How to change icons in the curtain on Xiaomi: the complete guide

Modern Xiaomi smartphones offer users extensive personalization capabilities that go far beyond simply installing wallpaper or theme. One of the most commonly used interface elements is a control panel, often referred to as a “curtain,” that contains fast-setting icons like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and a flashlight. Many device owners are looking to redesign these elements to make the interface more unique or just refresh the experience of the system.

However, the process of changing icons in the curtain on MIUI and the new HyperOS has its own technical features and limitations, which you should know in advance. Standard system tools to replace the icon of a particular switch, for example, change the view of the Bluetooth icon to custom, is impossible without deep intervention in the code.

In this article, we will take a look at all the ways you can modify your Quick Settings Panel. You will learn about design themes, using custom modules for advanced users, and setting up third-party controller apps. Understanding Xiaomi’s interface architecture will help you safely experiment with design without compromising the stability of the operating system.

Control Panel Architecture in MIUI and HyperOS

Xiaomi’s shell quick settings panel is a system component rigidly integrated into the Android framework. This means that graphic elements displayed as tiles or toggles are not ordinary image files that can be simply replaced in a folder. System resources are packed into special archives, access to which is limited by superuser rights.

When you update the Android version or the MIUI shell itself, the structure of these resources can change, which is why trying to manually replace the icon file through the file manager without the appropriate access rights will only lead to an error or no visible result.

However, Xiaomi engineers have provided legal ways to change visual style, a basic mechanism that relies on design themes that can redefine graphical interface elements, including icons in the control panel, the safest and most recommended way for most users who do not want to risk the health of their device.

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The standard Android system does not allow you to directly replace system icons without root rights, so using themes is the only legal way to change the design globally.

It's important to understand the difference between changing the order of the tiles and changing their graphical image, and if you can move the icons in the editing menu, you need to use more complex tools to change their appearance, which will be discussed below.

Using the Themes app to change style

The most affordable way to change the look of icons in the curtain is to use the built-in Themes app. Developers around the world create designs that completely replace the graphical shell of the system, including fast-switch icons. To get started, you need to launch the application and go to the search section.

In the search bar, it is recommended to enter keywords related to the desired style, for example, “iOS style”, “Minimal icons” or “Neon”. After choosing the appropriate topic, you should pay attention to the description: some topics only change application icons, without affecting system elements. You need themes marked "System". UI» or "Control Center».

The process of installing the theme requires care. Once the design is loaded, the system will suggest applying it. At this point, a window may appear with a selection of components for use. Make sure that the items responsible for the System interface and Control Panel are marked. If these items are not in the list, then the selected theme does not support the modification of the curtain.

It's worth noting that it can take a few seconds for the theme to blink or go out, and that's normal for the system to reboot the GUI, and if the icons in the curtain are the same after you use the theme, try rebooting your smartphone completely.

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Before installing a new theme, always back up your current settings or remember the name of a standard theme so that you can quickly return to the original look in case of problems.

Setting up and editing fast tiles

Although the system icon is limited in its graphical image replacement, users can flexibly adjust the composition and layout of the tiles in the control panel, by unlocking the screen and swiping from top to bottom to open the control center. At the bottom of the screen, there is usually an edit button represented by a pencil or menu icon.

By clicking on the edit button, you're in a mode where you can drag and drop active icons and add new ones from the list of available ones, and you can highlight commonly used features like Read Mode, Access Point, or Screen Recording, making them more accessible.

Some versions of HyperOS offer a tiles size change feature, which can be changed from small to large or vice versa by pressing a certain icon for a long time, which helps to structure the space and prioritize the features, even though the icon pattern itself remains standard for the chosen theme.

If you can't find the edit button, check the control panel settings. The path usually looks like this: Settings → Notifications and Control Center → Control Center style. You can also switch between the old and new curtain styles, which dramatically changes the visual perception of icons.

Advanced customization through Root rights and modules

For users who require complete control of the system and are not afraid of complex manipulations, there is a way to obtain superuser rights (Root). Having root access allows you to make changes to system files, including the control panel graphics. However, this method requires unlocking the bootloader, which can void the warranty.

The main tool for modification in this case is the Magisk framework or its analogue KernelSU. After installing root rights, you need to download a module, for example, SystemUI Tuner or specialized themes for Substratum. These tools allow you to embed your graphical resources on top of the system.

One popular solution is to use modules for LSPosed (a framework that replaces Xposed), modules like MIUI Control Center or CustoMIUIzer allow you not only to change icons, but also completely re-engineer the logic of the curtain, adding new switches that are not available in stock firmware.

⚠️ Note: Changes to the system section /system or /product without a full backup can lead to a "boot loop" (cyclic reboot) of the device. ADB restore access.

The installation process requires the exact instructions of the authors. Mismatching the version of the Android version module or the MIUI shell is guaranteed to lead to unstable work. For example, the module for Android 12 will not work correctly on Android 14.

Alternative control panels and widgets

If standard tools don't meet your requirements, you can go the other way, and you can replace the control panel itself with a third-party one. There are many applications on the Google Play Store that mimic the curtain, but offer advanced functionality and customization, such applications run on top of the system interface.

A popular solution is Quick Settings or Control Center iOS 15. Once installed and provided with the necessary permissions (including the right to overlay over other windows), you can call a custom swipe curtain. In the settings of such applications, an editor is often available that allows you to change icons, colors and background transparency.

The advantage of this approach is security: system files are not available, so the risk of damaging the firmware is minimal. However, third-party panels can consume more battery power, since they are a separate active process, constantly waiting for your interaction.

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Third-party control panels are a great compromise alternative for those who want a unique design without getting root rights and the risk of system failure.

To activate such applications, it is often necessary to turn off the standard curtain or adjust the launch over a double tap to avoid conflicts.Some Xiaomi models can aggressively close the background processes, so a third-party panel should be added to the battery exception list.

Possible problems and ways to solve them

Users may encounter a variety of errors during customization, the most common problem being the theme's "melt" after rebooting, when icons return to the standard look, due to optimization of the system, which resets resource changes to save memory, the solution lies in fixing the topic in memory or using special patches.

Another common situation is the appearance of black squares instead of icons, which indicates that the graphic resource is not found or has the wrong format, in which case you need to delete the last installed theme or module, and if the problem occurs after manually replacing files, you will need to reset the settings through Recovery.

⚠️ Warning: If after installing the module, the phone stopped loading to the desktop (stuck on the Mi logo), do not panic. Try booting into safe mode by pressing the volume button when the logo appears, or remove the problem module through the logo. ADB Adb shell pm uninstall --user 0.

Also worth mentioning is the problem of desynchronization icons: After updating the MIUI or HyperOS system, old themes may not display correctly, since the theme developers have not updated the graphics for new resolutions or resource names, in which case only waiting for a theme update or returning to standard design helps.

You can use system logs to diagnose problems, but for the average user, a more effective method is to roll back changes in a sequential manner. Remove the last installed components one by one, checking the result after each action.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)