How to change emojis to Xiaomi: from standard themes to manual patching

Standard emojis on Xiaomi smartphones often cause users to complain: some people consider them too “childish”, some do not like the proportions of faces, and some just want to unify the style with other devices. Unlike the iPhone or Google Pixel, where emojis are updated with the system, MIUI and HyperOS can be replaced in several ways – from simple themes to deep modifications of the system.

In this article, we will discuss 5 working methods, including formal and informal solutions, taking into account the features of Xiaomi firmware. You will learn how to install emojis from Samsung, Apple or Twitter without breaking your phone, as well as what pitfalls await when manually patching system files. All instructions are tested on current versions of MIUI 14/15 and HyperOS 1.0.

1.The easiest way: MIUI themes with alternative emojis

If you're not ready to experiment with root rights or ADB, start with the official method, which is the themes of design. In MIUI and HyperOS, many themes include not only wallpaper and icons, but also replacing fonts with emojis, which requires no technical skills and is reversible in a single click.

Where to look for the right topics:

• 📱 Themes app (preloaded on all Xiaomi) Type in the search queries: iOS emoji, Samsung emoji, Twitter emoji.
• 🌐 Third-party sites like MIUI Themes or ZThemes. Look for topics marked.mtz and mentioning emoji in the description.
• 🔍 Communities VKontakte/Telegram. Popular packs: iOS 16 Emoji, Samsung One UI 5, Twemoji.

How to apply the topic:

1. Download the theme file (.mtz) to your phone.
2. Open the “Themes” app** → “My Topics” → “Import.”
3. Select the downloaded file and confirm the installation.
4. Reboot your phone and the emojis will change automatically.

⚠️ Note: Some themes only change the font, leaving the emoji intact. Before installing, read user reviews in the topic description!

2. Replacement through third-party keyboards (without root rights)

If the themes don't work, try customizable emoji keyboards, which work for any Xiaomi, including models without unlocking the bootloader, and the main advantage is the ability to switch between emoji styles on the fly without changing system files.

The best keyboards to replace emojis:

Instructions for Chroom (the most flexible option):

1. Install Chroom from Google Play.
2. Go to Settings → Additions → Emoji Kitchen.
3. Select an emoji package (e.g. iOS 16.4 or Samsung One UI 5).
4. Activate the keyboard in the system settings (Settings → System → Language and input).

⚠️ Warning: Third-party keyboards only change emojis in their input fields! in system notifications, browser or instant messengers (if they use their fonts), emojis will remain standard.

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Before buying plugins from Chroom, check their work in a free trial – some emoji packs may not display correctly on Xiaomi with custom firmware.

3. Manual change of system fonts (ADB required)

For advanced users willing to work with ADB, there is a way to replace emoji at the system level, which does not require root rights, but involves an unlocked bootloader and enabled USB debugging. Suitable for Xiaomi on MIUI 12-15 and HyperOS.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB Tools.
• 📱 Included debugging by USB (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times tap; then Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB).
• 📁 Archive with emoji fonts (for example, here).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect the phone to the PC and execute the command:


adb devices




(Your device should appear)





2 Download the font archive (such as iOS or Samsung) and unpack it into an ADB folder.





3. Replace the system fonts:




adb push NotoColorEmoji.ttf /sdcard/




adb shell




su




mount -o rw,remount /system




cp /sdcard/NotoColorEmoji.ttf /system/fonts/




chmod 644 /system/fonts/NotoColorEmoji.ttf




reboot

Critical! On HyperOS, the path to fonts may be different: instead of /system/fonts/ use /system/product/fonts/. Before replacing, back up the original file with the command adb pull /system/fonts/NotoColorEmoji.ttf.

4. Patching through Magisk (for root-right devices)

If you have Magisk installed on your Xiaomi, the most reliable way to replace emojis is to use modules for Magisk, which ensures compatibility with system updates and allows you to return everything back in one click.

Popular modules for Magisk:

• 🍎 iOS Emoji Magisk Module – Apple’s emoji (updated to the current version of iOS).
• 🤖 Samsung One UI Emoji - emoji from Samsung Galaxy.
• 🐦 Twemoji Magisk – Twitter emoji (supports animation).
• 🎨 Emoji Replacer – a universal module with a choice of style.

How to install the module:

1. Download the module (.zip file) from XDA Developers or the Telegram channel Magisk Modules.
2. Open Magisk Manager → Modules → Install from Storage
3. Select the downloaded file and confirm the installation.
4. Reboot the phone.

If the emojis have not changed since the reboot:

• Check if the module is active in Magisk Manager.
• Clear the cache in Settings → Apps → App Management → Google Play Services → Storage → Clear the cache.
• Make sure that the module is compatible with your version of MIUI/HyperOS (read the description on the module page).

Disable the antivirus on your phone

Make a backup copy of the data

Check out Magisk version (should be ≥26.0)

Download the module from a verified source

Charge your phone ≥50%

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Alternative method: overlay applications

If you need to temporarily change emojis without interfering with the system, use overlay apps that work on top of the standard interface and replace emojis only in their windows, minus limited functionality (for example, emojis will not change in notifications or system menus).

Top.-3 overlay:

How to set up Emoji Changer:

1. Install Emoji Changer.
2. Open the app and select an emoji style (like iOS 16).
3. Click Activate** and follow the instructions (requires permission to display on top of other apps).
4. Enable the option “Replace Emoji in Keyboard”** in the settings.

⚠️ Note: Overlay apps may conflict with some messengers (such as WhatsApp or Telegram) that use their own fonts.

💡

Overlay apps are the only way to change emojis without root rights and ADB, but they only work in their windows and do not affect system elements.

6.Restore standard emojis

If after the experiments you want to return the original emoji Xiaomi, use one of the methods:

For those and keyboards:

• 🎨 Topics: Return the standard theme to the Topics app»** → «By default».
• ⌨️ Keyboards: Remove the third-party keyboard or reset its settings.

For manual changes (ADB/Magisk):

• 🖥️ ADB: Return the original font with the command: adb push backup_NotoColorEmoji.ttf /sdcard/ adb shell su mount -o rw,remount /system cp /sdcard/backup_NotoColorEmoji.ttf /system/fonts/ chmod 644 /system/fonts/NotoColorEmoji.ttf reboot
• 🔧 Magisk: Disable the module in Magisk Manager → «Modules» → select a module → «Delete».

If emojis are displayed in squares or characters:

1. Reboot the phone.
2. Clear the cache in Settings → Apps → Google Play Services → Storage → Clear the cache.
3. If the problem persists, reset the font settings to standard through Settings → Additional → Fonts → Reset (not available on all firmware).

FAQ: Frequent questions