How to put emoticons like on iPhone on Xiaomi: 5 working ways

If you’ve moved from iPhone to Xiaomi (or are just in love with Apple’s emoji design), standard MIUI emojis may seem faded and inexpressive. Fortunately, there are a few ways to replace them with stylish iOS emojis, from simple root-free tweaks to deep customization. In this article, we’ll take a look at all the current 2026 techniques, their pros and cons, and give you recommendations for choosing the best option for your Redmi, POCO or Mi model.

It's important to understand that replacing emojis is not just aesthetics, it's also compatibility. For example, some messengers (like WhatsApp or Telegram) can display emojis in their own way, ignoring system settings. We've tested all of them on the latest versions of MIUI 14/15 and HyperOS, so the instructions are relevant for modern devices. If you use old firmware (like MIUI 12), some methods may not work, we'll warn you about that, too.

Before you start, check your firmware version in Settings → About Phone → MIUI. This will help you avoid errors when choosing a method. And remember: on devices with a locked bootloader (most official Xiaomi firmware), some methods will require unlocking the bootloader – the process is not complicated, but requires a wait (usually 7-14 days).

1. Method without root: applications for replacing emojis

The easiest and safest method is to use third-party apps that replace keyboard-level emojis.This doesn't change system files, so the risk of "bricking" the phone is zero. Minus: emojis will only appear in apps where you type text (like VK or Instagram), but not in notifications or system menus.

The best applications for this task:

• 📱 Textra SMS is a keyboard with iOS emoji and style customization, and works even on older versions of Android, but requires installation as a primary keyboard.
• 🎨 The Emoji Changer Keyboard is a dedicated keyboard with a set of emojis from Apple, Samsung and Google. There's a free version with ads.
• 🔄 SwiftKey is a popular keyboard from Microsoft with the option to change the style of emoji (you need to select "iOS" in the theme settings).
• The 📲 Gboard is a standard keyboard from Google, but with the Emoji Kitchen plugin, you can create mixed styles (not a full replacement, but close to iOS).

How to set up:

1. Install the selected application from Google Play.
2. Go to Settings → System → Language and input → Virtual keyboard.
3. Activate the new keyboard and set it by default.
4. In the keyboard settings, find the "Emoji" or "Smoody style" section and select iOS.

⚠️ Warning: When using third-party keyboards, some banking applications (e.g., SberBank Online or Tinkoff) may block input, requiring you to return to the standard keyboard, in which case you will have to temporarily switch.

2. Replace the font with emoji via Magisk (without full root)

If you’re ready for a deeper setup but don’t want full root access, you can use the Magisk modules.This method changes system fonts, including emojis, but doesn’t require unlocking the bootloader on some devices (like the POCO F5 or the Redmi Note 12 with HyperOS).

You'll need:

• 📱 Device with unlocked bootloader (for most Xiaomi models).
• 🔧 Installed by Magisk (instructions for installation are available on XDA Developers).
• 📦 iFont or Emoji Replacer for Magisk.

Step-by-step:

1. Download the Emoji_Replacer_iOS_15.4.zip module (see the current version on GitHub or Telegram channels for "Magisk emoji iOS").
2. Open Magisk Manager, go to Modules → Install from storage.
3. Select the downloaded file and wait for the installation.
4. Reboot the phone. Once turned on, the emojis should change systemically (including notifications and menus).

⚠️ Warning: On some devices (e.g., Xiaomi 13 Pro with HyperOS), Magisk modules may conflict with system updates. Before installing the update, disable the module in Magisk, otherwise the phone may freeze on the MI logo.

Make a backup of data in Mi Cloud or via TWRP

Check out Magisk version (should be 26.0+)

Download the module from a verified source (GitHub, XDA)

Disable the antivirus (can block the installation)

Charge your phone at least 50%

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3. Complete emoji replacement via TWRP (for advanced)

This is a good way for those who are ready for major changes in the system, which requires an unlocked bootloader, custom recovery (TWRP) installed, and root access, but the result is a complete replacement of emoji at the system level, including their display in WhatsApp, Telegram, and even in folder names.

What you'll need:

• 🔓 Unlocked bootloader (instructions for Xiaomi: official website).
• 📱 Established TWRP Recovery (version for your model).
• 📦 NotoColorEmoji.ttf file (can be downloaded from the Google Fonts repository and replaced with the iOS version).
• 🛠️ Root Explorer or Mixplorer for working with system files.

