How to Change the Color of Your Icons on Xiaomi: 5 Proven Ways (Including Hidden MIUI Features)

The color of the icons on Xiaomi smartphones is not just an aesthetic element, but part of the MIUI corporate identity that many users want to personalize. Standard blue, green or red icons on the desktop can get tired after a couple of months of use, but not everyone knows that they can be changed without root rights or complex manipulation. In this article, we will examine all the current ways to change the color of the icons, from official themes to hidden launcher settings that work even on the latest versions of MIUI 14/15.

It’s important to understand that customization options vary with the device model and firmware version. For example, the flagship Xiaomi 13/14 and Redmi Note 12 have advanced theme settings, while on the budget Poco M5 or Redmi A2, some of the features can be trimmed. We tested all methods on current devices (2023-2026) and indicate where additional actions are required.

1. Official MIUI Topics: The Easiest Way

The safest and fastest way is to use Xiaomi’s built-in themes, with hundreds of free and paid options in the theme store, with icon colors ranging from minimalistic black and white to bright gradients, with the main benefit of not installing third-party apps or risking system stability.

To change the color of the icons through themes:

• 📱 Open the Themes app (icon with brush on desktop).
• 🔍 In the search bar, type in a query like “color icons”, “monochrome icons” or “gradient icons».
• 🎨 Choose your favorite theme and click Apply. The icons will change automatically.
• ⚙️ In some themes, you can customize individual elements: go to the theme settings → Personalization.

Note that not all themes change all icons, some only affect system applications (Settings, Phone, Messages), and the icons of third-party programs (such as WhatsApp or Telegram) remain the same.

2. Launchers from third developers: complete freedom

If the built-in themes are not enough, you can install a third-party launcher - a program that completely replaces the standard MIUI interface.

• 🌈 Nova Launcher – supports icon packages (for example, Whicons, CandyCons), allows you to change the color of each icon manually.
• 🎭 Lawnchair – lightweight launcher with support for adaptive icons and dynamic colors (adapts to wallpaper).
• 🔧 Hyperion Launcher – optimized for Xiaomi, has built-in settings for MIUI.
• 🖼️ Apex Launcher – lets you create your own icon themes through an editor.

Instructions for setting up (for example, Nova Launcher):

1. Install a launcher from Google Play.
2. Download the icon package (such as Minima Icon Pack or Flight Icons).
3. Click the empty space on the desktop → Settings → Style of icons.
4. Choose the downloaded package or adjust the color manually through Adaptive icons.

Make a backup of the desktop (photos or screenshots)

Check the compatibility of the launcher with the Android version

Disable battery optimization for launcher in MIUI settings

Download the icon pack in advance (not all are free)

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Important: On some Xiaomi models (such as Redmi 10C or Poco X5), a return gesture to the home screen may disappear after installing the launcher. To return it, go to Settings → Additional → Full-screen gestures and turn on the option to Use MIUI gestures.

3. Hidden MIUI settings: Color change without launchers

MIUI has hidden options that allow you to change the color of the icons without installing additional programs.This method does not work on all devices, but it is worth trying if you do not want to use themes or launchers.

Algorithm of action:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and click on MIUI Version 7 times.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable USB debugging.
3. Connect your phone to your PC and use the command ADB: adb shell settings put secure icon_color_filter [colour HEX] For example, for red: #FF0000, green-colored: #00FF00.
4. Reset the device.

This method only changes the color of the system icons and may not work on newer versions of MIUI 15.

4. Applications for customization of icons

If you need to change the color of individual icons (for example, only Instagram or YouTube), you can use specialized programs:

• 🎨 Icon Changer – allows you to replace icons one by one, supports color change through filters.
• 🖌️ Awesome Icons – More than 10,000 free icons with the ability to tint.
• 🔄 X Icon Changer – creates shortcuts with custom icons (does not replace the original ones).

How to use Icon Changer:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Select the app you want to change (e.g. Chrome)
3. Click Change the icon → Color filter.
4. Choose a color from the palette or enter HEX-code.
5. Save the changes – a new label will appear on the desktop.

⚠️ Attention: some icon-change apps create duplicate shortcuts rather than replace the original ones.This can lead to confusion if there are two icons of the same app on the desktop (standard and custom.

5. Manual editing of icons via APK (for advanced)

This method is suitable for those who are ready to dive into technical details, it allows you to change the color of the icons at the system file level, but requires root rights or the use of ADB.

Step-by-step:

1. Download. APK-The file of the application you want to change (for example, via APKMirror).
2. Unpack APK with an archiver (e.g., 7-Zip) and find the res/drawable folder, which stores.png icons.
3. Edit icons in Photoshop or GIMP by changing color through Color Balance or Color Correction.
4. Pack your files back to APK (use APKTool).
5. Install the modified APK via ADB: adb install -r -d path/to/file.apk

This is a risky way: improper editing of the APK can cause app malfunctions, and once the program is updated via Google Play, all changes will be reset.

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Before editing the APK, back up the original file. If something goes wrong, you can roll back through the adb install -r -d command of the original.apk.

Comparison of methods: which one to choose?

To make it easier for you to determine, we have compiled a table with the pros and cons of each method:

For most users, official themes or launchers are the best solution. If you need total customization and are willing to spend time, try the method with ADB or APK editing.

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On devices with MIUI 14/15 Some hidden settings may be blocked. ADB-teams are not working, try to roll back to an older firmware version or use alternative methods.

Frequent problems and their solutions

When changing the color of icons, users often encounter errors, and here are the most common ones and ways to fix them:

• 🔄 Icons dropped after update MIUI: This is normal system behavior. To get back to the way it was, re-apply the theme or launcher settings. ADB, repeat.
• 🚫 Not all icons have changed color: Chances are you are using a theme or launcher that doesn't support third-party apps.Install an icon package that supports popular programs (like Whicons or Delta).
• 🔳 Launcher brakes or crashes: Turn off animations in the launcher settings or try another one (like Lawnchair is lighter than Nova Launcher). MIUI application in the background (Settings) → Battery → Optimizing the battery).
• 🎨 Colors appear faded or ugly: Check the color profile of the screen (Settings) → Screen. → Color scheme. For bright icons, choose Saturated or AMOLED (if maintained).

⚠️ Note: on some Xiaomi devices (especially with MediaTek processors, such as Redmi) 9A POCO C50) Third-party launchers can slow down animations. MIUI Solution: disable all animations in the developer settings (Scope of animation window) = 0.5x).

FAQ: Answers to popular questions