Emojis on Xiaomi smartphones are often the subject of controversy: some do not like their design in MIUI, some want to unify the style with the iPhone or Pixel, and some just tired of the monotony. Unlike iOS or “pure” Android, where emoji are updated with the system, Xiaomi can change them in several ways – from simple themes to deep interference with system files.
In this article, we will discuss 5 working methods for changing emojis on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices (including models on MIUI 12/13/14 and HyperOS).
- 🎨 Install emojis through themes MIUI (rootless)
- 📱 Use it. ADB-font-replacement
- 🔧 Patch system files via Magisk or root
- 🖼️ Apply custom emoji packs (including iOS and Twitter)
- ⚠️ Avoid common mistakes that lead to app crashes
Important: Not all methods are equally secure. For example, manual editing of system files without a backup can lead to a cyclic restloop or messaging failures. We have noted the risks in each section - read carefully!
1.The easiest way: MIUI themes with alternative emojis
If you don’t want to make radical changes, but just to refresh the emoji design, start with the MIUI. This method works on all Xiaomi devices without rooting and requires no technical skills.
How it works: MIUI themes can replace not only wallpaper and icons, but also emoji fonts, such as the theme “iOS Emoji Style” or “Google Emoji” will replace standard emojis with those used in iPhone or Pixel.
- 📲 Open the Themes app (icon with brush)
- 🔍 In the search bar, enter emoji or emojis
- 🎯 Choose your favorite topic (pay attention to ratings and reviews)
- 📥 Click Apply and confirm the download
⚠️ Note: Some topics may conflict with system applications (such as WhatsApp or Telegram).If the themes in messengers are displayed as squares after applying themes, return the standard theme or try another pack.
2. Replace emojis through ADB (without root rights, but with risk)
If that's not enough, you can go ahead and replace the system type with an emoji through the ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which does not require root rights, but involves working with the command line, suitable for MIUI 12-14 and HyperOS.
The essence of the method: we replace the NotoColorEmoji.ttf file (responsible for the emoji in MIUI) with a similar file from another firmware (for example, from Google or Samsung).
Download and install ADB on PC (link in official Google documentation)
Enable USB debugging on Xiaomi (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version → 7 Taps → Developer → USB debugging)
Download the desired emoji font (e.g. NotoColorEmoji.ttf from Google)
Create a backup of the original file (adb pull command)
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Step-by-step:
- Connect the phone to the PC and allow debugging over USB.
- Open the command line (or Terminal on Mac/Linux) and execute: adb shell su (if there is a root) mount -o rw, remount /system
- Backup the original font: adb pull /system/fonts/NotoColorEmoji.ttf ~/backup/
- Replace the file with a new one (pre-rename the downloaded font to NotoColorEmoji.ttf): adb push ~/Downloads/NotoColorEmoji.ttf /system/fonts/ adb shell chmod 644 /system/fonts/NotoColorEmoji.ttf
- Reboot your phone: adb reboot
⚠️ Note: If you have replaced emojis in certain apps (such as Instagram or Instagram) VK) displays incorrectly, return the original font by command:
adb push ~/backup/NotoColorEmoji.ttf /system/fonts/What if the phone does not boot after replacing the font?
3. Installation of custom emojis via Magisk (for rooted devices)
If your Xiaomi has Magisk (root access), you can install modules to replace emojis, which is safer than ADB, as changes are made in a separate section and easy to roll back.
Popular modules for Magisk:
- 🍎 iOS Emoji Magisk Module – Apple-style emoji (updated automatically)
- 🤖 Google Emoji Replacer – Emoji from Android 13/14
- 🐦 Twemoji Magisk – Twitter emoji (support animation)
How to determine:
- Download the module (a file with the.zip extension) from XDA Developers or MagiskHub.
- Open Magisk Manager → Modules → Install from storage.
- Select the downloaded file and confirm the installation.
- Reboot the phone.
✅ Advantages of the method:
- 🔄 Easy to roll back changes (just remove the module in Magisk).
- 🛡️ More secure than manual editing /system.
- 🔄 Modules are updated frequently (e.g., iOS 16.4 emojis). → 17.2).
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Magisk modules are the best choice for rooted Xiaomi, as they do not directly affect the system partition and allow you to quickly return the original emoji.
4. Manual replacement of emojis through recovery (for advanced users)
This method is suitable if you have custom recovery (such as TWRP or OrangeFox) and allows you to replace emoji even without Magisk, but requires care.
What you need:
- 📱 Device with unlocked loader and TWRP.
- 💾 Section backup /system (necessarily!).
- 📁 Folder with new emojis (for example, from the firmware Pixel Experience).
Instructions:
- Download the firmware with the right emojis (for example, LineageOS or Pixel Experience) and extract the NotoColorEmoji.ttf file from it (lies in /system/fonts/).
- Move the file to SD-card or internal memory of the phone.
- Load to TWRP (Plug Power + Volume Up).
- Go to Advanced → File Manager.
- Find the original file by the path /system/fonts/NotoColorEmoji.ttf and rename it NotoColorEmoji.ttf.bak.
- Copy the new file in /system/fonts/.
- Set permissions 644 (long-click on file → Permissions).
- Reboot to the system.
| Method | Difficulty | Need a rut? | The risk of bootloop | Support for updates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MIUI themes | ⭐ (simple) | ❌ No. | ❌ No. | ✅ Yeah (via the store) |
| ADB | ⭐⭐⭐ (middle-of-the-road) | ❌ No, but I need a PC) | ⚠️ Medium. | ❌ No (must be repeated manually) |
| Magisk | ⭐⭐ (easily) | ✅ Yes. | ❌ No. | ✅ Yes (modules updated) |
| TWRP | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (difficult) | ✅ Yes. | ⚠️⚠️ High-pitched | ❌ No. |
5 Problems After Emoji Replacement and How to Fix It
Even if you do everything according to the instructions, there can be bugs, and here are the most common ways to solve them:
- 🔳 Emojis are displayed in squares in instant messengers: Reason: The app (like WhatsApp) uses its own emoji font.Solution: clear the app's cache or install the App Systemizer module in Magisk to force it to use system emojis.
- 🔄 After updating MIUI Emoji dropped: Reason: firmware overwrote the changed files. Solution: repeat the replacement procedure or use the Magisk module (it survives afterward) OTA-update).
- 📵 Phone doesn't turn on after you change the font: Reason: system file is damaged. Solution: run your phone through Fastboot or restore the backup to the Fastboot. TWRP.
⚠️ Please note: if you have used ADB or TWRP Replacement of emoji before updating MIUI Make sure to return the original files! otherwise the phone may hang on the Xiaomi logo after the update.
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Before experimenting with emojis, create a full backup through TWRP or Swift Backup, which will save you hours of recovery if something goes wrong.
6. Alternative methods: keyboards and applications
If you don't want to get involved, you can do it with third-party solutions, which don't change emoji globally, but allow you to use alternative emojis in specific applications.
Popular options:
- 📱 Keyboards with custom emojis: 🍎 Gboard (you can turn on iOS emoji in the settings) 🎨 SwiftKey (supports themes with different styles of emoji) 🤖 Chroom (keyboard with emoji from Google)
- 📲 Emoji replacement applications: 🔄 Emoji Changer (works on top of system emojis but requires availability) 🖼️ Textra SMS (It allows you to choose the style of emoji in SMS)
❌ Cons of this approach:
- Emojis only change in a specific application (for example, on WhatsApp they will remain standard).
- Some keyboards may conflict with MIUI (e.g., auto-replacement is missing).