How to customize Xiaomi phone: a deep guide

Modern Xiaomi smartphones offer users incredible freedom of action, but the standard shell MIUI or the new HyperOS often limits the flight of imagination. Many owners of devices in the Redmi and Poco series face the desire to change the visual style or expand the functionality beyond pre-installed capabilities. This is where the fascinating process of customization begins, which turns the standard gadget into a unique tool, fully tailored to personal preferences.

In this article, we will take a look at all the steps in transforming your device, from simple interface settings to complex technical modifications. You will learn how to safely install third-party themes, replace system fonts, and even gain super-user rights for full control of the system. Deep tuning allows you not only to improve the appearance, but also significantly improve the performance of the device.

Before you start taking action, you need to understand the difference between safe methods and those that carry risks. Unlocking the bootloader is a prerequisite for installing customized rigs and firmware, but it completely voids the manufacturer's warranty. We'll look at both: for cautious users who want to just change the wallpaper, and for enthusiasts who are willing to reflash the device for new features.

Basic interface configuration and thematicization

The easiest and safest way to change the look of a smartphone is to use the built-in Themes app. Unlike many other manufacturers, Xiaomi provides a huge library of designs created by both the official and the community. To access them, you just open the application, select a category and click the download button. Once installed, the theme changes icons, lock screen wallpaper, notification sounds and often changes the appearance of the system menus.

However, the standard directory can be limited to regional settings for your Mi Account. If you are in a region where the theme store is not fully functional, you can change the region in your phone settings or use third-party launchers. Launchers such as Nova Launcher or Microsoft Launcher allow you to completely rebuild your desktop by adding gestures, hidden folders and animations that are not available in the stock shell.

For those who want to go further, there is the option of manually installing themes in.mtz format. Such files often contain bolder design decisions and deep changes to system elements.

• 🎨 Depth of Change: Themes can change everything from the shape of battery icons to the animation of opening apps.
• 🔒 Security: Official theme store is checked for viruses, while files from the Internet require verification.
• ⚙️ Compatibility: Some topics designed for MIUI 12 may not display correctly on HyperOS.

⚠️ Note: If after installing a new theme, the interface “got” or icon signatures are missing, immediately delete the theme through the “My Pages” menu in the Topics app until the system restarts.

Working with fonts and system typography

Fonts play a key role in the perception of information from the screen. Standard font Roboto or MI Sans can seem boring or poorly readable to some users. Font customization in Xiaomi allows you to replace the system typography with any other, supporting Cyrillic, this can be handwriting style, strict technical font or the option with increased readability for people with impaired vision.

The fonts are installed through the same Themes app, but in a separate Fonts tab. Once selected and downloaded, the font is applied to the entire system instantly. However, there are limitations: some system applications, such as Phone or Messages, can ignore third-party fonts for compatibility reasons, in which cases Magisk modules or superuser rights are required.

For advanced users, you can edit configuration font files. By changing the parameters in the configuration files, you can achieve a "bold" font effect throughout the system, which is especially important for the user. AMOLED-It requires accuracy and the presence of file managers with access to the system partition, for example, MT Manager or Solid Explorer.

• 📝 Readability: A properly selected font reduces eye fatigue during long reading.
• 🌐 Localization: Make sure that the font you choose supports Cyrillic, otherwise you will see Krakozyabry instead of text».
• 📉 Battery impact: Complex vector fonts may slightly increase processor power consumption.

Using ADB for hidden settings

Android Debug Bridge Toolkit (ADB) It allows you to access hidden functions of the system without having to get Root rights or unlock the bootloader. It's a powerful customization method for those who are afraid to lock up the phone, but want to remove system debris or change the behavior of the interface, USB-cable and installed Xiaomi drivers.

With ADB, you can disable embedded ads in system applications, remove pre-installed games and services from Google or Facebook that can’t be removed in the usual way, and fine-tuning animations, interface scale, and even changing the pixel density (dpi), making controls larger or smaller.

To get started, activate the developer mode. Go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click on the MIUI version number seven times. Then, in the Advanced Settings menu, turn on Debugging on USB. Once you connect your phone to your PC, you can enter commands in the terminal.

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.misfsd


adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.facebook.katana

These commands will delete the Mi file manager (if you don't need one) and the Facebook app. Be extremely careful: removing critical system packages can lead to a "bootloop" (cyclical reboot).

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Before removing system applications via ADB, use the adb shell pm list packages command to output the full list of packages and save it to a text file to know what exactly you are disabling.

• 🛠️ Security: ADB No need to unlock the bootloader, which retains the guarantee.
• 🗑️ Cleaning: An effective way to get rid of bloatware taking up space in memory.
• ⚡ Speed: Disconnecting background processes through ADB It can speed up the operation of the old device.

Unlocking the loader and custom recavery

For those who decide to go all the way, unlocking the bootloader is the first and most important step, which removes digital signatures that verify the integrity of the software being downloaded and allows you to install modified recovery images. The most popular custom recovery is the TWRP (Team Win Recovery Project), which allows you to make full system backups, install mods and custom firmware.

The unlocking process requires you to apply through the official Mi Unlock Tool app on your PC. Once you approve your application (which can take 3 to 7 days) and wait for a timer of 168 hours (7 days), you can unlock the device. Importantly, all data on the phone will be irretrievably deleted during the unlocking process, so back up in advance.

Once you install TWRP, you get access to the Android file system, you can backup Boot, System, and Data partitions, which saves you when you're experimenting with the system, and you can install patches through TWRP to bypass integrity checks in banking applications.

⚠️ Warning: Once the bootloader is unlocked, security features that depend on the trusted download, such as Google Pay (in some implementations) and data protection in messengers, cease to work unless additional measures are taken to hide root rights.

Magisk modules and deep system modification

Magisk is the Holy Grail of Android customization. Magisk works systemless, which means it doesn’t make changes to the system partition directly, but loads modifications when it boots, which keeps Google’s banking apps and services running if you set up the hiding correctly.

With the help of Magisk modules, you can do wonders: turn on the recording of calls without warning the interlocutor (depending on the region), activate Hi-Fi audio codecs, change the logo when downloading and even emulate GPS-navigation. A popular module is Viper4Android, which dramatically improves sound quality through speakers and headphones, adding equalizers and surround sound effects.

However, the installation of modules requires caution. Conflicting modules can cause the phone to stop turning on. In this case, the safe Magisk mode (start with a clamped volume button) allows you to turn off all modules and restore access to the system. Regular updates to Magisk Manager are necessary for compatibility with new versions of Android.

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Magisk is not just a way to get root rights, it is a platform for secure modular modification of the system, allowing you to maintain a guarantee of software compatibility.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)