How to change the color of the icons on Xiaomi smartphones: from standard settings to deep customization

Xiaomi desktop icons are the first thing to catch your eye when you unlock the screen.Standard colors MIUI or HyperOS doesn't always fit your style, especially if you're using custom wallpaper or theme, and luckily, the manufacturer has several ways to change the icon palette, from basic settings to third-party launchers with complete customization freedom.

In this article, we will analyze all the current methods for Xiaomi, Redmi and other devices. POCO Android-based 13/14 (including MIUI 14/15 And HyperOS. You'll learn how to do it:

• 🎨 Apply built-in themes with alternative icon colors
• 🔧 Configure adaptive icons through system settings
• 📱 Use third-party launchers to fine-tune shades
• 🖌️ Manually edit icons using specialized applications
• ⚙️ Change the color of system icons (battery, network signal) without root rights

Important: Not all methods work the same on different models. For example, Xiaomi 13 Pro with HyperOS supports adaptive icons out of the box, and on the Redmi Note 10 with a single model. MIUI 12.5 may require additional software installation. We will specify the limitations for each method.

1. Changing the color of icons through embedded themes MIUI/HyperOS

The easiest way to do this is to use pre-installed themes from Xiaomi, which often change not only the wallpaper and fonts, but also the color gamut of icons. This method does not require installing third-party applications and works on all devices with a wide range of different types of devices. MIUI 11+ or hyperos.

To apply a new theme:

1. Open the Themes app (icon with brush).
2. Go to the popular or recommended section.
3. Select a theme marked with an icon in the description (for example, "Dark Blue Icons" or "Neon Pack").
4. Click Apply and confirm the change.

Note that some themes only change app icons, leaving system icons (battery, Wi-Fi) unchanged. A combination of themes may be required to fully sync colors.

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If the theme you want is paid, check the Free section in the Topics app – there are often temporary promotions for premium packs.

⚠️ Note: After changing the theme, some icons may not display correctly (e.g. Google Play Store or Chrome) due to Google's policy not to change the icons of its applications).

2. Adaptive icons in the MIUI/HyperOS

Starting with MIUI 12 and HyperOS, Xiaomi has added support for adaptive icons — a feature that automatically adjusts icon colors to wallpaper or a chosen theme — an option not available on all devices, but if it does, it allows you to quickly sync the palette without installing additional apps.

To include adaptive icons:

1. Click the empty space on your desktop and select Screen Settings.
2. Go to the Icon Style → Adaptive icons.
3. Activate the switch and select one of the suggested styles: 🌈 Color from wallpaper - selects a shade based on the dominant background color ⚫ Dark – makes icons monochrome with a dark palette ⚪ Light – similar, but with white/gray shades 🎨 Manual selection – allows you to specify color manually (not available on all devices)

Xiaomi. 13T Pro and newer HyperOS has a Dynamic Color option that analyzes wallpaper and applies a gradient to icons, but this feature may conflict with some live wallpapers (such as Google’s Earth & Moon).

⚠️ Note: Adaptive icons may be reset after update MIUI/HyperOS. To avoid this, make a backup of settings through Settings before updating. → The phone. → Backup.

3.Use of third-party launchers for full customization

If built-in options aren't enough, the best solution is to install an alternative launcher, which allows you to not only change the color of the icons, but also their shape, size, add shadows and even animations.

• 🚀 Nova Launcher – Supports adaptive icons, icon packs and manual color tuning for each icon separately.
• 🎭 Action Launcher – offers a unique Quicktheme feature that automatically selects a palette under the wallpaper.
• 🔄 Lawnchair is an open source lightweight launcher optimized for Android 13+.
• 🖼️ Microsoft Launcher – integrates with Windows, but has limited options for customizing icons.

Let’s look at the Nova Launcher:

Install Nova Launcher from Google Play|Clutch the empty space on the screen → Settings|Go to the icons. → Icon style|Choose Adaptive or a set of icons (e.g. Whicons)|Customize the color manually in the Look & Feel section-->

Important: On devices with HyperOS (Xiaomi) 14/13) Nova Launcher can conflict with the "Swipe down to search" gesture. To fix this, turn off the gesture in the HyperOS settings: Settings → Additionally. → Special facilities → Simplified regime → Gestures.

