Are you tired of standard MIUI emojis that look too simplistic compared to elegant iPhone emojis? Want your WhatsApp, Telegram or VK messages to be displayed with Apple’s signature style — with three-dimensional faces, bright colors and recognizable design? This problem is familiar to many owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones, because the manufacturer uses its own emoji, which is not everyone likes.
Fortunately, you can change your Xiaomi emoji to the iPhone style in a number of ways, from changing the keyboard to deep-tuning the system fonts. In this article, we will discuss 5 working methods, including:
- 🔹 Install the keyboard with an iOS emoji (without root)
- 🔹 Replacement of the system font through MIUI Themes
- 🔹 Use of the ADB forced-shift
- 🔹 Manual file editing (for advanced users)
- 🔹 Alternative solutions for individual applications
Important: Not all methods are equally secure. Some require unlocking the bootloader or the superuser rights (root), which can affect the warranty and stability of the device, and we will note the risks in each section.
1.The easiest way: keyboard with an iPhone emoji
If you don’t want to dig through system files, the quickest way to get an iPhone-like emoji is to install a third-party keyboard, which works without root and is suitable for all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO models on MIUI 12-15.
The best options for keyboards:
- 📱 Gboard (Google) – you can turn on the style of the iOS emoji in the settings (you need to manually download the theme).
- 📱 SwiftKey – supports emoji skins, including imitation of Apple.
- 📱 Emoji Keyboard Pro – a specialized keyboard with a set of emoji iOS 15/16.
- 📱 Fleksy – allows you to set custom themes of emojis.
How to install and configure:
- Download the keyboard from Google Play (like SwiftKey).
- Go to Settings → System → Language and Input → Current keyboard and select the keyboard installed.
- In the keyboard settings, find the Themes or Emoji Style section and select iOS-style.
- Restart the device so that the changes take effect.
Limitation: The emoji will only appear in the style of the iPhone when typed through this keyboard.In some applications (like Viber), they can automatically convert back to standard MIUIs.
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If the emojis have not changed after installing the keyboard, check the auto-replacement settings in the application itself (for example, Telegram has the option "System Emoji").
2. Replace system font through MIUI Themes
A deeper way is to replace the system font that is responsible for displaying the emoji. In MIUI, this can be done through the official MIUI Themes app, but you will need to download a third-party theme.
Step-by-step:
- Open the Themes app on your Xiaomi.
- Go to the Fonts section (if not, update the app via Google Play).
- In the search bar, type in the iOS Emoji Font or Apple Color Emoji.
- Download and use your favorite theme (e.g., "iOS 16 Emoji Font" from the developer MIUI Poland).
- Confirm the use of the font and restart the device.
Advantages of the method:
- 🔧 Does not require root or unlocking the bootloader.
- 🎨 It works in all applications, including system.
- 🔄 You can return the standard font at any time.
Disadvantages:
- ⚠️ Not all topics support MIUI 14/15 — Check reviews before installation.
- ⚠️ Visual bugs are possible in some applications (for example, incorrect display of emoji sizes).
What to do if the topic is not applied?
3.Use of ADB to Force Emoji Change (without Root)
If standard methods don’t work, you can try replacing the system emoji files via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which doesn’t require root, but requires a connection to a computer and the developer mode.
Note: improper use of ADB may cause system failures, and we recommend that you back up your data before starting.
What you need:
- 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB Tools.
- 📱 Xiaomi smartphone with enabled debugging USB (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times to activate the developer mode).
- 📁 iOS emoji files in.ttf format (you can download here).
Instructions:
1. Connect the phone to the PC and open the command line in the folder with ADB.
2. Enter a command to check the connection:
adb devices
3. Copy font files to the device:
adb push AppleColorEmoji.ttf /sdcard/
4. Replace the system font (confirmation on the phone is required):
adb shell
su
mount -o rw,remount /system
cp /sdcard/AppleColorEmoji.ttf /system/fonts/
chmod 644 /system/fonts/AppleColorEmoji.ttf
rebootWarning: On some Xiaomi devices with MIUI 14+, the system can automatically restore standard fonts after rebooting, in which case root or custom Recovery will be required.
Backup important data|Download the correct version of AppleColorEmoji.ttf|Enable debugging on USB|Install Xiaomi drivers on PC|Check the battery charge (minimum 50%)-->
4. Manual editing of system files (for advanced)
This method is suitable for advanced users who are ready to work with root rights and edit system files, it allows you to completely replace the emoji at the OS level, but requires an unlocked bootloader and installed Magisk.
What needs to be done:
- Unlock the bootloader through the official Xiaomi tool (linking to the Mi Account is mandatory).
- Install TWRP or another custom Recovery.
- Get root with Magisk.
- Download the archive from the iOS emoji for Android (for example, from here).
- Root Explorer or ADB replace files in /system/fonts/:
Files required:
- NotoColorEmoji.ttf → AppleColorEmoji.ttf
- EmojiCompat.ttf → AppleColorEmoji.ttf (if any)After replacement:
- 🔧 Reset the device.
- 🔧 Clear the cache in Settings → Annexes → All applications → Google Play Services.
- 🔧 Check the display of emoji in Telegram or WhatsApp.
⚠️ Attention: On some firmware MIUI After updating, the system can reset fonts. To avoid this, use the Magisk FontManager module, which automatically restores files after restarting.
5. Alternative solutions for individual applications
If you need to change emoticons only in specific messengers, you can use built-in settings or third-party modules.
Methods for popular applications:
| Annex | Method | Need root? | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telegram | Enable the option "Change the style of emoji" in the chat settings → select iOS | ❌ No. | ⭐ Easy. |
| Install WA Tweaks module via Magisk | ✅ Yes. | ⭐⭐ Middle-Average | |
| VK (Vkontakte) | Use a keyboard with an iOS emoji (e.g. SwiftKey) | ❌ No. | ⭐ Easy. |
| Discord | Enable in the settings "Use system emoji" | ❌ No. | ⭐ Easy. |
There are also X-posed modules for WhatsApp and Instagram (like iOS Emoji for WA), but they require root and may conflict with the latest versions of apps.
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The most universal method without root is to use a keyboard with built-in iOS emojis. A complete system-level replacement would require root rights or ADBs.
Frequent problems and their solutions
When you change your emoji to Xiaomi, users often encounter common mistakes, and let's look at the most common ones and how to fix them.
Problem 1: Emojis have only changed in some applications.
- 🔹 Reason: Apps can use their own emoji sets (like Facebook or Snapchat).
- 🔹 Solution: Check the settings of a particular messenger or use a forced-replace keyboard.
Problem 2: After the MIUI update, the emojis reset.
- 🔹 Reason: The system restores standard fonts when OTA-update.
- 🔹 Solution: Use the Magisk module to automatically restore files or roll back to the previous firmware version.
Problem 3: Some emojis are displayed with squares.
- 🔹 Reason: Not all characters are supported by Apple font on Android.
- 🔹 Solution: Install the optional NotoColorEmojiCompat.ttf font for compatibility.
⚠️ Note: If after replacing the fonts, the device began to slow down or errors emerge when booting, return the standard files through the ADB Or resetting. In extreme cases, you may need to flash it.