How to Change Badges on Xiaomi: A Complete Customization Guide MIUI

The visuals of the smartphone interface are just as important as the hardware, because it's the screen we look at hundreds of times a day. The standard MIUI shell or Xiaomi's new HyperOS offer a nice but rather conservative set of icons that can get bored in a couple of months. Many owners of Redmi and Poco series devices are wondering how to change icons on Xiaomi to personalize the gadget and make it truly unique.

Fortunately, the Chinese manufacturer’s ecosystem allows for deep customization of the look without having to obtain root rights or flash the device. There are several proven ways to transform the interface, from using the built-in Themes app to installing third-party launchers that completely change the logic of the desktop. In this article, we will discuss each method in detail so that you can choose the best option for your model.

Before you make any changes, it's important to understand that replacing system elements can affect device performance, especially on low-cost models with low RAM. But with the right approach, you can achieve amazing visual effects while maintaining the stability of the system. Let's look at the main tools that will help you do this.

Use of the built-in “Themes” application

The easiest and safest way to change icons on Xiaomi is to use the Themes app, which is pre-installed on all the brand’s devices and provides access to a huge database of user and official designs. To get started, you need to open the app, type in the search name of the desired style or select the category “Icons” in the bottom menu.

Once you've selected a set you like, you can download it and apply it. It's important to note that many themes change not only icons, but also wallpaper, notification sounds, and system fonts. If you only need new icons, when applying the theme, look for the "Set theme" button or a similar item in the download menu where you can deselect from unnecessary elements, leaving only application icons.

The built-in store periodically changes the search algorithms, so the same popular themes may not be available in different regions of the Mi Account. If keyword searches do not yield results, try changing the region in the phone settings to India or Singapore - this often opens up access to hidden or exclusive icon sets, which can then be applied to any region.

• 🎨 Open the Themes app and go to profile to check your download history.
• 🔍 Use search for “Icons” or “Minimal” to find concise styles.
• ⚙️ In the theme menu, select “Set up” to apply only icons, leaving the old wallpaper.
• 🔄 To return to the original look, it is enough to select the classic style of the "Classic" in the "Themes" application».

⚠️ Note: Some third-party themes from the store may contain ads or require you to watch videos to unlock. Use only high-rated themes and high downloads to avoid installing malicious code.

Installation of third-party launchers

If you think the standard shell is limited, a third-party launcher is a great solution, and these are special applications that completely replace the desktop, the app menu, and the control panel. The most popular and stable Android options are Nova Launcher, Lawnchair, and Microsoft Launcher, which allow you to not just change pictures, but also change the grid, animation, and icon behavior.

Once you install the launcher from Google Play, the system will ask permission to use it as the default interface. Once confirmed, you will have access to advanced look settings. Unlike the standard theme, launchers often allow you to customize each element separately: the font size under the icon, the shape of the icon, the effect when clicked, and even hiding unnecessary applications.

However, it is worth considering that third-party launchers consume more battery and RAM resources than the native launcher POCO Launcher or MIUI Home. On devices with 3-4 GB of RAM, this can lead to more frequent unloading of background applications. So before installing, weigh the need for deep customization and the available resources of your smartphone.

For users who appreciate minimalism, Niagara Launcher is great, which offers a completely different approach to organizing space, removing unnecessary icons from view. If you are an iOS fan, then launchers like Launcher iOS 16 will help bring Xiaomi’s interface to the design of the iPhone, copying even the behavior of folders and notification curtains.

Manual replacement of icons through the app “Themes”

There is a lesser-known but very useful method to combine icons from different sets to create your own unique mix. The Themes app has a manual editing feature that isn’t available to all users at once, but often activates after a component update or region change. This is ideal if you like the overall style of the system, but annoys the design of a particular application, such as Phone or Messages.

To use this feature, open the Themes app, go to Profile (human icon) and select Icons. Here you will see a list of all installed apps and the current icon for each, clicking on any item, you can choose a replacement from the gallery of proposed themes or upload your image.

Settings → Topics → Profile → Icons → [Application Selection] → Replacement

This method allows you to maintain uniformity of style without disturbing the overall concept of the interface. You can take strict monochrome icons for system utilities and bright color icons for social networks. This flexibility is not available when applying a single theme, where all elements are subordinated to the same artistic design of the author.

Use of the Shortcut Maker app

For those who want to create a completely unique design without relying on ready-made sets, there is a powerful application called Shortcut Maker. This tool allows you to create shortcuts for any application, contacts, websites, and even specific actions (for example, immediately open the camera in selfie mode).

The process of creating a custom icon takes only a few seconds. Once Shortcut Maker is launched, select "Apps," find the desired application, click on the icon preview, and select "Icon." In the menu that opens, you can upload your image, choose a color or font. Once saved, the shortcut will appear on the desktop as a new application.

The main advantage of this method is that it's completely independent of system constraints, so you can make the icon round, square, shadowy or not, any size, but there's a caveat: the shortcut that you create is technically a separate link, so when you remove the main application, the shortcut may stop working and you'll have to recreate it.

• 🖼️ Download your own. PNG-Images with a transparent background for a better view.
• 🎨 Use the built-in editor to add gradients and frames to icons.
• ⚡ Create shortcuts to quickly run specific app features.
• 📂 Group created shortcuts into folders to maintain order on the desktop.

⚠️ Note: When creating a large number of shortcuts through Shortcut Maker, the desktop may become less responsive.It is recommended not to abuse this method on older models of smartphones with Snapdragon series processors 400-600.

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Keep the original icons in a separate folder before mass replacement. If the new style gets bored, the process of returning to the factory look will take less time if you have the original at hand.

Creating and editing your own topics

For advanced users who haven’t found the perfect solution in the store, you can create your own theme from scratch, which requires a computer and the official Mi Theme Editor utility, which allows you to unpack an existing theme, replace your graphics icon files with your own and package everything back into.mtz format.

The process requires care, because it is important to observe the exact size of files and folder structure. MIUI They have very specific permissions, and if you break the proportions, they'll show up incorrectly or stretch out. PNG permittingly 192x192 pixels or higher.

After editing the files, the theme is assembled into an installation package, which can be installed via the “Import” menu in the “Themes” app by selecting the created.mtz file. This method gives 100% control over the appearance of the system, but requires time and basic skills to work with graphic editors.

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Creating your own theme is the only way to get a unique design that no other user in the world has, but it takes time and graphics skills.

Solution and resetting of settings

When experimenting with the interface, users often face various problems: icons can fly, apps stop opening, or the desktop starts to freeze. Most often this is due to conflicting versions of the launcher or damage to the theme cache. If you notice strange behavior after installing a new theme, first of all try to restart the device.

If the reboot didn’t help, reset the launcher or theme app settings. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps, find Themes or the launcher installed, select Memory and click Clear (not Delete unless you want to lose data).

Also worth mentioning is the problem of black squares instead of icons, which means that the theme is not optimized for your version of Android or MIUI. In such cases, it is better to abandon the use of a particular theme and look for a more recent counterpart that is compatible with your version of the software.