4 Manually changing the color of icons with packages

If you need to change the color of specific icons (like making WhatsApp green and Telegram blue), use icon packs. These are special icon sets that replace standard app icons. Popular packages:

• 🌿 Whicons – Minimalist monochrome icons with color filter support.
• 🔴 CandyCons – bright icons with the ability to tint.
• ⚫ Delta – more than 7,000 icons with adaptive color support.
• 🎨 Pix Bit – pixel icons with a custom palette.

To apply the icon package:

1. Install a package from Google Play (such as Whicons).
2. Install a supported launcher (Nova, Action or Lawnchair).
3. In the launcher settings, select Icons → Package of icons and specify the installed package.
4. To manually adjust the color, use the option of the icon mask (in Nova Launcher): select a shape (circle, rounded square) and set the color through the palette.

Nana POCO F5 and other devices with MIUI 14 Some icon packages may not apply to system applications (Settings, Phone).The solution is to use the Iconify module for Magisk (requires root).

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Icon packs do not change the color of widgets and quick settings in the notification curtain. They will require a GravityBox module (for hardwired devices only) to customize them.

5. Color change of system icons (battery, network signal)

System icons in the status bar (charge level, network signal, clock) are configured separately from application icons. MIUI HyperOS doesn’t have a built-in coloring option, but there are workarounds:

Method 1: Using themes with support for system icons

Some themes from Xiaomi's official store change the color of system icons.Look for themes marked Full UI Or Status Bar. Examples:

• 🌃 Dark Mode Pro – Makes icons white on a dark background.
• 🟢 Green UI — colorizes indicators green.
• 🔵 Blue Accent – Blue palette for status bar.

Method 2: Modules for Magisk (requires root)

For full control of system icons, use:

• 🔧 Iconify for MIUI/HyperOS — It allows you to change the color, shape and even animation of icons.
• 🎛️ GravityBox - Advanced Status Line setting (including watch and indicator color).

Installation:

1. Get root rights (for example, through Magisk).
2. Download the module from the Magisk repository.
3. Activate the module and restart the device.
4. Configure the colors in the module app (for example, in Iconify go to Status Bar). → Icon Color).

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If after installing the module system icons disappeared, check conflicts with other modules through Magisk → Modules. → Logs. Often the problem is solved by shutting down. MIUI Optimization (Disable Module) MIUI Optimization).

⚠️ Note: On Xiaomi with HyperOS modules for MIUI Before installing, check compatibility in the module description on GitHub or XDA Developers.

6. Creating custom icons by hand

If you want to have a unique design, you can create your icons from scratch or edit existing ones.

• 📱 Icon editing app: Icon Changer, Awesome Icons or Shortcut Maker.
• 🎨 Graphic Editor: PicsArt, Photoshop Express or Canva (to create a design).
• 🖥️ Computer (optional) for fine-tuning in Figma or Adobe Illustrator.

Step-by-step:

1. Download the icon template in.png format (size) 192×192 or 512×512 pixel).
2. Open the template in the graphics editor and change the color through the Color Balance tool or Shade Correction.
3. Save the result in.png format with a transparent background.
4. Use Shortcut Maker to replace the standard icon: 1. Open Shortcut Maker. 2. Select an app (e.g. Chrome). 3. Click "Change icon" → "Gallery." 4. Download your file.png. 5. Save the shortcut to the desktop.

Limitations of the method:

• ❌ Only shortcuts are replaced, not the icons themselves in the app menu.
• ❌ When updating the application, the shortcut may be reset.
• ❌ Does not work for system applications (Settings, Messages).

7. Frequent problems and their solutions

When you change the color of your icons on Xiaomi, users experience common mistakes, and here are the most common ones and ways to fix them:

If none of the methods worked, check:

• 📋 Firmware version: on MIUI 12.5 and below some functions may not be available.
• 🔄 Availability of updates for the launcher or icon package.
• 🛠️ Conflicts with other modules (if you use Magisk).

FAQ: Answers to popular questions