Personalizing the smartphone interface is not just a tribute to fashion, but a way to make interaction with the device truly comfortable and aesthetic. Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO gadgets often face the desire to move away from the standard visual range, which can seem boring or overloaded. MIUI and its successor HyperOS provide powerful tools for customization, allowing you to change the appearance of the lock screen, fonts and, of course, app icons.
The process of replacing graphics can range from simple installation of a finished theme to deep manual adjustment of each individual shortcut. Many users are unaware that the built-in tools allow you to achieve amazing results without the need to obtain advanced access rights or install third-party software from unverified sources. In this article, we will discuss in detail all available methods for transforming the desktop.
It is important to understand that the visual component directly affects the perception of information. Replacing standard icons with custom ones on Xiaomi devices does not require unlocking the bootloader, which makes this procedure safe for beginners. You can turn your smartphone into a unique device that reflects your individual style using only standard functionality and proven applications.
Use of the built-in “Themes” application
The easiest and most reliable way to change shortcuts on Xiaomi is through the pre-installed Themes system application, which is the central hub for managing the appearance of the shell. It contains thousands of ready-made solutions, where designers have already chosen harmonious combinations of icons, widgets and system sounds. To get started, you just need to find the appropriate application in the Tools folder or through the search for settings.
After you start the app, go to Profile (the person icon in the bottom right corner), which is where you hide the functionality to manage the components you already installed. You need to select Themes, which will show a list of all the designs you've ever downloaded. However, we're not interested in changing the theme altogether, but in icons, so we look for a tab or icon button at the bottom of the screen or in the control menu.
⚠️ Note: When downloading themes from third-party sources or unofficial stores, always check the permissions the file requests.While the standard Themes app is secure, third-party plugins may have access to your data.
In the menu that opens, you'll see a gallery of available icon sets, and the system allows you to selectively apply them, so you can leave the MIUI system shortcuts unchanged, and for social media and messengers, you can choose a different style, and it creates an interesting visual contrast. When you click on the set you like, you see a preview of how it will look on the desktop.
Manual replacement of icons for individual applications
The functionality allows you to do a spot-replacement of graphics for specific programs, which is especially true if you are annoyed by the design of the shortcut of one particular application that is out of the picture.
To change the shortcut manually, tap the app icon on your desktop to a long tap, and select Edit shortcut from the context menu that appears, and open a gallery where you can select an image from your phone’s memory or take an icon from a previously downloaded set, giving you full control over each element of the interface.
If you want to create a completely unique design, you can use any image from the gallery. The system will automatically crop the image to the desired format, but it is better to prepare high-resolution square images in advance, which ensures that important details of the logo are not cropped or distorted when zooming.
☑️ Check before replacing the icon
It is worth noting that when you update some apps through Google Play or GetApps, the system can automatically return the standard shortcut, in which case the replacement procedure will have to be repeated, and some users prefer to disable automatic updates for design-critical applications to maintain style integrity.
Installation of third-party launchers for advanced capabilities
MIUI's body shell is good, but sometimes it's not enough for deep customization, and in those cases, third-party launchers come to the rescue, programs that completely replace the desktop interface, and the leaders in this niche are Nova Launcher, Microsoft Launcher, and Smart Launcher, which provide access to hundreds of animation settings, desktop grids, and shortcut behavior.
Once you install the launcher from Play Market, the system will suggest you select the default one, and then you will have access to an expanded settings menu, where you can resize the grid to make the cells smaller or larger, which will affect the number of apps on the screen, and you can also fine-tune the animations of opening apps and folding windows.
| Parameter | Standard MIUI launcher | Nova Launcher | Smart Launcher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grid flexibility | Limited. | Total freedom | Automatic. |
| Animation. | Standard. | Adjustable speed | Minimalistic. |
| RAM memory. | Optimized. | Average consumption | High optimization |
| Sign support | Basic | Expanded | Intellectual |
When using third-party launchers, it is important to consider resource consumption. Heavy shells can drain the battery faster on older smartphones. However, on modern Xiaomi 13 or 14 devices, the difference is almost invisible. The main advantage is the ability to install icon packs from the Play Store, which apply to the entire system at once.
What to do if the launcher flies?
Creating new types of widgets and folders
Changing shortcuts is only part of the equation of a beautiful interface. To create a harmonious composition, you need to organize the space correctly. HyperOS and new versions of MIUI allow you to create large folders that can display application icons without having to open the folder itself. This visually unloads the desktop.
To create a folder like this, just drag and drop one app onto another, and then click on the folder name and select the option “Resize” or “Big folder.” Inside this folder, you can place up to 6-9 apps that look like mini-shortcuts. This is a great way to group tools by color or function.
Also, widgets can serve as not only displays, but also decorative elements. Many themes offer widgets that match icons stylistically. By combining transparent widgets and custom shortcuts, you can create whole compositions, such as mimicking the desktop with an operating system or creating a minimalistic black and white interface.
⚠️ Note: When installing a large number of heavy widgets (especially with live wallpaper or constant synchronization), the battery life of the device can be reduced by a factor of two. 15-20%.
Experiment with transparency. Some launchers and widgets allow you to adjust the level of transparency of the label background, which creates a depth effect, especially if you have a quality wallpaper with an abstract or natural pattern, transparent elements make the interface airy and modern.
Compatibility issues and bugs after the update
A common problem faced by Xiaomi users is resetting shortcuts after a system update. the company regularly releases security patches and new versions of Android that can change the structure of system files. As a result, manually modified icons can return to factory appearance or display with errors (white square instead of picture).
If you find icons missing or white squares, don’t panic. Most often, cleaning the launcher cache helps. Go to Settings → Apps → All Apps, find your launcher (like System Launcher or Nova), select Memory and click Clear Cache. Don’t confuse it with Clear All Data, or you’ll lose the location of the icons on your desktop.
Another common problem is that older icon packages are not compatible with newer versions of Android. Icon developers do not always have time to update their products to the new requirements of Google, in which case it is recommended to look for alternative sets marked “Updated 2026” or “Android 14 compatible”.
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Save a backup. Most launchers have a "Backup & Restore" feature, backup before major system updates so you don't spend hours setting shortcuts again.
Optimizing productivity in customization
The use of multiple graphics, live icons and heavy launchers puts strain on the processor and RAM. On budget models of the Redmi Note or POCO M series, this can lead to micro-latency when scrolling through screens. To avoid this, it is worthwhile to approach the number of active widgets intelligently.
Turn off unnecessary animations in the developer menu if you notice a drop in FPS (frames per second) when swiping. To access this menu, you need to click on the build number in the About Phone section several times. In the Windows Animation and Transition Animation section, you can set a value of 0.5x, which visually speeds up the interface without loss of quality.
Also, keep track of how many processes are running in the background. Castom themes often have their own services that consume resources. Regular memory cleaning and rebooting the device every few days will help keep the system in good shape. Remember that beautiful pictures should not be at the expense of functionality and speed.
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Balancing beauty and performance is key to comfortable use. Don’t install more than 3-4 heavy widgets at once on devices with less than 6GB of RAM.