How to change the font in the themes on Xiaomi: all the ways and nuances

Xiaomi's fonts are not just a design detail, but a key element that influences perception. A boring standard font can be tiresome, especially when you use a smartphone for a long time. Fortunately, MIUI's firmware offers several ways to change it, from built-in tools to custom solutions. But how do you do it right so you don't face bugs or loss of functionality?

In this article, we will analyze all the current methods of changing fonts on Xiaomi, Redmi and other devices. POCO — From the simplest settings in themes to manual implementation TTF-file ADB. We will pay special attention to the nuances for different versions. MIUI (12 to 14) and smartphone models.You will learn which fonts are supported out of the box, how to get around system limitations and what to do if artifacts or failures appear after a font change.

Why the standard MIUI font does not suit users

Xiaomi uses MIUI's MiSans (formerly Roboto in older versions) font, which is optimized for reading on high-resolution screens, but not everyone likes its design, and here are the main reasons why users want to change it:

• 🔹 Eye fatigue: too thin or, conversely, greasy symbols with prolonged use.
• 🔹 Style mismatch: font looks foreign in some design themes.
• 🔹 Lack of localization: in some regional versions MIUI The font does not support Cyrillic or other alphabets.
• 🔹 Fashion and Individuality: The Desire to Stand Out Among Other Users.

In addition, in MIUI 14 and later, the font has become more flat and minimalist, which is not popular. For example, users who are used to MiSans version 2.0 note that in recent updates, characters have become less clear on small screens. AMOLED-displays often complain of the lack of contrast of the standard font in dark themes.

Method 1: Change the font through the built-in MIUI themes

The easiest and safest method is to use official themes from MIUI Themes, many of which include not only wallpaper and icons, but also unique fonts. Here's how to do this:

1. Open the Themes app (the icon with a brush on your desktop).
2. Go to the Font tab (in some versions of MIUI it is hidden in the Categories section).
3. Choose your favorite font from the ones you like (e.g. MiSans Bold, Roboto Condensed or Noto Sans).
4. Click Apply and confirm the changes.

Note that not all themes support font change, and if the topic doesn’t mention custom font in the description, it’s likely to simply repaint the standard MiSans in a different color, and some regional versions of MIUI (e.g. Europe) may have limited font choice due to licensing agreements.

Make a backup of settings in Settings → About Phone → Backup >

Check the version. MIUI In Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI>

Make sure the theme store has fonts available for your region

Close all background applications before applying a new theme-->

Method 2: Installation of fonts through APK-files MIUI 12–14)

If there are few built-in options, you can install a font from a third-party APK-This method works on most Xiaomi, Redmi and other devices. POCO s MIUI 12-14, but it requires caution:

1. Download. APK-font file from a verified source (e.g, XDA Developers or MIUI Popular options: Google Sans, Product Sans, OnePlus Slate.
2. Transfer the file to the phone’s memory (for example, to the Downloads folder).
3. Open the file manager (such as Xiaomi Files) and find the APK you downloaded.
4. Click on the file and confirm installation. If the system blocks installation, allow installation from unknown sources in Settings → Applications → Special Access → Install unknown applications.
5. After installation, open the Themes app, go to the Fonts section and select a new font from the list.

Important: Not all APK-The fonts are compatible with the latest versions MIUI. For example, fonts for MIUI 12 may not work in the MIUI 14 due to changes in the text rendering system, and some fonts may also "break" the display of characters in applications (for example, WhatsApp or Telegram) if they do not support Cyrillic or emoji.

Method 3: Manually modify fonts via ADB (for advanced users)

If previous methods have failed, you can manually replace the font via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires connecting the phone to a computer and basic command line knowledge. On devices with MIUI 14 and later, this method can cause a system failure if you do not follow the order order.

You'll need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB and drivers for Xiaomi.
• 📱 Included debugging by USB on the phone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times to press the version → return to Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB).
• 📁 TTF-font file (e.g., Roboto-Regular.ttf).

Instructions:

adb shell


su




mount -o rw,remount /system




cp /sdcard/Download/Roboto-Regular.ttf /system/fonts/




chmod 644 /system/fonts/Roboto-Regular.ttf




reboot

Warning: Incorrect execution of commands can lead to a "bootloop" ( looped reboot).Be sure to back up /system partition via TWRP or Fastboot before starting. Also note that after the MIUI update, all changes to /system will reset.

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Before replacing the font through ADB, check it is compatible with your version of Android. For example, fonts for Android 10 may not display correctly in Android 13 due to changes in the text rendering library.

Compatibility table with MIUI versions

Not all fonts work equally well on different firmware versions, and here is a table of compatibility of popular fonts with MIUI 12-14:

If your font is not listed in the table, test it on a system backup or on a device with an unlocked bootloader. Be especially careful with fonts with non-standard pins (for example, Condensed or Extended) - they can "break" the layout in some applications.

Solving problems after changing the font

Even if you did everything right, you can get bugs after you change the font, and here are the most common problems and ways to solve them:

• 🔠 Symbols are displayed in squares: Font does not support Cyrillic or special characters. Solution: Set the font with full Unicode support (for example, Noto Sans).
• 📱 System applications crash: Some fonts conflict with MIUI Launcher.Solution: Return the Standard Font through Settings → Topics → Fonts → By default.
• 🔄 Phone reboots in loop: This means font damaged system files Solution: boot into Safe Mode (hold power button) → Reboot in Safe Mode and remove the problem font.
• 🖼️ Distorted display in games: Many games use their own fonts and ignore the system fonts. Solution: change the font only for the system interface, not for all applications.

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If you have lost emojis in your messages after changing the font, install the Noto Color Emoji font via ADB. It will restore the correct display of emojis.

If none of these methods helped, try resetting the theme settings to standard:

1. Open Settings → Themes.
2. Choose My Subjects → Standard.
3. Confirm the reset.

How to Get Back the Standard MIUI Font

If experiments with fonts led to unstable operation of the system, you can return everything "as it was" in several ways:

1. Through the theme settings: Open the Themes app. Go to Fonts. Select Default or MiSans.
2. Through resetting (if font is installed via APK): Open Settings → Applications → Application Management. Find an application with the font name (e.g. FontInstaller). Click Delete.
3. Through ADB (if the font was replaced by hand): adb shell su mount -o rw,remount /system rm /system/fonts/CustomFont.ttf reboot

⚠️ Warning: If after removing the custom font system continues to fail, reset to factory settings (Settings) → The phone. → Reset settings. Pre-save important data, as this process will delete all user files.

FAQ: Frequent questions about changing fonts to Xiaomi