Instructions:

1. Download the archive from an iOS emoji (e.g., iOS_16_Emoji_Font.zip) and unpack it.
2. Rename the font file to NotoColorEmoji.ttf (it is important to keep the exact name!).
3. Copy the file to your phone in the /sdcard/ folder.
4. Boot to TWRP (turn off the phone, then press Power + Volume up).
5. In TWRP, select Mount → System.
6. Go to /system/fonts/ and replace the original NotoColorEmoji.ttf with your file.
7. Set the rights 644 (rw-r------)
8. Reboot the phone.

This method is the most stable, but also the most risky, and if you've never worked with TWRP, you better practice backup or try rootless methods.

4.Use of MIUI themes to modify emojis

Few people know, but MIUI has a built-in theme-shifting feature that sometimes affects emojis, and unfortunately, you can't get a full iOS-style replacement this way, but you can get a little closer to the look you want, which doesn't require root, and is suitable for all Xiaomi devices.

How it works:

1. Open the Topic app (usually preinstalled on MIUI).
2. In the search, type "emoji" or "emoji".
3. Select a theme with alternative emojis (e.g., "iOS Style Icons" or "Flat Emoji Pack").
4. Apply the theme. Some interface elements (including the emoticons on the menu) will change.

Limitations of the method:

• ❌ Emojis are only changed in the system menus, not in the keyboard or messengers.
• ❌ The choice of themes with iOS emojis is very limited (most themes are changed only by app icons).
• ✅ But it’s the only way that doesn’t require any rights and works even on locked devices.

💡

If there are no suitable options in the Themes app, try downloading the APK- iOS emoji theme file from the MIUI Themes site. Install only verified files - some themes may contain ads or malicious code.

5. The bypass: emoji in Telegram and other messengers

If you only need iOS emojis in instant messengers, you can use their built-in features, for example, Telegram allows you to install custom sticker packs that mimic Apple emojis.

How to set up in Telegram:

1. Open any chat and click on the emoji icon.
2. At the bottom, select the Sticker tab.
3. Click + and search for "iOS Emoji" or "Apple Emoji".
4. Install your favorite pack (for example, iOS 16 Emoji by Apple).
5. Now, when you enter text, you can insert emojis from a sticker pack - they will look like on an iPhone.

A similar trick works in:

• 📘 WhatsApp: via third-party keyboards (see Method 1).
• 💬 VK Messenger: Supports custom emojis through extensions.
• 🎮 Discord: You can use bots to swap emojis (e.g., Dyno or Carl-bot).

⚠️ Warning: WhatsApp doesn't display emojis from Telegram stickers -- it uses its own emoji system. To get around the restriction, you'll have to use an iOS emoji keyboard (Method 1) or change system fonts (Method 3).

6. Comparison of methods: which one to choose?

To help you decide, we have compiled a comparative table of all methods indicating their pros, cons and difficulty level.

Our advice:

• If you only need an emoji in messengers →, use Method 1 (keyboard) or Method 5 (sticker packs).
• If you want a risk-free system replacement →, try Method 2 (Magisk).
• If you are an experienced user and ready to experiment → Method 3 (TWRP).
• If you have a locked phone and do not want to unlock → Method 4 (MIUI themes).

💡

On HyperOS devices (Xiaomi 14, 13T, etc.), the method of replacing fonts via TWRP may not work due to the changed structure of the system files, in which case the Magisk modules (Method 2) will be more reliable.

Problem Solving: If the emojis are unchanged or gone

Even with accurate follow-up, there are times when you fail, and here are the most common problems and solutions.

Problem 1: Emojis have not changed since the Magisk module was installed.

• 🔹 Check if the module is activated in the Magisk Manager (Module section).
• 🔹 Remove the cache to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Cash.
• 🔹 Try another module (e.g. EmojiSwitcher instead of iFont).

Problem 2: After replacing the font through TWRP, the phone is stuck on the boot.

• 🔹 Download to TWRP and return the original NotoColorEmoji.ttf file.
• 🔹 Check the file permissions (should be 644).
• 🔹 If the phone doesn't boot even into TWRP, you'll have to refashion the device via Fastboot.

Problem 3: WhatsApp emojis are displayed in an old style.

• 🔹 WhatsApp uses its own fonts. Solution: install the keyboard with an iOS emoji (Method 1) or use GBWhatsApp (an informal client with custom themes support).
• 🔹 Clear WhatsApp cache in the app settings.

Problem 4: Some emojis are displayed in squares.

• 🔹 This means that the font does not support all characters. Download the full version of AppleColorEmoji.ttf (e.g., here: GitHub).
• 🔹 Check the file encoding (should be UTF-8).

💡

If the animations have stopped showing after the replacement (for example, in Telegram), try rolling back the changes or using the Emoji Kitchen module for Magisk, which retains support for animated emojis.

FAQ: Frequent questions