How to Change the Icons on Xiaomi Screen: Personalization of the Interface

Xiaomi’s modern smartphones offer users a huge amount of customization, allowing them to turn a standard interface into a unique visual experience. One of the most effective ways to express their individuality is to replace standard graphic elements with brighter, minimalist or simply favorite images. Device owners often wonder how to change icons on the screen to get rid of the monotony of the MIUI stock shell or the new HyperOS.

The process of changing icons does not require superuser rights or deep knowledge of programming. The system offers built-in tools, and also supports third-party applications that extend functionality beyond recognition. Desktop personalization begins with understanding what methods are available for your device model and operating system version.

In this article, we will discuss in detail all the available ways to transform the visual style of your gadget. You will learn about the nuances of working with the official theme store, installing alternative launchers and manually editing application shortcuts. Replacing system icons without third-party launchers is possible only through the use of themes, since direct editing of system files in new versions of Android is blocked.

Official MIUI and HyperOS Theme Store

The easiest and safest way to change the look of the interface is to use the built-in Themes app, which is pre-installed on all Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones. It contains thousands of pre-made sets that change not only icons, but also wallpaper, fonts, notification sounds and control panel style. To access the directory, just find the app of the same name in the Tools folder or on the desktop.

Once you open the app, you need to go to Profile or My Pages, where the Themes button is located. You can type in queries like "iOS icons," "Minimal," "Neon" or "Flat" in the search bar to find the appropriate style. It's important to understand that the application of the theme affects the entire system, so choosing a set where only icons change and the rest of the items remain stock can be difficult.

⚠️ Warning: When installing themes from third-party sources or unofficial ports, always check reviews. Some modified themes may contain ads or incorrectly display on screens with high refresh rates.

Users from some regions (such as Russia or India) may not be able to access a full themes directory due to regional restrictions, in which case the Topics app settings can change to India or Singapore, which will open access to the global storage, and after the region change, it is recommended to clear the app cache for application changes.

• 🎨 Thousands of free and paid designs from the community and official designers.
• 🔄 Ability to preview icons before installing on the desktop.
• 🌍 Access to regional exclusives when changing location in settings.

Once you select a favorite set, click Download and then Apply. The system will automatically replace all standard shortcuts with new ones. If you like the theme as a whole, but some icons are unchanged or look inappropriate, you can use the Customize Theme feature, which allows you to selectively apply elements.

Using third-party launchers for complete freedom

If the built-in MIUI shell feels limited, the best solution is to install a third-party launcher. Launcher is an application that completely replaces the desktop, app menus and often the search bar. The most popular options are Nova Launcher, Microsoft Launcher and Smart Launcher. They allow you to change icons individually for each application, which is impossible to do with standard tools without themes.

To get started, download the selected launcher from the Google Play store. Once installed, the system will prompt you to select it by default to perform actions "Home". If you agree, you will see a clean desktop. Then you will download icon packs. In the search for the Play Market, type "Icon Packs" and select any set you like, for example, "Whicons" for white minimalism or "LineX" for linear style.

Once you have installed the icon pack, go to your new launcher settings. The path usually looks like this: Launcher settings → Appearance → Icon Style. Here you can choose the previously installed pack. The flexibility of setting up third-party shells allows you to change the grid size, transparency and even animation of opening applications.

⚠️ Warning: Third-party launchers may consume more RAM than standard shell.On devices with 4GB of RAM or less, this may lead to more frequent unloading of background applications.

One of the main advantages of these programs is the ability to manually replace the icon for a particular application, which requires a long time to click on the shortcut, select "Change" (or pencil) and then "Gallery" to select any image from the memory of the phone, which is ideal for creating unique widgets or grouping applications by color.

• 🖌️ Complete individual setting of each application shortcut.
• 📐 Changes in the size of the desktop grid and font scale.
• 🚀 Additional gestures and functions not available in stock MIUI.

Manual replacement of icons through system settings

The latest versions of HyperOS and some MIUI 14 updates offer partial customization without installing third-party software, a technique that suits those who want to change only a few key applications without changing the entire interface, but the functionality is highly dependent on regional firmware and a particular smartphone model.

To check the availability of the feature, go to Settings → Wallpaper and Personalization → Icons. If the menu is available, you will see several pre-installed styles (Classic, Material, iOS).Style selection will apply the new design to all supported applications. Some system applications, such as Phone or Messages, may not support the change of style, remaining in the original design.

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If the Icons menu doesn’t have the style you want, try changing the region in the “Additional → Region” settings to “India” or “Indonesia”, where the functionality is often wider.

To manually replace one shortcut on your desktop without changing the theme, you can use a built-in editor. Press and hold your finger on the app icon until the action menu appears. If the launcher supports editing, you will see a Change button or a pencil icon. By clicking on it, you can select a new image from the gallery.

This is convenient because it doesn't require any additional software or loads, but there's a limited number of editable elements available, and the system constraints don't allow you to change the design massively through this menu, so it's still better to use themes for global changes.

• 📱 Quickly change style without rebooting the interface.
• 🛡️ Security: Only system resources are used.
• ⚙️ Minimal impact on battery autonomy.

Advanced Customization: Shortcuts and Editors

For those who want to create the perfect visual, but are not ready to put heavy launchers, there are special shortcut editor apps. A prime example is the XIcon changer or Shortcut Maker app. They create new shell shortcuts that lead to the original applications, but look the way you intended.

The way it works is simple: you open the editor, you select the app you want to change the icon for, you upload the picture (png, jpg) and you create a new shortcut on your desktop, and the original icon is hidden or left in the app menu, and you can create themed desktops, like cyberpunk or retro.

Using these ulites allows you to combine icons from different packs, add frames, shadows, and even change the names of applications on shortcuts, which creates a feeling of a completely custom system, but it is worth remembering that such shortcuts can open a fraction of a second slower than native ones.

When using editors, it is important to choose high-quality images, preferably in PNG format with a transparent background, this will ensure that icons look neat on any background of the desktop, the resolution of images should be at least 512x512 pixels for clarity on modern screens.

Compatibility issues and bugs after changing icons

Often, after installing a new theme or launcher, users find that some icons have not changed, look stretched or disappeared altogether, because theme developers do not always add graphics for all existing applications, especially for rarely used or regional versions of programs.

For MIUI themes, if the app icon hasn't changed, you can manually replace it. Go to the Themes → Profile → Icons. This will show all the apps that don't have graphics in the current theme, you can choose a standard icon or a gallery image for them. It will take time, but the result is worth it.

⚠️ Note: When you update an application that has been manually modified through shortcut editors, the new shortcut may stop working or reset.

Another common problem is icon shape mismatch, and if you have round icons in the theme and you set square icons, they can be cropped or black fields, and this can be solved by setting the Icon Masks in the launcher or choosing the theme that matches the shape of your preferences.

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The most stable result is the use of official themes from the global directory, as they are tested for compatibility with most popular applications.

Sometimes, after a launcher change, the weather or watch widgets can disappear, and this is solved by adding them again through the new launcher widget menu. Not all MIUI widgets work correctly in third-party shells, so sometimes you have to look for alternatives on Google Play.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions