How to put emoticons on Xiaomi smartphones like on iPhone: a detailed guide

Are you tired of standard emojis on Xiaomi and want them to look as stylish as on iPhone? This desire is understandable: Apple’s emojis feature more drawn-out design, natural colors and universal readability. Fortunately, there are several ways for MIUI device owners to replace standard icons with iPhone ones, from simple customization to deep customization of the system.

In this article, we will look at three proven methods: installing themes, manually changing fonts, and using third-party keyboards. Each option has its pros and cons, from speed of implementation to potential risks to system stability. We will also compare results on different versions of MIUI (12 to 14) and provide a compatibility table with popular models Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO.

Before you start, consider: some methods require unlocking the bootloader or root rights. If you are new to Android customization, we recommend starting with the safest way to install the theme. For experienced users, we have prepared detailed instructions on how to change the system fonts, including ADB commands and work with.ttf files.

Why are Xiaomi and iPhone emojis different?

The difference in emoji design is that Apple and Google (and therefore Android-based manufacturers, including Xiaomi) use their own character sets. iPhone emojis are developed by Apple’s design team and updated annually with the release of the new version of iOS. They are known for their detail, smooth gradients and unique style — for example, the face of the emoji with tears of joy on the iPhone has more rounded eyes than on Android.

Xiaomi defaults on the Noto Color Emoji set (from Google), which is integrated into the system font, and is optimized for display on high-resolution screens, but for many users it seems less expressive. Key differences:

• 👍 Face shape: on iPhone, emojis have more rounded features, on Android - angular.
• 🎨 Color palette: Apple uses warmer tones (for example, yellow emoji skin closer to orange).
• 🔍 Details: iPhone emojis have worked out small elements (shadows, highlights, textures).
• 📏 Size: iPhone emojis are visually larger at the same screen resolution.

Interestingly, even within the Xiaomi ecosystem, the emoji design may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI. For example, in MIUI 14, the emojis are slightly brighter than in MIUI 12, but there has been no fundamental change. If you care about visual harmony (for example, for Instagram stories or Telegram messages), replacing the emoji will be a logical solution.

Method 1: Installation of theme with iPhone emojis (without root)

The easiest and safest method is to use official MIUI themes that change not only wallpaper and icons, but also system fonts, including emojis.This method does not require unlocking the bootloader or superuser rights, but does not work on all devices (more in the compatibility table below).

Instructions:

1. Open the Themes app (icon with brush).
2. Go to the Fonts section (may be called Text or Text Style).
3. In the search bar, type in the query: "iOS emoji" or "Apple emoji".
4. Choose your favorite theme (we recommend a rating above 4.5).★). Popular options: 🍎 iOS 16 Emoji Font (author: MIUI Design Studio) 📱 Apple Color Emoji for MIUI 🎨 San Francisco iOS Font (includes font and emoji)

Apply

After the reboot, check the result in any messenger (for example, WhatsApp or Telegram). If the emoticons have not changed, try:

• 🔄 Update theme through my profile → My subjects.
• 📲 Re-install theme (sometimes helps to reset the cache).
• 🛠️ Clear the application cache Themes in Settings (Settings) → Annexes → Application management → Topics → Warehouse → Clear the cache).

Limitations of the method:

• ⚠️ Not all topics change emojis on WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger (these apps use their own fonts).
• ⚠️ After updating MIUI The topic may be reset – you will have to reset.
• ⚠️ On certain devices (e.g, POCO F3) Theme fonts do not apply to system applications.

Method 2: Manually modifying system fonts (with Magisk or ADB)

If the themes didn't work, or if you want a full system-level emoji replacement, you'll have to edit system files, which requires an unlocked bootloader and root rights (or access via ADB).

Important! Mistakes can lead to data loss or a device blink. If you are unsure of your skills, skip this section or seek help from the 4PDA or XDA Developers forums.

Option A: Replace fonts via Magisk (for stitched devices)

For this method you will need:

• 📱 Device with unlocked bootloader and installed Magisk.
• 💾 iFont or Emoji Replacer (you can download it) XDA).
• 🖥️ AppleColorEmoji.ttf font file (available in the archives of topics for the MIUI).

Instructions:

1. Download the Emoji Replacer module (e.g., from here) and unpack the archive.
2. Place the AppleColorEmoji.ttf file in the module folder (replacing the standard font).
3. Using Magisk Manager, install the module (Modules → Install from storage → Select a file).
4. Reboot the device. Once downloaded, the emojis should change globally (including WhatsApp and Chrome).

