have a failure: text is displayed in characters, apps fly out or your phone starts to slow down.

Problem 1: Font displays clumsy (squares or hieroglyphs)

• 🔤 Check if the font supports Cyrillic. Many Western fonts don't include it.
• 📁 Make sure the font file is not corrupted (try opening it on your PC).
• 🔄 Go back to the standard font and try another file.

Problem 2: Apps are out or not running

• 📱 Restart your phone – sometimes it solves the cache problem.
• 🧹 Clear the problem app cache in Settings → Annexes.
• 🔙 Reverse font changes if failures continue.

Problem 3: The phone is not booting (bootloop)

• 🔌 Try to boot up in Safe Mode (click the power button). → long-press on "Switch off" → "Reboot to Safe Mode").
• 🛠️ If it doesn’t work, run your phone through Fastboot using the Mi Flash Tool.
• 📞 Contact the service center if you are not sure about your actions.

Most of the time, the problem is solved by rolling back the changes, and if you've used ADB or Magisk, save the original font files to quickly get it back.

FAQ: Frequent questions about changing the font to MIUI 12