If the emoji are displayed with squares:

• 🔧 Make sure the font file is not damaged (MD5: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e original).
• 🔄 Try another module (e.g. iFont with support) MIUI).
• 📌 Make sure that in /system/fonts No conflicting files (can be checked through Root Explorer).

Option B: Replace fonts with ADB (no root)

This method is suitable for non-root devices, but requires USB Debugging Mode and ADB drivers installed on PCs. We will replace system fonts through the adb push command.

Warning:

⚠️ Attention! Incorrect replacement of system fonts can cause interface failure. /system/fonts Team: Adb pull /system/fonts/ fonts_backup/

Steps:

1. Download the archive with Apple Color Emoji fonts (e.g., from here).
2. Connect your phone to your PC and execute commands: adb shell su mount -o rw,remount /system cp /sdcard/Download/AppleColorEmoji.ttf /system/fonts/chmod 644 /system/fonts/AppleColorEmoji.ttf mount -o ro,re /system rebootmount
3. After the reboot, check the emoji in SMS or Telegram.

If the font is not used:

• 🔍 Make sure the file has the correct name (e.g. NotoColorEmoji.ttf should be renamed AppleColorEmoji.ttf).
• 📝 Check the file access permissions (should be 644).
• 🔄 Try replacing the file in /system/product/fonts/ (On some devices, fonts are stored there).

💡

If after replacing the fonts, some apps (such as Instagram) display emojis incorrectly, clear their cache in the Android settings.This will cause the app to reboot the system fonts.

Method 3: Using third-party keyboards with iPhone emojis

If the first two methods seem too complicated, there is an alternative: custom emoji keyboards, which don't change the system fonts, but allow you to insert iPhone emojis into any message, minus: the emoji will only be visible to you (the recipient will display them as standard).

The best keyboards for this task:

• 🍎 Gboard with iOS Emoji: Install Gboard from Google Play. Download the Gboard iOS Emoji Theme module (available on Play Market). Activate the theme in the keyboard settings (Themes) → My subjects).
• 📱 SwiftKey with emoji package: In SwiftKey go to Settings → Registration → Emoji. Select the iOS Style package (requires premium subscriptions).
• 🎨 Fleksy: Supports plugins with custom emojis (including iPhones).The free version has a 3 plugin limit.

Advantages of the method:

• ✅ Does not require root or unlocking the bootloader.
• ✅ It works on all devices (including POCO and Black Shark).
• ✅ You can quickly switch between emoji styles.

Disadvantages:

• ❌ Emojis are visible only to you (the recipient converts them to a standard appearance).
• ❌ In some messengers (for example, Viber), the keyboard may not display custom emojis.

💡

Third-party keyboards are the only way to get iPhone emojis on Xiaomi without tampering with the system, but it's a "for-you" solution: your interlocutors will see standard emojis.

Comparison of methods: which one to choose?

To help you decide, we have compiled a comparative table on the key criteria: implementation complexity, compatibility and risks.

Selection recommendations:

• 👶 Beginners: Start by installing a theme or third-party keyboard.
• 🛠️ For power users: If you need a full emoji replacement (including WhatsApp), use Magisk or ADB.
• 📱 Owners. POCO/Black Shark: Themes often don’t work – try keyboards or manual font replacement.

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even if you follow the instructions correctly, you can run into difficulties, and we've collected some of the most common errors and ways to fix them.

Problem 1: Emojis are shown in squares (□).

⚠️ Attention! This means that the system cannot read the font file. Check: Integrity of the.ttf file (try to open it on a PC). Access rights (should be available) 644). The path to the file (on some firmware fonts lie in the /product/fonts/, not /system/fonts/).

Problem 2: After the fonts were replaced, some characters (e.g., characters) disappeared.

Solution: Install an additional font that supports Unicode. For example, download NotoSansCJK.ttf and put it in the same folder as the emoji.

adb shell chmod 644 /system/fonts/NotoSansCJK.ttf

Problem 3: The theme with emoji applies, but is reset after the MIUI update.

Decision:

• Before updating, back up the theme (Settings → Topics → My Topics → Export).
• After updating, re-apply the theme from the local file (do not download again).
• Turn off automatic themes updates in Settings → Themes → Auto Update.

Problem 4: Telegram emojis are displayed in an old style.

Solution: Telegram uses its own fonts to make it show iPhone emojis:

1. Install the Telegram X module (alternative client).
2. In the chat settings, enable the option to Use System Emojis.
3. Clear the Telegram cache (Settings → Storage → Clear the cache).

FAQ: Answers to popular questions